The era of branded music is just beginning as marketers are beginning to see music as an additional pathway of communication and expression of their own brand in order to reach consumers.
Marketing Dive online have created a a great article outlining the dos and don’ts of musical branding campaigns.
Major brands like Oreo and Lay’s have tapped mainstream musicians to craft original songs, but not all the efforts are chart toppers.
For years, analysts have eulogized the jingle, those musical catchphrases that underpinned marketers’ efforts for decades. But while the jingle might be considered dead, the era of branded music is just beginning, as advertisers increasingly tap mainstream artists — not just to pop open a can of Pepsi like Britney Spears — but to craft full-length original songs for their campaigns, such as Migos for Mountain Dew or Kelly Rowland for Dove.
“It’s more critical than ever that brands consider their audio strategies … and music is clearly a key part of that,” Lauren Nagel, Pandora’s VP and executive creative director, told Marketing Dive. “There’s a really natural connection for marketers to start to see music as an additional pathway of communication and expression of their own brand in order to reach consumers.”
Nagel noted a Nielsen survey that found 75% of Americans chose music as their top form of entertainment, surpassing TV (73%). Marketers are listening to that consumer interest, as a slew of recent campaigns have seen them enlist pop stars, R&B singers and rappers to write and perform original songs.
“There is this kind of tendency to build a musical identity and partner with well known artists,” Steve Milton, co-founder of sonic-branding agency Listen, told Marketing Dive. “The challenge that you have is you’re leaning on the brand of that artist, and so to build a brand asset, it’s like you’re going into partnership mode off the bat.”
“I think there can be a symbiotic or reciprocal relationship happening there that actually is not selling out, but adds value to both sides.”
Steve Milton, Listen, co-founder
Click here to read full article by Chris Kelly
