Hyperlaunch DMG

Music and brands: Endless possibilities

21-09-2009

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Brand/music partnerships have never been more prevalent than they are today.  Done right, so-called "brand/band" tie-ups provide companies with a great platform to forge meaningful connections with consumers, particularly teenagers and young adults, who may otherwise be sceptical to brand messaging.

Through the musicians and labels that we work with, we've been able to witness these tactics first-hand.  HyperlaunchDMG designed and created the official site for hotly-tipped new artist Gary Go. Gary teamed up with luxury shirt maker Thomas Pink earlier this year for a competition in which Thomas Pink customers were given the opportunity to win a range of prizes including exclusive tickets to see Gary play live.

Madonna, another artist we've worked with, partnered with Sunsilk to promote her album Hard Candy.  She appeared in commercials which featured her new single as the soundtrack, something which U2 also did recently through their alliance with Blackberry.

Venues and music events have long been synonymous with branding and sponsorship and this trend shows no signs of slowing.  O2's recent acquisition of the rights to the former Carling Academy chain of live venues is a perfect example, and the 2009 Camden Crawl, which we delivered the entire online PR for, was sponsored by Gaymers Cider for the first time after several years of Red Stripe endorsement.

So your target consumers have a real affinity and love for music.  How do you connect with them through something they're so passionate about without risking damage to the reputation of your brand?

1. Innovation.  The more popular that brand/band partnerships become, the more essential it is to stand out.  T-Mobile Street Gigs featured artists such as Natasha Bedingfield and The Streets playing intimate secret gigs in discreet outdoor settings, with registered users receiving a text just 90 minutes before the start of the gig and the whole set rigged up and dismantled within two hours.  The message revolved around spontaneity and creativeness and the campaign was a huge success.


2. Communication.  Talk to fans where they feel most comfortable.  New British artist Katie Vogel's first steps in the music business are being documented in a web TV series called Green Eyed World, in partnership with Sprite.  Users can follow her and vote on certain elements of her early career through interaction on Facebook and YouTube.


3. Relevance.  The partnership has to be a good fit for all parties involved - the brand, the artist and, crucially, the audience.  Thomas Pink chose Gary Go because of his confidence, style and Britishness.  These values were inherent within the brand and provided a perfect fit for a tie-up that would appeal to a target market that also value these characteristics highly.

We've got a great track record of communicating with young audiences through music and brand campaigns.  Our music experience promoting the likes of Keane, Scouting for Girls, The Saturdays, Paolo Nutini and most recently JLS and Mini Viva, coupled with our history of working with great brands like Playstation, Warner Bros. and Oxfam, leaves us well placed to get brands and artists together and engaging with music lovers. 

Click here to drop us a line if you'd like to talk about how we can help connect your brand to your audience online.