First I should be clear: I am not a fan of Miley Cyrus or Taylor Swift: I get their appeal but it’s just not for me. So this is not a hijacking of the OMD blog by a super fan but an observation that I wanted to share.
I honestly think there are lessons to be learned from these mega stars and brands should look to emulate aspects of the world of music:
- Authenticity – Musicians stay true to who they are. Whether Manson or Sheeran, they know who they are and they know what they think. I think great brands do the same.
- Evolve – From Kylie to Prince, musicians have learnt that to excite they need to change over the years. Some brands are great at this, able to change and bring their consumers with them, others become stale, outdated and disappear. We should champion consistency but should also always be looking to grow with consumers.
- Innovate – Bowie’s surprise album, Jay-Z’s book launch, Bjork’s app album – all got PR and love from their fans. OMD UK works with loads of ground-breaking, award-winning brands that truly zig when others zag, and they deliver amazing results which proves innovation works. So everyone should do some more!
- Engage – Taylor Swift has this down – she connects with her fans, whether it’s a direct tweet, a surprise gig or grammar lessons. Some brands do this but I think there is a lot of room for more to surprise and delight their consumers.
- Know your audience – Simple one, if I go see Blur, I want Parklife not a b-side. Know your consumer and give them what they want. Otherwise they’ll go see someone else.
I’m sure there are many more and much critiquing of my music choices to be done. So please add comments, thoughts and applicable trolling.
