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opaeka · 6 years ago

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Personal Branding in Music

As a media professional you learn that your personal values, strengths, and weaknesses take the driver's seat, media ethics are your GPS, innovations are the hills and your personal branding is your destination. Though my journey is only beginning, this essay will discuss these factors in detail and how they affect my future career in Music.

It begins, I’m sitting in my metaphorical car ready to begin my professional journey. Though I know how to use a map I reach for the convenience of my phone and punch in my destination. A pop up appears the GPS lets me know of cameras littering my route. As a media professional, the cameras are your audience and for these cameras, you have a responsibility to protect the more vulnerable. This is achieved by a group of rules. These rules are called media ethics and they outline the moral principles that media professionals have to abide by. These include but are not confined to issues such as stereotyping, obscenity, racism and sharing graphics, ideas and words that are triggering or disturbing (Chandler & Munday, 2011).

In the music industry, these rules are notoriously blurred with artists openly utilising themes like suicide, murder, and racism. It is in this industry though where the normal rules of ethics can cross the line between censorship and education. An example of this is Billie Holiday’s 1939 song Strange Fruit which was widely banned from U.S. radio play because it discussed the racially motivated hanging of two African-Americans (Newman, 2016). This outraged the mainstream public who questioned the morals around discussing something so graphic. But this was something historically founded, during the period of 1882-1968 over 3,466 African-Americans were lynched (“History of Lynchings", 2016). The banning subsequently glazed over the issue and removed the chance for conversations about racism to emerge.

In 2018, music artists are constantly dangling between what is morally questionable. It can even be suggested that some artists are utilising the line as a marketing tool. Notably, artists like Kanye West with his monster video that depicted death, Tyler the Creator who utilised dark themes in his lyrics and imagery and Madonna’s utilisation of religious theming. Though this is the only snippet of modern artists it is not uncommon for musicians at some point in their careers are known to stray away from morally sound imagery and music.

As a participant in the industry and also a person who struggles anxiety and depression media ethics play a big role in how I conduct myself. My personal branding and values press against the importance of being honest and transparent. But when expressing myself in my art I have to be mindful that I'm taking into account how moral and sensitive my expressions are. On the other hand, although it is important that media ethics and moral responsibility are applied to practicing music industry professionals. It is critical to always exist between the line of compassionate expression and not withholding art that could consequently move society forward.

The road of a media professional twists and turns and it is never blessed with a straight line. Cameras are on you and your moves are watched and criticised. While you are driving along you reach a hill. It is quite large and the sun is non-existent above it. Over the hill, a loud commotion can be heard of a small group of people. These are people who have looked past the fear of the unknown. They have jumped at the chance to improve, change or completely remove a product for the betterment of the industry.

When pursuing a new idea, method or product you are almost always in the dark. This pursuit of the new is the definition of innovation. Innovation can be categorised into four different types these are, architectural, radical, incremental and disruptive. Architectural is the reconfiguration of an existing product and applying them to a new market (Lopez, 2015). An example is the Toshiba laptops which were molded from the original IBM, Compaq and Dell computers but prioritised portability over performance (Lopez, 2015). Radical innovation is the introduction of a product that gives birth to an industry or consumes an existing one. Notably, an example of this type of innovation is the invention of the airplane prompting the commercial air travel industry to prosper. Incremental innovations are small changes to existing products that add value to customers. These are upgrades to websites, apps, and programs. Lastly, disruptive innovations are products introduced into their subsequent markets but begin not fully up to standard with competitors. Netflix is one such product beginning it’s life as an internet DVD rental service eventually putting all their competitors out of business (Lopez, 2015).

In the last ten years, nothing has been more monumental to the music industry than streaming services (Divekar, 2016). An example of disruptive innovation streaming services in 2017 made music distribution companies 1bn dollars (Wolfson, 2018). Additionally, streaming services have single-handedly created revenues for artists who would not otherwise. This is because instead of a lump sum received from CD sales, streaming services provide a way for artists to get paid as long as the music is on their platforms (Wolfson, 2018). Along with being a disruptive innovation, streaming services like Spotify, Apple Music, and Soundcloud are examples of process innovation changing the way music and music services are created and delivered. This is illustrated by artists who make music to cater to particular streaming service playlists. Releasing acoustic covers, reggae, and rap versions of their songs (Wolfson, 2018).

