Project Statement

The final branding for Mamilah, a funk/soul band from Leeds accurately reflects the fun and unique sound of the band. Taking inspiration from soul artists such as Aretha Franklin, Al Green and Funkadelic as well as more modern artists such as Amy Winehouse and Daniel Caeser, their sound is unique to them as they reflect the style of these artists, mixed with a more fun, modern approach. The band's signature sound is self described as fresh and organic with traditional soulful injections.

The logo is inspired by this organic element, using basic rounded letterforms to show the relaxed and flowing aura of the band. The basic letterforms also represent the tribal influences of the name Mamilah, taken from the word 'mamihlapinatapai' from the Yahgan language. The orange colour of the logo is inspired by the psychedelic era that funk and soul music was prolific in, and perfectly portrays youth which is part of the attraction behind Mamilah.

As brand strategist Mash Bonigala states “a bands logo is critical in being able to connect with an audience” (Adweek, 2015) the logo does this by using a handdrawn approach, reflecting the personal intimacy that Mamilah exudes at the small gigs they play around Leeds and London.

If my time was managed more effectively a wider range of outcomes within this branding could have been produced, however I am continuing on with this project after this module and working with the band to produce more ongoing content as their band continues to tour and grow in popularity.

COP design boards

COP brief

Name

Charlotte Price

Brief Title

Branding Mamilah

Brief (outline general aims of project)

Create a logo for the Leeds based funk/soul band Mamilah to represent their unique sound.

Background/considerations

Genre of music (modern and fresh with traditional “injections”)

Deliverables

A logo and accompanying promotional materials for the band

Mandatory requirements

Branding

Design Boards

Cop3 Proposal

Research Question

How does packaging design influence consumer purchases in relation to "health foods"

Rationale

I chose to look at packaging in COP3 due to how much I enjoyed creating packaging for a brief during the responsive module. I was happy with the final outcome and wanted to continue in the same field of design. Focusing the project around the concept of health foods will provide me with a wealth of knowledge and given my interest on the subject of nutrition. I think that doing this will expand my knowledge on the subject both in terms of design and consumerism. 

Contexts

Aesthetic - exploring how the overall appearance of the packaging appeals to the consumer.

Social - Looking at markets depending on audiences, eg high quality vs budget, also looking into limitations of packaging relating to gender etc. Focusing on health foods in particular and fads/crazes and how the design of packaging for health foods supports this.

Ethical - Looking at materials and methods of production, for example environmentally friendly materials and the ever growing need for this. Considering the subject of health and fitness (could be a sensitive subject for some people).

Theoretical Approach

Classical Conditioning 

towards consumer behaviour treating packaging as a stimulus.

Brand Theory

how brands use packaging to appeal to consumers.

Methods

Data collection from consumers and peers on the subject of health and related crazes - in forms of surveys. Interview nutritionists and experts on subject of health.

Articles (also can look at health bloggers) and books on food/nutrition/packaging.

Practical Approach

Produce a range of health food packaging.

Resources

Books on packaging design and similar design websites. Input from consumers. A range/ collection of existing packaging

Adobe Software to create outcomes.

Print resources to print final range, alternative workshops (metal/wood) 

Summer reading list

The Art of Package Design - Sandu Publishing

Packaging the Brand: The Relationship Between Packaging Design and Brand Identity - Gavin Ambrose 

Eat Me: Appetite for Design - Viction Workshop

Food Packaging Design - Douglas Riccardi

Food Packaging: Principles and Practice, Third Edition - Gordon L Robinson

Time Management

May - refine research question

June - begin reading books on subject

July - make detailed notes on research topics and research

August - start planning essay

September - start writing essay

October - Begin practical project and continue with essay

November - Finalise essay and continue with practical 

December - Finish practical and check relatability of the 2, adjust if needed.

