It was a particularly strong year for top-tier artists, which is
why labels are doubling down their focus on the global superstars.
Household names thrived by running integrated approaches,
leveraging all the connection points they have with fans, and
operating smart publicity strategies that ensure they maintain a
high level of buzz, not only during release periods but throughout
the entire year. Here are my picks for the best music marketers of
2015, and what brands can learn from them.
1. Adele dominates
We have to start this list with the new queen, Adele. She
disappeared, the industry stopped talking about her, but when she
came back, she did it right. The album launch of "25" was executed
brilliantly, and according to Nielsen Music it sold a record
3.38
million copies during its first week. Adele smashed the
previous record-holder NSYNC by over a million copies. Her single
"Hello" also broke the record for the most-watched video on Vevo in 24 hours, racking up
27.7 million views.
So let's look at her strategy. As has been a trend this year,
she backed her influence and refused to offer the album via
streaming services to maximize revenue. Aside from the traditional
media approach, there are two things I loved about her launch. The
first is how she threw a free concert in New York two days before
the album dropped and collected millions of fans' email addresses
through the entry process. The second was how she fueled the press
buzz with fresh content by taking part in an Adele impersonator contest shortly after the
launch.
2. Drake: "Hotline" memes
When Drake's "Hotline Bling" single came out it didn't make a
huge impact, but then the video was released, propelling it up the
charts. Drake appealed to fans to push it to No. 1, but by then the
new music queen had returned, so "Hotline" settled at the No. 2
slot. The music video is a best-practice
benchmark on how to design a music video for the internet. A
selection of choreographed dance movies on richly colored
backgrounds, it's screaming to be sliced into gifs and memes and it
gave publishers a unique angle to
cover.
3. Action Bronson: Boiler Room GoPro live
set
Perspective is a powerful thing. Boiler Room is a big one to
watch in the live content space. Check out this partnership with
GoPro to view one of its signature events, from cameras
attached to Action Bronson's head and microphone. So close you can
smell the beard sweat.
4. The Weeknd: "The Hills" VR experience
Next year we'll see a wave of VR music videos, and this one is a
nice kickoff. GoPro collaborates in the music space again for this
immersive music video for "The Hills" remix
featuring Eminem that lets the viewer take a walk with Abel
Tesfaye.
5. Taylor Swift: #SquadGoals
This year Taylor Swift assumed and defined the
#squad by amassing a multi-talented tribe including Lena
Dunham, Cara Delevingne and "It Girl" Kendall Jenner. Her squad was
then deployed across music videos, live shows and awards shows. She
drove wide use of the term in culture and girl power and still
benefits from it through a sense of ownership of the tag.
6. AJR : Interlude's interactive videos
Interactive video specialist Interlude continues to do amazing
work in the music space, this time collaborating with Warner Music
Group and S-Curve Records on a project
for trio AJR. Interlude delivers six interactive experiences
that let users do everything from look through their phones or go
on a speed date. Also check out Interlude's voyeuristic video for
Led Zeppelin's "Trampled Under
Foot."
7. Justin Bieber: The comeback campaign
Justin Bieber's comeback campaign has been orchestrated
brilliantly. It has been anchored in collaborations that help drive
his relevance in the market. The naked
photo fiasco felt like the oldest trick in the book, but it
played out perfectly for him.