The Voice Digitisation
The popularity and influence wielded by singing contest reality entertainment extends far beyond the confines of a television screen. Singing contest reality television franchises have captured huge popularity and an imparted enduring cultural impact since their rise into a prominent feature of the contemporary entertainment landscape. These programs can be recognised as a manifestation of the modern entertainment industry zeitgeist, capturing a populist fascination with competition, individualism, and an aspirational pursuit of stardom from relative obscurity[1]. The early 2000s saw a contemporary emergence of and surge in the popularity of singing contest entertainment. Spearheaded by 2001's Pop Idol,a British series, and subsequent international phenomenon American Idol, the format quickly became a staple of American prime-time television, giving rise to an array of popular programs such as The X Factor, America's Got Talent and, importantly, The Voice[2], which will be subsequently used as a case study for the impacts of digitisation of the music industry on musician brand equity. The multifaceted dynamics that underpin the contemporary developments in the music industry have significantly impacted the importance of artist branding. As a result of this, the effect on brand equity for celebrity mentors participating in the format is far superior to that for the contestants who are technically competing.
I: DIGITISATION IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY
The advent of digitisation and streaming services has redefined the way in which musical artists establish their personal brand. The advancement of hardware and software from cassettes and CDs to digital files that are instantly accessible and downloadable has resulted in an exponentially diminished marginal cost of output due to the fundamental changes in the reproduction process of digital files. Manufacturing processes are no longer needed as digital copies can be made instantaneously with an infinite number of iterations[3]. With the convenience and accessibility offered by digital files, there has been a seismic shift from physical album sales to online streaming. This fundamentally alters consumer behaviour and thus revenue streams. The lower barriers to entry due to digital audition programs and the reduced the logistical and financial barriers that were once associated with physical distribution due to digitisation has resulted an observable phenomenon of an abundance of recorded music, artists, and thus, significantly increased competition[4].
These contemporary industry shifts are thus uniquely relevant to the artist branding strategy and equity of artists who participate in The Voice. In the contemporary digital landscape, while artists face increased competition, they also have direct access to consumers and thus must market directly to them in order to drive awareness about their "product"[5]. Therefore, artists - and those who perform their marketing and publicity services - must adapt their individual marketing and branding strategies to leverage the potential of digitisation. Creating a strong brand is thus imperative to establish the artist as offering a "quintessential value" that the customer believes cannot be substituted[6]. This connection transcends the mere consumption of music, enabling fans to form a personal attachment to the artist themselves, driving customer loyalty to the artist's personal brand and converting consumers to loyal customers and ultimately brand advocates who actively celebrate and promote an artist[7]. This cultivates brand equity, a dedicated fan base, and distinctive personality to differentiate artists in the increasingly competitive digitised music industry.
II: CONTESTANTS
Due to the format of The Voice being created to provide entertainment value, there is an increased importance on narrative arcs, such as emotional introductions of a contestant's background and fights between contestants, as opposed to solely showcasing vocal talent. John Corner described this contemporary reality aesthetic as 'postdocumentary' - a powerful staging ground for social identification and drama that focuses on the behind-the-scenes behaviour of individual contestants and judges themselves as much as the vocals they exhibit[8]. Billboard executive editor Melinda Newman argues that The Voice was never much about trying to find the next pop star who would release a No. 1 hit after a year, but rather about the inherent drama of the contestants’ journeys themselves[9].
Editing in the show can explicitly typecast contestants, placing more emphasis on their persona rather than their vocal abilities. While this may establish a strong and identifiable persona, a key aspect of an artist's brand, it can make it difficult for artistic development outside of this narrowly defined role which was manufactured for optimal entertainment value. Furthermore, the entertainment format's reliance on narrative arcs may damage future potential growth for career prospects. For contestants on the show, it is edited so that their narrative arcs conclude satisfactorily as they either are eliminated or ultimately win[10]. In this sense, even winning the show essentially posits the "end" of an arc which may negatively impact interest and engagement with the contestant post-show, reducing brand equity.
Moreover, the unique value proposition promised to brand equity can be overshadowed by the temporary and cyclical nature of the show. For example, The Voice USA has been consistently releasing 2 seasons a year[11]. Past winner Alisan Porter openly stated the fact that the lasting promotional impact is not as tangible, describing how “Once you win, they’re on to the next season within two months and you’re a has-been"[12]. While the format of The Voice may not always guarantee superstardom for its contestants, it can provide a valuable platform for artists to gain sufficient publicity to establish a brand and thus cultivate a fan base within their specific musical niche, allowing them to have sufficient brand equity for a sustainable career in the industry, despite not achieving widespread mainstream recognition.
