This week we learned of the passing of a rock god. David Bowie was more than just a rock star — he was an artist. From his psychedelic beginnings in the ’60s, to his glittery alien persona of the early 1970s, to the Thin White Duke of the ’80s and finally the rock legend of his later years, Bowie was always one step ahead of everyone else when it came to music and fashion. He influenced a generation of musicians, was always in style, and could even act.
The one thing that made Bowie such a musical genius was not just his songs or his voice — he was a genius because he could change. When you have a career that spans more than five decades, there’s got to be a reason why your music is still as relevant today as it was in 1972. And for Bowie, it was because he was a chameleon. With such landmark records as “Hunky Dory,” “The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars,” and “Aladdin Sane”, Bowie could have easily just called it quits, concentrated on his acting, and let those classics be his entry into music history. But no — instead, Bowie reinvented himself and became an ’80s pop star with music that sounded nothing like the music he did before. And when music changed again in the ’90s, so did Bowie with his electronic tunes. And let’s not forget the Berlin era!
As marketers, this is a lesson we all need to learn. The world is ever changing and it’s easy to fall behind if we don’t change with it. Just look at the past 20 years — who knew that we have to focus more on what our website looks like on a tiny phone screen than on a desktop computer? A marketer needs to be like Bowie, a chameleon who always has his/her ear to the ground. The sad truth is that if you are not constantly changing with marketing trends, then you’re going to lose a lot of clients. So be like Bowie and accept ch-ch-ch-changes.
Rest in peace, Mr. Bowie. You will be missed.
If you need help with your marketing, contact the marketing chameleons at ENX2 Marketing & Consulting today for a free 20-minute consultation.