Transcription
So this is Ma P and this is Maurice West. One of these artists was making a few thousand dollars per show and one can now get six figures plus per show. And spoiler alert, it's the same guy. And the difference between the two was a rebrand, not a new logo, a new story and position in the culture.
Through the art of rebranding, Mauitz Westine, better known as MAP, was able to build a multi-million dollar brand just by following a few key steps. And today we're going to walk through those exact steps and how you can use the same playbook if your project feels stuck, stale, or misaligned. And this is a controversial statement, but it's my belief that most artists should be thinking about rebranding now because of where social media is going and what the next phase is going to be. And later in the video, I'll go into full detail of why I believe this to be so. But if you want to follow a similar path as Malp and build an audience of millions and a life of financial and creative freedom, you'll have the major festival headlines, prime set times, and global demand.
Today's topic is something you'll need to understand. So, who am I to even talk about this topic? My name is Chris Alba, and for the last 12 years, I've owned and operated a creative studio called The Cole Creatives that's done exactly this for thousands of artists and creative companies. We've worked with some of the biggest names in music, as well as some of the most well-known companies in the world. We've done countless rebrands as well as building brands and stories from scratch for many of today's top music artists. We've done tens of millions of dollars in business over the last 12 years. And we've been a part of the success stories of countless artists around the world.
From our point of view in today's landscape, brand is just as important as the music. And we've seen over and over once an artist gets their brand and story right how quickly things start to change and how fast an audience can grow. and Mau P is a perfect example of when this works. So, let's get into it.
Step one, decide if a rebrand is right for you. So, if you're deciding on whether or not to rebrand or reposition, let's look at a few different scenarios you may be dealing with. But first, let's kick it to Malp and see what was going on with him.
"I don't even deem the first project too successful, if I'm being honest. Like, to me, I was always doing the the Maurice West stuff and I always sort of felt held back. I was always looking at other DJs that were in the same sort of sound or universe, whatever. And I'm like, why are they succeeding in that way and why is it not working for me? You know, I thought like, I know music. I think I'm a good DJ. I think I'm a good producer. Uh, I know how the scene works. I know what I want. I have the vision, but it's just not something was just not connecting in some way, you know? like I played really big festivals and there was like a small fan base and the releases were doing good, but it never really got to a point where it felt like organic to me. I was still digging for um for the gold or the diamonds, I guess. And part of that digging turned into like the switch up that became Ma P."
So that's what Ma P was dealing with. Let's look at some different scenarios that you might be dealing with.
Scenario number one, stuck with no growth. No matter how many followers or what your engagement looks like, you've been banging your head against the wall for months, maybe even years with no growth. There's just something that isn't connecting with the audience. Maybe it's time for a rebrand.
Scenario number two, everything all at once. So, for this scenario, let's say you built a project, but it was all over the place with experimentation, and it's not really clear who you are. There was great stuff that was created, but overall it wasn't a cohesive idea. It was throwing a bunch of stuff at the wall to see what stuck and what you liked making. Like any artist, your first or second brand normally is built on a foundation of experimentation. You're trying different things, seeing what you like as an artist. You're honing your taste and also seeing where you and the audience may meet in a like-minded space. But now enough time has gone by and you're clear on what you want to do for the next few years. And this time it's not based on trends or mimicking your heroes. Now you know what you want to make and you have full clarity. So to express this newfound clarity, maybe it's time for a rebrand.
Scenario number three, a reputable reputation. So for example, with my first project, much of the industry knew me as a promoter. I threw large scale parties in LA and I booked a bunch of talent. And while I deeply loved curating and creating these events, I had quietly been studying and learning how to make proper dance music. When I was a concert curator, I also had a corresponding DJ project that would run alongside the events. With that project, I was more of a DJ and less of a producer. So once I started producing and I had a grasp on the kind of sound that I wanted to make, I decided to rebrand. When I rebranded and started the new project, I made sure that I had distance from the promoter part of my life and made it solely about the art, music, and story. I focused heavily on those elements and it grew 10 times faster and larger than my previous DJ brand. So, if there's a reputation on the brand that may be an uphill battle for storytelling, maybe it's time to rebrand.
