Last week the best song didn’t win the Eurovision song contest. Again. No big surprise there, really, considering it is such a political competition.
But what made this year slightly interesting is that a major part of the attraction (in the loosest sense!) of the winning song was that the ‘female’ singer from Austria had …a beard! A full on thick, manicured beard. The song was instantly forgettable - but the branding of the act was not.
There is a principle being demonstrated here.
Your music will get you so far - but the way you present yourself and make yourself visually memorable can make or break your chances of success.
Here’s another example: Coca-Cola’s brand is so well recognised that you can spell out any 8 letter word in its classic font, hyphenated it in the middle and people will maintain the association. McDonalds don’t even need to spell out their name…the letter which symbolises the Golden Arches seems to do the trick. In fact any brand worth its salt is recognisable just by a colour or a shape.
Is YOUR brand recognisable? Do you HAVE a brand at all (that you are aware of)? …Because you DO have a brand image whether your realise it or not - it could be a strong one - or a very weak one… it’s the way people picture you; and the messages your image gives about who you are and what you stand for.
You may think, “I’m not into all that - I’m just all about the music.” But I’ll be honest with you; you’re NOT just music - you cannot separate your image from your music; so you need to utilise it to your advantage. People view you and make judgements about you and your music based on your styling, your presentation and your graphics… this is your branding. Even ‘scruffy’ looking artists like Thom Yorke or Damon Albarn have thought through their image and carefully styled themselves to not only reflect the heart of their music (angst ridden, deep and emotional, hard living muso etc…) but also to appeal to a certain target market or demographic.
Branding refers to your logo, your photos, your images and visual presentation. Whether still images or interactive web-apps, the impact you have visually is a vital part of interesting people in your music.
Establish your brand with as much passion and attention as you give to your sound. It will set you apart from your competitors and make you stick in people’s minds (…and in their CD collections and email inboxes!)
Ask yourself:
- Which artists do you think have the strongest visual impact?
- Who influences your style?
- What does your style communicate about you to your listeners? And potential industry figures?
- What style, visual associations or gimmicks can define your brand?
Coldplay used neon colours, Nelly used a plaster on his cheek or even Deadmaus’ DJ’d in a big helmet-y costume - but it could be something simple like Noel Gallagher’s haircut or Kylie’s dramatic microphone pose… it has to reflect YOU.
So don’t dress down because you don’t think it matters. It matters. Dress down because you have thought carefully about why - or better still dress yourself and your whole approach to your career, with consistent and creative styling to make yourself an appealing and professional looking act for investors, supporters, even potential managers and bookers. It could genuinely mean the difference between local pub gigs or breaking a bigger scene…