What Digital Marketers Can Learn From The Notorious B.I.G.
March 9th is a date closely associated with Hip-Hop fans across the world. It’s the day that The Notorious B.I.G. passed away. Today marks the 20th anniversary of his death. As I make my long commute home, I decided to (digitally) pen this article.
Christopher Wallace was ahead of his time. He transcended culture. His place in Hip-Hop history is cemented. We’re still infatuated by ‘the livest one from Bedford-Stuyvesant’. His flow and adroitness still unmatched.
But, what could a rapper from New York teach me about Digital Marketing? As it turns out, an awful lot.
As I make my long commute home, I’ve decided to (digitally) pen this article to draw parallels between some of fundamentals of Digital Marketing and the Brooklyn emcee.
Storytelling
An exceptional marketer should be able to tell a story. The ability to simplify a complex product is a talent, one that B.I.G. had in abundance. One could argue that he’s one of the greatest storytellers that culture has ever produced. He’s up there with the likes of Nas and Slick Rick.
As a fan, the one thing that made Biggie special was his unique ability to narrate ‘intricate plots’. He could keep you in suspense, make you laugh and play several characters.
Just read the opening verse of Warning. It’s nothing short of genius.
Who the fuck is this? Paging me at 5:46
In the morning, crack of dawn and
Now I’m yawning, wipe the cold out my eye
See who’s this paging me and why?
It’s my n*gga, Pop, from the barbershop
Told me he was in the gambling spot and heard the intricate plot
Of n*ggas wanna stick me like flypaper, neighbour
Slow down love, please chill, drop the caper
The rapper is Tolkien-like in his description.
Whether it was about deals in different cities or rapping about going from rags to riches, Biggie told stories in vivid detail. For further reference I recommend listening to ‘Juicy’, ‘I Got A Story To Tell’, ‘Sky’s The Limit’, ‘N*ggas Bleed’ and ‘Suicidal Thoughts’.
Strategy
You’d be surprised at how many companies overlook this. A well-thought out strategy gives you focus. It also ensures everyone is on the same page and it will help you set realistic KPIs.
The Brooklyn rapper was no different. On ‘Everyday Struggle’ he ‘had the masterplan’ and took it a step further when he wrote the rule book on the DJ Premier-produced track, ‘Ten Crack Commandments’.
I’ve been in this game for years, it made me a animal
There’s rules to this shit, I wrote me a manual
A step-by-step booklet for you to get
Your game on track, not your wig pushed back
In marketing terms, the Life After Death album cut is the 2017 equivalent to an E-Book or list blog you’d find on BuzzFeed or Neil Patel’s blog.
Campaign Driven
Once you’ve got your strategy in order, you can begin to create campaigns. It’s a fantastic way to move the needle for your business. Each campaign should have a set of clearly-defined goals, a start and end date, as well as an effective means of tracking success and failure.
A good campaign starts with a bright idea. Speaking of which, not many people know, but the legendary rapper had a plan to release a trilogy of albums that centred around life and reincarnation.
1. Ready To Die.
2. Life After Death.
3. Born Again.
Know Your Audience
Pretty simple stuff, but still worth a mention. Your consumers should be at the heart of your strategy. Think about creating personas. In Biggie terms, think about ‘who they be with’. This will help you truly understand the motivations of potential prospects.
Tone Of Voice
If you’re already in the marketing field, you’ll know that tone of voice is becoming increasingly important to brands. This is where Biggie excelled. His voice was as distinctive as a DJ Premier scratch. With an utterance of a ‘uh’, you knew who was about the bless the track.
Branding
King of New York. Not bad branding eh? Throw in Cristal, Armani, Coogi sweaters and Versace shades, B.I.G. was a master at creating a brand for himself.
The best marketers are adept at creating an authentic brand. One that customers can connect with.
Partnerships
Alliances are common in the field of marketing. The aim is to pick the right brands to team up with to further a mutual goal. It’s not so dissimilar to doing features. But stray too far and you might alienate your audience.
The emcee picked the right features. He played to his strengths, whilst stepping out of his comfort zone. A good example is ‘Notorious Thugs’ with Bone Thugs & Harmony.
Just like Rap, Digital Marketing is competitive. Staying on top on current trends and analysing the competition, is something to take into account. Biggie was the ‘competition ripper ever since aged 13’.
If you want to be ‘Unbelievable’ at Digital Marketing, I suggest you take some lessons from The Notorious B.I.G.
‘If you don’t know, now you know’.