Why should brands care about music?

At Saatchi & Saatchi BrandsRock we believe that “every brand has a soundtrack.”

For most people our lifestyles are defined in some way by the music we listen to every day. There is in fact no denying the cultural impact and influence of music and musicians on modern society.

Digital may have taken over from scratchy old LP’s and the good ‘ol mixed tape, but it’s not surprising that music is still the most ubiquitous lifestyle enhancing medium on the planet.

Therein lies the most exciting opportunity for brands brave enough to embrace music as a one of the key drivers of emotional brand engagement. Aligning brands with a prevailing consumer interest – music – can add value to 'the soundtrack of consumer’s lives’ whilst also building brand awareness and ultimately loyalty.

Music is now shared in the most democratic ways across border-less social networks and ever expanding digital platforms like Spotify, Simfy, All Access,  Deezer and many more. By contrast traditional music retailers are severely challenged and have had to change their business models or close down, as many sadly have. The music game has also changed irreversibly for traditional record labels and the acts they represent. They have literally been forced by technology to embrace new ways to commercialise their artists and the way they sell music. 

Some big record labels like Universal Music have adapted their business model to now also offer an integrated brand & music campaigns service. This approach has fundamentally challenged the traditional ‘sponsorship only’ model where brands would only sponsor an artist or an event by mostly only having their name displayed on the music collateral and perhaps some free VIP tickets.

These older sponsorship models that merely align music and branding in name only are past their 'sell-by’ date. They have been replaced by the marketing appeal of music to a new crew of brand specialists and marketers who see it as so much more than just sponsorship. They see it as an integrated platform with full consumer immersion and engagement possibilities.

According to IEG, North American-based companies was set to spend $1.34 billion to sponsor music venues, festivals and tours in 2014, a 4.4% increase from 2013.

Globally there has been an explosive growth of live music events and festivals. In South Africa we have also seen the same trend with the increase in number and size of music events. In recent years, festivals like Oppikoppi  & Rocking The Daisies have managed to achieve sold out status with record crowds. Equally, new events like Parklife, Synergylive and venue based music programs like The Assembly are gaining momentum as well as a growing fan base.

Add to this the international big name acts that now regularly visit our shores - U2, Foo Fighters, Lady Gaga, Coldplay & One Direction that has played to sold out South African crowds. Now consider the significant cumulative value of these live events/concerts in online content generation, social media footprint, PR generated and 'captive audience’ brand activations alone.

It is worth noting that many brands that previously had no real connection to music are now also joining the marketing-through-music gold rush, but unfortunately very few of these new participants are getting it right. Mostly because none of the mainstream advertising and media agencies fully comprehend the power of music related brand opportunities that are available to their clients. They are either geniunely ignorant of these opportunities or they still see the potential powerhouse that exists within the music-marketing realm as a threat to their core media based offerings.

Brands who dabble in music with occasional sponsorships would do better if they actually committed to a long term 'music strategy’. This involves a comprehensive review of their traditional marketing mix. It also means working with a specialist marketing agency that understands the strategic value of integrating a brand with a consumer’s lifestyle through the medium of music.

The good news is that savvy brand marketers (who fully understand the role of music as a major emotional and cultural touch-point in the lives of their consumers) are continuing to benefit from strategic and mutually beneficial associations between brands and bands.

A long term music strategy, executed with consistency allows a brand to drive the full lifestyle 'value chain’ – from finding new talent to working with established artists and from producing a small intimate music event through to a delivering a full 360° brand activation at a major music festival. All with the objective to drive brand awareness and conversion to sales.

Some of the tactical elements that are important to a music focused marketing mix include:

• tour, festival, live music venue and event consumer activations
• amplified brand awareness with music / musician aligned PR
• artists as ambassadors and drivers of social media engagement
• ongoing, well curated online content
• licensing songs for content on TV, radio and online
• artists as 'models’ for brand shoots - ads / POS / posters
• product endorsement and integration in music videos and online viral content

In managing and delivering these elements in an integrated way, brands will have to engage with expert partners who understand how best to blend music and marketing into compelling, consistent consumer campaigns that produces results, be it equity or sales or preferably both.

Just consider the compelling KPI’s inherent in:  the exposure & activation at live events + social media + generated PR. On an equally measured ROI basis, an integrated music campaign beats investment in only traditional media hands down.

There has never been a better time for brands to realise the power of harnessing music as an important brand activation platform. No wonder global brands such as Jose Cuervo, Levi's?, Red Bull, Burberry, Converse & Coca Cola  are now ahead of the game.

 So, why should brands care about music? Because their consumers do.