Man Made Music Rebrands Amid Inclusion Initiatives in Sonic Branding

Man Made Music has served as the go-to music studio for brands like HBO, CBS, NBC, Hulu, Disney, AT&T, Nissan and many others for over 20 years. Now, as multiple industries continue to reckon with their roles in upholding inherently discriminatory practices, the company joins others within the sonic branding community as it reconsiders its infrastructure by making a commitment to anti-racism with a new initiative. But first, the company is changing its name to something it says better represents what the agency stands for as it aims to cultivate a more equitable environment. On Wednesday, Man Made Music will rebrand as Made Music Studio, inspired by the collaborators of many different backgrounds who create music for all audiences. Anecdotally, there was a cost at not changing our name.Lauren McGuire, Made Music "Anecdotally, there was a cost at not changing our name," Lauren McGuire, Made Music's president, told Adweek. "It actually misrepresented who people thought we were and our values. We noted and were even called out on the irony of having all-female teams working under the name Man Made Music. People would laugh about it, but there was a misperception before these calls that we had to undo." In addition to the name change, Made Music is committing to a set of actions geared toward promoting more inclusion throughout its leadership and collaborator pool. It pledges that 30% of its collaborators will be members of underrepresented groups by the end of 2021 and that all talent responsible for the company's creative output are properly credited for their work. The initiative also helped Made Music realize its own shortcomings when it comes to racial equity: While 70% of its leadership are women, none of them are women of color. To rectify this, the studio is committing to the In For 13 pledge, which calls on companies to reserve 13% of its leadership roles for Black talent. Other commitments, like one that promises to consider new hires based on their track record and skill instead of their education and corporate experience, show an understanding of the kinds of industry gatekeeping that prevents marginalized talent from accessing jobs. "In our most recent hiring spree, we defined this new set of hiring policies and saw a dramatic shift in our applicant pool resulting in the most diverse group of new hires in the company’s history," McGuire said. "The ability to enter the music business is predominately available only to those with privilege. A music education and the gear necessary to create is expensive. Most internships are not designed to cover a young person’s cost associated with living in major metropolitan areas. The shift in our approach allowed for life experience and unconventional music backgrounds to be seriously considered for these roles." As Made Music continues to shift its culture in a more inclusive direction, founder Joel Beckerman recognizes a positive tangible impact on both its employees and clients. “What’s so exciting about our transformation is how quickly we’ve seen immediate shifts in our business," Beckerman said. "It’s the positive impact on our people and our culture, the new talent we are attracting that fosters exciting creative possibility, new areas of exploration, and richer, deeper dimensionality to our creative process. That’s where the great work comes from, and why it matters." watch: In an Audio-First World, What Does Your Brand Sound Like?