Similarly, another disruptive innovation is Facebook which leads the way for the creation of many other platforms like Instagram, Youtube & Twitter. It is undoubtedly a powerful force in the greater media climate with 2.61 users worldwide (Statista, 2017). Access to this large audience coupled with the fact that it is widespread makes it such a powerful tool for music industry professionals. Mostly for the fact that it created platforms where artists could directly interact with audiences. Also reaching groups of audiences that would not otherwise have discovered their products. Social media has also opened doors in a similar way to streaming services creating a platform that is smaller, independent artist friendly.

Though both of these innovations have a lot of good intentions behind them. Their ease of use and availability has, unfortunately, it has resulted in an oversaturation of the music market. It is harder now to get noticed than it was in the age of CDs. This is why more than ever effective personal branding is so important.

Having driven through roads guided by an ethical GPS and leaping over a hill and joining innovative industry participants. A 25-year-old exits his car and the person that emerges is an individual with his own particular style, and approach to life. He emerges with a personal brand. Personal branding is a term first coined by Tom Peters in a 1997 essay and it is a combination of how you present yourself through the various means of communication and how you are remembered after you have provided a service ("Personal Branding", 2017). It is created through an examination of personal values, strengths, weaknesses in the context of an individual's passions and likes (Barker, 2016).

In music, a personal brand is almost always referred to as a package. These packages consist of an image, sound and a persona. Packages aren’t anything new the industry. But since the creation of the internet and the disruptive innovation of streaming services like Spotify & Soundcloud. Notably, an example of an excellent use of personal branding is the artist Lizzie Grant and her change to Lana Del Rey. After the branding change her whole “package” as a musician became more concise. Being a mixture of familiar and new audiences were drawn to it (Wells, 2016). Additionally, the authentic nature of her new branding contributed to its success.

No one in any industry can be successful without creating rapport with co-workers, peers, and audiences. Networking is a large part in the creation of personal branding. Even with sites like Linkedin the way a person interacts in physical form with others can make or break careers. Something common that happens in modern times is the inconsistencies between a person's online presence and their physical ("Authenticity Matters", 2017). For instance being a racially diverse advocate online but spouting racist jokes in person. Like having a consistent theme across all online platforms, a person’s physical presence needs the same treatment.

Personal branding in 2018 is the way to sell yourself. But the modern citizen does not like being sold to instead effective selling has become less of a transaction and more of a conversation (Saltzman, 2015). It is all about bringing your audience along for the ride. Audiences love to see growth, and changes in people. In modern times the more human a brand appears the more likely it is to be successful. With this in mind, we need to discuss how important the role of Social Media has become for personal branding.

On the internet, your personal brand becomes what you want to portray to potential employers, peers, and possible fans. Social Media lets our personal branding imaginations run wild. An everyday person can tweak their personal branding on social media in such a way that he could appear more, wealthy and artistic (Furedi, 2015). But with this, it is still very vital to remember the importance of authenticity. Afterall personal branding should be and is an extension of oneself (Montoya & Vandehey, 2002).

After finally arriving at a destination and unraveling each concept. It is clear to see how they affect my career in the music industry. Media ethics affect what I say, and how I do it. Additionally, it gives me the responsibility not to know the difference between censorship for the sake of censorship and artistic expression. As an illustration, I will not censor depressive imagery in my music rather I will find a way to discuss more compassionately. Innovation pushes me to be a moldable forward thinking individual, open to change and progress. Yes, Spotify did scare the industry for a time but it’s clear to see that innovations are important to the process of a not only the industry participant but also the industry as a whole. Additionally, personal branding affects my place in the world, how I want to be seen by others in the industry. It is always very important to have a personal brand that doesn’t sway from authenticity.

On the whole life as a media, professional has its twists and turns. It is important to take media ethics, innovations, and personal branding seriously. A modern citizen cannot properly participate in the greater world without a concise brand that is ethical and constantly innovates. The media contributes greatly to the ever-changing world and it is up to its participants to mirror that.

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