A recent article, “Brands Urged to Engage Music Fans on SocNets,” appearing in both Adweek and Billboard states:

Music is playing such a critical role on fast-growing social networks that brand owners can no longer ignore it for brand-awareness strategies, says a new report by Heartbeats International, the Sweden-based international marketing agency.

It’s nice to see that the idea of marketers furthering their brand building endevours through music is gaining more and more traction.

It’s also inevitable.

As people continue to migrate their attention to the internet and digital media - for their very survival, brands had better do the same.

Though the article states that the primary reason is to “reach young audiences that have stopped using traditional media,” the same could be said for a larger audience in general.

For example, a Nielson NetView study, produced over the summer, notes that overall, women make up 56.1% of traffic to music sites, with women 35 – 49 making up the largest group. It goes without saying that women, especially in this age group, are responsible for most household purchase decisions.

Some other points from the Heartbeats study:

• On average, consumers listen to music on five different platforms, including mobile handsets and PCs.
• Two out of five social networkers have music embedded in their personal profile.
• The number of hours spent listening to music per day is growing.

The last point, although not quantified, is interesting. Take a walk down any busy street and it seems every other person, young and old, has buds growing out of their ears with an ipod attached.

For success, the report recommends that marketers shift from the traditional four P’s, to the four E’s (emotion, experience, engagement and exclusivity). The recommendations include:

• An “association” strategy that connects artists to audiences. Although, they don’t state exactly what this is. I imagine it’s essentially based on sponsorship.
• An “involvement” strategy that advocates co-creating to encourage fans to interact with music through things like remix competitions. Once again, this is sponsorship.
• An “exploration” strategy that offers music discovery platforms that introduces fans to new music. Sponsorship, again.

In my opinion, this is some pretty lazy thinking. Take away the veneer and what’s left is traditional advertising sponsorship that TV and Radio already relies on.

This is not to say that it’s a bad idea. The method obviously works and should be extended online. People are well used to getting free music online. The problem is free is not sustainable, unless underwritten by somebody. Brands are the most logical to do so.

A point I’ve maintained on this blog is that marketers should be adding music to their brand building toolkit. Music, as with all sensory input, is important to people, yet remains largely ignored by brands.

So far and frustratingly, music use by brands is largely based on celebrity, existing hit music and the subjective taste of the brand’s stakeholders and decision makers. This ridiculous, non-thinking method must mature and evolve if brand marketers want to truly harness the power of music and the impact it can have on their bottom line. And it doesn’t have to be expensive.

In this respect, new and original music from unknown writers and performers is certainly a way to go. The brand will get exposed to audiences and participate in channels that wouldn’t otherwise be available. Ideas will seamlessly cross from online to offline and back again. And the previously unknown songwriter/performer/band will get exposure that they otherwise wouldn't get or couldn’t afford.

Both benefit.

It’s not surprising that the adoption of music by brands is becoming a hot topic. There’s nothing more sticky or spreadable on the internet than music. And that’s what brands desperately need. On the other hand, music desperately needs new revenue models that brands can certainly help with.

To that end, the report says:

The same digital technology that changed the music industry is changing advertising as we know it.

Sounds like a mutually shared basis for a good and profitable partnership to me.

via Flatacre

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