Last night, lovers of 80s and 90s R&B were in formation, ready to watch an epic IG Live battle between two GOATs (Greatest of All Time) in the R&B space: Teddy Riley and Kenny Edmonds - lovingly known as Babyface. These artists are considered GOATs as they both have a slew of hits that they’ve written for themselves (and other artists like Michael Jackson, Bobby Brown, and Toni Braxton just to name a few). Their music writing, production and performances hold a special place in R&B music history — and definitely play a huge part in the soundtrack of my school years — from elementary through undergrad!
The IG Live battle was planned for the week prior, however due to Babyface contracting COVID-19, the event was rescheduled to April 18th. Social media hyped the battle, and music lovers were waiting in anticipation to witness these hitmakers go toe to toe. Friends across the country even scheduled Zoom parties, ready to witness and debate which artist won this historic battle.
Saturday night, 9pm EST had arrived. The moment we were all waiting for. For over 30 minutes with 300,000+ followers joining in, the production crew was still attempting to get the tech to work. The sound was off, then came on. Then we were waiting for Babyface to be requested in the live session.
Ok great - we finally have Babyface (yay!), but now - we are going through rounds of “can you hear me” between the artists. At this point - there were over 400,000 music lovers attempting to watch a battle with feedback that prevented it from being great. The comments were on fire with many fans sharing there was an echo — but it seems like no one was monitoring the comments… as this went on for a while. Comedian Kev on Stage created a hilarious video documenting our collective experience.
They finally get it together - and start completely over. Only for it to fall apart again due to technical difficulties. The much anticipated battle didn’t happen… and the crowd - which cumulatively totaled 1 million (per Teddy Riley’s IG post), ended up dispersing to other DJs (I chose my personal fave D-Nice, who started the quarantine DJ movement with his marathon sets that have lifted many spirits.)
Yesterday’s event serves as a great teachable moment for those in business. I’m a brand management professional and I assist small businesses with all things from marketing strategy to execution. I often find real life examples are a great way to reiterate business fundamentals with my clients. There are three learnings that can be pulled from this example and applied to your business to increase delivery quality and brand relevancy.
Learning #1: KISS - Keep It Simple, Sir (I hate using the term stupid)
There was a LOT going on with Teddy’s side of the battle. I’m not a sound engineer — but I am a fan of the IG Live battles that have started in quarantine. I’ve witnessed Johnta Austin vs. Neyo and Lil John vs. T. Pain battles out of those that have happened since we’ve been sheltering - in - place. Each had (what appeared to be) simple setups: a mic and something to play their music. Again, I don’t have any “tech support credentials” — but it seemed to be more of a streamlined approach versus the set-up we witnessed in Teddy vs. Babyface.
Applying this to your businesses or projects that you’re working on… do your thing. Let your brand come through. Shine! All that good stuff. While putting your stamp on things, make sure that you aren’t sacrificing delivery for putting your “stank on it”. Sometimes less truly is more. Strive for flawless delivery first — and sprinkle in your touches AFTER you know you’re able to flawlessly meet the need/provided a valuable solution.
Learning #2: Testing is Still a Must Do in 2020
I can’t help but wonder if there was a sound check/dry run before the live happened. I’m not talking about written instructions shared amongst the crew. I’m speaking of a run through.. with everything hooked up. A few music clips played. Testing the platform and catching any glitches. While I know that fans might have poked their heads in when the live notification went up during the dry run — a quick test “never hurt nobody” (yes - I know that’s a double negative, but I’m just making a point.)
Applying to your business or projects that you’re working on… double check everything before turning it over. Practice that presentation before jumping on the stage and testing “unbreakable windows” that will break in front of a live audience (cue up Tesla). In the words of Melania Trump - “Be Best”. Seriously, testing ahead of time mitigates the risk of craziness happening that overshadows your awesome work.
Learning #3: Be a First Mover
I woke up this morning to find a hilarious video from comedian Spice Adams - spoofing last night’s events. This guy is a genius. He turned the spoof around quickly and it was on point. Way to talk about staying relevant.
Business application: tap into what’s going on in the world around you to drive relevancy and impact your brand. In this situation, Spice used his experience to generate fun content - in line with his brand. Another brand I follow - Mess in a Bottle - launched a line of face masks to use in our now normal. Kalilah Wright (owner) is a first mover in her messaging, known for using current events to inspire her apparel and accessory collection.
I hope these learnings from last night’s IG Live battle will help move your business/next project further, faster — with a flawless delivery! See you at the next IG Live battle!
Jenn