a lesson in how to launch a brand from beats by dre

5 Lessons from Beats

by Dre

How to

launch a

brand

In 2008 Dr. Dre, Jimmy Iovine (Chairman of Interscope records) and Monster Cable launched Beats by Dre headphones.

In 2010 1,300,000

sales

Highest selling premium headphones in USA

lessons

Visibility

Authenticity

&

All help build

5

One

Focus on

earned not

paid media

All activity looks to utilise owned media to drive earned rather than

defaulting to paid.

Beats understand that earned media is more powerful than paid to

establish authenticity.

Jimmy Iovine has used Interscope artists and their music videos as a

media channel, ensuring Beats products are seamlessly integrated

with popular culture.

We aren't buying a lot of ads

Jimmy Iovine“ ”

Superbowl 2011

Most watched US TV

programme in history.

The Black Eyed Peas performed on a stage in the shape of a Beats headphone.

TwoDistinctive

design

Marketing is ingrained in to the product.

The distinctive design sells the product when and wherever it's encountered.

It’s clear when someone is using Beats.

A lesson for competitors.

ThreeInvolvement

not

endorsement

From Dre onwards each celebrity working with Beats has been involved in the design and

performance of the headphones

Real involvement ensures a level of authenticity not possible

through simple endorsement.

I said, 'Dre, fuck sneakers.

Let's sell speakers,‘

Jimmy Iovine

“ ”

Four

A clear

purpose

Beats were created with the purpose of letting people hear

music as it’s supposed to be heard.

A solution to poor quality laptop speakers and cheap white iPod

headphones.

Beats is a brand with a reason beyond profit.

We're on this mission to repair the entire ecosystem of audio. People's home stereos are computers now, and the

sound costs 50 cents. It's transistor radio quality. This is the start of a revolution.

Jimmy Iovine

“ ”

Five Partnersh

ips

Nike and Apple did it with Nike Plus.

Now Beats has been integrated into top HP laptops.

Spreading the Beats brand further and adding to it’s authority as the

top name in superior sound.

How

to

launch

a

brand Earned not paid media

Distinctivedesign

Involvement not endorsement

A clear purpose Partnerships

All help create a community people want to join and be a visible member of.

The Dre headphones come with admiring glances at no extra charge.

They come with self-esteem built in. You can argue that this is a worthless

feature in a device designed to reproduce sound accurately, but you'd

be wrong.

Seth Godin

“ ”

Slide 1http://www.facebook.com/beatsbydre

Slide 2http://www.switched.com/2009/01/10/dr-dre-has-just-one-thing-to-say-about-his-new-earbuds/

Slide 3http://www.billboard.com/news/beats-by-dre-the-secrets-behind-a-headphone-1004128122.story

Slide 4http://www.facebook.com/beatsbydre

Slide 5http://www.takesontech.com/best-buy-launches-club-beats

Slide 7http://www.facebook.com/beatsbydre

Slide 8http://www.inflexwetrust.com/2011/02/08/photo-black-eyed-peas-superbowl-stage-was-shaped-to-look-like-dr-dres-beats-by-dre-headphones/

Slide 9http://www.girlgeekchic.com/posts/1811

Slide 11https://marketingnotesja.wordpress.com/2010/12/24/beats-by-dr-dre-smart-marketing/justin-bieber-and-monster-beats-by-dr-dre-headphones-gallery/

Slide 13http://hiphop-n-more.com/2010/11/dr-dre-talks-kush-leak-detox-release-date-more-radio-big-boy-interview/

Slide 14http://www.beatsbydre.com/

Slide 18http://star94fm.com/blogs/star_entertainment_photo/2010/09/dr-dre-hp-drop-the-first-hipho.html

Slide 21http://www.facebook.com/beatsbydre

Thanks to @JESSEDEE for presentation style inspiration.

Image Credits

Twitter

@peteb_