5 Marketing Lessons That We Can Learn From DaBaby

1. Iconic Brands Create Moments That Add Up To A Larger Story

   We know that iconic brands are master storytellers so I won’t continue to beat a dead horse. But we’d be fools to forget that at the heart of every great story is a character, typically a protagonist, who you can’t help but root for no matter what tragic flaw(s) they possess; DaBaby exemplifies this perfectly through the multiple viral moments that added to the lore

   Each viral moment he experiences whether its the infamous mall confrontation, or his various run-ins with authorities, each instance adds to DaBaby’s story and gives us another reason to root for him. Moreover, it helps provide context to the music. While the music is great, its impact is multiplied by the fact that fans can consistently see that the guy in the music is also the man outside of the music too. A quick google search shows further that DaBaby is who he says he is and as a result, the myth around which he crafts his brand is further solidified;

   This relates to marketing in that good marketing aims to improve the condition of the consumer. When a consumer searches for a product they do so to remedy an issue — which in this case is their lack of entertainment. The brand (DaBaby, in this case) present themselves as a more than likable protagonist in the story that is the consumers’ lives. And while flawed in some respects, he has all the makings of an iconic brand so long as he continues to create great moments outside of the music that add to his story.

2. Leverage New & Emerging Platforms Before The Competition Catches On

   DaBaby’s social content is integral to his success. If you haven’t already, visit his Triller & TikTok profiles to see for yourself. Multiple clips from each of these platforms have gone viral, and spurred an ascent up the billboard charts; What’s more of a testament to his aptitude for leveraging platforms is that DaBaby has been able to scale on these platforms with $0 in paid media.

   Brands would do well to invest in the new and emerging platforms by creating content at scale to build an audience. At the worst, the platform tanks and you’ve spent a small amount of labor creating a presence on a now-defunct platform. However, if the opposite occurs and this emerging platform becomes the new “Instagram” or the new “uber of ___” being a late mover means that you won’t be able to reap the benefits of scaling at a lower cost; in a nutshell, the cost of not innovating is the premium you’ll eventually pay to join later. Nobody gets to the club early, even if it’s free before 12. They do, however, show up when it’s crowded. By then its harder to find parking, get the bartenders’ attention to order a drink, and sure enough the price at the door went up too.

1. Show Your Personality in Your Content

   Good creative creates a connection with the intended audience and connection is achieved when those we market to see themselves, their experiences, or their problems solved with the products they choose to consume. DaBaby’s magnetic personality couches his music, and content in a layer of authenticity that hard to achieve by brands and creatives alike — it requires a level of honesty and fearlessness that clients generally say that they want but rarely appreciate when it’s presented to them. No matter how unappreciated your efforts might be to convince them otherwise, it’s important for brands and the clients we serve to know that personality and tone win every time; A keen awareness of both are in the of every great piece we consume daily.

2. Word Of Mouth is Still King

Taking into account every meme, gif, music video, and record DaBaby has released this year we see that a fundamental truth acknowledged by marketers and creatives alike still rings true today; That is that Word of Mouth is still the most effective way to share our messages with consumers. One of the many reasons DaBaby’s movement has spread so rapidly is because of how quickly fans share information about him. “Have you seen his recent performance on SNL?” or “the snippet of his next music video” — All of these moments were communicated by fans and required little push from the record label. As a result of this form of word of mouth DaBaby’s reach isn’t just limited to social media and it gives him the same cache as superstars in what can be deemed his “rookie year” in the rap game.

5. Creativity Is Still The Driver Behind 

Lastly, if we’re to remember nothing else, DaBaby reminds artists, advertisers, marketers, and creatives that at the heart of spreading our work is creativity. While our competitors opt for cookie-cutter solutions, dull short-form content, and average creative that doesn’t push the status quo, we’d all do well to look at the slew of music videos released by DaBaby this year, because not only were they memorable they also proved that music videos are still relevant in the music industry.