Redefining an American icon for a new generation of artists & musicians
CAPITOL STUDIOS
CASE STUDY
Something had to be done...
When Capitol asked Matli Group to conduct an analysis on its business, brand and marketing strategy, there were rumors that the iconic Capitol Records Tower might be sold off and turned into condominiums.
To the artists and musicians who considered Capitol Studios, long the symbol of both the music industry as well as Hollywood itself, to be hallowed ground, this was unacceptable.
Our analysis revealed a vast disconnect between the near-magical reputation of the studio and the actual experience of visiting it and recording there.
Certainly it still provided the most professional, expert engineers and technicians with world-class equipment in a collaborative, relaxed and creative environment – but the facilities were run down, amenities of competitor studios were missing and with empty
offices above and lavish reception areas long ago converted into unwelcoming security desks, the overall impression was of faded glory where only a spark of greatness still burned in the basement level studios themselves. Certainly no new musician would enter the halls and feel as though they had now arrived. Compare that to Sinatra swaggering through the doors at the height of his career and it was clear the studio needed a refresh.
What follows is a 2-year engagement that re-created the customer experience of Capitol and vaulted it from a drag on EMI's bottom line to the jewel in its crown of offerings to 360 artists.
After rebranding it, updating the experience design and overhauling all brand and marketing touchpoints we helped it launch 5 new lines of business that now earn more than its core studio services... and preserve the studio as the center of the music world.
Capitol Studios sizzle video
Role: Creative VP/Exec Producer
Agency/Production: Matli Group Edit: EMI
Customer Insights, Segmentation & Strategy to Create 5 new Lines of Business
Brand Experience overhaul – both online and environmental – Creating stronger Brand Affinity & Loyalty
Launch of brand extension businesses & new revenues – with no capital outlay
1: Brand Audit, Consumer Research, Positioning & Strategy
We started with a deep-dive brand audit, including qualitative & quantitative research to understand what drives the customer
Studio A Artist Lounge
UNDERSTANDING THE BUSINESS,
ITS CUSTOMERS
& COMPETITORS
ANALYSIS REVEALED TWO CURRENT & THREE FUTURE BUSINESSES WHERE THE CLIENT HAD OPERATED AS IF THERE WAS ONLY ONE
target: MUSIC EXECUTIVES, ARTISTS & AGENTS
Capitol Studios had offered many professional music services over the years and was known for its in-house engineering team who could do anything required – quickly and flawlessly.
But over time, it's operations costs had remained high while the music industry fragmented leaving the iconic Studios with high overhead and an unclear growth plan while new competitors continued to chip away at its marketshare.
We conducted a brand audit, competitive and opportunity analysis which revealed a new segmentation strategy; we would split Capitol's services to target distinct markets. Conducing quantitative and qualitative research among clients revealed the key drivers of purchase intent – and why customers chose Capitol (as well as why they chose competitors)...
2: Market Segmentation & Sub-brand Development
We separated Capitol's business into two existing units – each with extension opportunities for future businesses (to come later)...
Brand Segmentation
CORE BRAND POSITIONING & VISUALIZATION
AN ELITE MASTERBRAND THAT COULD BE EXTENDED ACROSS BUSINESSES... AND A TARGETED SUB-BRAND FOR NEW ARTISTS
target: MUSIC EXECUTIVES, ARTISTS & AGENTS
After deciding to segment the brand, it became important to quickly define both the masterbrand, Capitol Studios and the new sub-brand, Capitol Mastering. The masterbrand would be extended across multiple new lines of business and must remain true to its iconic and timeless legacy; the brand that signified you had arrived in your music career at the center of the music world. The sub-brand, Capitol Mastering, would be a niche business targeting up-and-coming artists who aspired to greatness but were more edgy and scrappy than the Studios clientele.
After a series of design explorations, we landed on two distinct looks that matched the distinct positioning, messaging and key RTBs for each brand.
Identity Refresh: Preserve the Legacy While Modernizing the Appeal
As part of the modernization efforts for Capitol, our design team explored how the logo might be simplified but still preserve its distinctive recognizability.