COP3: Proposal briefing

1. research question
2. rationale (why? what impact?)
3. contexts (political/social/technological/aesthetic/cultural)
4. theoretical approach (no more than 2 potential theories)
5. methods (
6. practical outcome
7. resources 
8. summer reading list (find 5 books to read related to 3 and 4)
9. time management (plan of action from now until December 2014)

Write a project brief to accompany your COP3 proposal

TITLE
OUTLINE OF BRIEF
BACKGROUND
DELIVERABLES
MANDATORY REQUIREMENTS

Essay Research: Musicians and branding

http://flypaper.soundfly.com/tips/branding-marketing-guide-musicians/

http://www.astridbaumgardner.com/blog-and-resources/articles/personal-branding-for-musicians-and-artists-using-your-unique-gifts-to-connect-with-your-audience-sp-1016948968/

http://www.thebigmusicproject.co.uk/build-artists-brand/

http://blog.sonicbids.com/3-branding-lessons-from-musics-biggest-superstars

http://www.musicthinktank.com/mtt-open/music-as-a-product-versus-music-as-art.html

http://www.musicthinktank.com/blog/think-of-your-music-as-a-service-not-as-a-product.html

https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120213/08223317744/why-music-is-not-product-three-reasons-why-thats-good-thing.shtml

https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20090201/1408273588.shtml

https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20091119/1634117011/future-music-business-models-those-who-are-already-there.shtml

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/brand-communication

brand’s identity (visual: logo, colour scheme, name, typeface, tagline etc)
brand communication (such as logos)
brand awareness 
brand loyalty (fans, fanbase, Justin Bieber, The Beatles, One Direction)
and various branding (brand management) strategies.

Essay Structure

Intro

• introduction of branding
• background information
• limit scope of discussion
• define question (relationship between music and branding/ how important is the relationship between music and branding?)
• present plan of coverage

Body

• how music industry utilises branding (fan base - engaging & maintaining, physical image, design)
• how brands utilise music (advertising, emotional attachments/psychology, importance of right music)

other thoughts 

• difference between brands and bands AS brands

Conclusion

• summary referring to question
• future directions/ implications

Branding a musician: Research

Mamilah is a funk/soul band originating from Leeds. 
Mamilah comes from the word mamihlapinatapai - Yaghan language of Tierra del Fuego (tribal).

"a look shared by two people, wishing that the other will initiate something that both desire but that neither one wants to start."

Mamilah is aware of the umbrella term Neo - Soul to wrongly encompass modern R&B and Soul. Instead in their music, they put the emphasis back on more traditional soul, with a fresh twist on what it is to be modern. 

Inspired by older artists like Judith Hill, Stevie Wonder, Nubian Twist, Aretha Franklin, Al Green, Bill Withers, Funkadelic as well as newer more recent artists such as Mr Dukes, Alicia Keys, Amy Winehouse and Daniel Caesar.

Upon asking the band for references for styles they like I was sent over these images. I noted the use of colour and shape within the first and the funky type in the second.

The name  Mamilah itself comes from the word ‘mamihlapinatapai’ which is “a look shared by two people, wishing that the other will initiate something that both desire but that neither one wants to start.” The word comes from the Yaghan language of Tierra del Fuego.

Mamilah is a funk and soul band and prides itself on its traditional injections of soul into modern, fresh music. Taking inspiration from a range of artists such as Al Green, Funkadelic and even more recent artists such as Amy Winehouse and Daniel Caeser, the band upkeeps this traditional sound they pride themselves on.
Looking at album cover designs from these legendary artists provided varied styles. Due to the era of funk and soul music, a psychedelic appearance is given to some covers, echoing the popular style of the times. However on other and the majority of covers, the design features a photograph of the artist as its primary focal point, alongside a typeface echoing the genre of the record.

None of the artists resarched has a definitive logo across their covers, instead allowing the name to speak for itself in varied designs from cover to cover.

Branding a Musician: Design

The name of the band comes from the word ‘mamihlapinatapai’ which is “a look shared by two people, wishing that the other will initiate something that both desire but that neither one wants to start. Within this meaning there is a lot of imagery and words that can be used as a basis to design upon. The most prominent idea within this definition is the concept of two people. Idea 1 is a logo signifying or capturing this look between the two people and representing it in an illustrative format, making for a icon as a logo.

