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Protecting the Brands of Bands
In the early days of the recording industry, record labels were absolutely necessary for the success of any artist. Today, well-known artists are taking over their own brands and essentially owning their customer relationships.
Over the years, record companies have added little value to the process of creating and distributing music. Their brands stand for nothing. These days, who knows or cares which label their favorite artists happen to have signed with? A full-service marketing solutions provider called Musictoday is trying to change that by connecting the customers directly to the musicians through the creation of customer multichannel communities that feature live event information, merchandise, tickets, fan clubs, and general music-related content.
With the ever rising online music distribution channel, being customer friendly is the goal of many artists. Musictoday helps to achieve that goal by building loyal fan bases and repeat customers by allowing artists to connect with their customers through artist-to-fan Web ticketing, online stores, and by delivering customer data analytics.
According to the February issue of Fast Company, the customer insight that the company provides the artists drives decisions beyond tickets or merchandise, which is a transformation for an industry known for making gut decisions. Now artists can identify where the marketing dollars are needed and where they should tour.
So instead of letting record labels control how people listen to their music, musicians are starting to focus on leveraging the market by implementing a new business model--one that will empower the artists, connect them to customers, and protect their brands. Artists like Christina Aguilera, John Mayer, and the Rolling Stones are now discovering what many organizations have already come to know: the importance of managing the logistics of customer relationships.
It's true that in the major-label world, artists need to distance themselves from record companies to keep their relationships with fans in their control. But small labels do a great job of creating a community, and bringing new bands to fans loyal to a specific record label.
Lost Highway is a good example. Fans trust that this label will sign up-and-coming or under-the-radar acoustic rock acts. It's the home of Wille Nelson, Elvis Costello, Ryan Adams and the Jayhawks. So when it signs a new act like Sam Roberts or Donavon Frankenreiter, fans will be more likely to give them a listen. And fans of indie bands like Apples in Stereo know that other Elephant 6 bands like Elf Power, Beulah and Dressy Bessy will be to their liking.
Done properly, a label will create a trusted community of artists and users, where relationships can grow. It's unfortunate that major-label artists have to turn away from their record company to get this type of connection with fans.