Breakfast of Champions (The 2018 NAMM Show): Lee Anderton, Andertons Music

Lee Anderton’s retail business, Andertons Music, skyrocketed after he began an aggressive video marketing strategy in 2010, driven by YouTube. Anderton shared his growth story and discussed the importance of branding with NAMM President and CEO Joe Lamond during “Breakfast of Champions” at The 2018 NAMM Show. (Watch the video to see the full interview.)

According to Anderton, his first attempts at marketing on YouTube looked more like QVC than your typical video gear review. It didn’t work, and even though he was disheartened, he noticed people in the YouTube comments section mentioning that they they purchased guitars from him. A lightbulb went off, and his video strategy became less about selling and more about branding.

Anderton commented that he often sees other music retailers making the same mistake—using YouTube as a selling platform. He stressed that his video marketing has been successful because it’s focused on building relationships through trust and honesty, even if that means critiquing a particular product in his inventory.