The Lifestyle Rollout: How Music Marketing Is Showing Brands The Value of Storytelling

Traditionally album releases (or rollouts as we’ll call them) consist of the following: a single, a music video, and a radio push followed by a slew of interviews in different markets. While these tools are still staples in album rollouts for new and established artists alike we also have to acknowledge the return to prominence of a very effective marketing tactic, which because of social media has again become a great tool for bringing an artist to market. That tactic is tentatively dubbed the Lifestyle Rollout.

Lifestyle Rollouts are a form of cultural branding that focuses more on the person and their interests rather than the art they produce. In these instances, the music acts as a side dish, rather a backing track, to the everyday stories that we receive about the musician. These rollouts typically include “beefs” or feuds, new and very public relationships, media-leaked intimate moments with friends and family, documentary-style showing their “human side,” and more. Oh, and all of this typically coincides with album releases. If properly done, The Lifestyle Rollout keeps fans checking for your product even after the first-week release — a feat that is incredibly hard to do these days.

History has shown that it doesn’t really benefit (most) artists to be one dimensional, that is, it has never been to their benefit to ONLY be seen as a recording artist. Why? Because without a great narrative backing them, consumers don’t know if this person truly reflects their personal values and ultimately the recording act is seen as inauthentic & uninspiring; They’re an industry plant. The same can be said for brands who don’t make an effort to craft a narrative around the product there bringing to market.

Brands that give consumers products without properly telling a compelling brand story for them to connect to run the risk of fizzling out because there’s no opportunity for true validation on the part of the consumer. If our choices as consumers are a direct reflection of the values we hold dear, how can one align themselves with your brand if I truly don’t know what it represents? If the brand’s claims to embody quality and speed but their work only focuses on speed there’s an immediate disconnect.

Moreover, With both brands and musicians, the issue becomes that consumers don’t if you are what you say you are and it creates an unspoken tension in the relationship between you and them. After all, how can one align themselves with a brand when there’s a disconnect (or lack of connection) between the messaging and the product brands expects them to align themselves with?

Given that questions, brands would do well to pay attention to the Lifestyle Rollout as a viable option for their marketing efforts because in fields like music, LR’s show that while artists have an affinity to build fan bases with their art, the true power comes in the stories that we are given along with the art; The result is that casual consumers become comfortable enough to note their affiliation with the artist via sharing/reposting or advocating for the brand/artist as an ambassador.

So, in your brand planning, I challenge you to figure out your version of a Lifestyle Rollout for your brand. What stories are you already telling that work well for you? What are some interests that you share with consumers? Think about it for a while, and give the rollout a GO.

Originally published at https://www.snobhop.com on February 13, 2020.