Yesterday I purchased a handful of Maria Muldaur songs from iTunes (on my playlist she's sandwiched between octogenarian jazz great Lee Konitz and rap-metal tyros Hollywood Undead!).
You might remember Maria – she had a big hit many moons ago called Midnight at the Oasis.
I had always wondered what ever happened to her; looking at her large repertoire of albums available on iTunes (above), Maria's obviously been active, but she also seems to be a bit all over the shop in terms of musical styles – she’s done specific albums dedicated to swing, blues, jug, gospel, soul – even a kids’ album!
What if Country Road went punk?
Now, I get it that artists need to grow and stretch – indeed, as a rule being able to extend across boundaries is a key in a band or singer's longevity (U2 anyone?) – but Maria seems to have overly bounced around stylistically and thus potentially has tested the patience of her audience.
While for an artist there is a certain integrity in exploring different styles and genres, brands unfortunately aren't afforded such luxury. They need to be consistent in their actions, in their communications and in their dealings with customers - otherwise we get confused and start looking for alternatives (imagine if Country Road went punk, for example).
Consistency builds reputation, and your brand essentially is all about reputation.
What about your brand - does it succumb to the 'Maria Muldaur Syndrome'?
