Music Marketing

 For this music marketing project, I had to pick two artists and break down how they promote themselves, sell merch, and connect with fans. I ended up choosing Ariana Grande and Conan Gray because they’re both signed under Republic Records and use a lot of interesting visuals and online marketing. Plus, their album eras are super recognizable, so it was easier to study how their branding works.

First, I had to look up basic background information on both of them. I wanted to understand where they started, how their styles changed over time, and what kinds of audiences they usually connect with. Ariana has a more glamorous, pastel, high-fashion vibe, while Conan has a softer, emotional, almost cinematic aesthetic. Knowing that helped me see why their merch and promo materials look the way they do.

Then I focused on their merch. I checked their online stores and looked at what types of products they sell, like hoodies, vinyls, posters, and special editions. I also paid attention to how they design their merch to match each album era. This part was actually pretty fun because you can really see how important visuals are for creating a theme people remember.

After that, I looked at how they advertise online. Both of them use TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube a lot to promote new music, tease album visuals, or just post little moments from their lives. I tried to notice how often they post, what colors or themes they use, and how they interact with fans. I also checked out their Spotify and Apple Music pages to see how their profile layouts fit the vibe of their newest releases.

I didn’t ignore offline promotion either. Even though everything is digital now, artists still use things like billboards, magazine shoots, and tour flyers. These things help reach people who might not follow them online, and they also make the album era feel bigger and more official.

Once I had all the information, I organized it into a chart so it would be easier to understand. I broke it into branding, digital marketing, physical marketing, distribution, and merch. This helped me build my vertical chart and put together the rest of my assignment. Overall, the research actually helped me see how much work goes into promoting artists today, and how labels build a whole image not just a artist.