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The music Industry In North America Is constantly flourishing with new up-and- coming artists. After conducting a Porter’s Five Forces analysis (Appendix AY), It Is clear that the music industry has accepted and adapted to technological change bringing forth more effective avenues for artists to express themselves.
The primary objective for most aspiring musicians is to gain the attention of major record labels, ho can provide the financial support needed to gain widespread exposure and promotion. In recent years, social media platforms have become the most desirable platforms for musicians to interact with fans and promote their music. The music industry has been dominated by a few major record labels which consist of Sony Music Entertainment, universal Music Group, and Warner Music Group. ” These major labels vie for market share each year by searching for new talent that can appeal to the mainstream and generate the largest amounts of revenue.
In recent years many emerging artists have utilized dealt mediums such as Youth and Twitter to build a sizable fan base and become more attractive for major labels. Iii notable artists such as Mac Miller and Mackerel to remain independent. By understanding the forces that drive change in the music industry, artists can create strategies that portray them in a way reflective of mainstream musical interests. History of Justine Bibber Born on March 1, 1994 in London, Ontario, Canada, Justine Bibber was born and raised in a single parent home that struggled to make ends meet.
He grew an interest in music at age four, as his mother’s friends would often play music during their visits here to Patties Mallets small apartment. Justine Bibber demonstrated a natural talent towards various instruments and began singing various tunes by the age of eight. As family and friends began to realize his singing ability Page 13 many encouraged him to Join local singing competitions in Stratford, Ontario where he lived. After earning recognition and accolades, Justine and his mother Patties began posting videos to Youth for the purpose of family and friend enjoyment. These ‘ideas soon grabbed the attention of thousands and sparked a phone call from ‘sessions manager from Atlanta named Scooter Braun. After relentless pursuit, Scooter convinced Patties and Justine to fly out and meet him in Georgia to discuss a potentially career changing meeting with Usher. After months of wait and even interest from Justine Timberline, Bibber had the chance to perform for Usher and was later signed to an Islands Records recording contract offer by label executive L. A. Reid. Vi The co-sign from Usher provided the needed credibility and mentors to help launch a successful career for Justine Bibber.
Career Highlights Bribers first single, “One Time,” went certified platinum in Canada after its release in May 2009. His album titled, “My World” sold 137,000 copies within a week of hitting stores and in early 2010 Bibber broke into the Billboard Top 10 with his hit song ‘Baby,” which featured rapper and song artist Ludicrous. The album “My World 2. 0″ also went certified platinum and brought forth additional #1 songs such as ‘Somebody to Love featuring Usher” and “Nine Minnie featuring Sean Kingston”. Ii In 2011, manager Scooter Braun decided to show the world where his young sensation was birthed from and the hard work Justine had put into to attain the global success. They choose to create a AD movie with producer and director John Chug called Never Say Never, which would be based on behind the scenes footage and Childhood video clips that his fans had never seen before. The movie earned more than $73 million at the box office and was extremely successful in changing the perceptions of many adults who believed he was a fabricated product.
In November 2011, Justine released a Christmas album, “Under the Mistletoe”, accompanied by the lead single “Mistletoe”, which helped earn him his third #1 album. Justine Bibber then released Page 14 is highly anticipated fourth album called “Believe”, which was to represent his acoustic version, which marked his fifth #1 album and would continue to drive the success of lead singles, “Boyfriend”, “As Long as You Love Me”, “Beauty and the Beat”, and “Right Here”. The album has attained sales of approximately 17 million and continues to have its presence felt across the world.
Furthermore, Justine Briber’s concert tours have received great acclaim as all shows have been sold out and been classified as an entertainment spectacle by attendees. It is clear that Justine has close sees to his lower class upbringing as he has made it a priority to give back to many charities, specifically Pencils of Promise, which looks to provide educational Infrastructure in the third world. Ix Evolution of Content Every artist must go through changes in both their imagery and music content to evolve to changing consumer trends.
Initially, Bibber produced content that attracted strong female fan base, expressing his talent through songs about love and relationships. This niche positioning allowed him to establish a distinct personality and image that separated him from most modern pop artists. However, most recently, Bibber has tailored his music towards a more mainstream sound that has appealed to a wider demographic. X Being able to adapt to a changing environment has allowed Bibber to remain one of the most iconic music stars in modern time.
