Hey world!
The English Beta version of the book Sounds like Branding has now been released.
Interested? Register here and you will be sent an email with a link to download your copy.
The full version of the book is primed for international release later this year.
The Swedish version of the book Sounds like Branding is available for purchase here: www.bokus.com/slb
May 15 at 3:40 PM Tokyo time on http://tedxtokyo.com
Stockholm 8:40 AM, London 7:40 AM, New York 2:40 AM
How many times have you heard a song that you simply can’t get out of your head? One that seems to be stuck on repeat somewhere in the recesses of your brain?
What you’re experiencing is called an “earworm”. Taking its name from the German word, “Ohrwurm”, the phenomenon can last from a few hours to a number of days. But how does it work? Research at the University of California suggests the brain stores previously heard melodies like index cards in a Rolodex. Some songs seem to trigger questions inside our brains, which in turn search for answers by playing the loop over and over again.
Earworms are not very complicated by nature. In fact, the simpler the track, the greater the chance of it sticking in your head. Song repetition also increases the likelihood of reaching earworm status, as do unexpected musical twists in the song or melody. Earworms are everywhere, lurking in popular music and in the most successful sound logotypes.
Marketing professor, James Kellaris, compiled a list of the most (in)famous earworms. Here are five out of ten songs from what Kellaris refers to as “The Playlist from Hell.”
See if you agree (click on each song to listen in Spotify):
Heartbeats International are proud to introduce CEO Jakob Lusensky as one of twenty-three internationally well-known speakers and thinkers invited to speak at TEDxTokyo 2010, on May 15.
Jakob is invited to talk about music as a medium for branding under session 3, FIVE SENSES + ONE. An English Beta version of the book Sounds like Branding, written by Jakob, will also be released on this date (the full English version of the book is primed for release later this year).
Not to be missed on May 15:
The Swedish version of the book Sounds like Branding is available for purchase here: www.bokus.com/slb
Sign up for an exclusive Beta version of the book via e-mail on the day of release
Lady Gaga is living proof of the importance of the four Es; emotions, experiences, engagement and exclusivity, to stand out in today’s marketplace. Earlier this year Polaroid announced a strategic partnership with our fastest rising star, Lady Gaga, who now serves as Polaroid’s creative director. A brilliant strategic marketing move for Polaroid. With close to ten million Facebook fans and Twitter followers together, the lady of glam has proved she can move products. But, what is it about Lady Gaga that has made her this successful?
To begin with, Lady Gaga is a brand, and a brand of substance. She is an expert on building emotional ties to her audience, through her music. With specially designed clothes, sometimes haute couture (sometimes no clothes), dance and art, Lady Gaga gives her fans inspiring and unique performances, experiences, that they remember! Further, she gives people things to talk about, myths, often spread through social media by the lady herself, thus engaging fans all over the world into two-way conversations and storytelling, promoting the lady and her music, and reaching new fans. Moreover, Lady Gaga is about breaking boundaries, being interesting, standing out and distinguishing herself from other artists. Thus, she is exclusive. Overall, she is the new marketing model, the four Es, personified, and brands definitely have a lot to learn from her!
First lesson: It is the brand and not the product that matters most in today’s harsh market. Would people listen to Lady Gaga just for her voice? Second: By using the four Es marketing model, creating emotions, experiences, engagement and exclusivity, brands will build brand equity and increase their sales. Just as Lady Gaga does, brands will move their products. Final lesson: It’s still about the music! Using music - the media most people would least like to live without, as the fundamental key to create the four Es, will strengthen brands. Again, take a look at Lady Gaga. What would she be without her music? A spectacle, a freak stared at walking down the street? She would definitely not be one of the most talked about brands (sorry artists), covering fancy magazines all over the world, reaching new audiences, would she?
The most important question for a brand is not whether they should use music, but rather how the music should be used. The four step ‘music stairway’ illustrates the most beneficial way for brands to work strategically with music.
Many brands find themselves on Step One. This step is characterised by the unconscious usage of music. Essentially this is an ad hoc, make-it-up-as-you-go approach, often relying on staff or employees to choose music. The end result is a schizophrenic music experience that sends mixed branding signals to customers.
Step Two is characterised by a conscious usage of music. Brands have developed their own music identity, through a defined sound with defined values. Often they have a sound logo or theme song. On Step Two, music has evolved into a branding element and strategic tool.
Moving up to Step Three, a brand becomes even more actively involved in music. This commitment often takes form as music-oriented marketing campaigns ( e.g. “buy and get” promotions) and/or artist partnerships. A good example of a Step Three level of music involvement is Heineken’s ‘Green Room Sessions’ - a live club concept, presenting cutting edge artists and DJs.
The Forth and final step on the music stairway requires ‘owning’ a strategic platform in music culture. In this scenario, brands are not merely associated with music, but also actively champion music through exclusive platforms or programs that can’t be found anywhere else. The Red Bull Music Academy is a good example of this.
So the million dollar question is…What step is your brand on?
Hey Sweden!
Here you can preview the first chapter of the “Sounds like Branding” book in audio. If you like it I recommend you to buy it for the special price here.
Sounds like Branding (BETA) by Heartbeats
We will be partaking in a panel discussion at the SXSW® Music and Media Conference in Austin, Texas. Together with other speakers of international stature, Heartbeats CEO Jakob Lusensky will chat about the topic USING BRANDS TO HELP YOUR CAREER.
The panel discussion is part of the SXSW® Music and Media Conference, March 17-21, in downtown Austin. The panel discussion is scheduled for Friday, March 19 at 03:30 PM. For more info on the panel discussion, visit http://my.sxsw.com/events/eid/8697, and to find out about the rest of the conference, visit http://www.sxsw.com/music.