The legendary guitarist, composer, singer, songwriter, and producer Steve Vai joins Americus on Marketing Matters to discuss the musician’s start in the music business along with how he developed the Steve Vai brand.
Steve knew as early as age 4 that he was meant to play music. As a child he was inspired by the musical West Side Story. For Steve this was the complete package. There was drama, a story, and incredible melody and orchestration that prompted Steve to want to compose music. He was attracted to the guitar at age 5 or 6, but it wasn’t until the release of Led Zeppelin 2 when Steve was 10 or 11 that motivated him to pick it up and start playing. It’s all history from there.
Steve is credited with his own style of music, striving to differentiate himself from other great musicians as he never felt he was good enough to copy them. Much like how a brand strives to differentiate itself from its competitors in the marketplace.
Steve defines a brand as an “expression of the uniqueness of your own self”. He says his brand is quirky, has intensity, and passion. Steve also talks about success, that it is a “consequence of your ability to express your own passion”. He urges people not to chase success and try to make it fit into the context of their lives. It kinda just happens.
Steve talks about his approach to branding, noting that it all comes naturally. It’s his passion and the authenticity that resonates with his fans, his target market. Steve urges to not stray far from efforts that are not authentic to your brand. He notes that if you do find success with a far fetched effort, it will be short lived because it lacks the energy and power of your true brand.
When asked about inspiring young artists Steve says he continues to be true to himself which resonates with his fans. He does try to stay connected to his fans on social media, with over 2.5 million followers on Facebook and 450,000 on Instagram. Steve says social media has never been a big focus for him in the past, but has found it a fun and creative way to market his brand.
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