Moving on from this idea, the next was to create more of a logotype. Taking inspiration from the use of type on the covers found in research, the second idea was to represent the concept of the upkeep of tradition within Mamilah’s music, using a scripted, serif typeface to do this.

The 3rd idea was to create something more modern and new, looking at the forms of the type and creating something more fresh from basic letterforms.

Intitially, the letterforms were sleek, echoing the more conventional typefaces seen on some soul album cover designs. The style of the type leans away from traditional typefaces however, and instead favours a more modern and futuristic appearance, linking to the youth of the band members and their fusion of modern and traditional music styles.

Instead of the modern typeface, the style regressed and more crude, simplistic letterforms created instead. Taking inspiration from the shapes within some cover designs found during research, the letter forms were primitive and simple, echoing the tribal inspiration behind the band name. These initial letterforms in this style were too harsh, so to suit the relaxed and flowing characteristics of the music, the sharp corners were softened to create less of a brash appearance. Now the letterforms appear more organic, echoing the bands sound.

The final logo for Mamilah reflects the band’s unique sound. Putting a spin on a traditional logotype, the basic and cruder letterforms represent the organic element of Mamilah’s music. The orange colour is representative of the youthful sound of the band and inspired by the bright psychedelic style of the funk/soul era. The handwritten approach to the letterforms shows their friendly and relaxed nature and reflects the personal intimacy of the small gigs they perform.   

Branding for Mamilah will continue on after this module hand in, giving an opportunity to collaborate further with the band and provide more promotional materials.

essay Bibliography

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Adweek. 2015. How Mick Jagger’s Mouth Became the Rolling Stones’ Legendary Logo. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/how-mick-jaggers-mouth-became-rolling-stones-legendary-logo-165928/. [Accessed 12 December 2017].

Barshad, A. (2011). Why is Justin Bieber this popular?. [online] Vulture. Available at: http://www.vulture.com/2011/02/why_is_justin_bieber_this_popu.html [Accessed 12 Feb. 2018].

brand communication. (2017). In: Cambridge Business English Dictionary. [online] Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Available at: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/brand-communication [Accessed 11 Dec. 2017]

Dhillon, M (2018) Retrospective: The Sex Pistols, God Save The Queen. [online] The Rockhaq Community. Available at: https://rockhaq.com/reviews/diamond-jubilee-2012/sex-pistols-god-save-the-queen/ [Accessed 15 Feb. 2018]

Hall, J. (2016). The enduring legacy of Lana Del Rey's 'Video Games'. [online] Dazed Digital. Available at: http://www.dazeddigital.com/music/article/33227/1/the-enduring-legacy-of-lana-del-rey-s-video-games [Accessed 5 Jan. 2018].

Finn, N. (2018). Where It Went Weird for Justin Bieber: From Teen Heartthrob to Tabloid Magnet. [online] eonline. Available at: https://www.eonline.com/news/924301/where-it-went-weird-for-justin-bieber-from-teen-heartthrob-to-tabloid-magnet [Accessed 13 Jan. 2018].

Krugman, P. (2018). The Thrill of Live Performance (personal). [online] The New York Times. Available at: https://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/12/07/the-thrill-of-live-performance-personal/ [Accessed 26 Dec. 2017].

Marin, A. (2012). Chris Brown and Drake Fight Over Rihanna Could Destroy Chris Brown's Career. [online] Mic. Available at: https://mic.com/articles/9872/chris-brown-and-drake-fight-over-rihanna-could-destroy-chris-brown-s-career#.0a0Du3AH1 [Accessed 23 March 2018].

Nunn, O. (2015). How To: Build An Artist's Brand - The Big Music Project. [online] The Big Music Project. Available at: http://www.thebigmusicproject.co.uk/build-artists-brand/ [Accessed 11 Dec. 2017].