III: MENTORS
The postdocumentary format of The Voice, in conjunction with the heavy emphasis on the celebrity mentor's role in the narrative arcs of the show, has significant and positive implications for the artist's brand equity. This is a "ready-made brand extension"[13]. For example, Adam Levine was only known as the front man of Maroon 5 prior to his involvement, E-Poll Market Research, a polling firm, evidences that Levine's likability increased by more than 20 percent, and his brand awareness had nearly tripled after 2 years on the show[14]. Coach Blake Shelton was also relatively unfamiliar outside of country music prior to his involvement, however the popular appeal generated by his participation in the format significantly contributed to a surge in his career trajectory. His seventh album "Based on a True Story..." was released during the fourth season of the show and reached No.3 on the Billboard 200 chart, with first week album sales of 199,000 copies[15]. This commercial boost is due to the fact that in the format, the celebrity mentors not only express their unique personality through their humorous and entertaining interactions with other mentors, but their persona is able to be humanised through displays of authenticity, relatability, and a genuine care for the contestants when mentoring. Due to increased competitiveness of the industry due to digitisation, ensuring that artists are able to increase brand equity through a personal connection with a wider audience, rather than just consumers who enjoy the music they release, is essential for curating a fan base which will leverage commercial success. Furthermore, despite the cyclical nature of the show and frequency of new seasons, which acts as a detriment to the contestants, the celebrity coaches are able to have far longer contracts - negotiated by agents - meaning that their presence is a mainstay on popular television, and they are able to effectively increase brand equity due to this increased exposure[16].
Ultimately, the nuanced dynamics of The Voice underscore the pivotal role of brand equity, which has become increasingly important in the rapidly digitised and thus extremely competitive music industry. Participation in The Voice results in a discernible contrast in the branding outcomes for celebrity mentors and contestants. While the show serves as a platform for both aspiring musicians and established artists, it becomes evident that celebrity mentors often derive more substantial benefits from their participation, effectively utilising the show to expand their existing brand identities. This ultimately demonstrates the complex interplay that digitisation has had on the constraints of artist branding, and how the ramifications of this effect can be felt acutely in the brand equity of artists who participate on the voice.
REFERENCES:
[1]Stephen Graham, “The X Factor and Reality Television: Beyond Good and Evil,” Popular Music 36, no. 1 (2016): 6–7, https://doi.org/10.1017/s0261143016000635.
[2] Kristen Petronio, “Alarming Truths about Singing Competition Shows,” Savage Content, April 5, 2022, https://www.savagecontent.com/post/alarming-truths-about-singing-competition-shows.
[3]Patrik Wikström, “The Music Industry in an Age of Digital Distribution,” OpenMind, accessed October 30, 2023, https://www.bbvaopenmind.com/en/articles/the-music-industry-in-an-age-of-digital-distribution/.
[4] Seo, Digitalization Radically Changes the Music Industry.
[5]Douglas Holt, “Branding in the Age of Social Media,” Harvard Business Review, June 9, 2016, https://hbr.org/2016/03/branding-in-the-age-of-social-media.
[6] Debbie Millman, Brand Thinking and Other Noble Pursuits (Allworth Press, 2011).
[7]Philip Kotler et al., Principles of Marketing, 14th ed. (Harlow, Essex: Pearson, 2013).
[8] Graham, The X Factor, 7 - 8.
[9]Chuck Arnold, “Won and Done: Why ‘the Voice’ Hasn’t Produced a Big Star in Its 10 Years,” New York Post, April 5, 2021, https://nypost.com/2021/04/05/why-the-voice-hasnt-produced-a-big-star-in-its-10-years/#.
[10]Beverley Skeggs and Helen Wood, Reacting to Reality Television: Performance, Audience and Value (New York, NY: Routledge, 2012).
[11] “About,” The Voice, accessed October 30, 2023, https://www.nbc.com/the-voice/about.
[12] Arnold, "Won and Done".
[13]Paul Brownfield, “How ‘the Voice’ Boosts Its Coaches’ Careers without Launching a Single Singing Star,” The Hollywood Reporter, April 29, 2023, https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/how-voice-boosts-coaches-careers-732602/.
[14]Lacey Rose, “Inside Adam Levine’s $35 Million-plus a Year Empire,” The Hollywood Reporter, April 29, 2023, https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/music-news/adam-levine-the-voice-maroon-5-2-426002/.
[15]Paul Brownfield, “How ‘the Voice’ Boosts Its Coaches’ Careers without Launching a Single Singing Star,” The Hollywood Reporter, April 29, 2023, https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/how-voice-boosts-coaches-careers-732602/.
[16]McKenzie Jean-Philippe and Megan Carpentier, “Every Coach since Season 1 of the Voice: Can You Remember Them All... in Order?,” NBC Insider Official Site, September 6, 2023, https://www.nbc.com/nbc-insider/the-voice-coaches-through-the-years#:~:text=Blake%20Shelton,-Seasons%201%2D23&text=Not%20only%20is%20the%20country,also%20has%20the%20most%20wins.