by Bob
Baker
In an issue of the trade magazine Billboard, columnist Chris
Moore once expressed his bewilderment over the avalanche of new releases
from independent labels during the months of October, November and
December. Obviously, these record companies want to take advantage of the
holiday buying frenzy. The only problem, argued Moore, is that the major
labels choose these same months to release most of their heavy-hitting new
albums.
And who do you think is going to get most of the attention at retail
stores and on the radio during the fourth quarter every year? You can bet
it won't be the indie labels.
Moore's suggestion: Independent labels should save their biggest moves
for times when the majors are putting forth their smallest efforts. He
cited January, a month when major labels are catching their breath after
the big holiday push, as being the perfect month for smaller companies to
act.
And he added this gem: "In guerrilla warfare, the insurgents always
stand the best chance of making a successful strike when the other side is
asleep."
I knew right away that I had read these sentiments expressed before. So
I picked up my copy of Marketing Warfare (McGraw-Hill), one of many
fine books by Al Ries and Jack Trout.
Within its pages I found more ammunition for this viewpoint: "Launch
your attack on as narrow a front as possible," the authors write. "This is
an area where marketing people have a lot to learn from the military.
Where superiority is not attainable, you must produce a relative one at a
decisive point by making skillful use of what you have. The marketing army
that tries to gain as much territory as fast as possible by attacking all
at once with a broad line of products will surely lose in the long run."
The philosophy here is simple: When you are not the leader in your
field, you can't possibly win by playing on the same turf and using the
same tactics as the leader. Instead, you use the leader's strength to your
advantage by focusing your efforts on areas too insignificant for them to
bother with.
Plus, you won't succeed by trying to be all things to all people. That
broad-appeal, shotgun approach doesn't work for indie bands and labels 99
percent of the time. Your music won't connect with any one group of
consumers strongly enough to matter. That's why pinpointing areas where
the big players are weak is the best strategy.
Now that you're beginning to absorb this
their-weakness-is-your-strength attitude, I encourage you to start coming
up with ways you can use your small size to your advantage.
Where else could you be playing live? Through what alternate routes
might you get media exposure? What types of new retail outlets could you
approach to sell your CDs? How might you package your next release to make
it different?
Stop complaining about your lack of resources, and start reframing your
current situation into a position of strength!