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Marketing with Music and Almost No Money

Original Post 2/1/08:

Got $10 to spare for a marketing effort?

Sell A Band may represent the new paradigm for emerging acts in music, given the slow implosion that major labels are currently experiencing, not to mention the coma that music-centered retailers are in.

On Sell A Band, you can search around for acts that your customers like and if you find some, you can sign up for free as a Believer and invest in increments of $10. And of course artists can sign up for free and invite friends and fans to invest.

An especially good idea for small businesses with a strong online / e-commerce aspect, and those who want to build their web presence.

UPDATE 2/24/10: Sell A Band has declared bankruptcy and may continue under the auspices of new ownership, but that remains to be seen. Full story here

Posted Wednesday February 24, 2010
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What the '10 SXSW Music Panels Reveal to Marketers

Naturally Combo Platter loves event marketing and, by extension, marketing with music. After all, who doesn’t love music? When brands can partner with artists in smart and creative ways to reach and expand a consumer- and fan-base, it can result in a big win-win for all.

Folks in the advertising and marketing worlds seem to think so too – go here for yet another article crowing about some successes – but that doesn’t seem to be translating to the topics that will be on deck for the South by Southwest Music panel discussions, announced a few days ago. Lots of very interesting and relevant stuff to be sure, and it’s nice to see that they involved their audience in deciding what these topics would be. And clearly that makes a difference, as evidenced by the wide variety and yet some common themes, including lots on the digital and social realms. (Yes, of course those are marketing tools too, but I’m specifically referring here to companies partnering with artists.)

Frenzied and ubiquitous marketing at SXSW has become the norm, so there will be plenty of opportunities for resourceful artists at every level of success and who are open to such a partnership to rub elbows with potential sponsors and endorsers, and vice versa. But because this event is so huge it follows that the companies who tend to be marketing there are themselves huge – companies like Miller Brewing, Microsoft, Verizon and Levi’s come to mind from years past.

So where does that leave the “little guy”?

All too often these conglomerates overlook emerging artists in favor of the superstars, and there seem to be as many star acts at SXSW any more as there are not-so-famous. Certainly it makes sense to partner with big stars for their vast reach and appeal, but just imagine the “angel effect” it can have on a Big Corporation that offers financial and marketing support to a non-superstar act, the vast majority of whom desperately need it. A little can go a very long way towards creating a lifelong relationship. (The concept of a corporate-sponsored Battle of the Bands doesn’t count because it’s the most over-worked cliché. Ever. Boo.)

Still, lots of artists shudder to think of such a thing which is why it’s important for all involved to not only be smart and creative, but also to understand what they’re getting and giving when they enter into such an arrangement.

Smaller companies on tight budgets need not feel left out of the marketing opportunities presented by events like SXSW. In fact, those artists who would never dream of getting into bed with a conglomerate might on the other hand be very open to talking to a local mom & pop outfit about some support and cross-promotion on a smaller scale. The possibilities are virtually unlimited.

Posted Tuesday December 8, 2009
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Marketing without Music

Several recent posts have been preaching the gospel of SXSW as an example of how prolific and successful marketing with music can be when done well. But if your business doesn’t really cater to that market, then consider taking the ideas found in this blog and elsewhere on the site and modifying them to suit your target consumer. Event marketing avenues to consider could include sporting events, IT/IS gatherings, film festivals, foodie events, zoos, museums, business networks, and charitable functions.

Posted Friday March 7, 2008
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South by Southwest Taste on a MyTown Budget

SXSW has become such a high-profile music industry event that marketers clamor to it and then try to rise above the fray to create a killer buzz campaign. And that gets pricey.

(Click here to better understand why music is such a powerful marketing tool.)

