Marketing Music in the Digital World

Music is everywhere. It infiltrates every aspect of  human life and, unlike any other art form, it is readily available to us at any moment of the day. It has the ability to mark important moments in our life and evoke powerful emotion. We all remember the song that pulled us out of a heart-break or effect a meaningful moment with a boyfriend or girlfriend. It lifts our spirits and makes us introspective (Listen to 'Time' from the 'Inception' soundtrack and think about your life. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xeHiTmx5AU ). You will remember the first song as a newly wed. You might even know a song that has become so powerful in your life that you want it to be played at your funeral. There is nothing so pervasive as music and it is only becoming more commanding and easy to access.

Today, guitar shredder and diva-wannabees have every tool at that their fingers that, until the 21st century, could not be utilized unless one had the monetary means or an undeniable vocal prowess. With Pro Tools, Ableton Live or any other Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) software, your next door neighbor's garage or even your own dorm room (or apartment) can be transformed into a high end recording studio. It has completely changed the way that music is created, produced and distributed today.

So the question must be asked: how do music moguls push their product in a world that no longer flips through the pages of magazines or newspapers? How do they get our attention while we are constantly being bombarded with flashing internet ads, text messages, and Facebook?

There is a simple answer:
They can't. At least, not as easily as they used to

The evidence is all there. MTV, now undeserving of the title "Music Television" is better associated with a petri dish of American culture, rather than musical exploration. Their directors believe that by simply playing a song on an episode of "The Hills" and displaying the song title and artist in a banner on the bottom of the screen, that they will have people hooked. Lady Gaga and the "genius" execs that created her persona  think that they can hypnotize us through indulgent fashion and hook-after-hook. The proof of their failure and the death of the music industry as we know it can be found here: ( http://www.informationisbeautiful.net/2009/the-death-of-the-music-industry/). Music sales are failing and there really isn't anything music execs can do because we don't need them anymore to discover and/or listen to music.

It is my belief that the average American has music marketed to them from a source completely out of control of the music industry: their peers. The electronic revolution of iPods, Youtube, Laptop computers, burnable CDs, social networking, and cell phones has catalyzed a open source arena for the sharing of a person's music collection and thoughts. We no longer need to heed the words of Rolling Stone magazine's music reviews because we now have every outlet available to judge music for ourselves. iTunes allows us to sample every song off Incubus's new album; Youtube lets us hear, with great sound quality, full versions of anyone's favorite song.
If you are friends with me on Facebook, look at the box that contains every link that I have posted. There are 41 links that I have posted over the past year and almost all of them will connect you to one of my favorite songs that I can make available through Youtube. I have had people thank me for posting a song because they never would have heard it unless I had made them aware. When people comment on or "like" the songs I put up, I feel a sense of satisfaction because I hit the mark with someone's emotions or played their favorite song.  I am the pusher and reviewer of the music of the past and present. So are you.

If my friend tells me that I have to listen to a song on his iPod or if I see that someone has posted a song to his Facebook page, I will listen to it. Even the music played during a party on campus (or off) opens one up to music that one cannot find through the mainstream. I trust your opinion more than the business men who are only looking to take .99 out of my wallet.

Over the summer, several people left mix CDs in my car, all of which made me aware of artists and songs that I would never have discovered if I only listened to the radio or looked to MTV to build my playlists.
If you haven't realized it already, the radio industry is strangled by a select number of corporations that tell stations across the nation what to play. The term Disk Jockey is no longer viable in our time. It used to be that DJs had the freedom to play original music; an opportunity that little of them get to enjoy today. If you don't believe me, watch the documentary "Before the Music Dies". You can watch it here: http://www.imdb.com/video/hulu/vi3758949145/  . More and more I hear that people do not listen to the radio. I only do when my iPod dies.

