Welcome back, screaming fans! I knew you missed my thorough research on the music promotions world, so I'm back. Back again.
Here's what's changing: I'm now taking a sweet course, Artist and Venue Management, where we'll be having speakers from the music industry come to each meeting to discuss their role in the machine, their ups, downs and experiences that'll help us students understand how this whole thing works. After our speakers visit I'll write up a little summary of what they said and what stuck out to me. It'll be a nice transition from this past semester - plus, I'm thrilled to keep this blog up and running.
So, keep your ears open and I'll fill em up. Enjoy!
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Promotion: Rolling Stone.
I have been gone to Oklahoma for my Thanksgiving "break" and came back to a fresh Rolling Stone - something else to keep my mind off doing all my homework. So, I sat down on my couch and began my reading. In the Reviews Top Singles section the Heartless Bastards were mentioned with a sweet blurb about their new single, "The Mountain." I've been extremely partial to this song because I think it's absolutely breathless, but then again, I do work for the Bastard's management team. After reading the blurb I called my boss, Megan, to tell her the good news. She then said, "Oh yeah, the Smoking Section mention?" (The S.S. is a part of the magazine where new information is passed on to the public - they also have an online S.S.) I was confused, "No, they're mentioned in the Top Singles section..."
So, I looked at the online S.S. and found this...
To be given the title "Best Song in the World" is a f***ing big deal, especially coming from the music publication, Rolling Stone. Lest we forget that words can be exaggerated, but still, this is going to be quite the ego boost for the Bastards and a boost to their play count on MySpace. It would have been good for the C3 management team to track how much their counts increased over the few days after the S.S.'s song props. Too bad I didn't know of this happening or I could have watched the increase, if any. Oh, and if you haven't listened to the song yet, get your ass on it.
So, I looked at the online S.S. and found this...
To be given the title "Best Song in the World" is a f***ing big deal, especially coming from the music publication, Rolling Stone. Lest we forget that words can be exaggerated, but still, this is going to be quite the ego boost for the Bastards and a boost to their play count on MySpace. It would have been good for the C3 management team to track how much their counts increased over the few days after the S.S.'s song props. Too bad I didn't know of this happening or I could have watched the increase, if any. Oh, and if you haven't listened to the song yet, get your ass on it.
Promotion: My Designs.
In memory of my time with C3 Presents I thought I'd share a few of the designs I worked up for our bands we managed. Yesterday was my last day there and I had a great run - June to December - whooo! So, feast your eyes upon my design work. I'd like for you to keep in mind that artists like to have a say with everything - all work has to be approved, so these may not be as "designey" as I would have liked, but no worries. It gets the point across I suppose.
For Ben Kweller's European tour...
One of the many Heartless Bastards digital flyers...
My favorite flyer for What Made Milwaukee Famous...
My favorite poster for Black Joe Lewis...
It's been real. Peace, C3.
For Ben Kweller's European tour...
One of the many Heartless Bastards digital flyers...
My favorite flyer for What Made Milwaukee Famous...
My favorite poster for Black Joe Lewis...
It's been real. Peace, C3.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Traditional Advertising: Market Research.
I journeyed to Antone's in Austin, TX this past Thursday (Nov. 13) evening for my market research. My intentions were to discover how folks heard about their show, booked by C3 Presents, and to see if anyone saw the flyers C3 always hands out for their shows.
The band, The Lost Trailers (seen below), are a country act from Nashville with the hit song "Holler Back." They're a pretty hot little group right now and they'll be opening for Tim McGraw and Rodney Atkins, both big name country singers. So, needless to say, these guys are doing great.
The doormen and owners of Antone's were very welcoming of this little intern with my little notebook and pen ready to poll the concert attendees. So, here's how it went down: I sat at the front of the club and asked every single person (even the drunk ones who didn't know where they were) who came through the doors how they heard of the show. Once they gave me that answer I then asked if they had seen any flyers or posters about the show. And here are my results:
Out of all the concert-goers, the most popular way people heard of the show was in the "other" category, with 69 % of those polled. Some of the answers I got were they heard it through a friend or they were friends with the band. Next in line is that folks heard about the show through the Internet, either the Lost Trailer's Web site, MySpace or an e-mail, with 20 %. Radio and newspaper (The Chronicle was the paper of choice) both received 5 % each. And finally, there's the flyer/poster category with a whopping zero %. Of all those who came to the show, none of them were there because of a flyer or poster.
