Crafting Your Identity: The Power of Personal Branding for Artists
Branding in the music industry is one of the most critical aspects of an artist’s career. It involves the creation and upkeep of a recognizable identity. A personal brand can help artists stand out from a highly competitive market, branch into different avenues, expand their brand into new product lines, and build a long-lasting and loyal fan base. “When it comes to marketing, a strong brand is a powerful asset,” explains brand strategist Anthony Miyazaki. “Whether it’s your product brand, your organizational brand, or your brand, considerable effort should be spent developing your brand image in a manner that resonates with your desired target audiences.”
Artist Branding
As music marketers, we work alongside artists in creating marketing campaigns, building brand strategy content creation, and assisting them in evolving their brand that can transcend barriers and have long-term growth. Marketers play a vital role in shaping an artist’s brand image. Marketing a brand involves a combination of strategies and tactics to create awareness, connect with audiences, and promote the artist effectively. By combining our expertise with the artist’s creativity and vision, our business can contribute to a successful and enduring brand.
Applying Brand Strategies
It is imperative to restructure our branding strategies based on the brand and image the artist wants to convey to audiences. Although part of a group, we have worked with an artist who will start a solo tour in a few months. Our strategy has been modified to fit his band and tailored around a solo act. We have centered his brand on his relatable, catchy tunes with heartfelt lyrics and adapted his image to the down-to-earth artist he is away from the persona in the group. Here are some examples of how we restructured our campaign to fit his brand:
Social Media Campaigns: The artist leverages platforms like Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok to connect with fans and promote his music. He shares behind-the-scenes content to engage with fans through posts and live streams.
Music Videos: The artist released a new music video to attract a broader audience, help increase views, and promote ticket sales.
Contests and Giveaways: The marketing team runs giveaways on social media to boost engagement and grow the fanbase. Prizes include concert tickets and meet-and-greet opportunities.
Boots on the Ground: The artist wished to bring back the ‘90s “street team” promotional tool, using word-of-mouth to increase ticket sales in key markets. (Ticket sales have grown by an average of 20% per city just a week after starting this promotional method).
Public Relations: The PR team works alongside the media to broaden national press coverage. Phone interviews are scheduled one week before the show date to create a buzz in local markets.
Fan Engagement: The artist interacts with the fanbase on social media, commenting and reposting user-generated content to foster a community around his brand and tour.
Brands Leave A Mark
Successful marketing in the music industry combines several strategies adapted to the artist’s unique brand and goals. The key is to create a consistent presence that resonates with the target audience and keeps fans engaged. “In the early stages of your career, you need a consistent brand image,” said CEO of the DIY Media Group Tony van Veen. ”Once you’re an artist with a long career and a level of fame or notoriety, it may be desirable or even necessary for your brand to evolve.”
Artists must align their image, music, and persona to create a memorable identity. Musicians must define their identity, understand who they are as artists, and focus on what makes them unique. Some create a distinctive visual identity, designing a memorable logo or symbol. A great example of an artist who built a successful brand and has developed it to cross new markets is singer Machine Gun Kelly, also known as MGK.
Kelly created the “EST” (Everyone Stands Together) community at the start of his career, depicted by the “XX” logo. Soon after, loyal fans started proudly wearing branded merchandise, building fan pages on social media, and getting the symbol tattooed on their bodies. As a member of EST myself, the “XX” meaning goes deeper than just a simple logo. It’s a mark that ties you together with the artist and thousands of fans in the same community. Through the years, Kelly’s brand has evolved into a clothing and merchandising line, UN/DN vegan, cruelty-free nail polish, and Cleveland-based The 27 Club Coffee shop. His brand has amplified to different product lines and dispersed into various industries worldwide.
Evaluate Results
Marketing campaigns are crucial and must be adjusted for every product launch. When developing plans for each release, including publicity campaigns, music videos, and digital marketing, we must consider creating strategies that align with our brand and engage with our fanbase. It is essential to measure the results of a marketing brand campaign to determine its effectiveness and return on investment. Marketers can use metrics that can be used to track specific goals and objectives, such as KPI and ROI.
As marketers, we aim to ensure the Artist uses his branding effectively. In our industry, successful branding is not just about creating an image; it’s about building a meaningful connection with your audience. We must help the artist grow as a musician and a business entity. We must guide them in ensuring their brand is developed correctly and growing organically. Moreover, we must ensure the brand reflects the artist’s unique personality and musical style while resonating with fans and leaving a lasting impression.
Artists: It’s time to brand yourself as the artist you always wanted to be. Are you ready?