What the blues taught me about branding

I’ve been a blues music fan forever. Every since I heard Ray Charles sing, “Hit the Road Jack” when I was 4 I wanted to play the music and learn more about it. My grandmother gave me a harmonica in my teens and I’ve been playing ever since. There was always something about the music, the swagger, the mystery to it and the stories told in those lyrics that really made an impression on me.

 A few days ago the world lost the great BB King. He was one of the last giants of blues I didn’t get to see. What I loved about King was how he could tell so much story and feeling with just a few bent notes. As soon as you heard Lucille belt out just one tortured note you knew it was King classic.

 Blues artists are master storytellers. Through their music they tell amazing tales of struggle, sorrow, joy and well…more struggle (it’s the blues after all). Through it all many artists found their own unique voice and have created their own distinctive brand of blues. And with it, adoring fans that follow them and feel a connection to the particular brand of blues that they play.

 As a graphic designer and brand strategist, I’ve often thought of the lessons I’ve learned about brand storytelling from my heroes. So here are my top 3 lessons I’ve picked up over the years about brand storytelling and design from the masters.

Have a listen.

 1. Simplicity

As I mentioned, you knew a BB King tune from the first note. BB knew the power of the “less is more” approach better than anyone. He could have played 10 million notes per song but he didn’t. He understood the impact one clean note could have. He told so many stories from heart ache (Thrill is gone) to pure bouncing happiness ( Days of Old) all from just a few well chosen notes. This is probably the most important lesson I’ve learned. There is so much you can say about your brand. So many distractions to get you off track (what are we offering?!, Lets list all our software features!, What’s the competition doing!?) You can easily end up trying to play those 10 million notes in your story. Sure you're saying a lot but are you connecting to the audience? If you get a bit frazzled, just listen to Mr. King and think about your own one clean note to play.

2. Passion

 Eric Clapton is known for his unflappable dedication to the pursuit of the blues almost as much as his playing. What I always admired about Clapton was his pure passion for the music and his transparency about it. Lets face it; blues music isn’t the fast track to financial success for many. Of course Clapton is immensely successful but I think that if he never even had a hit, he’d still be just as dedicated today playing, learning and talking about the blues. The dude just breathes it and makes no apologies about his love of the subject. I remember seeing him at Maple Leaf Gardens for his “From the Cradle” Tour. It was right off the success of “Clapton Unplugged”. It was a great performance with Clapton in full FMM (Face Melt Mode).

I watched him do an interview before the Cradle tour and the question from the interviewer were along the lines of - Why an electric blues album? Why not another acoustic, MTV friendly type of album?” Clapton just said, “I have to see this blues thing through to the end”. I really loved that answer. He was devoted so much to doing his thing for the pure love of the art form. For me when I’m helping out with business owners with their brand message or differentiator, I want them to find that level of dedication. That level of commitment to what they’re doing. Once they find that passion about why they do what they do and use it in their storytelling, things begin to come together.

3. Character

If you haven’t seen Buddy Guy play you’re doing a disservice to your ears and eyes. The man plays with such happiness and showmanship it’s infectious. His style of blues is driving but it’s that physical showmanship in addition to the music that makes him such a legend. He jokes with the audience, he’s animated more than a Pixar character on stage and he’ll often stroll right through the aisles at his concerts, wailing away on his polka dot guitar. His personality is just as massive as his sound. I’ve seen Buddy 3 times now. The man has influenced everyone from Hendrix to Clapton to John Mayer and more. His singing is also a force of nature. But early in his career he didn’t think he could sing at all. His sister brought him out of his shell and helped him find his voice and confidence. A Buddy Guy song wouldn't be the same without that powerful voice to go with that blistering guitar. For me, Buddy taught me to find that bit of spark, that confidence and inner showman within all of us to tell great stories. People will connect to brands but they also connect to the characters and personalities that are associated to those stories and give them impact. Think of any great Ted Talk that has inspired you from a speaker with great insights plus a great presence. Business owners don’t have to wear polka dot shirts and play polka dot guitars necessarily, but a bit of swagger and confidence in your story telling never hurts to get your message across. Confidence in telling your brand story is a lot like great music. People feel it instantly.

So for those who aren’t too familiar with the art of the blues, check out my favourite collection of albums from BB, Eric and Buddy. I highly recommend checking them out. Make sure to turn your office speakers up to eleven. 

- Josh

BB King – Live at the Regal

Eric Clapton – From the Cradle

Buddy Guy - I Was Walking Through the Woods