Never have I ever seen any launch strategies look so good as the ones behind Kacey Musgraves’ Star-Crossed.
I don’t love country, but Kacey is the only person in that space who has something that resonates with me. I would have been content with another Golden Hour, but she outdid herself with Star-Crossed.
This blog analyzes what worked so well (and convinced me to pre-order merch before I heard the album) and looks at four launch strategies you can apply to your next launch, whether it’s an app, product, design, or other.
1. Brand Consistency Is Key
The first glance at Star-Crossed we were graced with were pictures on Instagram. Edgy, raw, and beautiful.
At this point, Kacey’s Instagram profile bio and post captions started to shift. No more untroubled Golden Hour. Get ready to “fall apart” through Kacey’s real life love story and divorce retold through song. Every detail that unfolds provides some Shakespearan-esq vibe, from the old English font to imagery (e.g. close-up of a dagger tucked away in a corset) and messaging (e.g. “a modern love story told through three acts”) to emojis (💔, 🔥, ⚔️ ).
The website follows cue when your cursor turns into a dagger and you “enter” the site upon a heart breaking in half. The merch continues to reiterate the brand, from the sword motif in the Star-Crossed logo, to the album box set with handkerchiefs, tear-shaped gems, and a broken heart necklace from the album cover (once again preparing you to “fall apart on September 10th). The reds and pinks create a flawless juxtaposition to this ill-fated love story.
If you watch the film, you’ll notice recurring elements pop up like an ode to a previous scene. In Act I, Kacey in Good Wife is wearing a Prada logo inspired headbands, and you’ll notice the same Prada motif being worn by the doctor in Act II. In Act III, you’ll notice Kacey is wearing the dagger in her corset that she posted on social media (and the same one found in the logo).
On interviews or Instagram lives, Kacey always wears her own merch, showing us that she actually created merch that she likes (and even if she didn’t like it, you convinced us, Kacey).
Takeaway: Brand consistency is one of the most important things you need for your brand (and a must add to your list of launch strategies). This doesn’t mean your logo and colors match all your assets. Yes, the red and pinks from Kacey’s album cover are recurring, but you’ll also notice they aren’t everywhere. It means your copy, customer service, sales process, and story reflect the core of who you are. This brings us to the next point: story telling.
2. Storytelling At It’s Finest
People love transparency and recognize honesty. Being able to translate a story and tell it well through everything you do is good storytelling. Kacey put her heart on her sleeve quite literally putting the highlight reel on pause that most people want to portray and instead, telling her own love story turned to heartbreak.
All messaging around this album, Instagram lives, and interviews all tell this same story. Not all of us can create a product and make an entire film around it to visually tell our story, but in this case, it’s told so well visually and through song that this should be the standard when it comes to examining your own storytelling.
Does the copy on your website, marketing emails, and social tell the same story? All your copy should keep retelling who you are. Maybe you’re a makeup brand who’s all about confidence and being cruelty-free. Would people know that no matter what the touch point is (e.g. email, a phone call, website, etc.)?
Do your products or services reiterate the story of your brand? Maybe it’s an emphasis on quality and your products or certifications actually stack up and prove that point.
Can you provide your audience with a peek behind the curtain? Kacey shared pictures of the bed she brought into the recording studio, which became a center point of the making behind this album. Dawned with roses and mood lighting, this provided a place of solitude (and really great pictures). This was not only on-brand (back to that Shakespearean-esq vibe), but gave us a peek behind the curtain. People love to see what goes on behind the scenes. In your case, it might not look as pretty, but it provides your audience with a humanistic view of your brand.
Another great example of this is the makeup brand, Too Faced. Get a marketing email, check out their social, visit their site, or buy a product and you’ll know what they’re about. The consistency around design, fun scents, and creative copy don’t make you question they are a trend-setting, ultra-girly, and cruelty-free brand.
And same goes for Kacey. I wouldn’t have needed to watch the Star-Crossed film or listen to the album to realize this would be a sad story told through the lens of someone who’s gone through hard times and is ready to share it with the world. It’s already told through all the marketing and design around it.
3. The Element of Exclusivity
The brand consistency and storytelling for this album was done so well, that when there was anything exclusive around this album, it made me want to opt-in because I couldn’t get enough.
Want to see Kacey’s exclusive interview about the making of the album? Sign up for Apple Music.
Want to get the autographed version of the vinyl? Better order now because you might miss out on this limited release.
Want to watch the film? Sign up for Paramount+.
Like the newly released Lisa Frank-inspired water bottle? It’s only available through Instagram.
Takeaway: No matter if you have a service or a physical product, are there ways you can put some exclusivity around it? Maybe there’s a limited time discount you can offer, a limited color release, or something that’s only offered through one particular channel, which leads to the next point: partnerships.
4. The Power of Partnerships
The final part to add to your list of launch strategies is the power of partnerships. Marketing partnerships allow for you to reach a larger audience and get more brand awareness. In the previous point, Kacey partnered with Apple Music and Paramount+ to create a mutually beneficial relationship. Of course I wanted to watch the interview and the film, so this tactic worked on me. Now if I was happy with either service, I would keep on paying them on a monthly basis.
Some of us aren’t going to have a connection with some huge brand like Paramount, but there are other ways you can source partnerships:
1. Look at other brands in your industry that aren’t competitors, but have similar audiences (e.g. you’re a makeup brand who could partner with a haircare brand because both audiences care about self-care and appearance). Make a list and try sourcing the marketing contacts for that brand. Look them up on social or contact the company through their website and tell them who you are, what you have to offer in a partnership, and what specifically you want to do with them. Important: make it easy, otherwise no one has time to try to guess what you want and what the next step would be in this potential partnership.
2. Join industry groups or events to network and find potential partnerships. If your audience is local, you can go to local spots and talk with business owners face to face (e.g. sell jewelry in a local coffee shop).
3. Look for opportunities outside your industry. Back to the makeup example, you don’t have to stick to the beauty industry. Maybe you can partner with a brand like Stoney Clover as one of your launch strategies and offer an exclusive makeup bag to both audiences. It’s about thinking outside the box and not always sticking to your industry.
Needless to say, Kacey Musgraves’ Star-Crossed has been a huge source of inspiration for me. I felt like Kacey personally understood me. I saw my brand reflected in her brand. And even if I didn’t like the music, I would not be able to deny how genius every touch point with her audience was to launch this album.
Name a better launch!
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