Dr. Dre is a former rapper, producer and a highly acclaimed member of the now disbanded rap band, NWA. While his lead singer skills are controversial, his business endeavors are not. Straight outta Compton, LA; Dr. Dre have established himself an empire through developing high-end, at least in the looks headphones. Just a few years ago, spending $300 on headphones was something only a handful of artists and music producers would even consider. Nowadays though, buoyed by savvy marketing, an influencer/sponsorship strategy matched only by the likes of Nike, and usage of digital tools in an authentic way, Beats heads up the industry.

Owning over 64% of the million dollar industry is no mean feat, but don’t think they dominate based on sound. Many audiophiles consider the Beats over ear headphone to be of inferior quality to many cheaper alternatives. So how has Beats continued to grow? Simple. Great marketing.Prior to 2012’s London Olympics, Beats held an exclusive pre games event in a hip Shoreditch venue. Invited were hundreds of the world’s best athlethes and musicians, with gift sets handed out on arrival. Of course, weeks later, these headphones would turn up on the biggest stage of the all. Swimmers waiting to be called for their heat, athletes warming up, football players entering the stadium, Beats got millions of dollars’ worth of media for the price of a few sets, and managed to ambush the games in a really savvy way.

Beats also puts huge emphasis into placing the headphones into authentic places like music videos, while part of the influencer strategy is identifying and supporting young music acts destined for stardom.Beats is a company that’s fast becoming ingrained into music culture, and when that happens, you’ve got a ‘super brand’ on your hands. Take a look at their Facebook page for an example of a brand that really knows how to engage its audience and create evangelists. My inclination is that Beats could go on to become an important media company in the next decade and just imagine what partnerships with the likes of Spotify or another tech brand could mean.

Questions:

1- Discuss what Beats do well to attract people to buy the product, even though it is considered inferior by music professionals.

2- How would you expand Beats’ marketing communication strategies?

3- Visit Beats’ social media accounts and prepare a report.

An Example of Beats’ Ad: