How Bicep Flex Their Marketing Muscle

When it comes to music brands Thriving Through Disruption it doesn’t come better than Bicep. Their dedication to innovative music and marketing hasn’t gone unnoticed from the team at TEA. Made up of Andrew Ferguson and Matthew McBriar, the DJ duo from Northern Ireland have been on the scene for ten years. Both Bicep and their label Ninja Tune excel at using marketing to connect with fans and tell the story behind their music. 

Bicep’s biggest successes 

• Their single Glue remains a tour de force, nearing 100 million streams to date
• Their live streams at Saatchi Gallery hit 70 countries across five different time zones with only a makeshift sound system set-up
• They managed to stay connected to their fans, who would usually see them on the dancefloor, while confined to their homes

Direct-To-Consumer

• Using community-based distribution platforms like Bandcamp with a solid community is helping Bicep to drive sales  
• The duo set up a private Whatsapp group for news, audio and video clips or behind-the-scenes content, which makes fans feel part of an intimate community 

Branding

• Bicep has a strong brand, something most label artists overlook. When you see their artwork, it depicts the rave, it uses trippy colours and distortion of imagery which is very much in line with their style of  imagery. 
• Their aesthetics are artistic and innovative, positioning them as trailblazers with a unique and instantly recognisable brand in a market which is pretty much dominated by Techno black…

Live stream events 

• Bicep’s high-tech, fully immersive live stream at Saatchi Gallery yet again pushed the boundaries of the standard live stream events and took their audience on a journey 

User-generated content 

• Using TikTok, an underused platform for DJs, Bicep’s track Apricots was included in a TikTok challenge
• The duo keep this consistency throughout social media – creating bespoke Instagram filters and encouraging their community to use them
• Ahead of their live stream, they promoted user-generated content by asking fans to share their home set-ups for the steam on Instagram Stories. 

Streaming 

• Bicep are maximising their visibility by regularly updating their ‘Feel My Bicep’ playlist on Spotify and other relevant distribution channels 

Conclusion 

The duo’s ability to tell a story around their music is flawless. The way they consistently are ahead of the curve ensures it leaves their fans wanting more. They use technology to enhance an already excellent product and connect with their fans in an authentic way.