For me, last night’s Grammy Awards was a show of unity, passion, and full self-expression in the music industry. What a powerful reminder of how music shapes our culture and the future we’re headed towards.
Music evokes emotions, breaks down barriers and brings people together, as was so clearly illustrated by last night’s awards and the celebration of people of all colors, sexual orientations, shapes and sizes, et al. We know this. But if no one HEARS that music, if artists like Lizzo never get introduced to the world… young girls across the globe will live their lives feeling ashamed of their bodies. If there were no Kim Petras, little kids – and older “kids”, for that matter – will live their entire lives trapped in a body that doesn’t feel like their own. And the impact is exponential, on our collective health, heart, spirit, safety.
That’s why as brands and marketers, we’ve got a real gift and responsibility to use our platforms to craft a future worth living for generations to come. And music is one of the most powerful tools to shape that world in which we want to live.
But it’s not just about licensing the hottest track or partnering with the biggest names in the industry. For a brand, it’s about telling a story worth telling, with the help of music as storyteller.
So my call to action for all of us brand marketers is this: Don’t just tick the box and move onto the next brief. Let’s push the limits, be vulnerable, and create work that makes a positive difference in this world. Importantly, make sure you have experts on your team who take care of all potential “barriers” so the most impactful story reaches generations of people just waiting to be inspired towards good.
So – What story do you want to tell through the power of music? Who do you need to make that possible?
