My core beliefs include positivity and assuming goodwill. If you only knew me from my writing here, you might not think that. It’s hard to be positive sometimes when I seem to spend the whole day mired in “digital” marketing problems.

So, before the Labor Day weekend in the U.S., let’s go positive with a brilliant piece of marketing by the great (and I chose that word specifically) Lee Anderton (“the Captain”), from Anderton’s Music Company in the U.K.

First, a few things about guitarists, the target market for the products in this video:

1. Most guitarists are on a constant tone chase, wanting to sound like their favorite player(s) or getting a unique sound of their own.
2. The music industry obliges that quest by producing tons of amplifiers, guitar pedals, and guitars that purport to help.
3. Most guitarists (myself included) refuse to believe the truth that “tone is in the fingers.”
4. Most guitarists would be better off spending 99% of their gear budget on lessons, and 98% of the time they spend watching YouTube videos on practice, myself included.
5. Guitar players have the peculiar habit of watching many hours of videos and reading guitar forum opinions before spending just $99-$200 on a guitar effect pedal. This last part is the most important. It’s the behavior that Anderton’s has zeroed in on.

What makes Anderton’s use of YouTube great is that the Captain acknowledges the above and, understanding the needs of his target audience and his need as a retailer to sell product, has created a brilliant YouTube channel. He has great presenters, funny banter, zero sales pitch pressure, great education, and an easy way to see and hear the gear you’re contemplating.

I don’t know anything about their business, other than I bet they shift a lot of goods, have great customer care ratings, and I’d be the first on line to patronize them if they ever opened a shop here in the U.S.

With the above in mind watch a few minutes of this video of the incredible Peter Honoré and Tore, the product manager for TC Electronic. You get everything from how easy the products are to use, to the clever “Mash” technology for the pedals, to a great idea of what you could do with these TC products.

The video addresses all the needs and desires of a guitarist with the addition of one thing most “content marketing” types don’t understand: this is darn good entertainment. These guys are engaging, funny, and truly knowledgeable experts in their field. Even if I don’t buy from Anderton’s this time, the saliency of their brand is embedded in my mind every time I watch a video on the channel.

So how did this video work for me? Midway through the demo of the TC Flashback 2 product, I was over at Amazon (sorry Lee!, but good for Tore) and picked one up. I still haven’t totally figured it out and, of course, I can’t play anywhere near like Pete. Check it out:

Good marketing? Yep.

Takeaway: Understand the behavior of your target audience. Develop strategies that align with that behavior. Deliver compelling messages in appropriate media. And win.

Have a great Labor Day weekend and a great fall.

P.S. Lee, if you ever read this, a question. Why did you bring Pete on board? He sucks me in with his great playing and then makes me want to go to the basement and chop my guitars into firewood!