To sum up my thoughts, I quote John Mayer from an interview in Guitar World magazine. When discussing the avenues through which music is distributed and discovered, he says:

"I haven’t been handed a CD in a really long time. I’ve been handed a piece of paper with a MySpace link. That’s already become commonplace, and it’s important if you’re an artist and you want to promote yourself.
It used to be mailing lists. I used to go to Kinko’s and bring my Zip disk to the Mac tower to open up my Photoshop file with my little postcards about an upcoming show. I’d print them out, photocopy them, cut them, put stamps on them, and mail them. That went away, and then it was about programming HTML, so I learned HTML so I could build my first web site. And then it was about going on message boards and promoting yourself there. An artist has to accept that this is a constantly changing environment... The day of being a hero is over, because as soon as you become a hero, people can’t wait to take you down... I wonder if a new Eddie Van Halen could even exist these days, you know? Somebody would come out on a message board and argue that he’s not all that.
Buying a record used to be the end of the equation, but now it’s the middle of the equation. The end of the equation is the fans’ reaction to it. It’s the “voracious discussion” about it. A record is not the product anymore—it’s the catalyst. It’s the beginning of the discussion."
http://www.guitarworld.com/article/john_mayer_battle_star?page=0%2C4


We, as the most information rich generation of any in history, have the ability to create our own opinions about the world around us. Information and perception can no longer be propagandized as it used to and it is no better seen than in the death of commercialized music marketing.

~Parker Schweer- Junior BEM Major-Concentration in marketing (and obviously passionate about music)

Granny’s Birthday Shopping Spree Secret

           On this joyous day, the world celebrates another year of my existence.  All around the world parties break out in memorial of my creation.  This day in history has witnessed the exchange of great presents, birthday cards, and birthday wishes. I humbly write to you to share a story of birthday present giving, so that see into the depths of my past to learn about my present. The story depicted in this blog is true, only the names have been changed to hide the true identity of real people.

Each year near September a young man, Herbert, receives a phone call from his grandmother, Trudy.  The phone call’s purpose is to organize a shopping adventure for Herbert’s birthday.  Trudy, a relatively wealthy woman, loves Herbert and demonstrates her love by taking Herbert to Kohl’s and allowing him to select a few items for his birthday.  Herbert embraced this birthday tradition and held the deepest love for his grandmother who spoiled him so.  As Herbert grew older, he realized that the date of the shopping spree changed drastically, some years 2 months prior to his birthday, others only days before.  His years on earth had taught him to be observant.  His suspicions led him to look around Kohl’s curiously, scrupulously analyze everything he saw.  Finally after seeing vast amounts of the delightful elderly, it clicked – his grandmother only took him shopping on days with senior citizen discounts. 

Rather than being offended, Herbert found humor in the situation.  One could say maybe Trudy does not really care about Herbert so she tries to spend less on him. For all of those haters, Herbert’s birthday shopping experience mirrors that of his sister’s as well, she spends a wonderful afternoon at Kohl’s on senior citizen days with Trudy around her birthday.  His grandmother whose entrepreneurial husband founded a multi-million dollar company would only shop on senior citizen days for the extra 15% discount despite their comfortable wealth.  In my learning, I have known the elderly to be thrifty with their money, searching for sales, clipping coupons, willing to spend money if they seem to score a deal.  The turnout of senior citizens on the discount days has been remarkable in my experience and remains a positive reinforcement for senior citizens.  If one grandmother can schedule a shopping excursion for her grandson months in advance just to reap the benefits of the discount then Kohl’s must be taking the right steps to successfully maintain loyal customers (at least in the elderly category).  

Here is my recommendation to you, loved grandchildren across the globe, mark your calendars for senior citizen discount days. On those days give your grandparent a call and tell them you would like to go to lunch, shop, or just “hang out”.  I firmly believe that grandparents throughout the United States highlight and star senior citizen days on their calendars; utilize these days to demonstrate their love for their grandchildren.  Many believe that senior citizen discount days are gifts, gifts just like me, sent from above to spread joy to all those that inhabit this beautiful world.

Words by Shane Popham

Shane Popham is senior BEM Major with concentrations in Marketing and New Business Development and an Entrepreneurship minor.  He dabbles in Football at Wake Forest and enjoys spending rainy Sundays nestled alongside a warm fire. 

