The Boys
in the Brand
There are plenty of theories, models and abstractions
to help us understand the shifts happening in
the world of work, but sometimes it’s a
living metaphor or a snapshot of reality that
brings the truth into sharp focus. Look at the
world through the right pair of eyes, and you’ll
find examples that illuminate business issues
in the most unlikely places. Which explains the
link between an ex-Bonzo, a Tex-Mex septet, and
virtual organisations…
Neil Innes is a genius. Most of his fans think
so because of his music; I think so because of
his innate understanding of market segmentation,
asset exploitation and branding.
You may not know Innes’ name or his work.
He’s been around a long time. In the late
60’s he was a member of the art-student
Bonzo Dog Band; in the 70’s he worked with
Monty Python, then on his own ‘World of
Records’; in the early 80’s he created
‘The Rutles’, a note-perfect pastiche
of the Beatles.
The Rutles recently toured – Innes probably
thought ‘if McCartney can, why not me?’
He didn’t play Red Square or Earls Court,
but I saw him in a club that holds 300, and it
was full. He repeated that around the country.
It was a terrific evening. First class musicianship
married with very funny, very clever songs. The
band played most of the Rutles catalogue, from
the early Hamburg rock-and-roll to the multi-layering
of St Peppers.
At the interval, the guy next to me said:“I
hope he does some of his solo work. Everyone in
the club was probably thinking the same thing.
Of course, Innes didn’t play any solo songs
at all. Because Innes ‘gets’ segmentation.
He has a catalogue of assets that generate his
living. That evening – and that tour –
he set out to exploit one part of that catalogue.
A particular proposition delivered by a particular
organisation (the band) under a particular brand.
The target customers for the Innes solo proposition
are probably the same people. But rather than
provide too many features at once, he knows just
how many to include to satisfy his audience so
that they leave wanting more. Then he has a second
opportunity to sell to us again.
(Go to his website www.neilinnes.org
and see just how many songs he’s written.
His product portfolio is vast; that evening he
delivered a fraction of it. Yet, had they been
asked, every one of his customers would have ticked
‘delighted’ on the survey.)
Even with the Rutles’ name, the fan base
will still associate the material they performed
with Innes. The group is a sub-brand, and couldn’t
exist without him. That’s not the case with
Los Pacaminos: Not only are they a brand very
distinct from their parts, they are also a living
example of a virtual organization, and a model
for how many of us will work in the future.
Another introduction: Los Pacaminos are a seven-piece
Tex-Mex band. They cover and write Spanish ballads
and Cajun dance songs, and party while they do.
You’re even less likely to have heard of
any of them then you are of Innes – except
one: Paul Young, a big star in the 80’s
(and the first voice on the Band Aid charity single).
The first really interesting thing about the band
is that it is NOT Mr Young plus six others. This
is a genuine group of equals. They share the spotlight
and the lead microphone. Of course, they don’t
hide his light under a bushel when attracting
a paying audience, but it’s not the Paul
Young show.
He does pursue a solo career. Like Innes, he
has assets that he needs to exploit, and his distinctive
soul singing voice means that he can make hay
while the revival sun shines. And like Innes,
the two never cross-over. Solo Young sells nostalgia.
Los Pacaminos are slowly building a new brand
and reputation.
http://www.los-pacaminos.com/
The second striking aspect of the line up is
that it isn’t permanent. The organisation
is very fluid; several of the members have other
musical lives. Take Jamie Moses. He is an extraordinary
guitarist, and another of LP’s front-men.
But follow his website links and you’ll
find:
- he’s a touring session musician who’s
currently working with Phil Collins
- he’s a member of SAS Band
- he’s the driving force behind the World
Famous Red Sox, a party band who play for the
stars
- he performs his own shows, and is available
for masterclass lessons
So for some of the time he’s anonymous,
a support player for a bigger solo brand. On other
occasions, he’s a lead player in a collective
brand. And in a third guise, he’s built
his own brand doing solo work and teaching.
Now, I very much doubt that Moses or Young or
Innes have ever thought about themselves and their
ventures in these terms. They don’t have
to – because that’s just the way things
are in the music business. If you don’t
operate in this fluid way, constantly shifting
your role and association with brands, you don’t
eat.
OK – sometimes you hit the jackpot and
become part of a brand that gives you lifetime
employment (will the Rolling Stones ever stop?).
But for the likes of Innes and Moses and Young
– talented professionals that they are –
the application of their skills, the retention
of their customer base, and their participation
in different brand combinations, are the way you
earn a living.
Normality for musicians – a wake-up call
for the rest of us. It’s not news that there’s
no such thing as a job for life, and it’s
an HR truism that we have to keep training. But
how much time do you spend defining and developing
your brand?
You can ask yourself the same questions you would
as of organisation:
- What do I do?
- What do I stand for?
- Why is it different?
- What value do I bring?
Even without seeing him perform, you could have
a good stab at guessing Jamie Moses’ answers.
Finding your own is much more difficult.
Whether you run your own company, are part of
a vc-backed start-up or are in a FTSE 100 company,
you are a business of one. In some of your projects
(gigs) you’ll be lead, in others you’ll
be an anonymous session. But it all adds to the
value of brand you. And that will be the asset
that you can exploit in the coming years.
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