Brand marketing, both direct-to-consumer and business-to-business, has hit a major bump in the road. “Influencer marketing” tactics are losing their luster and delivering less impact as social media begins to stagnate.Fred Wilson, one of New York’s top tech investors and thought leaders, calls 2019 “the year that VCs and startup founders began to sour on paid acquisition.” Wilson hypothesizes that while the Google/Facebook/Instagram well has certainly not run dry, it has begun to feel like a box every brand must check, which means everyone is doing it and no one is differentiated.This got me thinking… if digital and social is now a line-item on every go-to-market plan, the new frontier is clearly what I have been evalgenzling for years: a bespoke music strategy.
What is a bespoke music strategy? It’s a way for brands to build meaningful relationships with consumers by leveraging the power of music. Music is the universal language. Music is the great connector. Music is the lowest barrier to entry into culture for a brand.
This decade, every brand needs to think about what their brand sounds, looks, and feels like. Creating a musical brand identity plan can help them do that. I am not just talking about a jingle or overall sound, although that’s part of it (salute to Mastercard this week on their new sonic identity). I’m talking about intelligent artist alignment resulting in content and creative dissemination on the music distribution platforms where a company’s customers spend the most time.
Many brands understand the power of music marketing (Pepsi, Coke, American Express, and Citi to name a few) but what most people don’t realize is that you do not need to be a massive brand to utilize an effective music strategy in this media landscape. Startups, D2C brands, and even B2B brands should be thinking long and hard on their music strategy. It is truly what makes the difference when it comes to consumer engagement and creating a community around your business.
Music is the language consumers speak. I recommend you get fluent soon!