Scenario number four, bad packaging. So, in this scenario, there's nothing wrong with the music, but the brand's story and visual identity just feels unclear. It's not cohesive, and deep down, you know that if you were a potential fan and you saw this project and it wasn't yours, it'd likely be confusing to you. So, in this scenario, a rebrand could be retooling the story and the look. You don't have to burn everything down. You just need to rebuild certain elements so it's clear to the audience. If you find yourself in this scenario, maybe it's time for a rebrand.
Scenario number five, a new mission. So in this scenario, your mission and your why, the reason that you're building a music project and career, your mission changed. You want something new. Now, this could be as simple as when you first started, the whole reason you wanted to make music was just for fun as a creative outlet. But now the new mission is to build a brand reputation and successful business around your creative endeavors. Or it could be the other way. Initially when you got in, you had a mission of building a big business in music. But after attempting that for a matter of years, you saw that you had to play by the rules of the system and that killed a lot of the fun of being creative in the first place. You've now reentered your mission on making sure your taste drives everything you do. So a good example of this is one of our clients, Chris Lake. In the mid-2000s, he was a big room and progressive house artist. He had hits like Changes, Carry Me Away, Only One, and Sundown. It was a very specific kind of sound in a very specific kind of scene. The brand was polished and it was pure. His brand and sound aligned with other similar artists in the scene at that time like Dirty South, Fetty Lrand, John Dalback, or Funk Agenda. But as the brand went forward, he started to evolve and around 2016 is when the rebrand started to take place. The music was getting progressively cooler and he found himself with a new mission. So from 2017 on he rebranded as the more cool Chris Lake. He was releasing with Skrilix and Osla, aligning himself with cooler artists and distancing himself from the big room and progressive house world. And that rebrand didn't catch fire immediately, but over time the offer amounts for shows and festivals as well as the overall revenue on the business far surpassed that of the original Chris Lake brand from the mid-2000s. his mission changed and he wanted to align more with his newfound evolution and what he thought was cool. So, if you find yourself in a similar scenario to this, maybe it's time to rebrand.
So, the main thing to understand here is that if something's not clicking, it's likely because of the mission, brand, story, or the quality of the music. But if the quality of the music is good, that tells you what some of the other issues may be. And you may look at other successful artists and think to yourself, they just got lucky. But from my point of view and what I've seen in the music industry over the last 20 years is that luck is a factor, but it's a super small percentage in terms of actually what makes an artist successful. It's mostly mindset and approach. For example, is Christopher Nolan getting lucky with his movies? Even when he had smaller budgets, no money, and no reputation, his movies still performed incredibly well. Why? His stories were often complex and layered, but his point of view was extremely clear and simple. You know what you're getting with a Nolan movie. And that's a key point. Different Nolan stories, but a consistent point of view. And in this game, point of view is 80% of it. The other 20% is sharing that point of view and finding like-minded people who also like what you like.
So, the net of this section, should you or shouldn't you rebrand? If the project isn't growing and the current brand feels old, it feels disjointed, it's not cohesive, you don't see a path to fix it, maybe there's a reputation issue, or maybe the overall mission has changed, it could be a moment to reset and rebrand. And keep in mind, a rebrand doesn't mean you have to completely change every aspect. Sometimes you only change a few things, but the things you do change have a big impact. You make adjustments to keep what's good, ditch what's not, but now you're presenting it in a new way and in a new frame. And if a rebrand is too heavy of a term, you can simply think about it as an upgrade. Mao P did this to great success, and I'll reveal later in the video exactly how he did it and why that strategy elevated him to the top 1% of dance artists in the world. We're going to look at all sides of the rebrand from LP, and we'll also provide the exact process for rebranding yourself if you're looking to do the same. So, let's continue.
Step two, define the story. Okay, so let's play this out, but from Maurice West's perspective. He'd been in it for a bit, was having good success, but not great success. So, he decided to make a change. And the first thing that him and his management would look at is the new story. If they already had the name for the new brand, they'd ask themselves, "How will Malp differ from Maurice West? How can we take all that we've learned from the Moraurice West project, tweak it, and then apply it to the new project?" And before we get into their potential thought process of how they were going to answer this question, if you're looking to build a new brand story, we have multiple videos on the Neighborhood Arts by channel that go more into detail on exactly how to do this. There's this one that's good for defining who you are and your archetype. There's this one that's good for finding your brand story and your brand plot. And then this one's good for coming up with what your brand stands for and what your brand beliefs are. But the most important thing at this stage is to deeply answer that question. What is the new story and what makes it different?
