Why Live Music Should Be a Part of Your Marketing Plan This Year

When you’re caught up in the excitement of developing a marketing plan, it’s easy to forget that avenues exist outside of traditional and digital advertising.

People are becoming increasingly numb to mainstream advertising tactics. To win back that emotional connection with your audience, consider a live music event.

Think back to an amazing live concert you experienced. You probably remember more than just the music—you recall the overall experience. The people, the scene, the food, the drink…the experience left a lasting impression on your psyche. You left feeling buzzed with excitement and gratitude.

Prioritizing Your Experiential Marketing Budget

corporate events project sales experience marketing — Live music is incredibly memorable and (in many cases) less expensive than it used to be.

The marketing world has recognized the emotional power of live music for quite a while, but aligning brands with rockstar celebrities and major music tours was out of reach for most brands’ budgets.

Today, with the rise in enthusiasm for local live music, music festivals, up-and-coming artists, VIP music experiences, and the opportunity for a brand to be included in the memory of a music fan is not only commercially valuable for your brand—it’s less expensive (in some cases) than it used to be. Brands can start at the local level, then investigate popular regional music festivals. The smaller events always need sponsorship and if you’re lucky, you can negotiate a long term partnership with a music/arts festival on the rise.

"People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel. Maya Angelou"

Examples of Effective Musical Marketing Events

Pharrell on stage at experiential marketing event Cuervo Games in Atlanta GA eleven events — Connect an artist to your brand to increase stickiness.

American Express provided lucky customers with concert tickets, complete with backstage passes.

Oracle sent top employees to Hawaii—and includes a private concert by Sting.

Telluride Mountain Village used a summer concert series to drive destination visitors to a traditionally winter town.

While all these events are different in location, objective and audience – the strategy is the same. Each audience will walk away from the event equating their (hopefully) good vibes to that company, brand or location.

There’s Money (And Memories) in the Music

experiential live music agencies — Draw in crowds for an experience that will keep them talking for years.

Incorporating live music into your events — whether internal or consumer-facing — allows you to tap into the emotions of your target audience. The brand and the music become linked, and thus the brand and the guest.

While a quality artist and professional production can absorb a large chunk of your marketing plan, the memories made that day will far outlast the memories made by a sexy print ad or even a clever digital campaign.

As Maya Angelou said, “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

Make them feel the music.