SWOT Analysis – Booth Brothers

This week’s SWOT analysis takes a look at the strengths and weaknesses of undoubtedly the most popular group touring the Southern Gospel circuit right now; the Booth Brothers.  They have dominated Southern Gospel award shows for the last several years and there seems to be no sign of that ending any time soon.

One could question whether a group with the popularity of the Booth Brothers actually have any weaknesses.  Let’s find out.

STRENGTHS

• Likability:  This group propelled themselves to the forefront of Southern Gospel music by being accessible to every fan.  You could argue that every Southern Gospel artist is accessible to the fans at some point during a concert.  Not so.
• Harmony:  While the Booth Brothers don’t have the Southern Gospel market cornered on harmony, they have built a successful sound around intricate and tight harmonies.  I recall the first time I saw the group live in the mid ’90′s when Ron Booth Sr was touring with the group.  I was awe-struck at the group’s harmony.
• Jim Brady’s songwriting:  It is always nice when a group has an in-house songwriter, but the Booth Brothers have one of the best Southern Gospel songwriters in Jim Brady.  The interesting thing is the Booth Brothers don’t always keep the best Jim Brady songs and they still tend to make stellar recordings.
• Stage presence:  As with the Hoppers last week, the Booth Brothers command a concert stage.  They are great at reading a crowd and many times changing their program to fit the crowd they are singing to.  The group has a nice mix of comedy, poignant moments and big power house ballads to bring the crowd to their feet.

WEAKNESSES

• Overuse of tracks:  I will use this weakness for every artist it applies to.  This generation of fans of Southern Gospel music have become reliant on tracks as accompaniment in the live concert setting to the point the concert audience wants a performance by the artist as they hear it on the recording.  That is why artists get criticized way too much by fans when they happen to hit a note slightly off pitch or miss the note altogether in a live concert setting.
• Talking can become lengthy:  This only applies to recently because when the group first started their program was filled with mainly music.  At times, their program tends to get a little lengthy in the talking department.

OPPORTUNITIES

• A Rebels Tribute Album:  Honoring the legacy of their father and uncle, who were both members of the Rebels Quartet, by recording an entire album of classic Rebels Quartet music.  In order the make it authentic, this is the one time the Booth Brothers need to bring a bass singer in to record with them on the album.

THREATS

• Jim Brady exiting the group:  The Booth Brothers would continue to thrive if Jim Brady would ever leave, but it would cause an initial blow to the group’s popularity.
• Greater Vision reclaiming trio of the year:  The return of Chris Allman to Greater Vision has seen the group surge in popularity.  Is it enough to reclaim the trio of the year award?  Probably not, the Booth Brothers are simply untouchable right now.

***NEXT SWOT ANALYSIS:  LEGACY FIVE***