So for MP, this is the new story and I'll be using our cult story framework to break it down step by step. So the first thing to look at when you're defining your story or what I call the movie is what's the master concept? What's the controlling idea that holds everything together? The new Maui story centers on freedom and attitude. It's about rejecting formulas, trends, and genre expectations, and then instead following your own instincts, making what you want to make and tying it to your history and your taste. Doing what feels right and doing what feels real to you, even if it's weird, even if it doesn't fit the mold. The story is about expression that is unapologetically your own. Malp is chasing the freedom to freely create.
So if the movie is about freedom, what kind of archetype would Malp be? People who are chasing freedom, go their own way, do their own thing, and are usually different from the mainstream in the archetype world are considered rebels or outlaws. You don't have to be metal, punk, or super dark to be a rebel. And often the rebel can actually be one of the good guys. Rebels are freedom chasers. They go against the system and elements trying to control them. they don't want to blindly follow the rest of the pack. I also see with some of the choices of where they went with the fashion and styling that there's also some ruler here. So for his archetype, Maui is 80% rebel and 20% ruler. And this is very different from the brand position of Maurice West that felt more hero vibes similar to a Martin Garrick. And with Maurice West, the way that that brand was positioned is it was alongside other hero acts like Hardwell or WW. So, if you're doing this for your own brand, the archetype is key because it informs all other decisions that you're going to make going forward. But without understanding what the story is all about and what the plot of the movie that the audience is watching is, the foundational choice of the archetype won't mean much.
So then the next question to answer is what's the story all about? What's the story plot? Who is the character and what do they want? So for our story, the character is Malp and he wants to ascend in the ranks to be one of the biggest DJ producers in the world. but this time he wants to do it his way and instead of playing by the rules, he wants to do it on his own terms. Instead of playing the game, he wants to buck the system. So, if you remember from one of our previous videos where I talked about story plots, according to Christopher Booker, there's only seven plots. And for the new Mau P story, the plot would be overcoming the monster. In our story, the protagonist faces a dominant system, authority, or cultural monster that limits creative freedom. The rebel rises to confront it, not for power, but to prove individuality and reclaim his own authenticity. Cigarette in hand, he doesn't join the system. He defines what's cool within it.
So then, what forces tension in this kind of narrative? Why does the audience watch? The audience tunes in to see if Mao P can continue to rise and beat the system on his own terms. Can he take the idea of these illegal Dutch underground raves and embody that in artist brand form and win and stand out against the more cookie cutter brands? When watching this movie, some people are spectators while others see themselves in him. He aligns to their own identity, and for his fans, they root for him, follow him, and share his brand with other like-minded people. So now we have a sense of the movie that we're trying to create, but how can you create a point of view or position to give your story a deeper sense of meaning?
Step three, define the new position. Now that we have an overarching story, what's the new position? And by position, I mean the point of view. What does the brand stand for and what does it believe in? So often music artists are so focused on making and releasing the music that they completely forget this part. A true brand is all about point of view. It means more than the music itself. When someone sees your logo, it's a symbol, but it should stand for something. A set of beliefs, principles, a point of view, not just music.
So for the new Mau P brand, what does the brand stand for? So for this exercise, I'm going to give my educated guess on what I think it might be. And with brand beliefs, you always start with we believe or we do not believe. So for Malp, it'd be something like this. We believe in the underground. And we believe it isn't a place, it's a way of thinking. We believe rules were made to be tested, twisted, or broken completely. Freedom doesn't come from playing it safe. We do not believe in genres or boxes. We make what feels right to us. We believe the coolest thing you can be is yourself. Even if things are taboo or controversial, the most important thing is to freely express what you think is cool. And we believe that this goes for fashion, music, art, what you say, and how you show up in the world. We don't give an F and we are who we are. We believe that if everyone's wearing all black, it may be time to put on something white. We believe that through hard work and authenticity, you can build your own kingdom. We believe that freedom is greater than everything. We believe in energy in its most raw form. Find the energy, find the connection.
So once you have a brand belief system in place, the next part of our framework is to then create an elevator pitch summing up the brand story and what it's all about. And when you think about an elevator pitch, think of it like the summary on the back of the DVD for the movie that you're about to watch. So for Ma P, it might go something like this. Born in the Netherlands, raised in the underground. Ma P didn't come up trying to fit in, he came up proving that the rules are only real if you follow them. While everyone else was polishing their sound to be seen ready and on trend, Mao P decided to write his own rule book. He learned in his childhood that the underground isn't just a venue. It's a mindset. A refusal to let anyone tell you what's cool, what's allowed, or how far you can push a moment. His presence is singular and confident without asking permission. His world is self-made, built off instinct, taste, and the refusal to blend in. Ma P doesn't just play the game everyone else is playing. He creates his own. He designs his unique lane and makes the world adjust.
