The Beatles – John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr – are the most successful, enduring and critically acclaimed band the world of popular music has ever seen. Till date, they have sold over one billion records; amazingly, their records still sell very well, forty four years after they disbanded. ‘According to the RIAA, the Beatles are the best-selling music artists in the United States, with 177 million certified units. They have had more number-one albums on the British charts and sold more singles in the UK than any other act. In 2008, the group topped Billboard magazine’s list of the all-time most successful “Hot 100” artists; as of 2014, they hold the record for most number-one hits on the Hot 100 chart with twenty. They have received ten Grammy Awards, an Academy Award for Best Original Score and fifteen Ivor Novello Awards. Collectively included in Time magazine’s compilation of the twentieth century’s 100 most influential people, they are the best-selling band in history.’ – Wikipedia.

So what are the marketing lessons that we can learn from the Beatles?

1. EXCELLENT PRODUCT: Beatlemania hit the world in 1964, almost immediately after they cut their first album, ‘Please Please Me’. Lennon and McCartney were superb singers and songwriters with a prodigious output. Pretty soon, even Harrison started contributing to the band with his songs. Between 1962 and 1970, the Beatles came out with 12 studio albums, 13 EPs and 22 singles. What is quite amazing is that it is rare to find indifferent songs in their entire repertoire.

In his book, ‘The Outliers’, Malcolm Gladwell argued that the Beatles became great because of years of perspiration and practice in their earlier years when they performed hours on end in cafes in Liverpool and, later, Hamburg. That’s how they honed their skills for the revolution that they unleashed.

As marketers, we must see that our product is outstanding in every way. This requires hard work and an uncompromising attitude, something that Apple exemplifies.

2. COLLABORATION AND TEAM WORK: The Lennon-McCartney collaboration is one of the most successful ones in music. In their early days, they wrote many of their songs together; an idea by one of them was built on by the other. Of course, later on, this collaborative spirit weakened but their earlier success was based on their closeness. Lennon and McCartney brought different strengths to the table; the amalgamation of their talents made one plus one much more than two.

While Harrison and Starr were not as talented – in song writing and singing – as the other two, Lennon and McCartney always ensured that both got at least a song to sing in the early albums. Overtime, Harrison became a brilliant songwriter in his own right, contributing hits like Taxman, While My Guitar Gently Weeps, Something and Here Comes the Sun, and even Starr contributed some great songs (Octopus’ Garden, for example).

Even the team around the Beatles was superb. In Brian Epstein, they had a remarkable manager who handled their affairs efficiently and kept the four together. His untimely death weakened the cohesiveness of the Beatles. Their producer, George Martin, was an amazing man, encouraging them to try out new things.

Set up a good team and ensure that each person plays a relevant part.

3. INNOVATION AND STAYING RELEVANT: The change in their sound from 1963 to 1970 is astounding. Over the eight year period of their formal existence, their evolution as song writers and composers was quite remarkable. They revolutionized the science of recording, using multiple tracks instead of playing live. Producer George Martin used varying tape speeds to make Lennon’s voice sound high (“Tomorrow Never Knows”) and slow (“Strawberry Fields Forever”); he also brought in string musicians to accompany certain songs (“Yesterday”). In another session, McCartney utilized bass drums halfway down a corridor to achieve a staccato sound in “Mother Nature’s Son.” They used a complete philharmonic orchestra for one of their songs (A Day in The Life) and a sitar (Norwegian Wood) in another. Think of any major innovation in the 1960s, chances are that the Beatles were responsible for it.

Reinventing your brand and staying relevant is another important lesson for marketers to learn.

4. GREAT COMMUNICATION: Apart from their music, the Beatles were personally extremely likeable and great communicators. This ensured that they were always in top stories of all media. Of course, they created their own share of controversies (Lennon: The Beatles are more popular than Jesus comment); while this comment got them a lot of flak, it also kept them top of mind.

Of course, there are other valuable lessons that one could learn by studying the Beatles; however, even the four lessons above are crucial and one would do well to follow them religiously.

 
Visual courtesy : https://www.flickr.com/photos/beatlesmaniac11/