How Music Grows Brands: Strategies for Cultural and Business Growth

Introduction to "How Music Grows Brands"

  • The PR Resolution Podcast features an in-depth interview with two experts in brand partnership marketing: Joe Benignotti and Rebecca Jolley.
  • Joe Benignotti is the former Head of Global Music at Coca-Cola.
  • Rebecca Jolley is a global business consultant focused on business growth through culture and the former CEO of Mixmag.
  • The interview centers on their new book, How Music Grows Brands, which has reached the status of an Amazon bestseller.
  • The book is described as the first of its kind, addressing modern shifts in music consumption and consumer expectations of brands.

The Measurability of Music in Brand Strategy

  • A central question in the discussion is whether the impact of music on brands is truly measurable.
  • The Affirmative Stance: Music is measurable if the brand knows exactly what it is trying to measure from the outset.
  • Objectives for Music Integration:
    • Amplifying campaign messages.
    • Building brand equity.
    • Entering new channels.
    • Reaching diverse and specific audiences.
  • Brand Love vs. Brand Value: Strategy must differentiate between driving emotional resonance (Brand Love) and direct commercial impact (Brand Value).
  • Standard Metrics: Traditional KPIs such as reach and engagement remain applicable to music campaigns.
  • The Long-Term View: Both authors emphasize that music should be a long-haul investment. Short-term campaigns provide immediate reach, but sustained investment in a music scene or the industry is required to measure structural brand shifts.
  • Direct Sales Impact: While difficult, music campaigns can have a direct knock-on effect on brand sales and traction.

Case Study: Smirnoff (Mixmag Lab)

  • Rebecca Jolley shares a specific example of Smirnoff's struggle in the US market, particularly in Brooklyn (Williamsburg) and Downtown LA.
  • The Problem: Smirnoff had high sales volume but lacked traction in "cool" on-trade venues (bars) and struggled with brand positioning.
  • The Strategy (Mixmag Lab):
    • Organized DJ events with very small in-person crowds.
    • Streamed these events to millions of viewers globally.
    • Hosted events in tiny venues to create exclusivity and cultural capital.
  • Results: Within weeks, the events had queues around several city blocks.
  • Commercial Outcome: Smirnoff was successfully listed in 2525 bars that had previously refused the brand. This demonstrated a direct link between a cultural music program and revenue growth through improved distribution.

The BrandDB Methodology

  • The authors developed the BrandDB methodology to guide brands, agencies, and the music industry through the partnership process.
  • Process Steps:
    1. Define the "picture of success."
    2. Identify where brand and music intersect: Determine if the brand can contribute to music culture and vice versa.
    3. Develop criteria to align stakeholders (Digital, Marketing, PR, Shopper Marketing, Media).
    4. Create "Shared Value": Ensure both the brand's and the artist's (or festival's) objectives are met.
  • Functionality: The methodology serves as a checklist and rationale to help internal teams sell concepts to stakeholders and avoid common failures in music programs.

Audience Insights and Behavioral Shifts

  • Audience-First Approach: Every music conversation must start with the audience the brand is trying to reach. Research and due diligence are required to avoid assumptions.
  • Fragmentation of Consumption:
    • Music consumption is no longer centralized; it is a fragmented experience across multiple platforms.
    • Social/Content: TikTok and Instagram.
    • Video: YouTube.
    • Streaming/Audio: Spotify.
  • Genre Blurring: Consumers no longer adhere to a single genre. Joe Benignotti notes that a consumer might listen to Twenty One Pilots, then attend a dance concert, and listen to Jay-Z on the way home.
  • Music as the Through-Line: Despite fragmentation, music acts as the connective tissue that can touch every consumer channel simultaneously.
  • Identity Signaling: Music is a powerful signal of human identity. Successful music integration answers the consumer question: "Is this a brand for someone like me?"

