The Success of Grammy Award-winning, Pentatonix: A Cappella is the New Seller
Pentatonic? Pentagon? Pentatonix?… For most, this is may very well be an unfamiliar music group. Well Medium Bloggers, it’s Pentatonix (or PTX for short), one of the most famous and talented a cappella groups to date. If you are not a musician, you may be wondering, “what in the world is a cappella?!”
Does this ring a (Barden) Bell(as)?
(If you did not get that Pitch Perfect reference, then I probably lost you by now!)
In essence, Pentatonix is like the REAL LIFE version of the Barden Bellas in the movie, Pitch Perfect. That is to say, they do not use any instruments of any kind, therefore, all of their music is made by the human voice alone. You have to see for yourself before you read any further because this blog will be all about the success of Pentatonix and how they have used social media to increase their brand engagement tremendously over the past 7 years.
Check out their OMI cover of Cheerleader arranged in 2016! (They received over 100 million views on this one)
The Early Days of PTX
The group was initially formed with the three childhood friends, Scott Hoying, Kirstin Maldonado, and Mitch Grassi. The trio sang all the time high school together and in 2010, they posted their first video on Youtube, Telephone by Lady Gaga for their high school Glee competition (source). They continued to post videos throughout their high school career, but they had big dreams to audition for the a cappella singing competition, The Sing-Off.
Following the decision to audition for Season 3 of The Sing-Off in 2011, the trio discovered Kevin Olusola and Avi Kaplan* on YouTube. The two new members completed the group with a full bass and rhythm section, and together Pentatonix was lead to fame. Given that the group was formed one day before the audition, they were unsure what the outcome would be. They performed unique pop twists and medleys that the audience loved, which resulted in them winning the competition that would change their lives forever.
The Big Break
Upon receiving a $200,000 record deal with Sony Music, Pentatonix only had plans to advance in their career. The group remained focused on their existing fanbase from The Sing-Off and their new followers on their fresh and viable YouTube channel in 2012.
In 2012, not only was Youtube focusing on anticipating trends, but it was the year Pitch Perfect was released. Coincidentally, the hit movie drew more attention to a cappella in the mainstream music industry than ever before — allowing Pentatonix to thrive in this niche sector.
Entering into the music industry it was noted that Pentatonix was different (in a good way!) Pentatonix had at differentiation factor, that not many other groups or bands had. Even though they had no original music yet, they had a different sound, rhythm, style, and song selections — and they were beginning to get popular. Not having any instruments never limited them, but in fact, gave them a bit of freedom. They learned how to adapt to the constant changes in musical trends while maintaining the attention with their 5–95-year-old audience.
According to Fuse TV, Kevin Olusola had said that he did not know a cappella could be placed in the industry. Kevin, I think Pentatonix found a place in the industry, and you and the team’s effective uses of social media are to be complimented.
Social Media: PTX’s Key to Success
At the time of their debut, YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter were primary social media tools used for marketing, promotion, performance videos and more. On these platforms, the group’s views, likes, followers and subscribers increased because of their new global fans.
Currently, the tools mentioned above are continuously utilized, but Instagram has become a key player; and YouTube remains as a primary success tool.
YouTube
As noted in the previous section, YouTube was the tool where Pentatonix began, even before they became Pentatonix! The trio (at the time) posted amateur videos on YouTube; and following The Sing-Off, the quintet posted better quality amateur videos ranging between 4–25 million views each. With an increasing rate of 15 million + subscribers, the group’s creativity and innovative approach to making music got the attention from a multitude of YouTube viewers.
Five years ago, their video, ‘Evolution of Music’ caught my eye and I have been a fan ever since. If you haven’t already seen it, you MUST check it out below.
Apart from the amateur videos, Pentatonix strategically posted official music video covers such as Thrift Shop by Macklemore and Starships by Nicki Minaj. Each music video was posted in anticipation of their album releases, PTX Volume 1,2,3 and PTX Christmas over the course of two years (from 2012–2014). The group has proceeded to release 5 more successful albums. Two of which were Christmas, making a total of 3 Christmas albums.