So elevator pitches like this are extremely important because it informs the audience of the movie and the character that they're watching and it also gives the character or characters their point of view. So now going further with the brand position, where do we place the brand and who can we align it with by taking it out of the big room world and realigning it in the world of cool. So defected records, repopulate Mars, Fiser, Chris Lake, adjacent circles, these are all ways to realign the world that the brand lives in. It changes how the industry and the audience sees and understands the new brand. So, it's key to have these elements, the highle story and the position. But unfortunately, they don't mean much if the brand isn't unique and if it's not memorable. But how can you create that sort of memorability within the brand?
Step four, define what makes it unique. Okay, so now we've got the story, but the idea of a rebel music artist breaking the conventional rules and making it his own, it's not really a new story or position. We've seen that done before. It's a great foundation, but it's now important to give it some unique flavors. So, here's five different elements that makes Malp unique from other general rebel artists. These unique elements influence the soup of the story to give it its own flavor.
Element number one, honoring the underground and honoring his city. This gives the rebel a unique defined purpose.
Element number two, a sacred studio is home. His father, who also worked in music, unfortunately passed away when he was 18, and he still produces in the studio that his dad built. His studio isn't just a room with gear. There's history and legacy to that room. Ma P also made a promise to himself early on to get a gold record and place it next to his father's on the wall.
Element number three, controlled chaos. Many rebel brands just seek raw chaos, but with the NumP brand, it's controlled and choreographed chaos. It feels more like a revolutionary leader than someone looking to incite a riot.
Element number four, quiet storm. In interviews, press shots, videos, will be calm and cool, but we'll give all of the energy to the stage.
Element number five, reference the past, not the future. Instead of looking at trends or where trends are going, we'll look at our original inspirations. Artists like Dead Mouse, Skrillex, Early Tiestto, and Disclosure.
So now if we take these elements and we toss them in the soup that is the story, we now have our own unique recipe. And the way that they originally had the brand positioned with Maurice West wasn't wrong, but in terms of story and position, it was a little bit more bland. There was less for the audience to grab a hold of, minus the fact that he was another Dutch big room artist with good music. So now we have what makes the new brand story unique, but if we put that story out in the wild, can it compete for attention against other brands in the same space?
Step number five, define the superpower. So, I have another video on the neighbor art supply channel that goes deeper into this step and it's all about being a festival headliner. So, if you want to check that one out, you can see it here. But the short of it is that there's five main headlining DJs and they became headliners using specific superpowers. They all have multiple superpowers, but generally they have one main one that they focus on and that allows them to compete with the rest of the field. So, the five superpower categories are:
Number one, content machine. This is like Steve Aoki or James Hype. They're everywhere and they beat everyone else just on sheer volume of content.
Number two, music. This would be artists like Zed, Alenium, or Max Styler. Their music is just better than the field, and that's what allows them to rise.
Number three is relatability or likability. This would be artists like Domala or John Summit. They're super relatable and likable. So, alongside great music, they build an army of friends.
Number four is performance and creativity. These are artists who out-creative the field. They present their music in memorable and creative ways and are far more unique than the general artists that are out there. This would be artists like Anima or Eric Pridz.
And then number five is what I call the cool factor. They're cooler than the other artists in the field. The images, visuals, alignment, it all feels cool. This would be artists like Clooney, Skrillex, Boy's Noise, and Isoexo and Noctu.
So for the new Mau P brand, his superpower would be number five, the cool factor. Because part of the brand ethos is about taste and what he thinks is cool. If he was to compete for attention, this is where he could win. And it doesn't discount his creativity or his musical chops. It just gives the brand a focus on where the main superpower will be.
