“Yellow Submarine” and “Here Comes The Sun” are just two titles among hundreds of songs performed by the widely popular band, The Beatles. Signed in 1962, the British rock group was massively successful throughout the 1960s and onward. The takeover of “Beatlemania” can be attributed to the construction of a solid reputation and simple yet precise branding.

​

     The Beatles’ dynamic and character presentation strongly appealed to their audience. The concept of a group act was new when The Beatles hit the scene, each member being equally as important as the others members. They shared a close personal bond and each member contributed traits to the group that built onto who they were as a whole. Their clean, attractive look played a part in their appeal to females, along with their sexual aura that was made clear in songs such as “Please Please Me”.

​

     Establishing their reputation by starting from the bottom and putting in countless hours of work played to The Beatles’ advantage. They started out playing small venues and slowly got their name out to the public, taking advantage of exposure to the public and valuing it more than physical money. They took time to deliver quality content, giving each song a unique sound and maintaining intensive effort. A prime example of this was in 1966 when the band quit performing to concentrate on recording music.

​

     The Ed Sullivan Show performance was the start of international Beatles fame. The band was already hugely popular in England when they reached the United States in ‘64. Prior to The Beatles’ first US tour, their manager, Brian Epstein, started a “Crash Publicity Program” costing $50,000. The Beatles took over television, radio, and magazines. Merchandise was sold in every store, and fifty million “The Beatles are coming” stickers were printed and plastered on street signs. By the time The Beatles arrived in NY, the groundwork for their publicity had already been established. Though only nine days, their first tour was incredibly successful. The Beatles sold two million records and $2.5 million worth of merchandise, all rooting back to the effort that was put into the initial campaign.

​

     These strategic marketing tactics led to the long-term success that bands sought after. Although social media did not exist during The Beatles’ prime time, they effectively utilized the popular media they had access to in order to achieve success in the music industry.