Bands & Brands

Someone sent me this article from The Hollywood Reporter which talks about how developing bands are increasingly turning to alternative promotional vehicles to get their music heard above the din.  I'm pretty surprised that this article needs to be written in 2007 [note: I'm not commenting on the quality of the writing, but rather that the subject matter is still considered newsworthy].

On what do I base my surprise?  The excerpt below is from a business plan I wrote in 2003.  And certainly there must have been others thinking this way well before that.  So my question is, how has the evolution of thinking on this topic only progressed a minuscule amount in a 4 year period???

In my words from 2003 ...

The right brand associated with the right up-and-coming band can be an incredibly powerful promotional vehicle for both parties. Now is the time to take advantage of opportunities in the music industry.

Up-and-coming artists are attractive because they are ...

... Authentic – Popularity hasn’t peaked, and consumers want to be a part of the “discovery” process

... Affordable – Less $ than a superstar act.

... Available – They need your support

The equation is simple ...

[declining record sales from established acts] + [increased clutter] = [shrinking support for developing bands]

X

[brands with a renewed interest in leveraging music to reach their consumers]

Geico Caveman

A lot of attention paid to Duncan Watts' piece in NY Times Sunday Magazine [Is Justin Timberlake a Product of Cumulative Advantage?].  Rightfully so as it's an interesting read.  But I was struck by an article in the same magazine by Rob Walker [Pop-Culture Evolution] which talks about ABC developing a sitcom based on Geico's Neanderthal pitch-men.

What struck me most was this statement referring to the tremendous online conversation the Geico campaign has spawned:

"... it makes you wonder about the routine claims that nobody pays attention to advertising anymore. In fact, what the caveman ads really reveal is just how potent a form advertising can be ..."

As Mark Twain once said, "The reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated."  And to some extent I feel that way about certain advertising vehicles.  So I'm not surprised that the cavemen have generated online [and offline discussions]. But I would have added a key word to Walker's statement [take your choice from those in red bold]:

"... it makes you wonder about the routine claims that nobody pays attention to advertising anymore.  In fact, what the caveman ads really reveal is just how potent a form GOOD/SMART/UNEXPECTED/CLEVER advertising can be ..."

Blue Shield is Listening to You

Blue Shield of California set up confessional booths [in several California cities] for regular people to stick their head into and talk all about issues concerning their insurance.  Then they took clips of those confessionals and put them up on this microsite.

I like the idea for a few reasons: [1] The fact that Blue Shield is soliciting consumer feedback and then sharing that feedback is encouraging [2] It's a creative and contextual way to get into the user-generated-content game [3] The site is simple, to the point and the "floating head" visual [see below and go to the site] is visually interesting.

Adcritic.com notes: Wayne Best, executive creative director at Taxi, says "Some people went to areas where even Blue Shields's lawyers didn't feel comfortable. They were very excited to have an outlet; it gave them a forum to actually vent."  It'd be easy to raise questions about a marketer trumping up criticisms of its own practices, but Best says the changing corporate culture at Blue Shield stands to broaden from the honesty let loose as much as consumers do in getting the impression Blue Shield is listening.

The Ultimate Experience-Led Organization

The Chicago Cubs haven't won the World Series in nearly ... forever.  They rarely field a competitive squad.  Cubs fans probably invented the phrase, "there's always next year." 

Yet for all that the franchise is valued in the range of $500-$600 million.  Take a trip to Wrigley Field on a summer afternoon [a weekday no less] and, even when hosting a last place team [well, the Cubs are often in last place so they might be hosting the 2nd worst], the bleachers are buzzing.

I won't deny that their TV package with WGN gives them a national fan base, but it still doesn't account for the people who turn out for the home-opener in 30 degree weather.

Why?  Because a day game at Wrigley Field is the ultimate experience for both the hardcore sports fan and the casual spectator.  Wrigleyville.  The intimacy of a 'small' ballpark.  The bullpens in full view along the right and left field lines [I remember as a kid having conversations with the players in the bullpen during lulls in the action.  What an incredible thrill for a 10 year old].  The beer vendors -- some young and bright-eyed, others old and ornery [I prefer the latter].  The manually-operated scoreboard.  The ivy.  And of course our beloved Bleacher Bums.

This is why people come back game-after-game, year-after-losing-year.  Because, with the possible exception of Fenway Park, there's no experience like it.  Must be a lesson somewhere in there for all types of organizations that aspire to be experience-led.

Nine Inch Nails

While I applaud Trent Reznor for his support of the upcoming release, Year Zero, with a very involved new media campaign [read about it here], I'm curious to see what effect it all has on opening week sales [which is everything in the music business]. 

At this point in their career do NIN need 'buzz' to activate their core fanbase?  Is all this attention going to attract new or casual fans?  The truth will be found in the sales figures [as compared to their last release, With Teeth, which notched opening week sales of 272,000].

I will report back after the album drops on April 17.

Gordon Ramsay

Entertaining read in The New Yorker about chef Gordon Ramsay.  Article can be found here.  Ramsay is the perfect ying to the saccharine yang of the current Food Network stars [Giada, Ray, Emeril, etc.].  A ruthlessly shrewd and savvy marketer -- Ramsay could school MBA students on the finer points of strategy, positioning and branding.  But he would be nothing without his talent in the kitchen. 

Image is surely important but true talent is the root of success [editor's note:  To draw a parallel to the music business ... there's a reason why Justin Timberlake, Pink and Avril Lavigne have found sustained success while many of their contemporaries have faded into obscurity].

My Un-Branded Son

If I make a choice to dress my 3-month old son [Henry] in only logo-free clothes, does that make me any different than the father who dresses his newborn in a Ramones t-shirt?  We've both made choices for our children that will affect the way the world perceives them.   

When I first sat down to write this post I was ready to take the following position:  By dressing Henry in a white t-shirt, blue jeans and striped windbreaker I am, in effect, presenting the world the 'tabula rasa' version of Henry.  And that the father of the Ramones child is attempting to make some a statement to the world about his [the father's] sensibility through his child.

And then I asked myself:  Does it make any difference if the logo is on the outside [Ramones] or inside [as is the case of the windbreaker, which is from Petit Bateau]?  And I quickly came to the conclusion that it most certainly does not.  To be honest I was very pleased with the Petit Bateau purchase - something about it made me feel good about who I am.  Probably the same way the other father felt when he bought the t-shirt.

And then I thought about how this applies to me.  Save the occasional Swoosh on my exercise clothes and my Chicago Bears/Cubs hats, I rarely wear anything with a logo.  But don't take that to mean that I don't admire, appreciate and aspire to own certain  brands.  Just ask my wife about how I obsessed over the Paul Smith tuxedo at Harvey Nichols [she finally talked me in to buying it].  Does anyone at the wedding know I'm wearing Paul Smith?  No.  Am I convinced my choice conveys  something about who I am to everyone in the room?  For sure.  Do I feel like a million bucks?  Without a doubt.