Olins, W (2008). Wally Olins: The Brand Handbook. United Kingdom: Thames and Hudson.

Seymour, B. (2017). Your image is more important than your music, and here's why. [online] DIY Musician Blog. Available at: http://diymusician.cdbaby.com/musician-tips/image-important-music-especially-indie-artists/ [Accessed 11 Dec. 2017].

Walsh, A. (2017). The Relationship Between Brands And Music Needs To Evolve. [online] Fast Company. Available at: https://www.fastcompany.com/40423551/the-relationship-between-brands-and-music-needs-to-evolve [Accessed 24 Jan. 2018].

IMAGES

wnick87 (2017). The Rolling Stones logo. [image] Available at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/14827897@N05/1545860078/ [Accessed 12 Dec. 2017].

CMetalCore (2017). Metallica logo. [image] Available at: https://wallpapercave.com/w/BqJrLh7 [Accessed 12 Dec. 2017].

Reid, J. (2017). God Save the Queen. [image] Available at: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/music/artists/god-save-queen-40-sex-pistols-made-controversial-song-history/ [Accessed 24 Feb. 2018].

Essay - How do musicians utilize branding and marketing strategies in order to build a successful brand?

How do musicians utilize branding and marketing strategies in order to build a successful brand?

Branding, the process of providing meaning to products or services by creating and shaping a brand in consumers’ minds, is used by companies and organizations in order to make a lasting impression on consumers. In cases where branding is utilized successfully, brands have been differentiated from other existing similar brands and made their own individual memorable impression on its consumers. Whilst corporate branding is the primary type of branding that springs to mind, the process does exist outside of the corporate world, and has significantly grown to apply to more than just commerce. Organizations such as universities and football clubs are their own major brands, and have applied these strategies to market and sell themselves, as opposed to physical products. In the same way, musicians need to brand themselves in order to appeal to consumers, sell their music and become successful. This essay will explore how musicians utilize branding and marketing strategies in order to create a successful brand, looking at the communication and marketing methods needed as well as existing famous musicians who have successfully utilized these in order to create big brands.

Brand image is the mental connection and association consumers have with a brand. This can be negative, in which case the brand will fail, or positive, in which case it will likely be successful. “Image is about consistency and an unwavering commitment to a specific tone, look and feel. It’s about creating something that people can stand behind because they feel as if it’s more than just a product; it’s a brand they can trust.” (Seymour, 2017). For musicians as well as companies, their unique and defining brand images are crucial in gaining that trust. Because of this need for trust, brand image may be even more important for musicians than corporate brands.

Musician’s brands vary greatly from product brands in that consumers often prefer one particular brand and so will choose to purchase their favourite brand of product over the other. However, music is different in the respect that it is not limited and the content varies across bands. No two songs by different musicians are the same and are rarely similar, instead the music reflects the artist themselves. People enjoy a wide range of music from varying genres so will build a collection of songs, as opposed to listening a singular artist. A major difference can also be seen in how the brands are led. Whereas corporate brands are product led, with customer experience rarely varying, musicians’ brands are led by the musicians themselves and can be compared in a way to service led brands. Wally Olins states that “In a service brand the people who work for the organization are the brand… they get harassed, fed up and have worries.” (p. 42, 2008).  Similarly, musicians are people and cannot provide the same experience every single time they interact with a consumer or fan. Olivia Nunn agrees that musicians are human, however is of the opinion that “The artists are not the brands, but a brand can be generated around them.” (2015). Despite this differentiation between the artist and the brand, the way the artist acts as a human has direct implications on their brand image.

In a more holistic sense, a brand image is created, developed and strengthened through brand communication. An umbrella term, brand communication encapsulates all “the activities that influence customers' opinions of a company and its products” (brand communication, 2017). These activities and tools of branding include visual identity, in the form of logos and typefaces, as well as brand loyalty from consumers. One activity which can heavily influence consumers opinions of musicians is the musicians behaviour as a person and resulting public image.