Make Yahoo Your Home

The sound of Motley Crue’s “Home Sweet Home” fills the TV speakers while a funny dude with a mustache hits the screen.  He sits in a floral chair in his living room, lovingly petting his little black puppy. As he sings the words “I am a dreamer”, he opens a shiny purple door to a world of excitement. His first adventure is walking into a classic concert hall, complete with a NASCAR pit chief passionately playing the piano as he burns in his bright orange suit and helmet.  The mustached man then struts onto a concert stage, stealing both the guitar and the spotlight from a punk rock band.  After rocking the stage he then rides the stock market bull, as stock prices roll and dollar bills fly.  His thirty-second adventure ends in his new living room.  The wallpaper is the same, the floral couch is still his seat of choice.  Yet the puppy is now full-grown.  The new backdrop of the living room is the Yahoo homepage.  And the man is no longer lonely and instead surrounded by cowboys, rock stars, soldiers, and NASCAR.  By just opening that purple door, the man now has all his favorite things in one place, bringing him to his knees in excitement.

This thirty-second commercial is ridiculously clever.  It shows the power of the Yahoo search engine by undeniably connecting to the consumer.  The first scene of the commercial expresses a normal existence of an everyday fellow, complete with a newspaper on the coffee table and an ugly floral loveseat.  When the song begins, the everyday man looks like he wants more out of life.  He looks like he wants more than his puppy to keep him company.  He wants excitement right at his fingertips.  He wants to experience different walks of life within a few seconds.  Every consumer can relate to this boredom of routine and this longing for adventure.  Therefore, with the help of Motley Crue’s famous ballad, the consumer is drawn to the commercial from the start.  With the second scene of a NASCAR pit chief caught on fire while tickling the ivories, consumers cannot help but raise their eyebrows as NASCAR plays in a classic concert hall meant for the days of Mozart.  Here the man in the basic plaid shirt is experiencing classic piano in a classic setting while watching the thrills of American car racing.  The consumer gets the sense of experiencing yearnings of any time or place.  Next the concert scene demonstrates this simple man living his childhood dream of rocking out on stage as the lead guitarist, complete with screaming fans and a mini-firework lighting effect.  His expressions and actions tell the consumer that he is loving every rock star second, even seen jumping off the stage presumably into the crowd.  Regardless of age, race, or gender, every consumer has wondered what it would be like to live the rock star life.  This man is so relatable that it makes the scene that much more believable and glamorous.  With the sports, the music, and the flashy lifestyle demonstrated, a money scene understandably comes next.  Riding the famous stock market bull, the man is on one heck of a ride as stocks are traded and bills are released.  Consumers quickly recognize this bull and the stocks rolling in bright neon lights.  Consumers long to be a part of this financial ride, with the hopes of money flying from the sky. This shows that he has access to the stock market and has control of his financials, both of which are necessary for an everyday consumer.  The last scene of the commercial is the man walking to that same floral seat he first sat in.  This time, the puppy has become a full-grown dog too big to sit in his lap.  The dog has matured and journeyed through life, just as his owner has.  Now the living room has the backdrop of the Yahoo homepage.  The man is no longer alone, but instead surrounded by all of his favorite things. This last scene is the first mention or visual of Yahoo.  For the first two-thirds of the commercial, the consumer is simply watching the man journey through various scenes.  Because the choice of adventures is so random yet so understandable, the consumer is completely engaged by the time the wallpaper splits at the end to demonstrate the Yahoo homepage.  

This commercial successfully shows the power of using the Yahoo search engine.  Consumers can access anything and everything through this one website and therefore Yahoo is the easy, convenient means to an any end.  By using Yahoo consumers can transform a dull existence into a thrilling adventure, for it helps consumers on their way to their favorite things. With its great understanding of the consumer, this commercial successfully convinces the viewers to make Yahoo their new home sweet homepage. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sM8nq6MSBWU

~Emily Langsenkamp is a Business & Enterprise Management major with a concentration in Marketing.

Benefits of Binge Drinking

...WARNING...WARNING...WARNING... Please do not take this blog too seriously, even though it is based on true observations.

