Apr 16, 2018

The Ethical Revolution is on: Lessons learned from the music industry

What went down in the music industry

At the turn of the century

Remember when Napster and Apple revolutionized the music industry?

They literally changed the way people listened to music. And the way record labels ran their businesses. As well as paved the way for smaller bands to get heard.

In the summer of 1999, Napster was born and file sharing became an obsession for many music fans. Less than a year later, Metallica, Dr. Dre and the Recording Industry Association of America took them to court and won, putting an end to the public file-sharing platform.

Meanwhile, Apple was also paying close attention and released the first version of iTunes in January 2001 on the Macintosh and the first iPod in October 2001, allowing hundreds of tracks to be safely and legally kept in our pockets.

Customer demand drives industry practices

Both Napster and Apple listened to the market and gave music fans what they wanted: To be able to listen to individual songs whenever they wished without having to buy the entire album.

Around the same time Lars Ulrich, the drummer of Metallica, was defending his beliefs, consumers demanded quick and cheap, creating one heck of a monster in many industries, not just the fashion industry.

Now that we see the damage we’ve done, we have to breathe, concentrate and act fast to stop causing harm to humans, animals, and our environment.

A few ethical brand pioneers e.g. Patagonia, Hess Natur, Weleda have been seen as industry leaders for decades. Yet, the majority of the big brands resort to traditional ways because many consumers still want quick and cheap.

What can we learn from this paradigm shift in the music industry?

Just like in the music industry, the demand is changing and so is the offer. Conscious consumption is growing since the internet and social media have allowed us to become more aware of these harmful practices. People are starting to change the way they shop.

The Ethical Revolution has begun and you’re right smack dab in the beginning stages.

Good news for you because this will give you a chance to:


  • Easily attract the right customers who’ll become repeat buyers and share your stuff with everyone
  • Enjoy people asking if they can sell your collections and products in their stores and online shops
  • Constantly open your inbox to find people asking you to speak at live events that bring wonderful networking opportunities
  • Put your marketing on auto-pilot so that you can ease your workload and enjoy your private life
  • Leverage your business and increase sales so that you can become an industry leader and truly make an impact

When reality hits

Unfortunately, you‘re not the only eco brand out there. Sustainable fashion and beauty brands, in particular, are popping up like weeds now and it‘s getting harder for you to get noticed.

Are you engaging in marketing activities but not seeing positive results? You may be posting like a rockstar on social media, but no one’s engaging. Or spending a lot of money on online ads, but only a few customers are trickling in a little at a time. Or you‘re getting customers, but they‘re not loyal and don‘t seem to be the kind of customer who’ll rave about your brand behind your back.

Also, you may not know how to become an industry leader and truly make an impact, let alone know how to increase sales to be able to stay afloat because what you‘ve tried in the past didn’t work.

Fact is, if you’re not earning enough money, your marketing just isn’t working out for you!

As an eco brand, you have the opportunity to join the ethical revolution in its infancy stage, but if your marketing isn’t working out for you, you’re going to get lost in the crowd. A marketing strategy that rocks can help you become an industry leader.

The dilemma

But instead of analyzing the situation from the ground up, you try this new activity, amp up your SEO or get on a new social channel to try to reach people and hope for the best.

Either that or you don‘t know what has to change or what you‘re doing wrong and are a bit stuck at the moment.

It’s OK though. You can fix this!

The solution to this dilemma lies in your marketing strategy.

“Marketers with a documented strategy are 538% more likely to report success than those who don’t.”

Coschedule, “State of Marketing Report Bundle”

The solution: strategy first

If you‘ve created a marketing strategy but aren‘t consistently implementing and optimizing it, you’ll remain at the same level you’re at now and stay stuck for a long time. It’s time to optimize your strategy.

If you‘ve never created a strategy, but still engage in marketing activities, it’s like throwing a dart on a map on the wall to figure out where you and your family of five are going on vacation this summer.

You could maybe do that if you were a single Freebird and had no expectations. But if you want to make sure your stay is comfortable and your family is happy, you have to plan a few details before getting on that plane.

In your business, you also have high expectations to succeed. Not only that, but your customers are counting on you to remain in business.

So, if you continue to throw darts and dabble with your marketing while struggling to find customers so that you can increase your revenue, your business is not a business, but more of a hobby project. Trust me on this one, if you want to succeed with your eco business, this method of dabbling doesn’t work.

Napster had a strategy. Regardless of the legality of it, it worked! Napster is thriving! Apple’s too! And yes, Metallica too!

Are you ready to thrive?
Then get ready to create and implement a marketing strategy that rocks!

Want to master your marketing and also thrive?

Let’s continue the conversation below. What do you think about the development of the ethical revolution?

Rock On,

Happy to be a part of:

We support the goals
Meaningful Business 100
The Ethical Hour Community
the ethical move community member
Clean Creatives badge
Plant Based Treaty
the ethical move.

the ethical move pledge

This badge represents our pledge to the ethical move in service of a new marketing standard based on transparency, trust, and honesty. Please contact us if you see us not honouring our pledge.