Who gain most from a company-musician collaboration?

Different music strategies are seen everywhere in the market space. One sound branding strategy is to build powerful brands experiences through co-branding with music artists. This is used e.g. in events of live communication or marketing communication such as campaigns and TV-advertisement (Graakjær 2010, Graakjær 2008). I call these kinds of sound branding strategy Music Entertainment Approach (in comparison with sound branding strategies under Corporate Identity Approach that focus on developing tailor-made “corporate” music in collaboration with sound designers and specialized sound bureaus. See my previous blogpost on the subject). 

Endorsment and co-branding

One strategy is an endorsement strategy where the company uses a music artist to present the brand/product (e.g. Giorgio Armani & Beyoncé and SAS & Tina Dickow). Another and very closely related is the co-branding strategy where the company to a larger extent supports a band/artist e.g. Tuborg sponsors LMFAO’s latestmusic video. Brand endorsement and co-brand are efficient tools to develop and strengthening unique and positive brand associations by associatively linking to a certain kind of music with specific associations or to the celebrity artist’s personal (or band) brand. This way the company adds new brand associations or become an association themselves to the music, artist or band. 

A trend

Interestingly a trend has emerged where bands and artists seem to have taken on a more positive attitude towards selling their music to corporate companies. Arguably it is due to a market space for musicians where illegal downloading, free sharing sites and an overload of upcoming artists makes it truly difficult to make a living. Companies have increasingly focus on strategic branding through music and are (maybe?) more than ever interested in associating the corporate brand with a specific brand or artist. AsteroidGalaxy Tour and Heineken for example had such collaboration. 

Corporate music platform

Another sound branding strategy is to sign a band and become a record label (Bacardi & Groove Amanda) or establish an entire music platform for artists to evolve and exchange and create music (Hennesy Astistry, PepsiCo’s Green Label Sound and Royal Unibrew beer) Royal Unibrew has made a portal to rock music. It smells like an ambition to be the corporate “filter” from which rock-music is assessed; No rock-music without a Royal beer. 

Brand building

Brand strategies where the music industry becomes an important player (e.g. through co-branding, endorsement, or as a platform) all have the purpose of linking associations from musicians, bands, genres and lifestyles to the corporate brand image. Music can lead to significantly different impressions of the brand without affecting general evaluation of the product, depending on musical style. Heartbeats International argues on their blog that sound branding becomes an entertainment element that turns consumers into corporate fans (link to blogpost). 

Companies collaborating with the music industry cannot afford to treat music in an ad-hoc fashion. Music is a powerful tool to affect brand image as music represents not only a specific band or artist but an entire image, fashion, lifestyle etc. Music is a complex association network to “play” with and clear brand strategies are necessary for the company to be able to make the collaboration deliver financial results.