Music and Branding: Sell-out or Buy-in? - Page 2
Helen Gammons, program director for the new MBA in the Music Industry at Henley Business School in England, just released a "Music & Brand Partnership" report outlining new attitudes on the part of music industry executives and brand managers, and clearly there is a monumental shift towards the positive.
On the MIDEM website (MIDEM is one of the most important music conferences), composer Mark Ronson discusses the "Making of the Coca Cola Olympics Anthem." The article reveals how "music and brands are meant to be collaborative partners."
The following video offers insight into Ronson's creative process in making the anthem for the 2012 Olympics:
In fact, many of the sponsors of MIDEM 2012 and upcoming 2013 are major brands like Nokia, Coca Cola, Getty Images, and many more. Slideshare features a slideshow of brands set to attend the 2013 conference and the list extensive. See Contagious Magazine, also a MIDEM sponsor, for a focus on marketing and branding ideas around the world. And, of course, the upcoming SXSW 2013 conference is a cornucopia of music, film and branding with sponsors like Miller Lite, Sonicbids, and Monster Energy.
Artists have a right to be concerned about censorship. Brands have a right to be concerned about community-building. Writing a piece of music--a jingle--that features a brand name directly in the lyric is one thing, being able to express yourself freely is another. But then, the pop/rock industry has always been ruled by commercial restraints. The most rebellious song will fail if it never becomes a hit. The Holy Grail of songwriting has always been to find the formula for a hit song. In the quest, it sure doesn't hurt to have financial backing and a marketing strategy.
Stay posted for upcoming articles on music and merchandising: Celine Dion's line of perfumes, Dr. Dre's line of audio products, and what artist today doesn't have a clothing line?
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