After consumer testing revealed that most people had not noticed the Capital Dome art in the original, we removed it, simplifying the star to a point over the "i" and streamlining the letterforms of the script itself.
3: Brand Experience: Environmental & Wayfinding
The brand experience for A-list artists did not match the perception of Capitol as the premier American recording studio
Studio A Artist Lounge
Capitol Records Tower Experiential Redesign
Customer journey maps, brand audit, positioning, experiential design creative direction, wayfinding and signage
Case Study: Capitol Studios
We mapped artist journeys on visits to the Tower and created personalized brand interactions that made a visit into a memorable VIP experience
Experiential Brand Touch-points
MAKING A PHYSICAL SPACE REFLECT A BRANDS VALUES
WITH A REPUTATION FOR FLAWLESS ATTENTION TO DETAIL SERVING THE BEST IN THE WORLD, VISITING THE STUDIOS DIDN'T LIVE UP TO EXPECTATIONS
target: MUSIC EXECUTIVES, ARTISTS & AGENTS
Over the years, as executives left the Capitol Records Tower and relocated to consolidated offices elsewhere, the building had begun to feel run-down, musty and even antiquated. Still the home to the worlds best engineers, who could work wizardry in recording sessions, the opulent waiting rooms had long ago been reduced to security check-in desks and the decor a hodgepodge of 70s, 80s and 90s fixes hiding the timeless austerity of the original mid-century masterpiece.
Much as we approached the identity refresh, we crafted new signage, artist experiences and even directed the interior design agency in carefully preserving the studios legacy, while modernizing and simplifying the colors, texture and typography of the space... to create a place that truly felt like center of the music world where the best artists meet to create.
Designing the Masterbrand:
The center of the music world, where the best in the world meet to create
This was the positioning statement developed after all of the insights, consumer research, competitor analysis and brand affinity work had been completed...
Now all we had to do was make it visual and visceral – Without making Capitol Studios seem commercialized, trendy or inauthentic.
Our audience would be the music tastemakers of Western Culture, who were highly sensitive to anything that felt overly slick, branded and corporate.
4: Photography & Video Direction & Production
We shot high-resolution RED video of the camera-shy engineers to capture both spontaneous portraits as well as footage that could be used in sizzle videos...
As a bonus, this approach saved Capitol thousands in production costs.
Capturing Expertise & Passion
IMAGE-MAKING - THE RAW MATERIAL FOR REBRANDING
WHAT DOES SEGMENTATION ACTUALLY LOOK LIKE? WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO "MAKE THE ENGINEERS THE HERO"? ART DIRECTION TRANSLATES STRATEGY INTO REALITY
target: MUSIC EXECUTIVES, ARTISTS & AGENTS
All of the insights, analysis and strategy work inevitably led to a comprehensive creative brief with specific segmentation, positioning and messaging...
We art directed shoots for both the masterbrand and sub-brand with a distinct look, feel and way of framing the engineers for both Studios and Mastering for their respective audiences. To capture spontaneous and personable expressions from the engineers we chose to shoot high -resolution video with low frame distortion, which had the double value of providing footage of in-depth interviews that could be used for a series of videos.
5: Global Brand Guidelines & Style Guides
Crafting Capitol's first global brand guidelines and style guide was an opportunity to codify the elements that made the brand timeless... Beginning with positioning and a new brand manifesto...
Distilling the Brand for Scale
THE BRAND BIBLE
60 YEARS OF ICONIC LEADERSHIP IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY DISTILLED INTO A 50 PAGE DOCUMENT – WITH MODERN HOW-TO APPLICATIONS FOR SCALABILITY
target: MARKETERS, PROMOTIONAL PARTNERS, LICENSEES
As the first-ever document to attempt to encapsulate the iconic Capitol brand – and make it relevant to current business opportunities without selling out its timeless legacy, we carefully crafted every word and image of the Global Brand Guidelines.
