06-07 Tools CompanionLabs 08-09 Campaigns Björk, X Ambassadors, Mabel 10–15 Behind The Campaign- Hot Chip
SEPTEMBER 18 2019 sandboxMUSIC MARKETING FOR THE DIGITAL ERA ISSUE 236
THE NEXT STEP FOR PLAYLISTS COVERFEATURE personalisation to some of its human- curated playlists, creating personalised editorial playlists that it says better reflect individual listening. Apple Music announced at the end of August that it was to launch New Music Daily, a playlist that, as you might expect, updates daily with new music, like a turbo-charged take on Spotify’s New Music Friday. Going further, Spotify has recently dabbled in ‘Enhanced Album’ playlists for artists such as Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish and The Beatles, while Apple Music has started to employ well-known visual artists to create artwork for its playlist brands.
THE NEXT STEP FOR PLAYLISTS POWER PLAYS laylists have become such an important Playlists still wield an enormous amount of power, part of the music marketing armoury but precisely how they do that has changed significantly Pover the last decade that it is tempting in recent years. At the heart of this are the two biggest to think of them as some kind of vast, players, Spotify and Apple Music, taking very different homogenous entity. But the truth is, even approaches. This is having a knock-on effect for setting aside the obvious divide between the algorithmic and the human-generated, marketing and promotion as weekly playlists are squaring streaming playlists vary significantly from up with daily playlists; exclusive playlists are trying platform to platform and from user to to steal a march on enhanced playlists; music playlists user. What’s more, playlists themselves are ceding dominance to podcasts (“podlists”?). At a are constantly evolving, as are streaming time when everything is up for grabs, how should you services’ attitudes towards them. Given the importance of playlists in In March 2019, for example, Spotify the music business, music:)ally asked a make your play? decided to add a dash of algorithmic collection of marketers and playlist experts
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outside of powering just Radio or Discover potentially lower or no engagement Weekly to broaden them out further into the beyond that? Or a lower total volume of wider ecosystem,” he says. streams initially, but a potentially greater music:)ally digital marketing coordinator chance of engagement for the song/artist Isabelle Ljungqvist agrees. “If I am looking beyond that and into the long term?” Barker at a genre playlist or a mood playlist, I don’t asks. want to listen to random stuff if I am not in On a practical level, Barker says labels discovery mode,” she says. “I want to listen will also have to stay on top of which to music that I recognise; but I want it to playlists are personalised and which aren’t. be this specific thing. And I don’t want to This could mean an added headache to an spend time making my own playlist. So, as a already hefty workload and a new layer of consumer, I feel that is really valuable.” complexity to a marketing mix that is already Happy consumers, in turn, mean better fiendishly complicated. engagement and longer session times on It is worth mentioning that Spotify has Spotify, which should keep the streaming already addressed one potential problem of service pleased – even if there may be the these new playlists – namely how artists can risk of an increased echo chamber effect in share a playlist that they might not appear the greater use of algorithms. on for all users. The company has created In announcing the move on its artists unique links to these playlists via Spotify for blog, Spotify said that the mix would Artists and Spotify Analytics for artists to give music “a better chance of getting in share. This means that any user who clicks front of the right listeners”, claiming that a unique link shared by an artist will see a personalised editorial playlists increase the personalised version of the playlist with that number of artists featured on playlists by artist’s track as the first song. how playlists are evolving on Spotify and 30% and the number of songs listeners are assume is true about how personalised Apple Music and what the impact of this discovering by 35%. “We found that, after playlists work – the pool of tracks changes Take enhance on me evolution will be on their marketing plans. discovering a song through a personalised from, let’s say, 60 tracks before it was editorial playlist, the number of listeners personalised to a few hundred now, then Spotify’s ‘Enhanced Album’ playlists – which The personal (in playlists) who then seek out the track on their own the algorithm will serve you the most allow select artists to create bespoke is political for repeat listens is up by 80%,” it added. “In appropriate 60 of those few hundred – playlists around album releases, including fact, the average number of times a listener inevitably that means, where there videos and visual content – received a more Spotify’s decision to mix human-generated saves a track is up 66%.” used to be 60 places for artists, there are muted response. music:)ally marketing playlists with algorithms, primarily among That’s not quite the whole story, though. now 400.” executive Marlen Hüllbrock believes that the ‘moods and moments’ lists, received a largely Barker says the introduction of personalised The flip side is that, as not all users feature will help to add all-important context favourable response. Justin Barker, director editorial playlists could be regarded as “a are getting the same 60 songs, the total to digital music. “Having something to of streaming strategy at [PIAS], feels the double-edged sword for labels”. volume of streams for one track will interact with, something visual, something move makes a lot of sense for users. “You have bigger opportunities to be presumably decrease. So it becomes an that is able to tell the story is good – so, from “Spotify has harvested quite a lot of discovered, which you have to say is a good almost-existential question for labels that perspective, it is worth it,” she says. information on its users, especially those thing,” he argues. and artists, according to Barker: “What is On the other hand, Ljungqvist argues who have used the platform for a long time “ Playlists primarily exist, from a better: a greater volume of – possibly ‘dry’ that this could actually detract from the – and it makes sense for them to re-purpose label point of view, to facilitate but still revenue-generating – streams listening experience. “There is a study some of their personalisation algorithms discovery of your artists. If what we in the short term for a song but with from Vevo which said that if people are