His evolution and adaptability has been one of the key factors to his success, and will continue to be a determinant of his growth as an artist. Marketing Tactics Receiving support and guidance from his mentor Usher, Bibber was able to position himself as a “teen heartthrob”, as consumers recognized the alignment between himself and a more Page 15 successful, established, R icon. In addition, Bibber was one of the first artists to launch his career through the means of social media, as opposed to marketing his brand through more traditional methods. I Bibber proved his authenticity, both as an artist and a philanthropist, through the use of Backbone, Twitter, and Mainstream. Reese forums provided Bibber with an opportunity to connect with his fans, granting them a transparent view of his lifestyle and daily activity. Bibber has become one of the most genuine celebrities, as he is unafraid to express his individualism. However, his particular attitude has generated negative media exposure, as Bibber fails to recognize the scope of his most recent outbursts and the power that the media has on shaping the perceptions of consumers.
Recent Problems Celebrities often have to deal with their personal problems being magnified by the media. For Bibber, management of his image is crucial, as his main audience consists of impressionable younger females whose parents constantly monitor their entertainment consumption. Recent problems, such as wearing overalls to address the Canadian Prime Minister, rumors of cheating on his former girlfriend Selene Gomez, his assault on the paparazzi, his defiance against the Grammas, his scandal neighbor, have caused uproar among stakeholders of his brand. Ii Also, his recent associations with the hip-hop community and rapper Bee Major have given him a more urban image that does not resonate well with his current fan base. Continuing to brand himself as an aggressive, rebellious, teenager will be detrimental to the persona that he has built, and a proper strategic marketing plan must be put in place to restore his image and help better manage his entertainment brand. Page 16 Problem Statement: After a careful analysis of Justine Briber’s history, combined with an assessment of his current position in pop culture, we have identified an obstacle in evolving his brand. He pop icon could potentially risk losing his relevance in the music industry, through saturation of his core fan base, by failing to resolve a clash between traditional pop culture ideology and growing expression of his individualism. Alternative One: Replicating the Formula of preceding Pop Stars Pop culture is associated with commercial products that spread from local levels of awareness to exposure on global scales for widespread access. Essentially it is ever changing, and forces the product or artist, to latch on to current trends in the marketplace to mitigate the risk of irrelevancy.
The alternative is suggesting that Justine Bibber and his management team evaluate and adopt the effective strategies of a legendary pop icon such as Justine Timberline. This would be a worthwhile consideration as Timberline has demonstrated one of the most successful transitions from teen pop to a sophisticated global sound. Timberline made his anticipated solo debut ‘Justified” in 2002 and released a follow up album “Future Sex/Love Sounds” in 2006, Inch delivered very mature and transcending sounds for that era in pop.
The music represented a departure from his time with popular boy band NCSC, and included complex lyrical structure and production that supported the critically acclaimed status it has achieved today. In contrast to this sophistication, Timberline has been able to maintain a rebellious image through actions such as dating high-profile celebrities like Brittany Spears, referencing sexual content in his lyrics, and playing the insubordinate protagonist in films such as “In Time”.
As celebrities are looked upon as heroes by their fan base, and must control the expectations of multiple stakeholders, we believe that Justine Timberline has been able to resolve the conflicts presented in the heroic masculinity page 17 model as seen in Appendix B. Through proper image management, and strategic nonconformist action, Timberline has been able to express himself as the atypical heroic male, simultaneously portraying the roles of the breadwinner and the rebel. Lusting Bibber has mismanaged many of his attempts at rebellion, by creating a disparity between his image as a kind, philanthropic individual, and his isolated
Incidents that have generated negative media attention. Some of these rebellious consumption, and outlandish outburst with British paparazzi. In contrast with Justine Timberline, these rebellious incidents were unable to stimulate positive perceptions Ninth his current fan base, as well as attract intrigue from an alternative fan base. Lusting Bibber needs to find more creative ways of integrating his personal non- conformist actions into his already established image but does not necessarily need to mimic the exact actions of Timberline.
Instead, he should copy the framework put place by Timberline, and fill it with his own unique experiences to resolve the conflict between individual expression and traditional pop culture ideology. Alternative Two: Status Quo Lusting Briber’s management team has accepted his stardom and identified his success with his individualistic approach to interacting with his “Believers” and media outlets alike. This genuine approach has created a personable relationship between Justine Bibber and his many stakeholders.
This has been effective in his ascent into pop stardom because there were limited external influences that could enervate bad publicity during his early to middle years as a teenager. The support of friends and accompanying of family during tours and public appearances allowed Lusting Bibber to stay grounded and out of trouble’s way. As his freedom and independence increases, Justine Bibber is responsible for his own decision making. Irish stimulates a concern for his brand as a 19 year old with over $100 million who is bound to take risks, experiment, and enjoy Page 18 the wealth he has created.