Benefits of Binge Drinking

From my experiences there are 3 types of people in this world, those that
1. dont drink (lets call them bobs)
2. drink
and those that are fortunate enough to reach the pinnacle of drunkenness often verified by one exclaiming
3."im fucked up"...like this guy (pardon my french)

Exhibit 1: John (too much frat water)
Now whats so appealing about reaching this level of drunkeness often referred to as blackout (drunkenness in its purest form)?! Only the fact that you are now responsible for getting individuals from category 1 and 2 to your very exact state. This type of behavior can be observed by listening to people yelling out remarks such as "your a light weight", "Just CHUG IT", and "quit being a __"--well your vocabulary is the limit here. Now whats even more mind blowing is how Bob (individuals in category 1) and John (individuals in category 3) end up essentially having the same type of night. This would incline one to ask, how could John, the fratstar, be subjected to the same experiences as Bob, the lame. Simple,because Bob Did nothing, and John can remember nothing. So essentially, both are better off doing something productive, and this is often what happens.

Only at Wake Forest have I seen Johns score better on assignments completed in an inebriated state than assignments done by Bobs in a sober state. In this case, I think its safe to say, that every rational person would rather be John  for one simple reason, and that is....HE  DOESN'T REMEMBER DOING THE WORK. Everyone knows there is nothing like getting rewarded for something you don't remember doing. I guess there are benefits to binge drinking after all. On another note, hopefully when i wake up in the morning and look at this blog, ill say to myself,  "I had fun, but i dont remember doing it" ......


Posted by: Ajalon Elliott

Free Stuff

Today, I turned twenty-one.  I had been warned that turning twenty-one would be very anticlimactic.  Fortunately, that was not the case.  It was everything I had hoped it would be and more.  There were a lot of people at my birthday party.  Everyone was sweet and generous.  By sweet, I mean literally sweet.  I ended up with two large birthday cakes, a giant bag of peanut butter M&Ms, chocolate covered pretzels, cake balls, and three bottles of champagne.  I was/am extremely grateful for all of the sweets and other gifts that I received, but knew that I would not be able to consume all of those things by myself.  I was eager to share. 

I got my second cake at dinner tonight.  It was a delicious, homemade chocolate cake with chocolate icing.  My friend had taken the time to draw flowers on top and all along the sides of the cake.  She even put a picture of Zac Efron on top.   It looked fantastic, and tasted even better.  My friends (my party had been the night before, so dinner was just with a few of my closest friends) and I ate less than a quarter of the cake.  We offered some to the waitress, but she politely declined.  On our way out of the restaurant a group of three men in their mid to late thirties sitting at the bar saw the cake and asked if it was my birthday.  They were very flirtatious.  They complimented my outfit and told me I looked pretty.  They were nice, but they were a little excessive.  They finally asked about the cake, which I knew was what they wanted the whole time.  Since I already had so many sweets, I offered them some cake.  They asked the bartender for plates and a knife to cut the cake.  I handed one of the men the cake box, so he could cut his own slice.  He proceeded to take half of the cake.  He then had the audacity to ask one of his buddies if he thought that would be enough for three of them.  I refrained from responding that my five friends and I had not eaten half of what he had just cut for him and his two buddies.  They returned what was left of my cake, and thanked me because I had saved them each about eight dollars.  They were planning on buying dessert, but no longer needed to. 

When I joined my friends outside to go home, I showed them my cake and they were astonished.  None of us could believe that three strangers had taken so much of my cake.  It was really tacky, but it made me think about how much people love free stuff.  I would never pay for anything if I could get it for free.  If there is a sign that says ‘free food’ or ‘free shirts’ it’s almost guaranteed that I will be there.  I have friends that go to Harris Teeter just to eat the free samples.  No one turns down something that is free, so I guess I cannot blame them.  I did not need that extra cake anyway.  I actually still have a little bit left if anyone is interested. 

Posted by Leigh Vogedes

Silly Bandz and Viral Marketing

As a nation of consumers, we are obsessed with the latest fads and trends.  While some of these fads have reasonably long lives, others go extinct almost as quickly as they become popular.  Many of these trendy products have characteristics in common.  They are cheap, easy to find, and collectible, as in there are multiple variations (color, size, etc.)  Time will tell if the latest fad, Silly Bandz, will have the ability to remain popular for several years.