So, my next step was to see if anyone there even saw a flyer or poster, and here are those results...
Of every person at the show, only 1.8 % actually saw a flyer or poster. Since this was such a rare occurrence, I asked the woman to give me details. She had received a handbill at a Gary Allan show she had attended about a week before the Lost Trailers show. However, she had already bought her tickets to the L.T. show, so the handbill had no real influence on whether or not she was attending the L.T. concert. Interesting.
So, for these country music-lovin' folks, the main way they were reached was through word of mouth. Many of the folks there had heard through a friend or was a friend of the band, supporting the idea that sometimes word of mouth is the absolute best advertising. Next, the Internet had a hold on plenty of the attendees, with people checking out the Lost Trailer's Web site, MySpace page or receiving an e-mail from the band. The Internet has many opportunities for bands to get their tour dates out and about, so this method seemed effective or helpful for the L.T. The radio, KASE 101 to be particular, was helpful in getting the word out about the show. A few of the folks who heard from this method were actually ticket winners to attend the show for free. The Austin Chronicle drew in a few folks as well, with the show listing in their concerts section. A few of the Chronicle people I talked with were out-of-towners from NYC who had just opened the paper to find a good show, saw Antone's and knew of it's reputation as being one of the best venues in Austin, and came on over to enjoy the live music.
While my research gave some insight on the effects of flyers and handbills on concert-goers, there is plenty I'd look at differently. One, this show didn't have a huge turnout so my sample wasn't as hefty as I'd like. I would have wanted to look at a vast audience to get a better feel for how those folks heard about the show. Maybe country music fans don't use flyers or posters as their main determinant on show choice? Maybe there were other huge acts in town that evening?
My next step was to speak to the head of concert marketing at C3 Presents to hear how she believed flyers or posters and other forms of concert marketing help their artists and venues to have a successful show. The discussion was interesting and eye-opening...stay tuned...
(PS-Pat on the back for me for making big girl charts.)
The band, The Lost Trailers (seen below), are a country act from Nashville with the hit song "Holler Back." They're a pretty hot little group right now and they'll be opening for Tim McGraw and Rodney Atkins, both big name country singers. So, needless to say, these guys are doing great.
The doormen and owners of Antone's were very welcoming of this little intern with my little notebook and pen ready to poll the concert attendees. So, here's how it went down: I sat at the front of the club and asked every single person (even the drunk ones who didn't know where they were) who came through the doors how they heard of the show. Once they gave me that answer I then asked if they had seen any flyers or posters about the show. And here are my results:
Out of all the concert-goers, the most popular way people heard of the show was in the "other" category, with 69 % of those polled. Some of the answers I got were they heard it through a friend or they were friends with the band. Next in line is that folks heard about the show through the Internet, either the Lost Trailer's Web site, MySpace or an e-mail, with 20 %. Radio and newspaper (The Chronicle was the paper of choice) both received 5 % each. And finally, there's the flyer/poster category with a whopping zero %. Of all those who came to the show, none of them were there because of a flyer or poster.
So, my next step was to see if anyone there even saw a flyer or poster, and here are those results...
Of every person at the show, only 1.8 % actually saw a flyer or poster. Since this was such a rare occurrence, I asked the woman to give me details. She had received a handbill at a Gary Allan show she had attended about a week before the Lost Trailers show. However, she had already bought her tickets to the L.T. show, so the handbill had no real influence on whether or not she was attending the L.T. concert. Interesting.
So, for these country music-lovin' folks, the main way they were reached was through word of mouth. Many of the folks there had heard through a friend or was a friend of the band, supporting the idea that sometimes word of mouth is the absolute best advertising. Next, the Internet had a hold on plenty of the attendees, with people checking out the Lost Trailer's Web site, MySpace page or receiving an e-mail from the band. The Internet has many opportunities for bands to get their tour dates out and about, so this method seemed effective or helpful for the L.T. The radio, KASE 101 to be particular, was helpful in getting the word out about the show. A few of the folks who heard from this method were actually ticket winners to attend the show for free. The Austin Chronicle drew in a few folks as well, with the show listing in their concerts section. A few of the Chronicle people I talked with were out-of-towners from NYC who had just opened the paper to find a good show, saw Antone's and knew of it's reputation as being one of the best venues in Austin, and came on over to enjoy the live music.