Although, this may support the most accurate display of Individualism, Justine Bibber must recognize that negative publicity comes with the rewriter of hanging out with friends that smoke weed, race sports cars, and party in the Hollywood Hills. In recent weeks, Justine has been feeding content to the media outlets as he threatened a paparazzi, had his monkey confiscated at an airport, and Nas reported to have spit in his neighbors face after a disagreement. This behavior is unacceptable for a teen pop sensation that has been molded into a role model for [Tout all across the world.
There is a certain level of expectation that Justine Bibber has to meet, regardless of whether or not he feels he is doing something wrong. The status quo alternative lets Justine Bibber grow and experience the world freely, which delivers the most authentic product to his fans and potential fans. It allows him to make mistakes in the public eye and suffer the consequences of those bad decisions, Inch supports the overall Journey he has taken with his fans. Even though, it may lead to a decline in his popularity it may help to redefine the brand as it was naturally supposed to be perceived.
The negative impact of the status quo may be the reduction of music quality, which can be seen by his attempt to enter into urban USIA with a rap over fellow friend Bee Major’s sex provoking record called, "Lowly’. This musical feature is misaligned with Justine Briber’s future development and career path, which testifies the great amount of concern associated with him making his own decisions. It is clear that pre-adulthood is a critical time to reshaping the brand and evolving his musical sound. Justine Bibber must become more aware of his traditional pop culture ideology.
Alternative Three: Tell a Better Story Many celebrities have had to face the consequences of bad publicity as a result of undesirable action. The individual’s public relations team then becomes of great importance, as Page 19 they struggle to control the flow of unfavorable content transferred through the media to the individual’s many stakeholders. However, sometimes the amount of negative publicity is too frequent in a small period of time, that consumers in the marketplace begin to observe the incidents as a pattern of detrimental behavior that represent a descent in the career of the celebrity and a tarnishing of their image.
A story is unveiled by the media as the events unfold, and from these events, a aromatic theme is created, which represents the perceptions that individuals have about the underlying causes of the pattern of behavior. For Bibber, his most recent actions, including that of the alleged altercation with his neighbor, showing up to the airport shirtless, and his tantrum with British paparazzi, paints a picture of a pop icon who has allowed stardom to consume him as a person, leading to rebellious behavior that questions the authenticity of him as a kind, philanthropic individual.
In this sense, not only is it causing his fan base to view him negatively, his brand, if not ropey managed can begin to become artificial. Outsiders may view Justine Bibber as teenager who had managed to fool the media for an extended period of time, and is only now being revealed as this inauthentic product. However, instead of looking at this as a problem, Briber’s management team could see this as an opportunity to portray him as a person who is overcoming a series of adverse situations to reinvent himself and return to his position as a global role model.
In addition, the management team could recognize that this is not the first occasion that Justine bibber has been perceived as illegitimate. As Bibber was reaching stardom, many of his critics felt that he was a manmade star with no actual talent or passion for his Nor. His manager answered these critics with the documentary "Never Say Never AD” and a collection of Youth videos that portrayed the making of his most recent album "Believe”. This helped to reverse the negative perceptions that the media had attempted to fabricate about his brand.
To address the current issues that have page 110 placed Bibber under recent examination, his management team could construct a narrative that categorizes all of these events as inevitable occurrences of a teenager tempting to transition into adulthood by discovering his true identity. Playing off his previous legitimating, Bibber could solidify himself as a pop star who continually silences his critics and prove that his authenticity is the strongest asset to merging his individualism with traditional pop culture norms.
Decision Criteria: the basis for evaluation of our alternatives: economic profitability, brand equity, the ability to exploit new fan segments, and the ease of implementation. Our alternative should continue to ensure the financial success of Justine Bibber and consider the pact it has on his potential career earnings. Regardless of the decision we make, our goal is to maintain and improve Briber’s brand equity in light of recent problems that he has faced in the media.
As his current fan base will eventually saturate, the ability to create a new fan base will ensure his relevance in the music industry in Hears to come. Lastly, any plan put in place by management should be fairly easy to Implement, as their scheduling and timing is already very limited. Alternative 1 Rota I Alternative 3 4 (0. 6) 5 (1. 5) (1. 75) 2 (0. 4) Economic Profitability (15%) rand Equity (30%) Exploiting New Fan Segments (35%) Ease of Implementation (20%) Alternative 2 3 (0. 45) 2 (0. 6) I (0. 35) 2 (0. 70) 3 (0. 6) 4. 25 2. 4 3. Implementation: Based on our evaluation of the alternatives through the use of our decision criteria, following a Page Ill framework put in place by one of the most successful pop artists ever known to the music industry in Justine Timberline, Bibber will be able to exploit new fan segments, develop stronger brand equity, and ensure future financial success. The alternative highlights a key aspect of male celebrities as heroic icons, as it helps to reconcile the wow prevailing identities of masculinity, namely "the breadwinner” and the "rebel”.
