Brand Your Music: Brand Image (The Next Level)

They say confession is good for the soul, so here goes nothing. I, Saqqara M. Grant, have not been taking care of my brand as well as I should. There I said it. I hope that no one will judge me.

During the last 12 weeks, I have embarked upon a journey that has taken me from thinking like a small business owner to full fledge brand conglomerate. Along the way, I have continued to share my gems of brand wisdom with you but it wasn’t until last Tuesday that I realized that I needed to do more. It has been 6 months since Brand Your Music started and to be honest, like many of you in your own careers, I didn’t know how it was going to pan out. I thought I had a solid idea and a good outlet, but I didn’t anticipate the rapid growth of this movement. I created and adjusted my overall brand strategy along the way, got some really interesting feedback from some of you, and ultimately learned where my brand strengths and weaknesses were.

The point I’m trying to make is that your brand cannot stay the same forever. Realistically, if you want to continue to make an impact on your core audience and appeal to new ones your brand image must evolve. Your brand has to have a makeover every now and then. The change can be as big as rethinking the complete image of the brand (new band logo, a completely new style of music, new look for your band, etc.) or as small as changing the way you connect or interact with your core audience. With that said, I am extremely excited to offer you the new Brand Your Music.

Feel free to offer your feedback on our Facebook page or tell me directly on Twitter.

 

This week on Brand Your Music (Aug 1, 2011)

What do you think about the Beyonce´ brand? Share your thoughts on our Facebook fan page or tell Saqqara M. Grant directly on Twitter.

 

Consumer Profile-Natalie

Based on your extensive consumer research, you’ve found that your ideal consumer is Natalie. A 31-year-old professional who enjoys spending time to connect with her friends on Facebook and likes the fan pages of artists like Kem, Jill Scott, and Ledisi. Natalie also likes to listen to internet radio stations like Pandora while at work, and prefers to listen to XM radio on her drive home. Her salary is more than reasonable, so she has extra income for recreational activities like concerts. Natalie often attends local outdoor festivals and has traveled with her friends to the Essence Music Festival in New Orleans the last three years. This description gives you an idea of what your ideal consumer profile should read like. Obviously, the more detailed the research the better the consumer profile.

 

Mixtape Marketing

In the ever-changing world of the current music industry, artists are constantly looking for ways to promote themselves. Today’s artists, signed and unsigned, are using the mixtape to its greatest advantage. Originally intended to showcase a DJs live mixing skills, the mixtape has evolved into a promotional tool that is essential to today’s artist no matter what the genre. The mixtape, as a part of Hip-Hop culture, goes back to the 1970s during Hip-Hop’s emergence on the streets of New York. Fans of artists like Afrika Bambaata and Kool Herc commonly recorded their live shows and eventually spread the tapes around to other fans. This, in turn, widened the reach of their music. The mixtape has now become a staple in the music industry with artists like Rasheeda releasing volumes of her “Boss Bitch Music 1 and 2″ to create anticipation for Volume 3.

Releasing a mixtape can benefit an artist in a few ways. First, most mixtapes are free. This allows the consumer to try out your style of music without any “buyer’s remorse.” The last thing you want is for a dissatisfied fan to hit their social networks and spread their distaste for your music. Of course, everyone is not going to take to your brand of music but at least they won’t demand their money back. Second, if your mixtape is “hosted” by a well known DJ it strengthens your overall promotion*. You (the artist) are essentially using their (the DJ’s) status to solidify your place in the music business. Third, if your mixtape generates enough buzz it can position you to be able to tour or do spot dates (a single show). A successful mixtape can generate serious interest in your music from fans and industry professionals alike. So what’s the key? Good music. If you’re actually good at what you do, people will gravitate to you.

*Before we go any further, a distinction must be made. There are mixtapes that are just that. A mix of songs, typically of a certain genre, complied on a CD. These can sometimes be hosted by DJs but most times they’re not. Then there are mixtapes released by artists or prominent DJs. For the purpose of this discussion, these are the mixtapes I’m referring to.

 

Who Run It?