While my research gave some insight on the effects of flyers and handbills on concert-goers, there is plenty I'd look at differently. One, this show didn't have a huge turnout so my sample wasn't as hefty as I'd like. I would have wanted to look at a vast audience to get a better feel for how those folks heard about the show. Maybe country music fans don't use flyers or posters as their main determinant on show choice? Maybe there were other huge acts in town that evening?
My next step was to speak to the head of concert marketing at C3 Presents to hear how she believed flyers or posters and other forms of concert marketing help their artists and venues to have a successful show. The discussion was interesting and eye-opening...stay tuned...
(PS-Pat on the back for me for making big girl charts.)
Monday, November 10, 2008
Traditional Advertising: Flyers.
At C3, there is an extensive marketing team with lots of interns on designing flyers for shows that C3 books. As a part of my exploration of traditional artist and concert promotion I wanted to see if these flyers are beneficial (or not) for the artist, venue and promoter.
As you can see there is a clipboard right by all these flyers - this is for the C3 Street Team. Street Teams are efficient ways to get your flyers out around town without taking up your own time. Often, Street Team members are compensated for their time by getting free tickets to shows, posters, swag, etc., so if you're a student wanting to hit up great shows without having to pay for a ticket, a little time handing out flyers can get you in. Also, specific artists have street teams - Ben Kweller, for instance - who will be mailed posters, flyers, stickers or whatever else to hand out to pump up the artist in their area.
My next venture will be chatting with some Austin concert-goers to see how they learned of the show they're attending. Until then, my friends.
As you can see there is a clipboard right by all these flyers - this is for the C3 Street Team. Street Teams are efficient ways to get your flyers out around town without taking up your own time. Often, Street Team members are compensated for their time by getting free tickets to shows, posters, swag, etc., so if you're a student wanting to hit up great shows without having to pay for a ticket, a little time handing out flyers can get you in. Also, specific artists have street teams - Ben Kweller, for instance - who will be mailed posters, flyers, stickers or whatever else to hand out to pump up the artist in their area.
My next venture will be chatting with some Austin concert-goers to see how they learned of the show they're attending. Until then, my friends.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Traditional Advertising: Old Man.
I've been planning my next few blog posts about traditional advertising and getting things ready to go, but am haulted with a nasty cold. So, just a few more days, my friends, and we'll be back on track.
However, I do have a story today about traditional artist advertising. As I'm sure many of you have seen, musicians will plaster their name wherever they can - on street signs, light poles, sidewalks, trashcans, etc. I've illustrated that point in this post. Well, this morning as I made my way to the communications building I spotted an old man. Picture this. Ernest Hemingway with snow white hair, sunglasses, sneakers with mid-calve socks (somewhat scrunched), above-the-knee cargo shorts, a button-down collared shirt with a razor in hand. As soon as I saw him I started watching his actions. Why did he have a razor blade? What was the seemingly-normal man going to do with it? Slash students Freddy Krueger style? Nope. He was walking around Guadalupe Street scraping musician stickers off the poles, street signs and anything else in the city that had been molested by the musician.
I walked slower so I could watch his face as he scraped - it seemed like he was personally hurt by these musicians and their abandonment for any city aesthetics. He would shake his head in disappointment, much like a father would shake his head after finding out his daughter was dating the town's biggest thug. And then I had a sweet flashback to a poster-hanging assignment I was given.
At C3 I was given a stack of posters for a Black Joe Lewis show and told to go "plaster them in the city." So, I hesitantly took my stack and a roll of package tape. (I was hesitant because I try to save as much paper as possible or use recycled paper when I have the opportunity. This was just against my little green code I have. But oh well.) So, I walked to the Austin Convention Center and started putting up the posters on light poles. I felt like I was breaking the law, which I probably was. I felt sneaky, but not in a good way. I kept looking over my shoulder. It was probably really funny if you were a fly on the wall watching me creep around. After doing about 10 posters I started to head back toward my car - then a man started following me. He was a businessman, staring at me and saying things under his breath but loud enough for me to hear.
"You shouldn't be doing this." "This is defacing Austin." "This makes our city UGLY." "You suck."
OK, not that last one, but that's kinda how I felt. So, I pretended to be on the phone with someone having a really important conversation. So, needless to say, there are some people in the city who despise these flyers, stickers, posters, etc. and will say/do anything to get them down. Like Hemingway earlier today, this businessman was pretty passionate about the flyers - just in a different way.
