Outline the different strategies used by record companies to market and promote their stars to audiences. Record companies have used many different st

Outline the different strategies used by record companies to market

and promote their stars to audiences.

Record companies have used many different strategies throughout time

to promote and market their stars, with more opportunities as

technology and times have changed. This includes promotion from

Jukeboxes playing ‘Soundies’ in the 1940s to the introduction of MTV

in the 1980s, and with the increased amount of merchandising available

as well as the abuse of censorship rules to create media hype.

An artists image can really help to market their singles, and has been

important since the 1950s. The image and fashion connected with the

rock and roll was as important as the music. In the early 1970s the

popularity of glam rock saw artists such as Gary Glitter and David

Bowie, who all had a very strong visual image. Record companies and

the artists would use this to create an unique selling point for

themselves, which would make them stand out against other artists, and

so be better remembered.

With the introduction of music videos the artists image has continued

to become as important as their actual music. The new romantic band

of the 1980s’, Duran Duran, were hugely successful because the music

video allowed them to express there image to their audience, and get

wider awareness from their target audience. The music video has

‘established visual style as pre-eminent aspect of performance’

(Shuker). In 1975 Queen released their short film for their new

single ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’. This was shown on Top of the pops, which

inevitably increased people’s awareness of the single and therefore

increased the sales. In response...

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... as a rival artist, such as Emma Bunton

and Geri Halliwell, or release them in time to fight for the Christmas

number one.

As time moves on the strategies used, by record companies, have to

adapt to the latest resources and keep up with the modern methods.

For instance if Smash Hits started to drastically decrease its

circulation, then record companies must notice this and perhaps change

where they advertise. With the development of the internet, single

sales have begun to drop because people are just able to download

songs for an amount of money, or in some cases illegally. Also, with

the better equipped mobile phones people can now download their

favourite artists on tour, so the sales of some tours have drastically

fallen. Record companies have to recognise this and alter their

strategies accordingly.