           

Robert Croak, founder/creator of Silly Bandz, first encountered similar products while on a trip to Japan.  When he first started he was shipping approximately 20 boxes a day from his home.  He now ships over 1,500 daily.  The incredible thing is he has created this success without any advertising.  He has rode an incredible wave of word-of-mouth marketing that has taken advantage of the new popularity of internet marketing through websites like Twitter and Facebook.  Currently over 350,000 people have “liked the Silly Bandz Facebook page.

For those who are not familiar, Silly Bandz come in packs of 12 or 24, and are nothing more than rubber bracelets that become a unique shape when you remove it from your wrist.  The product seems like a combination of two other fads, the Livestrong bracelet and the collectability of Pokemon, as many engage in the trading and purchasing of them in an effort to collect them all.  The Silly Bandz website features packs that include bands that appear as Marvel comic characters, Justin Bieber, and dinosaurs.  These bands, like so many fads, seemingly came out of nowhere in their rise to fame.  Like many fads, it sounds like a “stupid” idea until someone makes it popular.

What is fascinating to me is how something can become so popular, despite no advertising.  Currently four different packs are now among the top fifteen bestsellers on Amazon.com.  It is incredible to see just how powerful word-of-mouth advertising can be.  It is understandable that things can become popular within a local area, such as a school.  But Silly Bandz has had success nationally solely due to buzz marketing.  Silly Bandz captured the nation’s obsession with finding the latest and hippest trends and capitalized on the marketing potential of the online community.  Word-of-mouth advertising has been boosted by the development of social media sites.  Where it used to take months to spread news about a product, it can now be done with a single update.  Silly Bandz exemplifies the effectiveness of viral and buzz marketing and demonstrates why marketers need to learn how harness its power.  I anticipate viral marketing will become the focus of marketing departments going forward and may replace mass media marketing as the focus of promotional campaigns.

Posted by Michael Austin

Real Estate Marketing Campaign with a Twist

http://www.housingwatch.com/2010/09/09/sexy-homes-spice-up-north-carolina-market/?icid=main|main|dl4|sec4_lnk1|169394

I thought this article was very interesting.  It is kind of like shopping for a home in the same way you would shop for clothing in a magazine.  A real estate firm in Charlotte, NC decided to change the way they marketed properties and are now hiring models to pose in listing photos of luxury homes.  The firm had been doing very well in 2006 and 2007 and was the #1 seller of high-end homes in Charlotte, but when the real estate market began to decline in 2008 and 2009, the owners, Nick and Miriam Peters, decided to revamp their marketing campaign.

            Just as clothing companies hire attractive people to model their products in magazines, this real estate firm has hired models to, essentially, “try on” these luxury homes.  This can allow customers to envision themselves in the home just as they could envision themselves wearing an article of clothing that has been presented by a model in a catalog. 

            The owner evaluated his campaign’s effectiveness and found that visitors browsing listings with typical photos only stayed on the listing for 40 to 60 seconds whereas they stayed on the listings with the “lifestyle photos” for 4 to 6 minutes.  The longer a client stays on a listing the greater the chance they will purchase it.  Overall, the Peters’ listings went from getting 3 to 4 clicks per week to getting 10 to 20 clicks per day.  In addition, the firm has seen a 300% increase in home sales over the past year. 

            Nick Peters, whose target market includes wealthy clients such as pro athletes, coaches, business executives, and entertainers, also creates additional value for his customers.  When clients come to Charlotte he has them picked up at the airport in a foreign car and taken to a spa for some relaxation or to a club for some golf.  Once the customer is rejuvenated Peters takes them house hunting.

            I think the Peters did a fantastic job with their marketing campaign, not only because it was so successful, but because including a model in the photos allows the buyers to see themselves in the home.  It is helpful for these clients to be able to envision themselves in a home before they make such a large investment.  In addition, placing an attractive model in photographs of luxury homes may encourage clients to buy because they may subconsciously imagine that living in the home will make them appear chic and glamorous just like the model.  Finally, I think the unique buying experience Peters created for his customers by pampering them prior to their search for properties was also a brilliant idea.  The decision to buy a luxury home is a big decision and a large investment.  Therefore, it helps that the buyer is relaxed and in the right frame of mind before they begin their search for the ideal property.

            This article made me wonder: Will other high-end real estate firms emulate what this firm has done?  Will these additional services now be standard practice?

  Posted By Katie Guerra