Well I just read a book that I can highly recommend, titled "22 Immutable Laws of Branding" by Al and Laura Ries. Wow.
Much of what he talks about follows my general philosophy of the importance of originality and being willing to just be different and not try to be all things to all people. For example, the book points out how various large companies will take a successful brand, like a famous beer, and turn into a huge line of brand extensions, of light, ice, dark, genuine draft, lemon lime, to the point that the brand stands for so many things it stands for nothing. Generic products and brands have little value. What gives a brand value is its being distinct. Or original, if you will. American Express cards had 25% of the credit card market when they were very hard to get. When they became easy to get, they lost market share.
What I really liked about this book was how it consistently came at this from the point of view of the buyer. I spend a lot of time preaching to performers and writers about perceiving one’s audience. This book is about how the audience perceives you, not in terms of actual product, in terms of how they approach potentially purchasing your products and/or services in future.
I have to confess, in terms of my own "brands" (Orchestra kid shows by Justin Locke, Books by Justin Locke, Speaking appearances by Justin Locke) I have been so concerned about the actual products and buyer experiences that I have not been at all focused on how people who have not yet seen my plays, read my books, or heard my talks perceive of me. The people who have purchased my products and services know my "brand," but those who have not, how can they know what I am about beforehand? So I need to create that branding concept in the mind of potential customers.
Now do I have the time and energy to completely rebuild my website and blog to better manage my brand? I guess I have no choice!
I admit it, I have been a poor brand manager, and I need to fix that ASAP.
While reading this book, I had to laugh about how orchestras the world over have violated virtually every one of these 22 rules. And as for individual musicians, what is your brand? Are you the low price viola player? Top of the line fiddle player? Or are you just a little better than this guy and a little worse than that one? What is the "color" of your orchestra? What makes you distinctively stand out from your competitors? Sadly, I never learned anything about branding in the music business, everything was about becoming a more polished perfect precise generic commodity. And the buyer interest in classical music, partially due to lack of branding, is ever shrinking.
As I was reading this book I had this quirky idea, for an orchestra to build brand, it should make its principle players into sub-brands . . . and why not make orchestra auditions public? With occasional audience participation? Audition shows rule the ratings, but I know of no orchestra that has ever made player auditions into a public money making event.
Orchestras used to be distinct brands– the Chicago Symphony was famed for its brass section, the Boston Symphony string section was unique, but now the only "brands" most orchestras have are their conductors. But sad to say, with the exception of Arthur Fiedler and Andre Rieu, they all look like generic brands to me. You could have the best set of tails and the best baton in the world . . . but it’s like trying to tell a Pontiac from an Oldsmobile. Used to be different, but not any more.
