I met a friend last week who was as excited as I was to see him, we got talking about different topics like his new look, the way he spoke was aesthetically pleasing to listen to, and “my brand” he tagged when I told him something was different about him. When I saw this friend, he caught my attention even before I realised who he was because he looked unique.
There is an ever-growing need to build a brand that can convert listeners or admirers to fans. For this need to be met, a unique brand identity is essential because it gives you a solid reputation and makes you distinctive.

As an artist/producer/music executive, millions of people can sing, produce, A&R, market and distribute their projects but what makes you stand out can be the texture of your voice, your choice of genre and how you embody it, your fashion style and the colours you resonate with, the colour of your hair or beards, a special dance that you do, a catchphrase, and it can even be something as insignificant as how you start a sentence or speak, I know someone who counts 5 seconds before he speaks because it’s relaxing for him.
It is important to note that your brand is what people identify you with and make sure to pick a believable and original brand as people will want to relate to it and you. As an artist, your brand must align with your music genre because your brand is how you are perceived and if the person you are portraying is far from who you are, people will notice and tag you as “unoriginal”.

It is never easy to design a unique brand, it can take years to find and carve your niche. According to singer and songwriter Blue W3rd, “Building a recognizable brand and visual identity takes time and is something that you have to stick with for a while. It’s important to remember that whilst you might have seen your branding and visual identity for a long time, it might still be new to the general public.”

Here are a few tips on how to develop an effective active brand for yourself;

Define your USP

Unique selling Point. Ask yourself questions like; “who are you?”, “What do you do?” and “Why does it matter?”. This can be a bit confusing and hard to decide on which is why it is important to put down these answers on a note. If you have a team or people you look up to, they can help you ensure you stay true to your brand and tailor it specifically to you. Take time to identify and define why your brand matters to you as it will make you unique.

Define your Brand Values

This is what gives you an edge over everyone else, your values are different traits that people can equate you to. Be authentic, consistent and above all true to yourself, communicate your values and message across all platforms with your target audience. Build trust by being transparent and sharing personal relatable stories with your fans.

“An artist who has mastered his brand edge is Abel Tesfaye, aka The Weeknd, who has used traits of mystery and intrigue to build his career. First, he was the guy with the dreadlocks. Then he cut them. He was Drake’s protege, and then he turned down OVO Sound. Fans never really know where they have him. And that’s exactly how he wants it.”  – Daniel Aberg, Design Lead at Amuse.

Pick a Genre (For Artists)

Yes!, artists are advised against confining themselves to a particular genre to avoid boxing one’s creativity but you need to pick a genre that you resonate and can be identified with. While you’re exploring other genres in the space of your career, have one that even when someone else tries to tap into it, you come to mind first and this is when you know you have created a unique identity for yourself. For example, when you hear “Afrofusion”, Burna Boy comes to mind because he created that genre and now, a lot of artists are tapping into it.

Identify your Competitors

In the music industry, there are people with similar branding, genre, fashion style or even voice texture. Tems wrote “Lift Me Up” for Rihanna for the Black Panther movie but the first time you play the track you hear Tems before Rihanna, it was argued for a while on social media. Tems has a unique voice, she does not sound like nobody but herself. When Ayra Starr first broke out with her braids, there was a little competition discussion among her fans and Tems’. Tems originally started with braids and natural hair sty, that was her thing, then the voice comparison was added to the conversation but you can tell these stars apart. Ayra Starr is a brand ambassador for Lush Hair and has been for a while, this is simply to make you understand the extent her team went to help her fans understand her brand and associate her with braids. People will compare you to other artists whether you want it or not, so it is to define yourself and know your competitors or artists with brands that are similar to yours, this way you can stand out.

Use a Mood Board

Naturally a well-designed mood board is aesthetically pleasing to look at, find what inspires you, your music, art, style, etc and put them down on a mood board. This will help inspire you as you continue on your journey of finding your steez. A mood board also helps your team members or professions you work with understand your personality and brand, this board will contain a visual representation of you, the kind of accessories you like, your colour code, hair colour and style, and clothing style. It will help convey the visual feeling you want to achieve to whoever will be looking at it.

Be intentional about your Cover Art

Your cover art should be included in your branding material, fans need to see your art without your name on it and still associate it with you. It is important that your cover art represents your music so that your fans can relate to it and if the track tells a story, include this in your design. Be so intentional about your designs that you try to connect your cover art as you go through your career.  Rema is one artist who is quite intentional about his cover art, he also takes time to explain them to his fans. (insert all Rema’s cover art)
Do not make your cover art too busy, infuse your brand colour(s) and be consistent with your designs

Use Merchandise to Connect with Fans

Generally, people love merch and fans love them even more. Don’t just throw your face on a T-shirt or tote bag and sell to fans, think of items and designs that have value to you. Add elements of your music in the design, it could even be a design about the next release, your catchphrase, tour plans, a most loved song by fans or lyrics or something unique to you. It should be a quality you will feel comfortable having, don’t make it just be about making sales.

Here are a few benefits of effective branding;

• A good brand helps you establish your identity.
• It helps you build a fan base and community.
• It gives you focus and direction for your career.
• It helps you build trust and authenticity.

Written by: Jane Chimbruoma Amadi

Have you read “Digital Music Marketing: How to Fail and Win At It!“