By definition music is a subjective beast, but whether you clamber for Classical, go gaga for Grime, sink into Soul or pogo to Punk, there are many examples of artists who have defied age & time to still deliver the goods – and often at a large scale.
If you are looking for evidence, 60% of the highest grossing tours of the last two years are by artists who have been around for at least 20 years (and in the cases of Bruce Springsteen & Elton John, considerably longer).
One of the greatest examples is Iron Maiden. Formed in 1975, they are approaching their 50th anniversary and are showing no signs of letting up with a full world tour announced in 2025 in support of this landmark.
How are they still playing to millions around the world? And what can they teach marketers that we can take into our world?
Branding
Even if you know nothing about the band you’d recognise their mascot Eddie. He’s been on every album cover and every t-shirt the band have ever sold. He is the face of the band – and by extension their brand. Most casual music fans will know ‘Eddie’ even if they couldn’t recognise any of the members. This, coupled with a very distinctive and unchanging logo, is a branding marriage made in heaven.
As us marketers know, half the battle is recognition of your brand – and on that front Maiden are masters.
Merchandising
I saw the band live in 2023 (again) and made a mental note of how many different t-shirt designs there were. I got to over 200 before I gave up. No other band that I am aware of work so hard on producing so many unique designs – even to the point of having a specific ‘event’ t shirt for almost every gig they play.
Fans pride themselves on buying different versions of the t shirts, and feel they are being catered for; in return the band are making a fortune. It’s a win-win – and in the b2b world, having that deep understanding of what makes your customers happy is crucial.
Diversification
Maiden were one of the first bands to launch their own brand of beer – Trooper. Since its launch they have now got 15 different beers and they are widely available, rather than from a fan-only limited edition type site (which some other artists do).
This demonstrates a real understanding of the demographics of their core fanbase; basically men of a certain age who like a beverage. ‘Give them what they want’ really does work.
Live Performance
In our b2b world there’s a lot talked about the importance of events, and getting in front of our prospects to really engage them. There is increasing buzz around experiential marketing and giving our audience a memorable time that differentiates it from a typical event.
Now if you’ve ever been to a Maiden gig you’ll know that they make each show an ‘event’ – the production is huge, and they have always understood the theatricality that’s required to bring their music to life.
We can take a lot from that approach, and the next time you’re thinking of an event strategy, consider what your audience would want to take away from it that stays with them beyond just a panel debate on your latest solution.
Community Building
Maiden have always had a fan club, and have always understood the importance of building a strong, loyal fan base. Their fan club has evolved over time to consistently deliver great value to its members – from the monthly printed fanzine, to fan events, to pre-sale ticket access for concerts etc.
They have also made it easy for fan forums to connect across the world, giving a real global community feel to the fanbase. If we as marketers can get our customers to a point where they feel valued and part of a community it fosters loyalty – a marketers dream.
Multi-generational appeal
One of the things that keeps Maiden relevant is that there are new generations now discovering the band, thanks to the grandparents & parents (like myself) who have remained fans since way back when and have nurtured a love of the band in their own children.
In 2023 I saw the band for the 17th time; it was my 13-year old son’s first.
(Of course it doesn’t do them any harm to have celebrity fans like Jason Momoa, Lady Gaga, Michael Fassbender & Cameron Diaz either…)
The product
And finally, the most important aspect of their longevity: The product. Since 1980 they have produced 17 studio albums, all of which have something special about them. A friend once said to me ‘Iron Maiden don’t make bad albums, but they do make Iron Maiden albums’. What he meant was that their output is always incredibly consistent – and they achieve that by sticking to what they do best: be Iron Maiden.
As marketers we are often guilty of trying to change things for change’s sake. And yes it’s important to try new things, but equally our success comes from being great at what got us here in the first place.
In summary, over the years the band have focused on the product & performance, and their management have looked after the branding – while utilising the larger-than-life personality of their lead singer, Bruce Dickinson, to be the bridge between the two. It’s a well-oiled machine that most importantly understands what they are good at, what their audience wants and blends the two to perfection. As B2B marketers that is utopia.