BRAND POSITIONING | GTM STRATEGY
Portfolio coherence without killing tribal loyalty
The challenge
Live Nation needed a unified brand architecture across four flagship UK festivals - Wireless, Download, Hard Rock Calling, and BluesFest. The tension: create portfolio coherence for the parent brand while protecting the fierce tribal identity each festival had built with its audience. Download fans don't want to feel like Wireless fans, and vice versa.
The approach
Working with a design team, I led brand positioning and tone of voice for each property. We immersed in each festival's culture to understand what made it iconic, evolving the brands rather than flattening them into a system.
Deliverables
Brand guidelines, positioning lines, outdoor campaigns, and supporting creative for each festival - a framework that gave Live Nation consistency without homogeneity.
The outcome
The Download visual identity is still in use today, over a decade later. One fan had the totem creative tattooed - arguably the ultimate sign-off on brand work.