I recently stumbled across an article from one of the July issues of Music Week that spoke to one of the fastest growing trends in the brand marketing. The article discussed the increased use of music and entertainment-driven initiatives by consumer brands. Brands such as T-Mobile, Virgin Media, Vodafone, Red Stripe, and Strongbow have all recently participated in music initiatives by sponsoring music festivals, award shows, or attractions at festivals. This growing trend has even led to the launching of a major industry conference created for the sole purpose of discussing the utilization of music in marketing. This conference is Music Week’s own MusicMeetsBrands Conference in London (formerly called the Music & Brands Conference). With rise of Starbucks as a force in music and Microsoft’s launch of their new music program Ignition, it seems the value of music has not dropped, but the means through which the value will be communicated has changed.
Commentary:
I believe this trend will only begin to increase in the upcoming years as the traditional model for selling and marketing recorded music dies and consumers continue to demand a lifestyle approach from businesses. I am personally and professionally intrigued by Starbucks’ seamless, yet grand entrance into music and entertainment. As I am studying consumer brands and their continued use of music, I know there will be more to learn about strategic planning and brand management. So as I continue my research, I will soon be doing a 2-3 blog series on “The Brewing of Starbucks Entertainment.” I hope this will shed some important light on the subject from the music industry’s perspective on marketing, retail, and artist development. Hopefully, in the process, we’ll gain insight into the future of music.
