External Analysis on Music Performers

PESTLE and FIVE FORCES Analysis: Miley Cyrus

PESTLE is a mode of analysis which refers to the Political, Economic, Sociological, Technological, Legal, Environmental (cipd.co.uk). Essentially, it is a means of assessing a given entity's impact in a comprehensive and nuanced manner so that this entity can engage in the best decision-making and strategy to achieve all objectives. On the other hand, Michael Porter's Five Forces offered a framework for an entity to determine the models of industry and the forces which shape them: supplier power, threat of substitutes, threat of new entrants, buyer power and rivalry. It's useful to determine how these methods of analysis can manifest themselves in the music industry as that is a professional arena where artists experience extreme rivalry and competition and where it's extremely difficult to determine who will be gone tomorrow and who will not. Forging a lasting career in the music industry is truly difficult.

One artist who is trying to forge a lasting career at this time by shaking off her former image as a teen music sensation and Disney star, is Miley Cyrus. As an artist she has worked tremendously hard with her team to engage in a dramatic transformation of her image and style so that she will no longer be associated with the squeaky clean and scrubbed style of her Disney era, but with an edgier form of content and artistry.

Examining Miley Cyrus's career from a PESTLE analysis is truly fascinating. Politically she has worked hard to be shocking and edgy and to make herself an artist which is often discussed: this was portrayed most vividly and immediately via her performance at the Video Music Awards. Cyrus's performance at the VMAs demonstrated a truly wise political move as what she did was often discussed and highly controversial. The move generated a great deal of publicity for her. Economically, Cyrus has invested more money in revamping her image and her music, hiring new stylists and designers along with new songwriters to present her in this new way to the public. As Rolling Stones reported, "Miley Cyrus' all-out marketing plan yielded a very respectable first-week number for Bangerz... And she's not done making her mark just yet: Bangerz is most likely just beginning to unload its hits, as collaborations with Spears and Future…" (Knopper, 2013). Sociologically speaking, by presenting herself in an edgy and shocking fashion, Miley has re-piqued the public's interest in her. Technologically, she has embraced all forms of social media and online steaming to introduce her content to fans, in order to keep herself as current as possible. Legally, she has engaged in nearly as many lewd acts onstage and onscreen (in her music videos),pushing the boundaries of what can actually be screened in order to stay current. Environmentally, this has meant that Cyrus has created a new category for herself as an artist, taking herself out of competition from all the other singers of her age range and voice category.