So your product or service is perfect for a music industry showcase & festival, but what’s a small business to do? Well, check around for a SXSW knock-off in your city or region. The tremendous success of SXSW has spawned tons of copy-cat events all over the country. Of course they may not offer the same prestigious association, but they do offer a heck of a lot else that any savvy marketer can and should take advantage of. They also offer the chance for a more meaningful interaction with potential consumers – an opportunity that marketing-campaign-saturation renders less relevant every year at SXSW .

So here’s a partial list of similar events in other cities that might be more budget- and marketing-friendly to you:
DFest in Tulsa, Ok.
MusicFest Northwest in Portland, Or.
Atlantis Music Festival in Atlanta, Ga.
NoisePop in San Francisco, Ca.
MOBFest in Chicago, Il.

In addition to the above, most major markets have a local alt-weekly paper that hosts an annual music awards event. Some markets that come to mind are Dallas, Houston, St. Louis, Kansas City, Phoenix, L.A. / Orange County, Seattle, and Portland.

These events are lists that come to mind with no research (as I’ve been to most of them). So it’s just a matter of a little research.

OR…

Combo Platter specializes in this kind of thing. To find out why you should consider music events to market at, go here and here

To determine if this is a viable marketing avenue for your business – and it’s not for everyone – contact Combo Platter at info(at)ComboPlatter(dot)net.

Posted Friday February 29, 2008
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Marketing and Music Industry Chaos

The music industry is in something of a Jekyll and Hyde situation right now. CD sales have been in decline for several years, and the ball is rolling downhill faster and faster. This means that major record labels are slowly imploding. That’s the down side.

The up side is that music is more ubiquitous than ever; bands and artists have MUCH more power and options than ever; and there are tons more marketing channels and ways for an artist to build their business besides selling records.

Not long ago it was cd sales (“units moved”) that was the only measure of an act’s success, and touring was primarily a means of promoting and selling cd’s. But the decades-old paradigm is shifting. Full-length cd’s are being eclipsed by single downloads, and music is often given away for free as a promotional tool that then hooks the fan into buying merch, concert tickets, not to mention the ever-increasing pool of artists’ ancillary businesses such as clothing and fragrances. CD sales tracking is now only one element of the overall success measure, as things like live shows, ringtones, blog and chat room buzz, and social networking show the bigger picture of who’s hot and who’s not. Very often cd sales don’t translate into ticket sales, and artists who don’t sell many cd’s consistently play sold-out shows. Artists who use to be tied to major labels out of necessity are now taking control back and doing all kinds of never-seen-before experiments and deals. It’s pretty exciting, unless you’re employed at a major.

So major labels are hurting badly, other things are still evolving and have yet to settle into a predictable methodology, and many other music business aspects are positively thriving. It just so happens that those thriving parts, and even the still-evolving parts, are the ones that a business of any type and any size can utilize in a marketing partnership. Don’t let any reports of doom and gloom give you the wrong impression. These are the days.

Posted Thursday December 20, 2007
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Sponsorship is for Everyone

While this site is obviously skewed toward the benefits of sponsoring music events in particular, which is a huge category in itself, the biggest category for sponsorship is in fact sports. This ranges from the obvious ones such as American football, golf, and the Olympics to things like local 5k marathons and boating events.

This is especially great news for small businesses. It means that there are opportunities just about everywhere and you don’t need a budget of millions to get into the action. In fact, many smaller local events – whether they are sports, music, parades, community, holiday, charity, or whatever – have starting points at just a couple hundred dollars (much cheaper than advertising on radio or many print publications).

Whoever handles sponsorship for the event you’re considering should take the time to explain in detail all the available options for you that would best fit your budget and objectives. Try not to let preconceptions of pushy salespeople scare you away. Good sponsorship staff understand that honesty is the best policy and that creating a win-win situation is good business. When in doubt, do some research on the event and see if they’ve had consistent sponsors or if it changes drastically every year. (Some change is normal, but a big overhaul year after year is a red flag.)

Now brush off that hesitation and go for it!

Posted Tuesday November 27, 2007
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