How many people reading this article recognize the name Brian Epstein?
Chances are likely not too many. But what if we asked how many people recognized "the Beatles"? That's a little bit more likely, isn't it. Well, what if we told you that Brian Epstein is responsible for introducing to the Beatles to the world. And wouldn't you know, Epstein was able to do this with a little term called "marketing".
Although the term marketing was still a work in progress in the swinging 60s, Epstein was one of the first businessmen to practice marketing effectively to manage the Beatles. Here are some simple yet essential practices we can learn from him.
It’s important to note that Epstein is not the genius behind all the music. The Beatles were foundationally talented and exceptionally gifted musicians but there were, at that time, countless groups in Liverpool all hoping to make it big in the music sphere. Epstein put the group on the right path, which eventually led them to stardom that no one could have imagined. Following his intuition, Epstein decided to mange the Beatles in 1962. He was in many ways an entrepreneur. Although he didn’t create the Beatles, he recognized their talent and saw above and beyond the potential of the band. He was able to see the success that others are unable to identify.
The Beatles were a difficult group to work with. Before manager Epstein took charge, the band was unprofessional. The guys usually performed in sloppy clothing, arrived unshaved and messy, and smoke or spit on stage. Although he had a background in music, Epstein knew he shouldn’t interfere with the band and their music but he knew the band needed to be rebranded. He strictly put new rules down for the guys to dress properly for performances and brought about a new uniformity to the group, establishing a better image for the band. Epstein, as a manager, knew exactly when and where he needed to step in for the better of the band. He didn’t interfere when he didn’t need to but provided help in aspects that was needed.
One reason Epstein did so well was because knew exactly what and where to invest. Not only did he dedicate his life to the band, he pushed for large monetary investments on promoting the group. At that time, it was rare for bands to spend money to play at venues but Epstein saw the importance of this.
One of the boldest, and also most statically clever move he made was putting the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan show. Epstein knew the band needed exposure in the US and that a single performance wasn’t enough. Instead of getting a single performance on the Ed Sullivan show with a high paying price, Epstein negotiated for his clients to play three times on the show with guaranteed opening and closing slots but in return receive minimal pay. Epstein’s marketing efforts in promoting the band was strategic. He knew where the Beatles could reach success and he did what he could to get them the exposure and the rest was history.
Epstein’s dedication led the band to achieve fame in the United States and slowly across the world, but it also led to his premature death. As the manager of the Beatles, Epstein rarely had down time. He also lived an irregular lifestyle constantly traveling. Before his death, Epstein was having trouble sleeping and experiencing minor health problems. His cause of death was drug overdose due to sleeping pills. We could learn from Epstein that knowing when and where to invest is important, but remembering to take a step back and remember that every once in a while carries the same weight. We are still people and we need to take care of ourselves.
Although Epstein was a smart businessman, he wasn’t perfect. One of his biggest mistakes he made was his failure to secure merchandise licensing for the Beatles. In fact, this mistake is still discussed today because the Beatles merchandise is still popular and continuously selling in the market. Ever wondered why it's so hard to find the Beatles' music online?
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