Pentatonix has found great success with its holiday recordings. Its new album, A Pentatonix Christmas, sits at №1, while its previous full-length holiday set, 2014’s That’s Christmas to Me, peaked at №2 — Billboard
One of out the five albums was an all original album, self-titled Pentatonix. Up until that point, they had only been doing cover songs; so it was unclear as to how their fans were going to react. The group discovered the album process to be a struggle, but out of that struggle came inspiration.
“Not only are we doing all originals but we have to make it better than our last album,” — PTX interview 2015
Pentatonix is not just 1 platform, but it is 5! Why? Each Pentatonix member maximizes their personal social media brand to further represent PTX. On YouTube, for instance, Mitch and Scott have a personal YouTube channel called, Superfruit. Their channel talks about PTX, but they also feature their own music, amusing challenges and collaborations with other YouTubers.
This must not be mistaken for Mitch and Scott’s lack of interest in Pentatonix, in fact, the two are extremely interested and very invested in the group. I think that the Pentatonix brand was strategically designed to have each member’s personal brand to be well integrated to create a strong online presence and engagement with their fans.
Likewise, Kevin “K.O” Olusola has his YouTube account where the former trio found had found him. He got over half a million views on this cover below, no wonder why… it’s AMAZING!
It is almost like a five-tier online presence, and it is unique in that each fan may gravitate towards different PTX member over another. Which creates a unique PTX community of supporters.
With following a YouTube channel, it can be difficult to keep track of when notifications from the content creator without another tool to communicate. I find that Instagram bridges that gap with ease, and Pentatonix effectivity utilizes this next tool.
With an extensive fan base, Pentatonix has effectively used Instagram to connect, communicate and interact with their fans. Pentatonix engages well when it comes to any tour date releases, like this post here. It’s clear and clean.
Another effective way Pentatonix uses Instagram is similar to YouTube. Each member has their own personal account that is cohesive as a collective brand and always up to date with PTX related info. It is convenient to get a more personal online experience with my favourite PTX celeb because I could browse through Kirstin’s — or her dog’s! — account, or watch Scott’s Instagram story. Instagram makes it simple for fans to participate in favourite celebrity’s everyday life.
They are recognized for sharing the main PTXofficial account. I love how they take turns and share the account. It allows fans to witness that they create their content and not just PR. I believe this creates a strong sense of community.
*On May 12, 2017, Avi Kaplan (Penatonix’s former lead bass) resigned from the group. A notable thing that was done was how the whole ordeal was handled. I commend Pentatonix and their PR team because the situation was dealt with grace and respect in every regard. The initial notification to fans was on Instagram that had a link to this heartfelt video.
I trust that Matt will help bring Pentatonix to more success in the near future.
Overall Success
Pentatonix’s all-encompassing social media effectiveness has led them to both tangible and intangible achievements. Just to give you an idea, here is a pinch of plenty accomplishments by Pentatonix :
- Three-time Grammy Award-winning
- Multi-Platinum-selling (sold nearly 10 million
- Forbes 30 under 30 (2016)
- Rockefeller Christmas Tree Lighting Performances
- Pentatonix album is certified gold
- Over 3 billion views on YouTube (collectively)
- Collaborations with Tori Kelly, Dolly Parton, and Kelly Clarkson
Pentatonix is thriving off of the platform that they have created for themselves. They have been able to achieve the above, because of their effective social media tactics. In addition, they have an open attitude to shift with the trends without compromising their values and integrity of their brand.
Today, they continue to promote and develop their brand. For instance, their popular YouTube videos from 2013 had updated descriptions to promote their current musical releases. This seems like a successful marketing tactic to draw new fans in who may have recently stumbled on an older video.
On another note, inclusivity. PTX represents their differences in ethnicity, culture, religion, and sexuality. Having such a visibly diverse group speaks to who each of them is as a person. Since they have a powerful platform, what they say or don’t say will have an impact.
After all, they are an a cappella group (am I right?) and they truly are an authentic group in all aspects…
I am certain that there are no instruments used in their music, whatsoever— you can quote me because I have attended one of their concerts.
On a final note, I must say that their inclusivity and authenticity compel their audience to intentionally watch their videos with interest. I trust that Pentatonix will continue to create music and content that is clean, amusing, inspiring and that will have a meaningful impact on others.
