“…must I dream and always see your face?”
The last edition of The Superfan Formula addressed that confusing subject of Strategic Planning and how the industry talks ‘strategy’ but only ever acts tactical.
We ended that newsletter with the legend Solid Strategy = Accurate Targeting and Positioning. We discussed how solid strategy is based on solid insight, revealing who your target audience(s) are and which artist ‘truths’ you need to dial up (or down) to position them for that audience.
So, that raises the question - what are Targeting and Positioning, what’s involved and what are the benefits? Well, both are the natural outcome of robust strategic planning built on a foundation of attitudinal insight. At Sound Effects we are creating and delivering projects for growth across the whole fan eco-system. As not one artist, and no one artist’s fandom are the same, its only possible to identify any of these growth opportunities if we’ve done the insight and strategy that shape the positioning to ensure effective delivery.
Even if you’re not working with us to create incremental revenue, targeting and positioning are essential for you to effectively and efficiently apply your marketing budget. Let’s outline the practical ways that has impact.
coz he's focusing on you...you know, like targeting?
Targeting
So, it’s about deciding which audience(s) you want to (and don’t want to!) focus your efforts on, and defining them in an insight-fuelled statement. However, be warned as targeting is not broad or non-specific:
a) “We want to reach 14 – 25-year-old females”
b) "We’re going after Gen Z TikTok users who like viral sounds."
c) “The artist appeals to both older and younger generations, from casual listeners to hardcore music fans”
I haven’t made these three statements up. All have actually been said to us at one time or the other…and more than once for statement a). It’s just the ages vary a little each time. These three statements are anything but targeted. Let’s take statement a) for example. Aside from making insulting, reductive assumptions about all 14 – 25-year-old females it’s plainly not accurate enough. Not all 16-year-old females have the same behaviour, beliefs, and values, nor do all females of any particular age come to think of it. Furthermore, in two years the variance in behaviours, beliefs, values, life experience between 16 and 18-year-old females is enormous.
“MAKING AN ARTIST DISTINCT AND DESIRABLE IN THE MINDS OF THOSE TARGET AUDIENCES ”
Positioning
This is how you make an artist distinct and desirable in the minds of those target audiences. You can only ever effectively position your artist when you have insight-fuelled strategy. Positioning is about answering: Why should they care? Why should they choose this artist over others? in an illuminating, succinct and emotive way.
Positioning is not:
a) “She’s beautiful and got an incredible voice”
b) “We want to target fans of Twenty One Pilots and The 1975”
Again, I haven’t made-up either of these two statements. Oh, and again it's the first, statement a) that's been said more than once - just how very beautiful and just how incredible the voice is that varies!
A positioning statement should have something like this about it:
“…is an ordinary girl, achieving the extraordinary…”
That’s about a third of the full positioning statement - more would reveal the artist - nevertheless within those six words there is enough information to shape and inspire:
Tone of voice
Inspire styling
Guide content strategy
Highlight which channels to use and how
Empower you to proactively land Commercial Partnerships
The statement for this artist was inspired and informed by the ‘truth’s we discovered having spent time, ethnographically with the artist and then shaped by the attitudinal insight we learned from spending time with potential fans. Insight that chimed with the artist’s ‘truths.
coz they've been expertly positioned...get it?
Strategic planning is not a ‘nice to have’. It’s essential, because it informs the targeting and positioning that results in more efficient marketing spend; less wasted budget; better optimization on DSP’s equalling higher streaming growth; stronger fan connection; easier brand deals, more revenue!
“THAT’S GREAT…SO WHY SHOULD SOMEONE GIVE A FUCK!?”
To help us convey the importance of strategy/targeting/positioning to our chums, we coined a highly technical phrase many years ago when a label president or A&R finished telling us just how very beautiful, and just how absolutely, incredible the voice was of their new solo artist. This highly technical phrase was as follows, “That’s great…so why should someone give a fuck!?” Because at any one time there are probably 10-15 solo artist out there, at different career arcs. Furthermore, they’re more than likely using the same songwriters, producers, stylists, etc. No wonder the label president and the A&R we talked about in the last newsletter couldn’t identify their own artist from six images of six different solo artists on an A3 board.
“‘TARGETING’ AND ‘POSITIONING’ AREN’T JUST FANCY WORDS…”
So, Targeting & Positioning – Or, Y’Know, Just Hoping for the Best?
So, there you have it, ‘targeting’ and ‘positioning’ aren’t just fancy words to make strategy sound more intellectual than it is. They’re the difference between an artist finding and connecting with their tribe and an artist shouting into the abyss, hoping someone notices. The difference between a campaign that lands and one that burns through budget faster than a major label ordering dinner at Nobu.
well done, you’ve just admitted you have no strategy
Because, let’s be honest, if your entire approach to marketing rests on “She’s beautiful and has an incrediblevoice,” then congratulation you’ve just described 80% of artists who never break through. If your targeting strategy is “We want Gen Z TikTok users who like viral sounds,” then well done, you’ve just admitted you have no strategy. And if you think broad demographics like “14-25-year-old females” are a valid targeting approach, I hate to break it to you, but you might as well be marketing to “humans with ears.”
“ONLY THING WORSE THAN HAVING NO STRATEGY IS THINKING YOU HAVE ONE WHEN YOU DON’T”
At the end of the day, the only thing worse than having no strategy is thinking you have one when you don’t. Solid targeting and positioning aren’t optional extras, they’re the bedrock of an artist’s success. Without them, you’re just throwing stuff at the wall and praying something sticks as we covered at length in the last edition of The Superfan Formula. As much as the industry loves a bit of blind optimism, let’s be real: hope is not a marketing strategy.
So next time someone tells you how “incredible” an artist is, just ask them the magic question: “Why should anyone give a fuck?” If they can’t answer in a way that makes you sit up and care, chances are the audience won’t either.
Tell next time min vän
Team Sound Effects $