We wanted to distill the new, focused positioning that Capitol needed for it's business survival and growth while paying homage to its storied past – and true to its roots as a brand that became famous for putting music first. At Capitol Studios, fame and wealth had always been treated as a happy side effect of gathering the best musicians with the best engineers in the highest fidelity studios to create magic... This workman-like simplicity was the brand's core and while polishing it, we didn't want to lose it.
6: Capitol Studios Website - The masterbrand online
Capitol Studios Site (2011-2016)
Studio A Page
A nested top-level navigation to help visitors quickly access the service they sought among the myriad services offered by Capitol to the industry
A perpetual carousel updates to show the unmatched and previously hidden world inside Capitol Studios... each image carefully selected to show the flexibility of the space from a producer's point of view
An industry populated by gearheads, each studio prominently features rare, sometimes one-of-a-kind pieces of equipment available for use
Each studio page also included a list of the famous albums recorded there – a key selling point for aspiring artists
Rotating testimonials throughout the site from luminaries of the music production world
Process & Additional Pages
A slide show of the flowchart, some wireframes and some of the final page templates that rounded out the Capitol Studios website
7: Capitol Mastering Website - The sub-brand online
Capitol Mastering Site (2011-2016)
Engineer Page
The Mastering sub-brand had its own color palette and illustration style to appeal to a more contemporary, up-and-coming artist market
Our research showed that the individual engineer's discography and bio were the primary decision drivers motivating artists to choose one mastering studio over another... so the Engineer pages became the most important – highlighting famous albums, artists and giving a sense of their personalities
Each engineer was featured in their studio with their preferred gear list and console specs; a key technical driver of purchase decision for producers
The individual profile of each engineer was featured as primary content on the pages
To highlight their expertise, each engineer was asked to provide thought leadership content on a rotating schedule
A cross-sell to unique capabilities, such as vinyl cutting and custom equipment builds were placed to build new revenue streams
Process & Additional Pages
A slide show of the flowchart, some wireframes and some of the final page templates that rounded out the Capitol Studios website
New Revenue Streams:
Brand, UX & Marketing were just the beginning...
With a brand as well-known and loved as Capitol – housed in a historic landmark that is symbolic of Hollywood itself, Capitol had a unique opportunity to develop ancilliary businesses that most businesses can only dream of.
So we systematically began working with Capitol and EMI executives to develop each of them....
8: Capitol's First Product Licensing Deal
Capitol was very selective with its first licensed product, wanting to insure that anything the bore its name upheld its brand qualities. Ultimate Ears by Logitech created a set of custom in-ear monitors for professional musicians
Premium Quality Licensing
CAPITOL STUDIOS & ULTIMATE EARS BY LOGITECH
DESIGNED BY LOGITECH'S RENOWNED ULTIMATE EARS TECHS – AND TUNED BY CAPITOL'S ENGINEERS FOR FIDELITY
target: PROFESSIONAL ARTISTS & PRODUCERS, PROSUMERS
Our initial growth strategy for Capitol Studios had highlighted the awareness and affinity of the Capitol brand, and now that the core brand experience, marketing and sales materials were updated, it was time to help Capitol expand its brand into new revenue streams.
Capitol and EMI used pitch materials from Matli Group to land their first licensing deal and then we were retained to act as brand manager over the integration since there was no one at Capitol who'd ever done it before. We crafted sample packaging, ad creative, messaging parameters and an approval process which made the launch of premium in-ear phones effortless – and ultimately very lucrative. It set the groundwork for what would become Capitol Studios largest growth driver, product licensing.
9: Custom Product Industrial Design
Capitol is the last studio with the ability to engineer its own audio equipment – so we designed the product ID of their latest creation to highlight this lost capability
Custom Pro Audio Gear
THE CAPITOL CM5511 AUDIO COMPRESSOR - SYMBOLIC OF THE CAPITOL EXPERIENCE
ONE OF SEVERAL CUSTOM-DESIGNED PRO AUDIO TOOLS, MADE BY CAPITOL ENGINEERS & ONLY AVAILABLE AT CAPITOL STUDIOS
target: PROFESSIONAL ARTISTS & PRODUCERS
Traditionally every audio studio built its own audio mixing tools, but over time the engineers required to make something new were let go as audio product companies grew to dominate the market.
