In the past decade, the music industry, like many other industries, has experienced tremendous development with the growth of the Internet. In addition, the result was evaluated by comparing the results with the goals and adjusting the strategy where necessary for future publications and to achieve the second objective of the thesis.
Background
So the idea of being able to be the ones who control their own brand and remain independent is a turning point. Fans are more and more likely to be drawn to the musician themselves as much as they are drawn to the music.
Research objective/question
In fact, music labels, like many other businesses, are mostly driven by economic factors, while an independent musician is more often tied to his artistic environment and dedicated to developing himself as an artist through his music. This means that the musician himself becomes a brand and must therefore build his own brand.
Benefits
Since the author of this thesis is a serious music lover, this thesis enables him to get a greater insight into the specifics related to the music industry which are unique. Finally, it is also essential to mention the fans in this section as they are the intended target of the thesis as well as the main factor when evaluating the success of the marketing plan.
Key concepts
Marketing
Social Media Marketing
In the sequel, social media marketing is a coordinated effort to market a brand or organization through the previously mentioned online platforms and networks. Also, social media marketing has been described as achieving marketing goals by using new technologies.
Independent Musician
He gives the following explanation: "Marketing on social media describes all strategies and tactics used by companies and organizations, associations, political parties and also public figures, i.e. when these definitions are put together, social media marketing is defined in this thesis as the use of new technologies, namely social media platforms, as a marketing channel and therefore achieve a connection with customers.
Mawunan
Michel would indeed receive help from someone willing to follow his ideas, while the thesis would be a realistic example of a mission that the author has always wanted to accomplish. This thesis is a long-term commitment to each other that goes beyond the purpose of the thesis as the collaboration aims to continue in the long term for Mawunan to achieve his lifelong dream of being successful in the music industry.
Project Task and Structure
Due to a long-standing friendship between Mawunan and the author of this thesis, as well as a shared passion for music and its industry, it was realized that both parties could benefit from entering this thesis together. Although this thesis is project-based, the following chapter aims to provide an overview of the theoretical background in order to form the theoretical basis of the case study in chapter 4.
Marketing for a music artist
- Defining the value and the benefits of an artist
- Identifying a target group
- Marketing channels
- Measurement of success
In the next part, the theoretical basis for a definition of a target group will be defined. In the sequel, different platforms, which are the marketing channels in this thesis, will be introduced.
Communicating with Mawunan
Corona affected the project very deeply because it made study sessions impossible to access for a while and the recording processes took longer than expected. Many of the plans were delayed and communications became erratic for a few weeks, resulting in a setback in the original schedule. It is at the end of the month of March 2021 that another meeting was arranged to prepare the promotion of the song "Rider".
Since then, communication has been very good thanks to regular contact sending each other articles and ideas via social media and planning Facetime calls every two weeks to discuss the progress of the project. Meetings with third parties such as Designers, Producers, Beatmakers were also held regularly and we make sure to keep each other informed as communication is key to the success of the project. Overall it is safe to say that the communication aspect was successful and Mawunan made it easier by being responsive and making himself available when needed.
Identifying the value of Mawunan
Other songs are more cheerful as they refer to his daily routine and thus to the people close to him, his friends. This approach pertains to the music genre of the artist, as it is mainly expressed in an individual's attachment to a specific group. In this case, it is interesting to look at the hip-hop culture Mawunan falls into.
Indeed, looking at the influences of the artist, it can only be noted that Hip-Hols has a great impact on his music, but also on his image. As for the cover artwork of his clothing style, it is impossible to ignore how much the urban culture and its roots have influenced his universe and so it is essential to mention when talking about the value of Mawunan. The artist often enjoys talking about four values that he believes are common to his music and his influences, namely love, unity, respect and having fun.
Defining a target group
The first criteria define the demographics of the target market, which in this case mainly relate to the age and gender of the individual. As for the social and family statues, these components are not looked at in the context of the case study because they are more difficult to define and not necessarily relevant. The second objective is called the psychographic criteria which helps in understanding the targeted person's lifestyle and habits.
Geographic criteria is probably the simplest type of marketing segmentation, as it categorizes customers based on geographic boundaries. Furthermore, it can be argued that most of the individuals who are targeted come from large cities or urbanized areas where hip-hop culture is most prevalent. The last criterion refers to the behavior of the target group and is the most difficult category to access for the purpose of market segmentation.
Tools and Marketing plan
- TikTok
- Live Performances
- Merchandising
The new Chinese giant is quickly gaining popularity and many believe it will be the "next big thing". The reports also show that 35 percent of the users are between the ages of 19 and 29, which is the target group for the thesis. For the purpose of the special, it was decided that a reel would be posted after each song, hopefully creating a second wave of streams and downloads among the fans.
For most of the project, it was aimed at going on the platform and looking at what can actually be done as well as what other artists are doing. It was agreed that a first video would be released to Chinese social media at the end of the project and that some other videos would be prepared to enable a continuous and regular feed. The second step of the process relates to the concepts and visuals of the cap.
Measurement of success
It was decided that the total of streams would be looked at rather than just focusing on the number of streams for the songs coming out during the project. According to the artist, a new fan who will stream each of his songs, including the older ones, will be a success. The two streamlining platforms that will be considered when looking at the results are Spotify as well as Apple Music for which both have special apps where stream numbers are detailed and will be used.
Thanks to the applications "Apple Music for an Artist" as well as "Spotify for an Artist" it will be possible to analyze and evaluate whether the original target audience has been reached or not. The statistical matrices offered by these platforms are complementary and will allow us to have a full review. At the end of the thesis, it will be assessed whether the attempt was successful and whether it is judged that this option should be considered in the short term.
Marketing Implementation
- TikTok
- Live Performances
- Merchandising
After long conversations, it was decided that finding the type of clothing that could be used as well as the creation of the logo itself would be our final goal throughout the project. In the account's bio, it was decided that the artist's Instagram name seems to push people to go on Instagram, where he is more active. A first video was created (Appendix 8) to tease the release date of the song.
This video is related to Mawunan's music, but it should also be funny and show another side of the musician. After many meetings with designers in which ideas were shared, we succeeded in finding the final version of the logo (Appendix 11). The logo represents the artist's name and it was decided that the "M" would predominate.
Key Findings
Recommendations
Merchandise is also a strong asset and can be developed into other garments, other designs and other colors giving the artist many options for future expansion. Finally, another recommendation that can be made that will give Mawunan a big push is the possibility of an appearance with another artist. That way, Michel will benefit from a wider range of possible fans while not having to pay the other artist, which is usually very expensive.
He would also benefit from the infrastructure used by the other musician and might even get a chance to perform with him. The hardest part is finding an artist who would like to collaborate with Mawunan, but fortunately he has contact with a French rapper.
Self-Reflection and Take-away
How Digital Marketing Is Changing the Music Industry Few industries understand the need to evolve more than music. The Guerrilla Music Marketing Handbook: 201 Self-Promotion Ideas for Singers, Musicians, and Bands on a Budget; [The classic guide to indie music success]. URL: https://medium.com/cuepoint/what-instagram-discovered-in-our-first-nielsen-music- study-de1a2740c005#.3z8xixud5.
Screenshot BIO Instagram
Instagram Feed 25.10.2021
Rider Photoshoot + Cover
Mindset Cover
Instagram Reel
I Example Stories ”Behind the scenes”
Example Story Teaser
TikTok Video
TikTok Project
Open Mic
Logo Mawunan
Photoshoot Project 1
Photoshoot Project 2