So, for the promoters or musicians, what is the line you draw? Do you have a specific area to post your ads? Do you say f*** it and go on with your business? Is there another way to promote your show/band without paper? (This, by the way, is what I'm hoping to do in the business - find new and fresh ways to promote that are not on paper.) In the next few posts we'll see if little handbills and flyers actually get folks to shows. Stay tuned.
However, I do have a story today about traditional artist advertising. As I'm sure many of you have seen, musicians will plaster their name wherever they can - on street signs, light poles, sidewalks, trashcans, etc. I've illustrated that point in this post. Well, this morning as I made my way to the communications building I spotted an old man. Picture this. Ernest Hemingway with snow white hair, sunglasses, sneakers with mid-calve socks (somewhat scrunched), above-the-knee cargo shorts, a button-down collared shirt with a razor in hand. As soon as I saw him I started watching his actions. Why did he have a razor blade? What was the seemingly-normal man going to do with it? Slash students Freddy Krueger style? Nope. He was walking around Guadalupe Street scraping musician stickers off the poles, street signs and anything else in the city that had been molested by the musician.
I walked slower so I could watch his face as he scraped - it seemed like he was personally hurt by these musicians and their abandonment for any city aesthetics. He would shake his head in disappointment, much like a father would shake his head after finding out his daughter was dating the town's biggest thug. And then I had a sweet flashback to a poster-hanging assignment I was given.
At C3 I was given a stack of posters for a Black Joe Lewis show and told to go "plaster them in the city." So, I hesitantly took my stack and a roll of package tape. (I was hesitant because I try to save as much paper as possible or use recycled paper when I have the opportunity. This was just against my little green code I have. But oh well.) So, I walked to the Austin Convention Center and started putting up the posters on light poles. I felt like I was breaking the law, which I probably was. I felt sneaky, but not in a good way. I kept looking over my shoulder. It was probably really funny if you were a fly on the wall watching me creep around. After doing about 10 posters I started to head back toward my car - then a man started following me. He was a businessman, staring at me and saying things under his breath but loud enough for me to hear.
"You shouldn't be doing this." "This is defacing Austin." "This makes our city UGLY." "You suck."
OK, not that last one, but that's kinda how I felt. So, I pretended to be on the phone with someone having a really important conversation. So, needless to say, there are some people in the city who despise these flyers, stickers, posters, etc. and will say/do anything to get them down. Like Hemingway earlier today, this businessman was pretty passionate about the flyers - just in a different way.
So, for the promoters or musicians, what is the line you draw? Do you have a specific area to post your ads? Do you say f*** it and go on with your business? Is there another way to promote your show/band without paper? (This, by the way, is what I'm hoping to do in the business - find new and fresh ways to promote that are not on paper.) In the next few posts we'll see if little handbills and flyers actually get folks to shows. Stay tuned.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
The Economy: A Discussion.
As most of you know, my professor, Mike Mackert, is my independent study watchdog. We'll communicate about my blog via comment posting. He asked an interesting question after this post and I'd enjoy discussing it in more detail as a post. Enjoy!
I've heard reports in a couple places (Wall Street Journal This Morning podcast, I think) that a couple of the major movie studios are delaying releases right now, to avoid releasing a big movie right into the teeth of this recession (or whatever it is that we're in). What are the differences between movies and music, do you think? Are there some, or is this two pretty similar industries taking different strategies into a rough economy? - Mackert
Oh man, there are HUGE differences between movies and music - especially in the physical aspect. Let's take a looksie...
One: Movies are so static, meaning you just sit in a comfy chair and gorge yourself on popcorn. There's no involvement outside the brain, no body movement. Don't get me wrong - movies are great! Just not as active. Concerts, live, fresh, breathing concerts, are more of an active process. You jump around (except for the orchestra shows I've been to), you get close to the band, you have a total body experience. It's fantastic.
Two: Movies are just showcases of an actor's ability in a box. That actor can't improv in the movie you're watching - what's filmed is filmed. However, at a concert everything is on the fly. If a band plays a wrong note, it's there. I was at a Counting Crows show in 2004 and the lead singer was belting out their most amazing ballad while a huge june bug went diving down his throat. It was great and it's a memory for everyone there.