So now having an established story, uniqueness, and superpower, let's look at the sound. Without the right sound attached to the brand, you could find yourself in a zone where the soundtrack doesn't match the movie. And if you've ever watched a movie where the story was good, but the soundtrack just killed it, you know what I'm talking about. And if you're thinking about it now and you can't think of a movie where the story was good but the soundtrack was bad, it's probably because all the elements didn't line up, so it made it forgettable. Movies like Dune, The Dark Knight, or Jurassic Park are extremely memorable because every aspect of the movie is working. The story is good, the performances are incredible, the cinematography is spot-on, and the soundtrack brings all those elements to another level. So defining what the sonic sandbox will be for the brand is key and that's what we're going to talk about next.
Step six, define the sound. So just like the other sections, I have another video that goes more into detail if you're trying to find your signature sound. But the most important thing is to ask, will this sonic landscape match the story that I'm trying to tell with the brand? For Mau P, he pivoted back to his roots with the new brand, back to the underground from his childhood that he loved. A song like Drugs in Amsterdam is a perfect soundtrack for the new movie. The title alone screams rebel or freedom bass brand. The song itself has a nostalgic feel while having a new fresh take on a classic underground sound. The song works in an underground after hours club or on a festival stage. But it's unapologetic in its attitude. And in the early days of the Maui project, he could be found playing this song in his set smoking a cigarette with sunglasses on. An attitude or position that you likely wouldn't catch Martin Garrix or Hardwell doing. Also not something that Maurice West big room artists would be caught doing either. So the new character, new story and new soundtrack all lined up. Now earlier I mentioned memorable movies and how all of them had incredible cinematography. And for the rebranding purposes of a music artist, our cinematography is called the visual identity or the visual language. And without getting this part right, the whole thing can fall apart. So, how can you make sure that your brand has a cohesive and recognizable visual language to help tell the story?
Step seven, mood boarding the visual identity. So, I did a similar breakdown for Dom's brand if you want to watch that. And in that video, I break down how we mood board for our artists at Colt. And there's also a free art direction playbook there if you want that. But let's look at Malp's brand and what I think his mood boards might have looked like.
Okay, so this is a retrospective look, but this is how mood boards for the Maui rebrand could have looked. And for this mood board guide, it's using our art direction playbook, which is something that we have for free. If you need it, just comment cult playbook on this video and we'll send it to you. No emails, no signups, no newsletters. It's just something we want you to have to be more organized with your mood boards and art direction. So the way this is laid out is there's a title page which just features a logo. Then we have a table of contents page. Next, we have a brand personality archetype page. I usually put this as one of the first pages because it influences so much of the overall art direction. And so, just getting a sense of what the brand personality is for the contractor or person that's looking at a deck like this for them to understand straight away at a high level. As we talked about before, he's an 80% rebel and 20% ruler archetype. And the write up goes like this. Malp is a rebel at his core. He doesn't follow the traditional EDM playbook or chase trends to fit into the mainstream. His sound, his visuals, his attitude all come from the world that he grew up in. Underground, club-driven, real, and raw. He makes what he wants and trusts his own tastes over the market's demands. The brand energy is effortless confidence. He's not loud and doesn't need to shout to prove anything. The cool is in the restraint and in the real candid moments. So much of dance music has polish and is ultra curated. Malp rebels against this and the rules of the traditional EDM system. There's also a spice in the brand that is the ruler archetype. He doesn't rebel just to be chaotic. He has discipline and intentionality behind everything he does. The brand is clean, purposeful, and strong. There's a sense of command in how he presents himself, how he frames his releases, how he controls his narrative, and how he interacts with his fans. The look and vibe are elevated without ever losing that underground feel. He's not trying to be approved by the mainstream. He's shaping his own lane and pulling culture towards him. Rebel in spirit with cool ruler vibes. An attitude that can't be manufactured. If you know, you know. Liking Malp says something about you. It signals that you're tapped in, not trying too hard, and that you understand where the culture actually is.
