An Important Marketing Law to Know for Artists: The Law of Category

What can one of the most classic books in Business Marketing teach us about starting a successful artist career? Well, a LOT. 

As a typical tech loving bro, I listened to some Tim Ferris podcasts years ago. I noticed he always brings up one of his top books of all time: The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing. He often refers to the 2nd law in it called the Law of Category. 

The law of category is simple: Find a new category you can be first in. When you’re the first in a new category you have no competition. It’s easiest to create a category and own it, as opposed to trying to dominate an existing category.

After I understood this better, I started thinking about how this applies to our industry as DJ/Producers and realized many successful DJs have used the law of category to their advantage.

Think about why the Major Lazer project has some of the biggest hits. They created and dominated a completely new category within dance music: globally influenced caribbean/latin/african EDM. Also Rezz with her mid-tempo electro sound, you get the idea...

In my opinion, pivots in your sound to fit the law of category don't even have to be that risky and extreme sometimes either. David Guetta and Morten with 'Future Rave' sound, different enough to be branded as a new category, but familiar enough to still be fun mainstage edm for most.

Now let's look at the opposite, you have a new artist project launching in the 'house' genre. Straight into one of the most competitive and produced categories. What are you going to do differently to stand out in a competitive category? You may not even have to make your own category but knowing this law and the battle that exists ahead will allow you to plan your project more accordingly. Better results might just be as easy as niching down your sound a little more.

I truly believe applying timeless business principles like this one really helps artists move the needle in their careers. I've seen it a thousand times, producers focusing too much on mix engineering or compression techniques and NOT enough on sound business and marketing fundamentals. This stuff isn't always the sexiest to teach or learn but classic principles like the Law of Category have a proven track record of huge success for decades. See ya guys next week! -Henry