Simone Johnson of Digital Mindstate asked a question that would linger in the minds of those waiting and preparing to take their brand to the next level. “Are you future ready?”
One of the most important sessions of the conference in terms of artist/management growth started off with panelists giving their perspective on what is important to branding. Asante Bradford led the discussion consisting of Edward Hinson, Orville Hall, Liberty White, Kashim Butler and Troy Marshall.
Important Keys to Branding
- Planning and Execution
- Credibility
- Consistency
- Embodying Your Message
- “Building Your Tribe” (Focusing On Your Audience)
Communicating with your audience served as a resounding idea throughout the hour. Panelists insisted the theory that knowing your audience, catering to them and building around them in order to increase the chance of multiple impressions.
The lasting benefit of the “Building Your Tribe” idea creates the effect that artists like J. Cole and others have capitalized on by releasing projects with little to no promotion. The increasing knowledge of an artist’s core gives them the power to effectively brand to the listener.
In addition to the independent work that artists should do on their own, another thing to keep in mind is creating partnerships. Forming relationships with fans, collaborators, resources and other entities will increase the reach of the product.
When branding, Orville Hall encouraged the importance of knowing what message you want to convey and testing it out. Artists should act in a way that they are testing music, clothing, etc. and study the results. Analytics served as another key word in the conversation. To understand the demographic of who’s following and who will follow should always be in the mind of an artist.
Key Social Media Platforms
- Soundcloud
- Periscope
One of the final points came from Orville Hall saying, “You don’t know how long it’s going to take. If you’re not built for it, get out now.” Although, the timeline is not in stone, one thing that is for sure is that branding is the key. Quality of the product, connection to your core and consistent credible execution will set you apart.