So then the next page is the visual brand pillars. I like to do this because it's basically putting the ingredients that you're about to cook with out on the table and then it forces you to use those ingredients only when you start cooking. It's like giving yourself positive constraints to help the creative process. So for the new Malp brand, the visual brand pillars were: Malp himself, 2000's nostalgia, unpolished, real, raw, and candid images and video. Those images should feel in the moment as if they were stolen. And then the last brand pillar is luxury street fashion and a cool lifestyle. Then usually after the visual brand pillars, I'll have a page that's just the overall brand mood board that just gives you a sense of what the brand is at a high level. It says the brand lives in the quiet confidence of someone who doesn't need to prove anything. It's freedom expressed through art. The kind of freedom that stands out not because it's loud, but because it's undeniably sure of itself. The visual identity is rooted in candid unposed photography. On camera flash, mirror selfies, backstage corridors, hotel parking lots at midnight, and the ride home. Real moments captured. The cool is in the understatement. The design language is clean, minimal, and extremely deliberate. Bold type, clear spacing, a structure that never shouts, but holds its ground. We also have the ruler influence. The sense of identity is already formed, already defined, already understood. Layered over the foundation are handwritten details and subtle markings, notes, quick sketches, and quiet visual interruptions on top. Not messy or chaotic just because, but intentional and human. They are the touch of an artist in his own world. The trace of thought behind the calm exterior. The brand is cool because it isn't trying. Rebel because it refuses polish. Ruler because it knows exactly who it is. It feels like private moments someone happened to catch. Unbothered, grounded, and iconic.
So, usually what myself and the cult team will do is that we'll choose images that are the main ingredients that we're going to cook with and highlight those on this overall brand mood board page. So, for this we have candid on camera flash stuff with 2000's nostalgia. Then we have candid mirror selfies and then the handwritten text element. So, instead of being written, these are the visual representations of the ingredients that we're going to cook with. So the next page is photography style and this is just calling out the on camera flash candid style of photography that we're looking for. It says the photography style should focus on centering the subject in frame often utilizing a wide angle lens to pull in the full scope of the environment backstage during shows, city streets, travel and textured architecture. Frame the subject naturally, giving the image a sense of scale and place. The environment does a lot of the storytelling here. This composition creates a balance between the individual and the world around them, reinforcing themes of presence, movement, and identity with a larger context. Shot should feel candid, like a moment caught mid-motion, not overly posed or polished. The goal is to capture energy and emotion in a way that feels authentic, almost voyeuristic. So when you think about a rebel brand, something like this is great because it's rebelling against the world of ultra curation and polish that a lot of the dance music world was when he did this rebrand. And this is why it's so important to know your story and know who you are because it influences the packaging and the visual art that the audience is going to experience. If it's rebellious, it should feel rebellious.
So then the next page is another photography style and this one centers on the selfie photo art direction. I'm not going to spend as much time on this one because y'all know what selfies are. The reason that this is part of the art direction is it's another way to show real, raw, and in the moment. So then the next page looks for art direction around posing. This can be really helpful for artists and management teams because even though you have an aesthetic when you're actually out shooting stuff, having something like this where you can quickly pull it up and then you have those references of different poses. We've done guides like this where we've had 40 or 50 different poses. It's really just there to act as an idea pool that you can pull from when you're in the moment shooting. It says the photography style should feel like a glimpse into the real life. The main thing here is just finding reference images that have the feel but also have good poses that you like. So then the next page is actually looking at examples of how they executed this. So I know that this is a mood board that could have been and it's also retrospective, but I think it's valuable to see how a mood board like this could be executed in a real world application. And if you look at these images, it's capturing everything that the mood board's laid out. You have on camera flash vibes and you're seeing the environment in a lot of these somebody that's traveling and having these different experiences. And overall, you can feel the realness and the rawness of the brand. It feels cool. It is curated, but it feels like you're right there with him. And just from these six images, even if you didn't know who he was or what the brand was, you get a sense of the storytelling that they're trying to produce. and you do have an overall sense of what the brand as a whole is trying to do. And whether or not you like it or don't like it, it's clear what it is. And just doing a quick Google search of Maurice West, which was his brand before the Malp project, you can see that they're almost polar opposites and how they were executed. Maurice West was very curated, very polished, and Maui is super raw and super real. So that's looking at photography.