Once musicians become successful and widely popular they are classed as celebrities, and as a celebrity they are often in the public eye. As they are scrutinised by the public and featured in the news and media, their need to present themselves as a decent and straight laced individual is more necessary than for someone who lives out of the public eye. Acting in a less than desirable manner can seriously negatively impact a musicians brand image. One recent instance of this would be the R&B singer Chris Brown. After being arrested on a domestic violence charge for assaulting his girlfriend Rihanna in 2009, the singer’s once wholesome reputation was tarnished and he was put on probation, which prevented him from leaving the US. In addition to this, Brown got into an altercation with artist Drake in a club, which led to the NYPD closing the club itself. As stated by Alex Marin ‘every new incident potentially worsens both a bad reputation and a criminal record. This, in turn, is a distraction for both the artist and his or her audience’ (Marin, 2012). The impact of an criminal record being attributed to an artist is significant, not just on the artist’s fanbase but also on associated deals with brands and sponsorships.

A musicians behaviour can also affect their public image in a positive way. Many musicians choose to work with charities and lend their fame to good causes. Bono, the lead singer of the Irish rock band U2, has his own charity, ONE, which is committed to ending extreme poverty and preventable diseases in Africa. Similarly, Bob Geldof, a prolific singer songwriter is known for his activism and currently supports at least nineteen charities. Most notably, he founded the supergroup BandAid in 1985 with the aim to raise money for famine relief in Ethiopia. The single ‘Do They Know it’s Christmas’ is re-released annually every Christmas with the intention of raising awareness of the issue of famine, and all proceeds from the sale of the single go towards this cause. Geldof is a recipient of the Man of Peace title which recognises people who have made "an outstanding contribution to international social justice and peace". Committing to a charitable cause as a public figure can therefore significantly help towards building a positive brand image, as you are affiliated with a good cause and seen as an inspiring and good hearted individual.

Another major part of a brand image is the identity of the brand. This identity is visual and communicated through elements such as logo, colour scheme and typeface. A logo’s “prime purpose is to present the core idea of the organization with impact, brevity and immediacy.” (Olins, 2008). Logos for musicians carry the same purpose, however the logos seem more reflective of the band. As brand strategist Mash Bonigala states “a bands logo is critical in being able to connect with an audience” (Adweek, 2015). Artists logos reflect all that the band is and what they want to represent, as well as their music. Iconic logos for musicians include the Rolling Stones (fig 1, wnick87, 2017) who’s tongue logo perfectly reflects the carefree nature of their rock and roll music, and Metallica (fig 2 , CMetalCore, 2017), who, similarly to a lot of heavy metal bands chose a logotype in a gothic, stylized form.

Perhaps one of the most iconic and memorable uses of tangible visual identity to represent a musician is the case of the Sex Pistols. A punk rock band instrumental in initiating the punk rock movement in the UK, their often controversial and opinionated music divided people. Artwork created by artist Jamie Reid for their single ‘God Save the Queen’ (fig 3, Reid, 2017) reflected the anarchist lyrics of the song and offended countless people. Despite this controversy, the song charted at number 2, but due to its offence and the BBC refusing to play it, ‘some charts even refusing to print what the song at number two was, instead representing it with a black line’ (Dhillon, 2018). The politically motivated artwork featured ironic portrayals of quintessentially British icons such as the Union Jack, and a portrait of the Queen herself was defaced and collaged together with letters in a style reminiscent of a ransom note. The shock inducing aesthetic reflected the incendiary personality of the Sex Pistols and has become synonymous with the band and indeed the punk scene as an entirety.

