Marketing

In every music video production, a target audience will need to be considered and can be key to the success of the video during its release. When advertising and marketing a music video; a clear genre needs to be identifiable and appealing to the target audience. For example if they were advertising a pop video, it would need to follow conventions of that genre and be recommended on streaming sites near to similar established artistes. Furthermore, in contemporary media, social media is a huge player when marketing a film with platforms such as Facebook and Twitter giving films publicity whether it bad good or bad. There are several factors that need to be considered when targeting a demographic; ethnicity, gender, class and age need to be taken into account.

Demographics

R&B/Soul listeners and viewers can fit into any of the categories below as this genre is so broad and covers many types of R&B music which is popular with various audiences. Stereotypically however an A grade demographic would listen to classical music whilst an E class demographic would listen to rap and grunge music as you might associate this with rebellious behavior like the youth of today who generally fit within the lower classes because their careers are not established leaving them with little money in general.

This table clearly shows how society has been segregated. Because of this segregation and due to changing interests of demographics; audiences are becoming fragmented and harder to reach and appeal to.

Psychographics

Psychographic segmentation is where splits the market into sections based on their social class, lifestyle and personality traits/characteristics. As mentioned the R&B/Soul genre is broad; so it can appeal to all of the psychographics in different ways.

This table clearly shows how psychographics are segregated by their values.This can be used to assume what and audience may like based on the factors previously listed.

Technological convergence has allowed the recent ease in marketing as music production companies can market and distribute their products via the internet and social media platforms that make advertising very cheap and accessible; meaning their products are easily accessible to various psychographics and demographics. 

All of the above needs to be considered when marketing a music video. A music video can be marketed in a variety of ways; 

• Television

Adverts - very expensive so only big conglomerates have access to this method of marketing. Not very common for them to be marketed this way; this is done for films usually.

• Internet

Social media - Free advertising to a vast range of people; reaching a bigger audience. Teasers could be leaked online to create interest before it is officially released. Also a good platform to display and distribute photos and behind the scenes footage with the artiste.

• Streaming sites 

Sites such as Apple Music/iTunes can tell you videos and new music you can be expecting and pre-ordering.

How are you going to market your music video?

Social Media Promotion video - Patient Productions

Facebook

Twitter

YouTube would also be a handy tool to use to promote my product. Guerrilla marketing could be used as well as means of creating viral videos which yet again would require social media to distribute effectively.


Publicity Stunts

Radiohead

Radiohead are wise to the concept of publicity stunts and this was evident  early in 2017 when crop circles in the shape of their "modified bear" logo appeared in the middle of the Glastonbury festival grounds. This was soon spread over social media - leading to a widespread speculation to whether the band would be heading lining the festival later in the year.

Radiohead

Radiohead had another well know publicity stunt 10 years ago in 2007 with their album 'In Rainbows'. They released the album in a way no other had before. The albums 'pay what you want' online release encouraged fans to buy the album; some paying and others not depending on what they felt the album was worth.

The Weeknd

Even the artiste whose song I have chosen to do has had his share of publicity. In 2011 when he released his album 'House of Balloons' it circulated online for free and Drake supported it; propelling it further towards success.

Kendrick Lamar

Kendrick Lamar took a slightly different approach when he dropped untitled

Unmastered with a simple tweet in March: the eight-track mini-album was a surprise to fans.

This is a good example of how social media can be used as a very cheap means of marketing a product.