Want to learn about music marketing? Don't listen to the major record companies.
“Brand managers head to the 02 to study music marketing and see Beyonce.” This headline from a Brand Republic article pretty much summarizes the stupidity of today's thought leaders in music marketing.
The article goes on to explain, “Events start with a seminar and workshop, giving brand managers an insight into the rules and best practice for brands seeking to use music as a medium to engage with consumers. They will examine areas such as content, sponsorship, experience and activation. This will be followed by an informal evening of entertainment, including access to a VIP suite to watch Beyonce perform.”There are a number of problems related to this article, but two in particular stand out. It appears failing record companies are dictating how brand managers should employ music. And it appears the only reason these brand managers are attending is to watch Beyonce perform. In fact this is pretty much admitted, “Brands managers who are not yet on board with music marketing are to get the benefit of entertainment giant AEG's expertise…”AEG’s self-serving, “Rules and best practices,” apply, of course, to “Content, sponsorship, experience and activation” and have nothing whatsoever to do with the brands being managed, other than the typical shallow and generic link to putting your logo up at an “immersive media” event (read, concert).I’d wager that most record companies are merely looking at brand involvement as being nothing more than a new revenue source to bollster flagging revenue streams.Furthermore and most importantly, according to a major annual study conducted by Entertainment Media Research, titled Brands & Music:
- 82% of consumers think there are few brands that are genuinely interested in music and others are jumping on the bandwagon.
- And, 86% state brands need to do more than logo placement to gain respect.
A better approach was put forward recently at Billboard and Adweek’s inagural Music & Advertising conference:
- Make Sure Your Song Fits the Brand "Whether you're a person pitching music or a person making ads, the song has to make sense" says Beth Urdang, of Agoraphone.
- Be Flexible: This particularly applies if you are writing specifically for an ad campaign. Beth Urdang cautions "you have to be prepared for the back and forth of writing original music for an ad spot versus just licensing music where it either works or it doesn't."
Music can be an extremely effective tool in a brand’s toolbox. It should be given the same careful consideration as all the visual cues and aids in telling the brand’s story.
