It’s that time again. As we enter a new year, we’re faced with self-help guides, productivity aides, and a barrage of weight loss plans and gym membership deals, all before we’ve finished the holiday leftovers. ‘Tis the season of the New Year’s resolution. While the effectiveness of New Year’s resolutions is certainly questionable, the new year does inspire a sense of reflection and change. But I’m not here to wax poetic about changing seasons, seizing opportunities, or healthy eating habits. I’m trying to tie in a timely New Year’s theme with Music Design, and luckily, I’ve found a connection. Just as individuals engage in self-reflection and decide to make changes, at any time of the year, brands also reflect and want to make changes. Sometimes, those changes involve music.
When a brand decides it’s time for a change in music, we look at what the music needs to accomplish. Is the goal to attract a different type of customer or to be more appealing to existing customers? Does the music need to change in order to better represent some aspect of the brand or customer demographic that has shifted? In other words, is the music bringing about change or is it reflecting something that has already changed? Sometimes the change is subtle – introducing a new element or tweaking an existing one. Sometimes the change is more drastic and basically involves a complete overhaul of the program. Either way, just like making a successful New Year’s resolution involves having a good understanding of yourself and your goals, making a successful music change for a brand requires careful consideration of the brand’s identity and goals for the future.
– Submitted by Erin Yousef, Music Design