Then the next page is a mood board page just on 2000's nostalgia. the 2000s are super trendy right now, especially in the fashion and luxury world, so it's a good place to pull from for his brand. So then the next page looks at some IRL video styles. And this is specific to short form. Again, it's great to moodboard this stuff. So not only do you have clarity, but if you're hiring people to help you with the brand, they also understand what it is that you're after. And looking at some of these, you can see that they are selfie oriented or capturing a DJ set or a travel moment, but all of them have that feeling of being in the moment. They're real and raw. So then the next page is another video style inspiration page. And this is more looking at the style and particularly what you might do with some long form assets. This could be live sets or music videos, visualizers. Where would you be pulling inspiration from? He's the main figure in the brand. So, it's showing him, but it's showing him in super stylized ways. So, one of the examples that we have is a trailer for an Aziz Ansari standup special. What makes this unique is it was shot by Spike Jones. And Spike Jones is historically known for being very real and raw with the stuff that he shoots. He does a lot of handheld camera moves, and the audience feels like they're right there with the subject. Again, this is a great stylistic choice to show realness and rawness. And the other example that we have is from a 2000's rave. This is that aesthetic that is the mini DV camcorder 2000's grainy video vibes. This has all the 2000's underground rave feels. So then as an example of execution, if you watch his 2025 Coachella set, it's using all of these elements in one video. It's got the Spike Jones handheld real and raw camera movement. It has some of the 2000's cam moments. There's multiple times that we see this throughout the set. His styling feels like it fits in this universe. And we're going to do a whole video coming up just about styling. So stay tuned for that one. But overall, it's not just a capture of a regular DJ set. There's a vibe, there's a style, there's an aesthetic, and there's a world that the audience is becoming a part of. So then the next page is just looking at textures. And what this is calling out is adding a noise texture. What this does is it gives it more of a vintage feel. And because we have the 2000's nostalgia as part of our visual language, this just helps bring that aesthetic into the images and video that it's overlaid on top of. So then the next page is looking at font use and text. And a lot of the marketing just uses very minimal sans serif style fonts. But then if you look at the next page, there's a handwritten element that makes it feel more human and more real. And on the next page, I have an example of how all these elements are working together in a single application. And this looks like a really simple show flyer, but there's so much happening in this flyer. It's using every element that we've laid out in this mood board. One, it's Mau P and it's his likeness. Two, it's the attitude of the brand, Rebel Ruler. Three, there's an intention around the styling, the glasses, and the track jacket. Four, it's on camera flash photography, so it feels real and it feels raw. Five, the pose itself and how they crop the image feels very rebel. And then six, the way they're using the typography and the handwritten element together. Now, all of the elements combine to form the visual language that is the brand. So again, as you can see, it's important to create your own soup with this. Not only is it part of being unique, but similar to the story, you should have your own visual language that you can own. This is how you'll be burned in the memory for the consumers that encounter the brand. And I get it, not all artists are great at this part. Many will hire someone like me or Colt to make sure it's correct. But if you know that this may not be your strong suit, be sure to find someone who's great at it to help you build because this part of it is crucial. The packaging is super important. But once you have your mood boards and you feel good about those, how do you bring it all to life?
Step eight, execution for assets to launch. So you have your mood boards, shot list, and the styling's all set. All that's left is executing with the right team. Photographers, videographers, graphic designers, motion artists, the small army of creatives that help you bring your movie to life. And I can't say this enough, in my 20 years working on all sides of the different creative fields, the number one mistake I see artists and their teams make is hiring the wrong people to execute the brand's vision. It can either be because they don't have a good budget to hire the right people, or they haven't done their research and they're moving too fast, and they've hired somebody without really vetting them. You can do so much work to get all the elements of your movie script right, but when it comes time to execute, if you hire the wrong CGI team to do the special effects, the whole thing can come crumbling down. It won't connect with the audience the way that you want it to. So, do your research and hire good people to help you bring your vision to life. And as a quick note here, once you have all the initial assets, be sure to put them into a brand guide, sometimes called a brand bible, so that anyone, promoters, contractors, record labels that's going to be involved with the brand can easily flip through this guide and get a sense of the story, position, and the visual identity rules. And now that we have all this set, there's one last step before you're ready to launch. And if we don't get this right, the whole build is all for nothing. If you have a great story, a unique point of view, a cohesive visual language, and a signature sonic identity all your own, what's left?
Step nine, develop the content strategy and marketing plan for the brand. Now, it's time to bring awareness to all that you've met crafted. At Colt, the way that we structure our content strategies is that we build a content blueprint that matches the story. And the way that we do that is we look at the following. First, we look at what we call content buckets. What kind of buckets could feature recurring content that would tell the story? What content buckets and content platforms can we use to create scenes in the movie that the audience is going to experience? And then once we define these buckets, the next thing we look at is planning. We look at a 12-month high-level calendar with significant tent poles and milestones. We align and strategize on key events where the brand will make concerted effort to grab ears and eyeballs. We ask the question that within the brand story, how can we create moments for the brand? Choreographed and strategic moments where the brand pops up, the audience sees the brand and it better helps tell the story. So then next we'll do a more detailed calendar, but this one's for 6 months. And then we'll get fully in the weeds and we'll see what 30 days might look like. We map out day by day what a strategy across all platforms would look like. We have another video on the neighbor art supply channel that goes more into detail on this. If you want to watch that one, you can see it here.
