Brand Association: The Small Habit That Makes Fans Remember You

Are you obsessed with Netflix? A sports team? An animal? Or maybe a specific musician?

It's time to use that obsession in your marketing.

What I'm talking about is a form of brand association. I mean a step beyond brand colors or accessories: getting people to connect your hobbies and your personality with your music.

Why people send me The Office Reels

I'm a massive fan of The Office. I've probably rewatched it five times in two years. On my music account, I often post memes about it and talk about it in my stories.

And guess what? People DM me The Office Reels all the time.

That means whenever they see something related to The Office, they think of me. It leads to more conversations, stronger connections and long-term fans. I even added my obsession to my Instagram bio.

Put it in your lyrics

Another way to build brand association is to use it in your lyrics.

Instead of singing something generic like "I love you like the smell of flowers," write "I love you like the taste of McDonald's at 2AM."

Instead of "We first met at sunset," try "We first met for miso ramen."

Lines like these are more vivid, more personal and way easier to remember. They stick. And when listeners relate to something that specific, whether it's bubble tea, late-night fast food or a place, they form a stronger connection to your music.

Here's an example from my own life. Every time I think about bubble tea, one line comes to mind: "Let's grab some bubble tea and laugh the night away" from the song Bubble Tea.

It's catchy and it's specific, and it made me stream that song more, because it pops into my head whenever I see bubble tea.

So my tip is this. Pick one thing you love, like a show, a food, a drink or a place, and start weaving it into your lyrics and your content naturally. Over time, your audience will connect that thing with you.

When you stop marketing, the results stop too

One more thing I learned around the same time. I paused an ad campaign for a musician I work with, and as soon as we stopped, his saves per day dropped sharply.

It's a good reminder. If you stop posting, you get fewer followers. If you stop pitching playlists, you get fewer monthly listeners. And if you stop running ads, you get fewer saves.

A content idea to try: the phone push

When I was in Tokyo, I met a musician in Shibuya and we filmed some content together to promote her new single. One of the videos was inspired by this performance video from Bellah Mae, and it has a surprise that turns a simple performance into something people want to rewatch and remember.

How to make one:

• Ask someone to film you performing your song. This only works if someone else is holding the camera. You stretch your arm out like you're taking a selfie, and when the chorus hits, you "push" the phone away and reveal you were never holding it.
• Edit the clip in CapCut (ideally on desktop). Start around the pre-chorus with 2 or 3 lines, then a short part of the chorus. Aim for 15 to 20 seconds in total. Add the lyrics on screen and use a filter that makes the colors pop.
• Plan where the text goes while you film. In my version I didn't think about it and had to move the lyrics halfway through the video. The best spot is right under the chest.

And if you don't have anyone to help you record, find someone. When I met this artist, we recorded 10 high-quality videos in one hour. Don't feel bad asking for a small favor, because it can level up your content fast.

If you want more ideas like this one, with examples, they're in The Content Vault.