Capitol Studios is likely the last studio staffed with engineers who can not only repair decades-old, one-of-a-kind equipment but also craft new audio mixing gear. When one of their engineers built a prototype of a new compressor, we eagerly accepted the task of designing the product design for it... it would become one of a few pieces of equipment only available at Capitol. The design process focused on balancing Capitols' updated aesthetic with the visual language of pro audio equipment... and of course, it must be completely functional and practical to use.
10: Partnerships, Livestream & Other New Revenue Streams
As the first major brand partnership after the rebranding, iTunes Live from Capitol launched with a live stream of Paul McCartney – which kicked off with him getting his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (right in front of the Capitol Tower)
Kicking off the first parternship: iTunes Live from Capitol
ACTIVATING THE CAPITOL BRAND FOR GROWTH
THE STRATEGY WAS TO MAKE CAPITOL THE CENTER OF THE MUSIC WORLD... THESE ACTIVATIONS WERE THE BEGINNING
target: PROFESSIONAL ARTISTS, PRODUCERS & EXECUTIVES
In the original brand and marketing strategy we'd drawn a blueprint for how to activate the brand (after the brand experience had been updated) to create new revenues while firmly positioning Capitol Studios as the center of the music world.
So we created sales materials for events, location shoots, brand partnerships, live-streamed events and even subletting unused office space to an invitation-only list of the world's top producers. Soon, the formerly run-down Capitol Tower became the meeting place of the music elite. For 5 years running, EMI and Universal Music's VIP Grammy receptions have been held here and the Tower is frequently the backdrop for new music releases and live events.
And these activities (combined with licensing) now generate more revenue than Capitol's core studio business when we started.
11: Direct-to-Consumer SAAS Sub-brand – E-commerce Mastering
A new business existed for Mastering among garage bands who couldn't afford to come to Hollywood... So we created Capitol Beacon, an online mastering service for indie artists
Capitol's first Direct-to-Consumer Ecommerce Brand
DEVELOPING A FIRST-EVER DTC BRAND AND ONLINE BUSINESS
RELATED TO CAPITOL BUT MORE WELCOMING TO YOUNG INDIE ARTISTS FIRST STARTING OUT - AND ALL ONLINE
target: ASPIRING ARTISTS & BANDS WORLDWIDE
Our consumer insights had indicated there was a strong desire among aspiring musicians to connect with the Capitol brand, learn from the master engineers and get help in producing their first albums. But the core brand was much too premium to be accessible.
So Capitol's executives came up with the idea of offering remote mastering to artists around the world utlizing unused engineer and suite time. At a lower cost, artists could have a Capitol engineer tune their tracks and provide specific technical notes on improvement. The whole system would be via an online ecommerce portal where sound files could be exchanged.
We mapped the experience, designed the brand and all user touchpoints for the new online business.
12: Capitol Beacon DTC SaaS Website
Capitol Beacon Site (2011-2016)
Home Page
Capitol Beacon's sub-brand uses the Tower icon and Capitol script but otherwise departs in typography, color palette, art treatment, etc. to create a brand appealing to indie artists
Messaging was more aspirational and photography more candid – without as much visible treatments to feel more like images a visitor would take in Hollywood and behind the scenes
We created a simple Flash-based "Hear the Difference" app to quickly showcase why mastering your tracks makes them better... the whole site was designed to educate new artists
Additionally, we used the marquee space in the center of the page to promote the work of recent Beacon customers, helping them find new fans among artists
The "Around the Rooms" section gave a behind-the-scenes view of the Capitol Tower at work
Process & Additional Pages
A slide show of the flowchart, some wireframes and some of the final page templates that rounded out the Capitol Beacon website
The Pitch:
Transforming Brand Experience & Core Expertise into Intellectual Property
Matli Group developed several pitches for Capitol and EMI (and Universal Music Group) to grow Capitol's licensing and promotional partnerships businesses.
