Saying this is a Bad Bunny Summer would be an understatement. The Puerto Rican pop mega star is undeniably having his best year yet. Regardless of your take on his music and controversial lyrics, the fact remains that he is a cultural phenomenon to be reckoned with. His success didn’t happen overnight though. Benito and his team have been working for years to achieve a global reach not seen in decades. Here are six things that Bad Bunny and his team consistently do right:
Leverage social media platforms- Social media reach is widely known, but most fail to make the most out of it as they simply “post and forget”. Social media gives you a direct feedback line to your audience. It is the perfect testing ground for your product or message. It lets you know when you are being engaging or not so you can adjust your strategy accordingly. When Bad Bunny started his career, he uploaded his music to Soundcloud. He didn’t wait for a record label to sign him. He started building a fan base and a platform for his music. This basically gave him a direct line with his audience to hone his craft. Also, having an established audience also makes it easier to call your shots when it’s time to grow.
Hire the right people- Bad Bunny has hired the best business manager and staff in the industry. Among them, Cardenas Marketing Network, one (if not) the most influential Hispanic marketing and events agency in the US. CMN transformed Bad Bunny into a brand with global reach. They fostered collaborations and synergies with other established brands that span way beyond music. They helped Bad Bunny develop experiences rather than just performances and it clearly paid off.
Always follow through- What Bad Bunny promises, he delivers. He has an amazing public relations team with their ears to the ground 24/7. Whenever there is an issue with ticketing to his events, long lines or littering, they respond promptly and address the issue full stop. Even after three sold out concerts, he will broadcast it for free and thus keeping his promise that everyone would be able to enjoy it.
Don’t be afraid of “free”- Broadcasting his concert for free is a brilliant win-win strategy. The concert is already sold out. People will upload or livestream their concert videos regardless. But by broadcasting it, not only he creates amazing goodwill with his fan base that’s unable to attend, but creates a path for people who might be unfamiliar with his work to become fans (and consumers). This will arguably become an unparalleled event not seen since Tito-De La Hoya fight in Puerto Rican history.
Discipline- Benito's work ethic is well known. He works really hard but most importantly, he listens to his world-class team. He knows that they are the best in what they do and sticks to the plan that has been carefully coordinated. Benito is fully aware that Bad Bunny above all is a brand that needs to be strategically marketed, managed and capitalized on.
Leverage Video- Bad bunny understands video is a powerful tool. He goes beyond producing genre bending music videos. He often live stream sessions that range in complexity from simply drinking beer in a room to a mobile concert around NYC. For his "Un verano sin ti álbum," he created a YouTube channel where you can listen to some of the music tracks while a static 360 camera shot of a Puerto Rican beach serves as backdrop. That “simple” 360 camera shot has generated over 100M views combined.
Strategy, talent, commitment, and awareness are unique drivers that can reap excellent results when you work with the right team. Like Bad Bunny, at MediaRoom we understand the importance of the right idea, tools, and execution to tell your brand story while maximizing your reach. Let’s create!