The Changing Role of Brands in the Music Ecosystem

  • Financial Necessity: Historically, brand sponsorships were a "nice to have" bonus on top of touring and album sales. Today, brand partnerships are often the primary way artists sustain themselves and their careers.
  • The COVID-19 Catalyst: The pandemic removed a huge portion of artist earnings, creating an opportunity for brands to take a deeper, more positive role in supporting the industry.
  • Investment Comparisons: The authors argue that music needs brand investment more than any other industry currently, yet brands often invest significantly more in sports than in music.
  • Mutual Success: Proper investment creates a "win-win-win" scenario for the brands (successful activations), the artists (financial ecosystem), and the fans (better content and experiences).

Evolution of Artists as Marketers

  • A&R vs. Self-Marketing: In the past, labels relied on A&R to find talent. Now, talent surfaces itself through streams and social media growth.
  • Artists as Professionals: Artists are described as "the ultimate marketers" because they must build their journey from fan number 11. By the time an artist has 10,00010,000 or 100,000100,000 fans, they have already demonstrated professional marketing acumen.
  • The Lily Allen Example: Lily Allen is cited as a prime example of an artist who used MySpace to build a groundswell of followers and "MySpace fame" before traditional industry infrastructure took over.

Strategic Lessons from Coca-Cola

  • Long-Term Consistency: Coca-Cola has invested in music for over 100100 years. Their first brand ambassador deal was with an opera singer in 18951895.
  • Aural Branding: The "Always Coca-Cola" jingle is often more memorable to consumers than visual billboard advertisements. Music defines specific eras for the brand (the 80s80s, 90s90s, etc.).
  • Case Studies within Coca-Cola (20102010 to 20172017):
    • Global Sporting Events: Using music to amplify the FIFA World Cup and Olympic programs.
    • Share a Coke and a Song: A campaign in the US where 7575 iconic song lyrics were placed on product packaging.
    • Spotify Partnership: Coca-Cola used its higher global brand recognition to help Spotify expand into new territories, while Coke benefited from the "cool factor" of the new music service.

Organizational Structure: The Case for a Chief Music Officer

  • The authors advocate for a "Chief Music Officer" (CMO) role within brands.
  • Current Issue: Music decisions are often made in silos. A clearing independent may clear a track for an ad, but there is no "connective tissue" to the PR or digital teams.
  • The Role of the CMO: To act as a strategic gatekeeper with music expertise, ensuring that music programs work across the board in a 360360-degree way.
  • Stakeholder Alignment: During his time at Coke, Joe Benignotti would consult with PR, Digital, and Shopper Marketing teams before entering a partnership to ensure full amplification and support.

Cultural Impact and Purpose-Driven Music

  • Red Bull: Cited as the "North Star" example. The Red Bull Music Academy investment made the brand a leader in culture, sometimes to the point where consumers forget it is primarily an energy drink company.
  • Budweiser: Implemented a grassroots program to support emerging global talent, moving away from simply attaching logos to massive stars like Rihanna.
  • Jagermeister: Successfully shifted its reputation from the "Jagerbomb" to a cultural brand by investing back into the music scene during the COVID-19 lockdowns.
  • Kia "Skeletons" Ad: Used a Halloween theme with a song called Skeletons. The music was so on-point that 90%90\% of the YouTube comments were about the track, driving story progression and brand coolness for a younger audience.

Future Initiatives

  • Joe Benignotti is currently with Songtrader, a B2B music tech company.
  • Future projects include looking at music's impact on health, social good, and purpose.
  • The authors aim to turn the book's methodology into a tangible working toolkit for the industry to encourage higher levels of brand investment.

Questions & Discussion

  • Host Question: "How do we know that music does grow brands? Is it measurable?"
    • Joe Benignotti Response: Yes, if you define your goals (brand love vs. value) and choose the right metrics from the start.
    • Rebecca Jolley Response: Long-term investment is key. You can measure reach immediately, but structural brand change takes time and sustained investment in the scene.
  • Host Question: "Is it a difficult sell internally?"
    • Rebecca Jolley Response: It has become harder because the landscape is so fragmented. Unlike the MySpace era with global stars like Lily Allen or Dizzy Rascal, it is now harder to gain consensus on which artist is a worthwhile investment.
    • Joe Benignotti Response: It is about navigating the process. You must align PR, Digital, and Shopper Marketing from the beginning so everyone owns a piece of the activation.