Sophia Lovett

Meet me in Austin for SXSW

Sophia — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 19:12:55 +0000

I made it to Austin for SXSW again. Let me know if you’re in town, so we can meet!

Let the games begin..

Sophia

What the f*ck’s branding got to do with it?!

Sophia — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 09:22:16 +0000

You’re a musician. You spend hours each day practicing. You’re good. You spend your time booking your own shows, creating merch, sending out anything that gets sold, looking after your website, your 3 social media accounts, replying to fans who are contacting you, you are looking for a new drummer (somehow they just never seem to be as committed to the band as you), and oh, you have that thing called a “day job” on the side. You don’t get too much sleep as it is. So why on Earth does everybody start bugging you about this thing called ‘branding’ nowadays?

I’m glad you asked! Branding in this context has nothing to do with burnt skin,* and neither with collaborating with Coca Cola and the like. And it’s a lot more than putting your logo everywhere, as some articles out there are trying to make you believe. Instead, it’s all about you playing an active role in becoming who you are meant to be. How do you do that? You basically find your big idea, the main thing you’re all about, and put that out there. This looks entirely different with different artists. Here are a few examples:

AC/DC for example is all about sex and drugs and rock’n'roll – in their looks, their shows, their songs. They are extremely consistent in what they do and stuck with it for nearly 40 years without ever straying too far, even when trends and fashions told them to do otherwise. As a result their album Black Ice released in 2008 went to number one in nineteen countries. That’s 35 years after the band formed.

Or take Bob Marley. Ask people about reggae music, and most will instantly name him. In fact, he started singing in Jamaica before the term ‘reggae’ even appeared in a dictionary. He was part of a generation that combined various forms of traditional island music and as reggae grew in popularity in the rest of the world, so did Marley. He was all about Jamaican culture, Rasta, and social justice throughout his career. He remains an icon today.

And then there’s Lana del Rey, who’s painting the picture of an American girl in a dark and glamourous world, combining influences mainly from the 1940s and 80s. With her music and looks she portrays grandiose drama, an ever-present sultriness (and quite a dose of self-directed objectification, too). She even went so far as to have plastic surgery to alter her looks, aligning her even further with her created persona.

As you can see, branding is a very personal matter, looking different from case to case. There is no right or wrong, only right or wrong for YOU.

So where do you go from here? You get your big idea by answering questions like the following: What do I stand for? What is unique about me? Who is my target audience? What do I want to give them? What kind of experience do I want to share with them? What dreams do I want to realize? What does success mean to me?

By working on these questions and translating the answers into your marketing strategy, your dreams and goals eventually become a self-fulfilling prophecy. So to answer the previous question in short: Branding is your ticket to success, whether that means popularity, money or self-actualization! Doesn’t that sound like it’s worth the effort?

*unless it REALLY fits your stage persona. In that case, by all means – go for it if you must.

Image: Lana del Rey UMG (c) Nicole Nodland

Productivity Secrets for the Busy MusicianPart 2: 5 Words Of Wisdom

Sophia — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 18:24:06 +0000

Switch off your smart phone!

‘nuff said!*

*To get the whole story subscribe to my bi-weekly-ish ezine.

Watch Bruce Springsteen’s Keynote at SxSW

Sophia — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 14:23:00 +0000

“Treat it like it’s all that we have, and then remember: It’s only Rock’n'Roll.”

What’s your take home message? Let us know in the comments below.

Sophia @SxSW

Sophia — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 02:50:47 +0000

Hey! I’m in Austin, TX for SxSW at the moment, and I just wanted to say a quick hello to those of you who don’t know me in person yet! Click on the link to see me live and in black&white!

Sophia @ SxSW

A Note from SxSW

Sophia — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 08:09:49 +0000

I’m super busy here in Austin, so here come just a few words to sum up my day at SxSW. And a picture of course, never forget the picture!

Bottom line of the day: Rock stars need to be too cool for school. Confidence is key. Sell direct. Be unique. Austin is ubercrowded during SxSW music. Martin Atkins likes to hand out blueberry muffins and cool shirts.

PS: In case you can’t see it properly, the shirt reads: “Welcome to the Music Business. You’re fucked.” Who wouldn’t love to wear that!?

What’s your ‘thing’, aka, your unique selling point?

Sophia — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 01:05:16 +0000

You rock. Your songwriting is excellent, you communicate with your fans, play energetic live shows and put effort into making them entertaining. You have what it takes – sort of. But unless there is something unique about you, chances are people will just go home and forget about you.

You probably know by now that if you want to make money with your band, you need to act like a business in many ways. One of the things you absolutely must have is a unique selling point, or in marketing speech, a USP. Now, don’t fret, this isn’t as bad as it sounds. It basically means that there must be something special about you, something that is unique to you, something that people recognize and associate with you. When thinking about USPs, things like the following come to mind: the rock band with the metal attitude and black & white make up (KISS), the guy with motorcycle helmet and built in telephone (Bob Log III), guy with the distinctive voice (Alice Cooper), the band with the blond female singer with a retro do and bindi (old school No Doubt). Some of these examples might be a bit more extravagant than what is comfortable for you. That’s absolutely fine. A unique selling point works best when it’s authentic, and something subtle sometimes works just as well. However, bolder can be better.

When trying to find your USP, think about what you like outside of music. What shows, activities, looks, costumes, characters, other art forms come to mind? How would you describe your most freakish side? What’s your favorite theme party costume? Find a certain look, a different singing style, accessories, gestures, accents.. The possibilities are endless!
There are so many bands out there that play good music, but are lacking that ‘certain something’. Don’t be one of them! If you come up with something, feel free to share in the comments below. And if you’d like some help with it – you know where to find me.

Image: Bob Log III

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WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE ON YOUR WEBSITE? You can, as long as you include this blurb:

“Sophia Lovett is a branding and music marketing strategist helping talented musicians around the world make their band their business. Find out more at www.sophialovett.com.”

Band Coaching in Berlin – Cannes – London – Austin

Sophia — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 01:45:45 +0000

Sorry it has been so quiet on here. I’ve been really busy working on new projects with some amazing artists. I’ll be ready to reveal some of it soon. In the meantime I want to give you a quick update on some of my business travel plans, so you know where I’ll be if you’re interested in booking me for in-person band coaching or consultations, or want to meet me for some other reason.

This is planned so far:

Cannes (for MIDEM): January 26 – February 2

London: some time in February

Austin (for SXSW): March 5-15

Other than that I’ll be mainly in Berlin and other parts of Germany.

To get in touch write an email to my assistant at info@sophialovett.com, or use the contact form you can find on this website. We’ll get back to you with all the details really soon. I hope we’ll talk soon !

Berlin – Hamburg – Los Angeles

Sophia — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 12:57:20 +0000

I’ll be outside of Berlin quite a bit during the next couple of months. That’s your opportunity to meet me and book me for in-person coachings and consultations.

Some of the upcoming dates:

Hamburg: September 22-25

Los Angeles: October 14 – November 6

Also upcoming: London, Cannes, Paris, other parts of Germany

Contact me at info at sophialovett.com for details.

It’s Berlin Music Week!

Sophia — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 10:50:28 +0000

Popkomm, the big music conference here in Berlin, started today. Of course I’m around. Can’t wait for all the input, new connections and amazing music.

Looks like I’ll be able to get quite a few verrry sweet deals for you.. so watch out for a message from me!