Three: Actors are on the screen, out of touch with humans. Maybe this is why so many Americans are fascinated with the out-of-reach-and-unattainable movie stars? Musicians at concerts are live in the flesh. You can run onstage and hug one. You can get a high five. Or a drumstick. Or sweat flung on you. Yes.
Now, to address your question on these industries and their actions with the recession. Since these industries have very different looks and feels, we'll treat them that way - as separate entities. I think it's interesting that the movie execs are delaying the release of certain blockbusters. Along with the music industry, who is focusing more on touring that the hard sales of records, the movie industry has a real opportunity to give U.S. folks the opportunity to "get away" during the recession or economic downturn. While researching this I found an interesting quote to share...
"The bottom hasn't fallen out of it," said Steve Feldstein, a vice president at Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment. "Historically, home entertainment has withstood economic downturns. Most folks would rather watch a movie than watch the stock market."
Can anyone say "Staycation"??? (Sorry, had to use it again to drive you crazy.) So, it's going to be interesting seeing how the nation is going to "deal" with the woes of their finances in terms of the entertainment they find. In my future I hope to see folks going back to riding bicycles and playing outside with their children instead of plopping them down in front of a $200 gaming system where games cost too damn much. Or going to cheap outdoor concerts - Orchestra in the Park - and dancing around like fools. Maybe we'll all sit down at the dinner table together instead of pillaging on fattening fast food. Maybe the family game nights and the ever-elusive Movie Nights will be back! Break out the popcorn, folks! It's time for a recession, but more importantly, it's time to cut back on our extravagance. Maybe this is a good thing?
I've heard reports in a couple places (Wall Street Journal This Morning podcast, I think) that a couple of the major movie studios are delaying releases right now, to avoid releasing a big movie right into the teeth of this recession (or whatever it is that we're in). What are the differences between movies and music, do you think? Are there some, or is this two pretty similar industries taking different strategies into a rough economy? - Mackert
Oh man, there are HUGE differences between movies and music - especially in the physical aspect. Let's take a looksie...
One: Movies are so static, meaning you just sit in a comfy chair and gorge yourself on popcorn. There's no involvement outside the brain, no body movement. Don't get me wrong - movies are great! Just not as active. Concerts, live, fresh, breathing concerts, are more of an active process. You jump around (except for the orchestra shows I've been to), you get close to the band, you have a total body experience. It's fantastic.
Two: Movies are just showcases of an actor's ability in a box. That actor can't improv in the movie you're watching - what's filmed is filmed. However, at a concert everything is on the fly. If a band plays a wrong note, it's there. I was at a Counting Crows show in 2004 and the lead singer was belting out their most amazing ballad while a huge june bug went diving down his throat. It was great and it's a memory for everyone there.
Three: Actors are on the screen, out of touch with humans. Maybe this is why so many Americans are fascinated with the out-of-reach-and-unattainable movie stars? Musicians at concerts are live in the flesh. You can run onstage and hug one. You can get a high five. Or a drumstick. Or sweat flung on you. Yes.
Now, to address your question on these industries and their actions with the recession. Since these industries have very different looks and feels, we'll treat them that way - as separate entities. I think it's interesting that the movie execs are delaying the release of certain blockbusters. Along with the music industry, who is focusing more on touring that the hard sales of records, the movie industry has a real opportunity to give U.S. folks the opportunity to "get away" during the recession or economic downturn. While researching this I found an interesting quote to share...
"The bottom hasn't fallen out of it," said Steve Feldstein, a vice president at Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment. "Historically, home entertainment has withstood economic downturns. Most folks would rather watch a movie than watch the stock market."
Can anyone say "Staycation"??? (Sorry, had to use it again to drive you crazy.) So, it's going to be interesting seeing how the nation is going to "deal" with the woes of their finances in terms of the entertainment they find. In my future I hope to see folks going back to riding bicycles and playing outside with their children instead of plopping them down in front of a $200 gaming system where games cost too damn much. Or going to cheap outdoor concerts - Orchestra in the Park - and dancing around like fools. Maybe we'll all sit down at the dinner table together instead of pillaging on fattening fast food. Maybe the family game nights and the ever-elusive Movie Nights will be back! Break out the popcorn, folks! It's time for a recession, but more importantly, it's time to cut back on our extravagance. Maybe this is a good thing?
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