By mitigating the disparity between these two images, and integrating each concept into an all-encompassing marketing strategy, Bibber would not only be able to express the individualism (and thus rebellious side) that results from transitioning to adulthood, but do so in a positive manner. Thus, he will be able to continue to express his individuality, which has been so crucial to his success, while remaining under traditional pop culture ideology.
The implementation of this plan would require three hashes: transition into a new sound and image, performing actions in the marketplace that solidify the new positioning and evaluate/reassess the plan to ensure its continued success. In terms of his sound and image, Bibber would need to recognize that his "teen heartthrob” persona will not uphold into the adult stage of his lifestyle, and that eventually consumers will demand higher quality music that reflects the evolution of himself as an artist. This stage presents Bibber with the opportunity to create a more sophisticated, well-rounded sound and image that depicts a more mature artist. Stint Timberline attained these musical goals by partnering with legendary producers and songwriters to create new sounds and melodies that the pop genre Nas previously unfamiliar with. Justine Bibber can emulate this formula by leveraging his current success and sales power to work with classical artists such Prince and Elton John or even producers such as Dry. Luke. Xiii It is important that when he re- establishes his music that he still has ties to his former sound and sense of playfulness, as this will form the basis of authenticating this new image, all the while
Introducing this "bad-ass” or rebellion characteristics that will define him as a page 112 masculine hero. This will allow him to maintain his current fan base as well. Justine lyrical content must be universal and resonate with an older audience by containing experience and emotions that is reflective of common challenges adults go through. Ere pop icon needs to tell his story but also the story of millions who are unable to have their voice heard. This strategic approach will foster creative development and allow him to reach new age demographics.
To ensure that this new image maintains s sincerity in the marketplace, Bibber would have to perform other actions in the marketplace that would support the transition into his new persona. These would include things such as guest appearances on certain television shows, associating himself as a spokesperson for certain brands, and potentially landing a major role in framework by accepting lead and supporting actor roles in movies such as "In Time” and "Social Network”xiv.
This would help to appeal to his newly acquired fan base that resulted from his image change, as well as convert skeptics who believed that is image change was a publicity stunt. Justine Bibber could balance his trendy Anaerobe with classic pieces from high fashion collections such as Versa and Louis vitiation. He can work will Jeweler’s like Michael Jackson did to create timeless designs that could be integrated into performance wear and casual clothing.
Most importantly, Justine Bibber needs to develop a signature dance move that will serve as both rebellious in terms of sexual association, and challenging for the average fan or dancer to replicate similarly to the "Moonwalk” xv. The objective will be to create a humbly that is representative of Justine Bibber as an entertainer and performer. Ere last step would be to assess the effectiveness of the plan that has been put in place and re-assess whether the image overhaul has managed to produce actionable results.
This would include assessing the increase in his core fan base, an evaluation of the perceptions both critics and page 113 consumers alike have in the marketplace. It must also include the identification of any further action that is required to achieve the established objectives. Justine Timberline is known for taking hiatus’ from music since his second album, thus when elk sparked of his return, the digital music community and entertainment media Net a buzz.
The anticipation was significant as his fan base and newer audiences Newer hungry to here how the super talent would evolve on his latest project considering it had taken him 8 years to return. His third album, "The 20/20 Experience”, debuted at #1 and sold 968,000 copies in its first week. The album received critical acclaim early and is a testament to an effective formula that can be characterized for Justine Bibber as "less music is more music”.
The teen sensation would consider a similar strategy by prolonging his 3 rd album for a period to build demand and focus on enhancing other aspects of his career like acting and collaborations with legendary musicians to gain further credibility. Justine Bibber must take time developing and writing for his next album to ensure that the project serves as basis to grow his fan base by attract older listeners and supporters. In sum, this solution will allow Justine Bibber to avoid losing his relevance in the music industry and resolving the clash between traditional pop culture ideology and his growing expression of his individualism. Appendix C: Time Frame) Page 114 Appendix: Appendix A: Porter’s Five Forces: arraigning Power of Suppliers Consists of how music labels get access to music in the music industry (artists and their managers) artists high as well The ability to self-promote through the artist’s website has eliminated the need for extra services from record labels (promotion, distribution, and sales) Bargaining err of Customers Corporate customers include online and offline retailers and can be considered low since prices are usually agreed upon before the contract signing.