Trempolino (Nantes/France) choose the thematic “Music and Brands”. The following is a quick state of play of this creative sector.
15 to 24 year-old youngsters are tomorrow’s consumers. What is their favorite pastime? More than 70% of them place listening to music way ahead of any other activity. They listen to music everyday and in every possible way, despite a fondness for mobile listening. Music anywhere, anytime.
To appeal to their consumers-to-be, brands have understood that they had better set up smart partnerships with artists.
Whereas over the past decades, musicians and brands only had a catalogue-like relationship – i.e. a brand merely selected a track that was in tune with its product and would illustrate it well – brands are now turning into content producers and are certainly on their way to becoming music’s main financial supporters. All around us partnerships are blossoming out between musicians and brands, which are equally beneficial to both.
Artists can take advantage of the marketing skills and influence of a brand to reach a broader audience, while brands can take advantage of the artists’ aura to boast a story and gain a foothold in a more underground scene. But these partnerships do not limit themselves to the musical identity of a brand or of a commercial. Brands have been seen to support video-clips financially, to invest in recording studios, artist residencies, to lend equipment, clothing, to set up promotional gigs… All is conceivable as long as both partners are winners and communicate with each other.
Pic: Raven Jelks (flickr CC)