Here's a look at a typical pitch deck, incorporating both market and consumer research as well as product design and roll-out visualization... We modified this to suit each company we pitched, which ultimately helped Capitol land new deals that are now their biggest growth driver.
When launching a new licensing program, it's best to find a few key partners and create a focused pitch to them... This deck was repurposed for a few potential licensing partners (JBL shown here)... (All images are concept/spec only - not used in any public-facing materials)
We highlighted the current resonance of Capitol/EMI's artists to show today's brand power for pro musicians... (All images are concept/spec only - not used in any public-facing materials)
And we also highlighted the legacy power of the brand; it's resonance within popular culture even outside the world of music pros... (All images are concept/spec only - not used in any public-facing materials)
Since we were only interested in licensing partnerships that would maintain Capitol's position as a leading professional brand, we highlighted the insider expertise which it is known for among professional musicians... (All images are concept/spec only - not used in any public-facing materials)
And we then highlighted the partner's brand attributes – the key associations that come with their brand... (All images are concept/spec only - not used in any public-facing materials)
We paired the two brands to show synergy and overlap – as well as how each brand could offer the other something new... (All images are concept/spec only - not used in any public-facing materials)
Explaining why now is the right time for a brand partnership is all about digging into the challenges facing the partner and showing how a partnership can help... (All images are concept/spec only - not used in any public-facing materials)
We broke down the mutual customers of the two brands and identified how their purchase habits could be approached... (All images are concept/spec only - not used in any public-facing materials)
An overview of how the dual-brand positioning would apply to 3 specific market segments that both brands serve
A more fleshed-out view of how the positioning and segmentation would apply to a single market vertical - in this case, car makers
Typically to make the sell clear to everyone, we craft spec creative concepts of how the product, marketing and messaging might roll out
Typically to make the sell clear to everyone, we craft spec creative concepts of how the product, marketing and messaging might roll out
Typically to make the sell clear to everyone, we craft spec creative concepts of how the product, marketing and messaging might roll out
Typically to make the sell clear to everyone, we craft spec creative concepts of how the product, marketing and messaging might roll out
13: Pitching New Business
14: The Artist Digital Guestbook App & Branded Ephemera
A simple and tangible way for each artist visiting Capitol to see the long list of A-list artists and musicians that they now keep company with. The original intent was to use posts publicly, but it was agreed that the guest book should be part of the artist experience; not for fans
The Capitol Studios Digital Guest Book
MAKING THE IN-STUDIO EXPERIENCE MEMORABLE
WORKING AT THE CAPITOL TOWER IS A HIGHLIGHT OF MANY ARTISTS LIVES... WE WANTED TO MAKE IT UNFORGETTABLE
target: ARTISTS, MUSICIANS & PRODUCERS
To walk the halls of Capitol Tower has been described as a near-religious experience for up-and-coming musicians. And even among veterans, Capitol holds a uniquely special place in many hearts as a creative hub where all the pretense and facade of marketing their music can be put away – a hallowed place just for making great music with like-minded musicians.
As part of the artist experience, we wanted to capture their time at Capitol part of a long, ongoing history of music makers – and we wanted to leave them with tangible artifacts of their time at the Studio that would help them never forget their experience.
15: The Featured Artist App
Designed to coincide with a year-long celebration of the Beach Boys, this app would coordinate with events, featured new, limited release products and updated tour information as well as discography and history
The Beach Boys 50th Anniversary was Used for Prototype
THE ARTIST COFFEE TABLE BOOK APP EXPERIENCE
FEATURING TOP CAPITOL ARTISTS - AS PART OF NEW ALBUM LAUNCHES, KEY ANNIVERSARY DATES OR PROMO PARTNERSHIP EVENTS
At the time, few studios and artists were taking advantage of the reach and audience captured offered by dedicated apps. As a result, we developed the Artist App (called the Coffee Table Book App internally) to coordinate all partnership, tour, product release and social feeds into a single dedicated fan experience. Each app would be released and updated during a specific launch window to support all of the other promotional activities undertaken by the studio on behalf of the artists.