Ableton - From Music Software to a Cultural Force in Music Tech
How do you differentiate yourself as a software start-up in the highly competitive and demanding music industry market? How do you combine technological innovation with the poetry of making music? Together with WAALD, Ableton's self-image is maturing from software developer to instrument maker. The new brand strategy runs through all areas of activity and paves the way from industry underdog to cultural market leader.
A decisive change of perspective that creates differentiation
We listen in storylistening sessions with Ableton employees and existing customers of the company. We place what we hear in the context of an analysis of the competition and the future world of making music on and with the computer. A clear competitive advantage and the high level of identification with the Ableton brand become apparent. This results in a decisive change of perspective within Ableton's brand strategy and communication: because if you want to help musicians, you have to see your products not as software and hardware, but as instruments and not artificially reduce the complexity of making music, but take it seriously and give it space. Where other companies talk about their software, Ableton now talks about the special moments in the music-making experience.
A story that unites everyone
The strategic narrative radiates into wide areas of the company's activities: The idea of understanding Live not as software but as an instrument leads to Ableton launching the first physical instrument - Push: a playable controller that bridges the barrier of keyboard and mouse as non-musical controls and connects music makers more strongly with their compositions than ever before. With the strategic narrative of “Making users better music makers”, Ableton largely escapes the dominant drivers of the software industry and focuses on what is really important in the long term: the music. This is followed by the development of a new brand identity, which expands in the form of editorial content and an image concept on the website, where musicians are offered a platform to talk about their experiences with making music and Ableton.
Our services
- Brand strategy - strengthening price premium as a growth driver
- Purpose narratives as a link between corporate, brand and sustainability communication
- Strategic narratives for product launches (e.g. Note, Push 3, Live 12, Move) and numerous other overarching initiatives (e.g. Ableton for the Classroom)
