If you aren’t the exclusive provider for something meaningful, you’re sunk.
In April, I shared Bloomburg’s report that Apple Music’s strategy would be to secure new music exclusives from some of the industry’s hottest artists, and I wrote about how exclusives were set to power the next generation of online radio competition and, by association, all radio competition.
Apple [has] started creating their own original content. The company made Drake’s amazing “Energy” video in-house, as well as Pharrell’s “Freedom” and Eminem’s “Phenomenal”. Next up: M.I.A.’s “Matahdatah Scroll 01 Broader Than a Border”, coming to Apple Music on Monday, July 13. Apple Music is also rumored to have projects in the works from Purity Ring, Diddy, and James Bay.
As predicted, Apple Music is doubling down on exclusives.
“Matahdatah Scroll 01 Broader Than A Border” from @MIAuniverse Monday. Only on #AppleMusic. http://t.co/KVWjNrHcJF https://t.co/r3OSzEnNh7 — Apple Music (@AppleMusic) July 10, 2015
Exclusives are what create attention for services which might otherwise be imagined to be commodities.
Exclusives are what attract listeners to options that are new to them.
Exclusives make the listener feel special and give them something to spread to others.
Exclusives are what invite listeners back who have tried something and have moved on.
Exclusives are what listeners set appointments for.
Exclusives are what listeners will tune in a radio station for, even on a newfangled dashboard where listening to radio isn’t as brainless as it used to be.
So what’s exclusive to your radio brand? And does it matter to consumers?
In the long run, commodities always lose to those brands which are not.
Don’t be the loser.
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