WHY MUSIC WILL ALWAYS APPEAL TO MILLENNIALS... AND THE WHOLE WORLD
Beyonce has done it again... She has completely revolutionized an album release with her second visual album. With Lemonade, which was available exclusively through HBO (and only for 24 hours) and Tidal music service, millions of people obsessed over Queen Bey - and flocked to buy it. And she's not the only one making waves in the music world.
Between music festivals, album releases, and social media music stars, 2016 is a completely new year for music marketing. In this blog, Hollywood Branded examines this paradigm and how your brand can fit into it.
Pass The Lemonade
What makes music marketing so different in our current culture is the completely new and innovative ways of marketing it. It's not so much advertising anymore - yes, there are billboards all over boasting new albums and banners on iTunes and Amazon to encourage you to purchase a new release - but underground tactics and guerrilla marketing are where the real successes are coming in.
While Lemonade centers around and seems to allude to if not confirm rumors of infidelity between the superstar and the other half of her power couple, Jay-Z, it is perhaps instead a perfect example of the couple using scandal and the power of rumors to boost their own popularity to market their brand.
The album had a very exclusive release and then a subsequent wait for fans to be able to access the album. After hearing so much about it all over the internet and social media, when it did become available, it sold massively and continues to be a bestseller.
The Las Vegas Strip - DJ Takeover
The DJ movement in Las Vegas is nothing new. But this past year Elvis impersonators are even fewer and farther between - and a big-name DJ headlines at every major casino almost every night of the week, with various 'residencies' contracted for a long term, much like major music artists receive.
2015 featured an impressive roster of resident DJs - including EDM giants like Calvin Harrisn at the Omnis, Tiesto and Steve Aoki in Hakkasan Nightclub at Caesar's Palace, Diplo, Major Lazer, and Skrillex at various clubs within the Wynn, and literally tons more, DJs aren't just playing concerts in Sin City - they're becoming staples there. And they aren't cheap! Check out our blog where discuss costs.
Image from www.vegasvip.com
With ads that cover the outside of entire casinos and club promoters out at every casino, bar, and pool throughout the city adding people to "guest lists" for the show, people are coming out in droves every night of the week to see their favorite EDM artist - and subsequently spending millions of dollars at casinos, promoting both the casino and the artist.
Using his presence at Hakkasan, Steve Aoki launched his most recent albums Neon Future I and II which both topped the charts and sold over 50,000 copies with the hit single I Love It When You Cry reaching almost 30 million Spotify plays as of May 2016.
No doubt his long-term residency in Las Vegas has had a beneficial effect for both Aoki and the nightclub.
Music Is Still A Huge Part Of Our Lives - And Growing
True, it's not the 1970s anymore and people make jokes about how the music industry is dying.
They couldn't be more wrong. According to Nielsen's 360 music report for 2015, almost 91% of Americans listen to music more than 24 hours a week.
With music becoming more and more readily available - and interactive - music is becoming a bigger part of our lives every day. New music is featured in every new ad from smartphones to fashion to fragrances. Music isn't dying - it's evolving.
Episodes of our favorite TV shows from Netflix to Hulu to HBO and trailers for new movies feature new music (in fact one of the most popular searches on Google right now is "What is the song from the Deadpool trailer").
Smart brands rush to have a presence at music festivals like Coachella and South by Southwest where huge audiences of music lovers and social influencers alike flock.
What's In Store For 2016?
With so many artists thinking outside of the box as far as marketing their music, there is bound to be a surprise or two this year.
However, for brands, it's important to follow trends in music and find what fits your audience. From branding and tents at festivals to sponsoring a release party to doing a giveaway with a music partner around a holiday (like a Twitter contest we did on Valentine's Day with PassionRoses and The Chainsmokers), there are a million and one ways to get your brand involved in music marketing.
Learn More
Check out our blog for the various how-tos and how-nots of using the ever-changing music industry to the marketer's advantage. And don't forget music videos - they are an IDEAL platform to digitally engage fans around the world.
Before you spend another dollar on traditional advertising, start thinking about ways to make your marketing more engaging to consumers. Watch our video to learn how to combat common advertising challenges marketers face daily!