And now we weren't in the room with Mel P when he and his team were deciding what the content strategy was going to be. They knew once they rebranded and shifted that they were going to need to keep content tight. By looking at his Instagram feed in the early postings of the project, you can tell that it's highly curated. And to me, it looks like they were focused on a few key elements and content buckets. So for the Maui brand, him and his likeness are the brand. It's not like something like Eric Prydz, which is more about the visuals. And in knowing that, the number one thing they did was a good amount of photo shoots showing Mao, his attitude, his style, and the kind of worlds he found himself in. Some of the shoots were more curated studio shoots, and some were candid on the street on camera flash vibes pulling the audience into Mao's universe.
Number two, selfie images. Because so much of the new brand would be about the look, bathroom selfies, car selfies, plane selfies, we're all fair game. These kind of images make the artist feel like a real person. Also, dueling middle fingers up is perfectly on brand for Rebel Archetype.
Number three, show footage. But with these videos, they weren't general recaps. They were significant show moments. Again, showcasing attitude and energy.
Number four, music videos, elaborate show announces, and unique Spotify canvas videos. If you want to build a multi-million dollar business, putting a lot of work and effort into these elements can absolutely change how the audience views the brand. If it feels expensive, even if it isn't expensive, the audience will perceive the brand and music in a different way.
Number five, they led with one defining track. So instead of focusing on a barrage of music bootlegs, edits, mixtapes, etc., they focused on key records and put a lot of their content marketing efforts around those specific records. When it came to the music, they took a less is more approach.
Number six, they created content that lets the internet do the work. Edits, memes, track IDs, hype threads, shared clips. The internet takes that content, makes their own stuff. And this came later, but during Coachella, Malp had his viral moment of Malp is dancing. He had been trolled by the internet saying that he didn't dance during his sets and he was being too cool with no energy. So, he responded and hid himself with the dance cam. Not in a let me show you that I can dance way, but in a rebel I don't give an F attitude and I'm trolling you back kind of way. So, this moment and stunt didn't happen as an improv off-the-cuff freestyle moment. It was 100% planned.
So, many artists will miss this step. They have a great brand and music, but no plan for marketing. And that's where half the effort should be, telling people about the amazing thing that you've made. Okay, so you have all the main pieces of the puzzle in place, but now there's one final piece for your new brand. And without this, the whole puzzle can fall completely apart.
Step 10, launch and commit. So the first part of this is obvious, launch. But the second part of this may be the hardest of all for someone who's just rebranded. And that part is committing. So for this exercise, something we have artists do is write out all the things that might happen to cause them to quit, stop, or pause the new identity. Half of the way to solving a problem is writing down exactly what the problem is. So getting clear on potential issues solves half of the issues just by calling them out. Your brain will naturally look for solutions even before things arise. It's like planning for a storm to come and thinking about what kind of storm that might be. When it comes, do you have everything you need to weather the storm? And in terms of time, my recommendation is to commit to the new brand for at least 24 months. Give it a real chance to work. Creating great music isn't an overnight thing, and neither is storytelling and branding. It takes time for the story to grab hold. Sometimes a hit song or viral moment can absolutely speed the process along, but that often doesn't happen in the first few weeks or the first few months. So, lock in, have faith, and believe in the brand that you've worked so hard for. One of our clients, Max Styler, who we've worked with for almost a decade, has been grinding on his brand for 15 years. We started working with him back in 2014 when he was 18 years old. He's now seeing the full fruits of his labor, but it wasn't an overnight thing. He always had the talent, but it took time, effort, hard work, and a lot of soul-searching to create where he is now. So, of course, you'll make adjustments along the way, but stick with it. It's worth it.
So, I hope all this made sense and it gives you clarity on whether you should or shouldn't rebrand. And even if you're not going to rebrand, hopefully it led to some insights of how strong brands are built and how you can steal processes and steps to apply to your own brand. I've been an artist of some kind my entire life and I know how clarity can add a whole new level of motivation and inspiration against the things that you're trying to build. I love artists. They're my people. So, if this helps in any way, I'm stoked. But good luck in all your pursuits and I'll see you on the next one. Peace.