Another musician who has established herself a unique and memorable identity is the singer Lana Del Rey. Through both her music and accompanying visual identity and material, the singer formerly known as Lizzy Grant has based her identity on American patriotism and nostalgia and ‘entranced the world with her distinctive, dreamy brand of what she called ‘Hollywood Sadcore’ (Hall, 2016). Her sad lyrics about romance coupled with hazy cinematic visuals establish her as a truly individual artist, one who took the EDM obsessed music industry by storm. Del Rey’s emergence as a new exciting artist sparked a trend on social media sites such as Tumblr, whose users in turn reflected her own brand ‘Hollywood Sadcore’ in posts on artwork and poetry. These posts were often uploaded by listeners of Del Rey’s music, who loved her style and wanted to echo it in their own personal creative outlets.

Musicians such as Del Rey who are successful in building a unique and solid brand end up with faithful “consumers”. In the case of companies who produce products, these consumers would be people who repeat purchases of the brand because they trust the brand and love the product. In music, these faithful consumers are in the form of fans, avid listeners who identify with the band, as in fans of Del Rey who would replicate her music style in the form of artwork. Often a whole community is built up around a musician/ band, made up of multiple fans. In some cases, these fan bases can be extreme, for example Beyonce with her ‘Beyhive’, or fans of the Beatles, the band who caused the phenomenon known as “Beatlemania” in the 1960s. In more recent history, the popstar Justin Bieber kickstarted a similar following, known as “Beliebers”. Some individuals who class themselves Beliebers go to extreme lengths to support and be noticed by the singer, some even ‘trying to just jump in the backseat of the car with him, pretending to be part of his entourage’ (Finn, 2018). At the beginning of his career, Bieber utilised social media to his advantage. He began posting videos to Youtube, a video sharing platform, where he was discovered by his current manager, but not before he had built up an interested and loyal following. Once Bieber had been signed and was now a recording artist, he took to the social media site Twitter to contact his fans, reaching out to them and replying to individual messages. By instigating connections with and ‘creating the perception of open communication channels with fans (Barshad, 2011)’, the musician grew a numerous following, each fan feeling as if they had a friendship with their idol. Establishing rapport with fans in this personal manner cemented their loyalty and they would continue to listen to and support the musician. Even the fandom names, ‘Beyhive’ or ‘Beliebers’ are a brand within themselves, with fans naming themselves after the musicians they admire and buying into their celebrity personas, extending the brand to include themselves and prove their devotion to their idol.

Brand loyalty and interaction with fans also go hand in hand when it comes to a musicians live presence. An instrumental tool in connecting with audiences, live performances give musicians an advantage over product led brands, they are able to give live performances and interact more with fans than product led brands do with their consumers. Andy Walsh concludes that ‘smart marketers are no longer selling through messages alone, but rather providing experiences to strengthen the connections between themselves and consumers’ (2017). In the case of musicians and their fan bases, the desire for a live experience is overwhelming, hence live tours and performances, done not just to promote the musician but to also maintain the faithfulness of fans. In his short article on The Thrill of Live Performance, Paul Krugman perfectly summarises the appeal of live music, saying that ‘what makes this (meaning live performance) so great is the sense of community and the bond between band and fans. (Krugman, 2014).’ This bond, strengthened by the personal nature of live music, cements fan’s love and admiration of the musician, and therefore brand loyalty.

In summation, musicians utilise branding and marketing strategies in similar ways to corporate, product led brands, however the methods in which a brand image is established and maintained vary due to the human side of both musician and consumer. In both types of brands, building up a positive brand image is essential in establishing the success of the brands. As ascertained earlier in the essay, musicians brands are comparable to service led brands, and are dependent on human behaviour. This dependency on human behaviour makes the brand less stable and consistent, and the image can be damaged or improved easily. Brand loyalty is one of the outcomes of a positive brand image, this is important as having loyal consumers who will purchase the brand ensure its survival. Product brands and musicians both have these devoted consumers, however for musicians, the devotion runs deeper and the connection between musician and consumer, or fan, is deeply personal. This is the defining difference between product brands and musician’s brands, the human personality behind it and connections made through it. This is useful for musicians to know when creating their own brands, that the way they build their brand image to reflect themselves as a person and communicate themselves through other people is perhaps the most important marketing strategy there is.

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