There are certain laws that are universal. What goes around comes around, what you give is what you get, and give people what they want. This last universality is the cornerstone of basic business. Find the need and fill it. How else could you explain why anybody buys anything? But while this “law” may be true, it isn’t always the right kind of mentality. Business minds think along the lines of creating a demand rooted in worthlessness and then persuading the consumer to feel that they need it. This thinking permeates every industry in the world. The consumer, nonetheless, is left to his/her own mind to distinguish whether or not a presumed need is actually a need or simply a want. When a company presents a product to you that fills a certain need, your purchase or non-purchase of said item sends a strong message to the company. Your dollar becomes a vote for their product. Keep in mind, that every business is established to do one thing and one thing only: make money. It is naive for you, as a consumer, to think that a legitimate business with expenses, overhead, and any other miscellaneous expenditures would only be “trying” to sell you something.

What does all this have to do with the music business? Record labels, music management companies, music marketing companies, and even this wonderful music blog you’re reading now are all in business to sell you something. In my case, I’m selling an idea but I’m still selling. They’re all competing for your attention, so when your attention focuses in on a particular artist from Company A, Companies B, C, and D all take notes. You ever notice how some new artists come out and they look like a knockoff of an established artist? What’s happening is that a formula is being created for success. If the R&B girl from Company A dyed her hair blonde, put on a sexy outfit, and danced herself around to the tune of moving 250,000 copies sold in her first week of release, please believe that every executive at Companies B, C, and D with a new R&B girl will market her this same way. So the big question is, who has the power? Is it the consumers who just so happen to like R&B girl from Company A, or is it because she was marketed by the company so well that it made people like her? It’s the classic chicken vs. egg conversation. Do you remember Christina Milian? What’s the difference between her and Beyonce´? Think long and hard about this. There’s no humungous difference in terms of look, talent, or personality. If this is true, then why isn’t Christina Milian as big as Beyonce´? Have we all been duped into believing that Bey is really that good?

 

Brand Unexpectedness

As a person whose loses interest quickly, I always appreciate a good surprise. Learning how to capture an audience’s attention is great, but learning how to keep it is better.

As an artist, you should always push the boundaries of your artistry to keep your audience engaged. I’m not suggesting that you go to extreme lengths to do it, but you should keep it fresh. Suppose you’re a new pop singer who just got signed to a recording contract with a very well respected Hip-Hop legend. You can sing, dance, and dabble in a little acting from time to time. You just so happen to look like every other Pop star out right now (fairly attractive, good physique, and a decent sound), how do you attract an audience and then keep them engaged? Both are very good questions, the first answer has to do with image and sound. If you look like every other typical Pop star ever to touch the music industry, you have to work to create an image that sets you a part. Focus on the things that are unique to you. How many brunette Pop stars have you ever seen? Not many because the tradition has always been blonde is better. Create an image that goes against the grain of what people are used to seeing. Now that your image is created, define a sound that challenges the conventions of Pop music. Will the lyrical content be the force that drives your brand of Pop music or will it be the production? Madonna, throughout her career, has been a master of keeping her image and sound fresh. She was able to keep her audience’s attention by constantly changing. I know what you’re thinking, but shouldn’t an artist’s brand be consistent? Yes, but there is such a thing as consistent spontaneity. For instance, Lil’ Kim’s brand was outrageous and sexy. Every time you saw her at an event, she may have looked differently but her outrageous sexiness remained. Same with Lady Gaga, she’s consistently eccentric with her image and you hardly ever see her look the same.

Keeping an audience’s attention is simple: create music that reflects their lifestyle. If the music is relevant to their life, they’ll keep listening. Mary J. Blige’s audience has grown with her and her music reflects this growth. Her lyrical ideas are more mature and therefore appeal to her core audience. She may appear on records with new artists just to keep her brand in the minds of the younger generation, but she’s not making music that appeals to a younger generation specifically. To make music that your audience will relate to you have to know your audience.

 

Brand Simplicity

 

Your core musical brand idea should be simple. The entire idea should be able to be expressed in a single tweet. Quickly, think of your favorite singer right now (doesn’t matter the genre) and describe their musical brand in less than 140 characters. If you can, then this artist has accomplished brand simplicity but there’s something even more important than simplicity, brand profundity. The commonly used expression A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush is simple yet profound. This one profound statement can be used for various scenarios. Now think of your own musical brand and ask yourself if it’s simple and profound? It should be both, but doesn’t necessarily have to be both in order to be successful. Simple is good enough but if you want to be the type of artist that stands the test of time, your music brand should also be profound. Think about this simple yet profound statement People only remember what you give. What will people remember most about your music?