Why Branding Feels Fake To So Many Artists
I’ve been working as a brand strategist for over ten years and I FINALLY had the epiphany of how people actually identify their brand, and why for some people it is significantly harder to pinpoint and execute on than others.
I will try and say this as concisely and simply as possible, because oftentimes I find “branding” resources that overcomplicate and are hard to implement without expensive resources or infinite time. Simply put, a strong brand coincides completely with one’s IDENTITY as a human.
To break this down, let's first start with the definitions of both. Identity is “the set of qualities, beliefs, personality traits, appearance, or expressions that characterize a person or a group.” Branding, on the other hand, is defined as “the act of making a product, organization, person, or place easy to recognize as different from others by connecting it with a particular name, design, symbol, set of qualities.” Side by side, they are practically identical and they should be treated as one in the same when showing up to brand yourself in the music industry, especially as authenticity becomes more important than ever in the industry when finding a loyal fanbase.
The root of the issue for artists in 2026 is that they are expected to market a fully formed identity before they’ve even had enough life experience to understand themselves fully. Previous generations had YEARS to develop privately before being perceived publicly. Because social media is now pretty much a requirement to market oneself in the music industry, identity formation and public performance are happening simultaneously, which can make it incredibly hard to pinpoint a specific brand. Combine that with the millions of people online telling you how to market yourself and suddenly you are taking advice that dilutes a brand you aren’t even sure is right yet. Audiences can feel that disconnect immediately, which makes it harder to build credibility with the people who would actually love your music long term.
I often see complaints that branding themselves feels inauthentic - and it will if you are trying to brand yourself as anything but who you are at your core. Where the difficult part comes in, which can be an entire essay in itself, is that we are so disconnected from ourselves because of the society we live in, that few people actually know themselves. Younger music artists especially will have a more difficult time with this because they have had less experiences on this planet to understand their own opinions, perspectives, tastes, etc. But I think it’s even more common than ever to not fully know oneself because we are all consuming other people’s lives more than we are consuming our own thoughts. From Tiktok to magazines to reality TV shows to Reddit threads to Youtube videos (the list is endless), we are searching endlessly for other people’s opinions on things and seek their validation (that can be another essay on our biological need to conform). For example, you may notice a fashion trends you think is ugly or distasteful but after repeated exposure, especially by others you think have the lifestyle you want, you start to shift your perspective and may end up buying it. This happened to me with galaxy cat leggings in 2014, chunky Filas in 2018, and Adidas Sambas in 2023….
And it’s only getting worse, I mean think about it. Screen time on social media ALONE is on average 5 hours a day for Gen Z. Take into consideration work time (roughly 8 hours a day) and you’ve gone a full day without being alone with your thoughts even once.
On top of regular people being influenced on the daily, you have musicians constantly being fed what is “working” for others so then you try a million things you normally wouldn’t try because it worked for someone whose genre and identity are totally different. You know what is trending, sure. But do you know yourself? Probably not past the surface. And even the surface was probably influenced by someone else.
I have a lot more to say, but maybe I will create an unabridged version later. I’ll give you the meat of it now.
The answer to finding your brand: Do the work. This can look a lot of different ways, but the root of the tactics that work is getting to know yourself by taking the time to listen to your desires and preferences. I’ll put a list down of things that have helped me but find your own ways to spend quiet time.
Create more than you consume (my personal ones are scrapbooking, filmmaking, writing, and making music)
Mediation - guided or silent (5 minutes a day is enough)
Car rides with no media (no podcast, no music)
Cooking a meal without watching Netflix on your phone simultaneously
Journaling once a day
Eating at the table with no phones (Euphoria can wait, this season isn’t even that good!!)
Talking to a trusted person about philosophy and spirituality
Don’t get ChatGPT’s opinion on everything
How to find your brand? Know yourself. And how do you know yourself? Spend quality time with yourself and notice what comes up within the silence. Once you know yourself, everything about building your brand will feel authentic, even the influencer-y parts like brand deals, because they are true to you. -Tori
Want to know how to apply this info to the artists’ on your roster? Set up a company strategic consulting session here.