In the world of integrated marketing communication, at which I am a Master, there exists the idea of conceptualizing an entire marketing plan based around one consumer profile. This ideal consumer represents the characteristics, motivations, an attitudes of the person Company X would like to appeal to.The idea is if you can brand one, you can brand many.
The hard part is trying to accurately create an ideal consumer profile based on your product’s benefits. In this case, you’re a musician so your product is music. The benefits of your product may be that you have experimented with certain instruments to create a very distinct sound, you may have lyrical concepts that poignantly capture the human condition, or you may have what many musicians describe as “feel good” music. Whatever the case, you must first identify what your music’s benefits are. If you’re not sure, ask a few of your close friends or colleagues with an unbiased opinion to describe what they think your music’s benefits are. From this information you can then form a general idea of who (potential consumers) might think these benefits are useful. Once this is in place, you can do more detailed market research on your general group to gain specifics.
Here’s an example, you’re a R&B artist whose music is all about forgiveness, love, and being true to yourself (benefits). Because of the style of music and its subject matter, you decide to go after an audience of more sophisticated musical taste (college educated thirty somethings). Then you decide to scour the internet in search of information on your general audience (you google what percentage of music consumers are 30+, the exact description of the music in this example would be considered Adult Contemporary so you goggle other AC artists just to see what marketing strategies they’ve employed). If you’re strictly a do-it-yourself artist, chances are you’re using social networking sites as the primary tool of your promotional effort. As a part of your market research, you would google how many consumers in your 30+ age bracket use Facebook or Twitter, you might also come across some statistics about your target group and their use of internet streaming sites like Pandora or stumble upon other pertinent information.
Now you’re ready to create your ideal consumer which you name Natalie. Read Natalie’s consumer profile.
Now remember last week, we talked about being aware of what you, the artist, can control. The week before we talked about you being the CEO of your brand. With the information you have in hand about your ideal consumer, you can market accordingly. You know you can control creating a Facebook fan page, so you create one. You know you can submit your music to local festivals, so you submit to the proper personnel. You can always network with companies and musicians in your area to find your way into even greater opportunities, so you network. You have all the information necessary to achieve the first step to success which is simply getting your music to people.
