Ah, shtick. Every good comedian had shtick. Rodney got no respect, Woody Allen was neurotic, and Henny Youngman wanted you to take his wife. Please. More than just a catchphrase, it became the unique identifier that helped you separate each comedian from the millions of others trying to break through.
Today’s music industry isn’t swinging their shtick. Instead, they’re looking around at what everyone else is doing — and they’re doing that! So in a massive effort to create identity, they’re doing the same thing as everybody else. As I write this, I realize it makes absolutely NO sense whatsoever. But think about it — how many acts are trying to replicate Lady Gaga? We have a bunch of copycat Britneys out there. And seriously, enough with the jam bands. Drop the needle in the middle of any of ’em, and could you tell the difference? Is a Phish show really that different from a Dead show? From an Allman Brothers show? From a Government Mule show? See what I mean …
Our industry, and our patience for hearing new music, is contracting. We’re increasingly overtaxed/conditioned by technology so that if it doesn’t come to us instantaneously, and stand out at the same time, we just move on. The act of musical discovery and exploration has been relegated to music purists who make up an increasingly small piece of the consumerist pie.
So what do you do? What makes you any more worthy than the twenty other bands doing the EXACT SAME THING? What’s your shtick? Good music doesn’t cut it anymore. If you don’t stand out, you can barely stand up.
This is where good marketing comes in. This is where lots of bands and businesses roll over and die. It takes ample amounts of creativity, and it demands an understanding of your market that doesn’t come just ‘cuz you wrote a great song. So before you assume that marketing consultants are an overpriced bunch of hot air spewing windbags who can only tell you that you need social media — think again!
A good marketer turns your product into something that stands out. Good marketing turns Stephanie Germanotta into Lady Gaga, and good marketing gives the general public a reason to pay attention to you. Because again, good music just ain’t enough. If it was, could someone please explain Miley Cyrus, Ashlee Simpson, the Jonas Brothers, and shoegaze to me, please …
