The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Breaking through the
Content Haze
by Krishnan Menon

"You never told me he was that f****** good!"- Eric Clapton Only one man could have brought the god of guitars to his knees, James Marshall Hendrix, the true God of Guitars. Much like the asteroid that took out the dinosaurs, Hendrix completely overhauled the music landscape. He was a revolution and his music become a religion.

As marketers, what piqued our interest was how is it that after nearly 5 decades the brand ‘Hendrix’ stirs up quite the conversation? Of course, it was his content that immortalised him. So what made his content so good? What did Hendrix do that was right? Here is what we thought made his content what it was:

The Dominant 7#9 chord

Recognition. You’d be able to identify a Hendrix song from just the way his guitar wails. His unique style led to the dominant 7#9 chord to be nicknamed the Jimi chord. Find your groove. Write with a unique tone, show your audience something they haven’t seen. It’s vital that you stand out from the rest of the crowd.

43 times, too many?

Jimi and his crew recorded the song Gypsy Eyes from the album Electric Ladyland a whopping 43 times. Perfection, that is the name of the game. If you can’t find any room for improvement in your work, you aren’t looking hard enough. One tiny mistake in your content can drive away what audience you have. So scrutinise your work thoroughly.

Knowledge speaks, but wisdom listens

This is a quote from Hendrix and it is probably the most vital lesson in content marketing you have to learn. You have to have your ear to the ground, know what your audience is talking about. Get a feel for what will work best for your audience. Learn to speak their language.

Set your guitar on fire!

In 1967, during the Monterey Pop Festival, Hendrix did something so outrageous it’s considered an iconic moment now. He set ablaze his guitar right there on stage! Don’t be afraid to talk about topics that your marketplace avoids. A little anarchy is never a bad thing. But that shouldn’t be your central focus. You have to be careful to not end up burning your entire stage!