2 | sandbox | ISSUE 236 | 18.09.2019 COVERFEATURE consuming music on YouTube, they don’t the role of playlists and get people to be want to hear even a little cut to the music more creative and to think how we get when people are talking. They prefer potential fans to listen to artists’ music pseudo videos. And doesn’t the playlist in other ways without having to rely on experience operate in a similar space to editorial support,” says Donoghue. “We have that?” she says. “Isn’t it annoying? If you all heard the [figure of] 40,000 songs a day just want to consume music, you don’t being uploaded to Spotify. Last year it was want a podcast or someone saying, ‘Hey, 20,000 songs a day; next year it might be dude’. That sounds a bit like radio or 80,000. How do you compete with that? Spotify with ads.” Spotify only has X number of What’s more, some marketers have playlists, so there are only going to questioned how new the ‘Enhanced Album’ be Y number of slots. ” concept actually is. “These kind of playlists that have Post-playlists: Scandinavia been hybrids of video, the artists talking, as a sign of things to come introducing songs; they have been around for years,” says Kieron Donoghue, founder In Scandinavia this evolution is already under of “streaming-friendly” label Humble Angel way, according to one marketing source Records. “Literally since Spotify there. He says that even the higher-profile first launched, they had a craze playlists in Scandinavia no longer deliver for artists releasing albums with streaming hits as users mature in their commentary or playlists with streaming habits. commentary as well as radio in recent months. I feel as though they – I to podcasting in a finite environment, “There is a new generation who grew shows.” don’t know if ‘taken a step back’ is the right something has to give – then the impact on up on Spotify, watching the storefront term – seem to have put priorities on other music marketing could be huge. “We are at products, pop music, EDM, all that stuff. Their Playlists give way forms of content, particularly podcasts on the stage now where podcasts are really behaviour is now changing: they are going to “podlists” the platform.” taking off, but the music industry hasn’t past the storefronts and finding what they Another marketer adds, “Spotify necessarily worked out how to capitalise on want to hear,” he says. “If you have playlists Perhaps more worrying for marketers is is certainly updating its playlists less that yet,” says music:)ally marketing and like Summer Holidays or Cuddle, it used to the notion that Spotify is actually starting frequently. There are a lot that don’t seem training manager Kushal Patel, who sees be the go-to for the music you want to play to neglect playlists in its much-heralded to get updated for a long time. Fresh this as a problem in the short term. in a certain situation. But I think people are push towards podcasting. “Whoa, when Finds is a really obvious example of that: a “If, in the future, licensing is sorted out more and more doing their own playlists and I open @Spotify on desktop I see New recent lack of an update one week was not and there is a more established way of following other types of playlists.” Releases when I click on the Dance genre an isolated incident. Two years ago, that getting music into podcasts, then it might As a result, Scandinavian digital and no playlists at all. The Hip-Hop genre was a really important product for Spotify not be as much of an issue as people think,” marketers are moving beyond playlist presents me with podcasts. Bring back the and it still is a really important product he says. “It might just be another avenue to placement in their promo plans. “We have to playlists guys,” tweeted Donoghue on 4th for development/new artists, especially promote music.” go back and do it in the old-fashioned way, September. independent artists. And if they are not Then again anything that forces where we create a buzz outside and try to Donoghue tells music:)ally, “With Spotify, updating that playlist, it’s a huge miss marketers to think beyond playlist focus on building actual fans who go onto I haven’t really seen much development for any artist releasing that week.” placement in their strategic plans could be Spotify and search for that actual record and in terms of the playlists that they are Should this be the case – and, logically, a positive in the long run if it encourages play it, much more than relying on playlists,” developing and creating on the platform with Spotify devoting more time and space creativity in the field. “It might de-emphasise our Scandinavian marketer says. That might
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and designers to create the cover art for the playlists, to create this really unique cover art with stories behind it [in order] to really give these playlists a personality and identity,” says Donoghue. “Whereas Spotify’s [playlists] very much follow the format. They look good, but you can identify Spotify playlists as they follow certain guidelines.” Apple Music will also be hoping some of this visual cool rubs off on its brand. “I get the feeling that Spotify is perceived as a slightly cooler, more youthful brand than Apple,” says one marketer. “Apple is perceived as a more grown-up brand. Young people that have it might be on family accounts, they just have an iPhone or it’s bundled in with their phone contract. If that is true, then from a brand perspective it Music’s playlist to makes a lot of sense to make your playlist stand out from the sound troubling, but he calls the process are, who the artists are,” he says. “On Spotify, look cool. The Spotify playlist artwork is also masses, nudging “freeing to a certain degree”. you might get 10 words – if that. Apple is in serious need of a refresh because much of them towards the “As a marketer or a label you feel you really expanding it and giving people another it has been the same for years.” kind of brand hero have more control over the results and the reason to engage with that playlist and the This approach should also help Apple status that we once true potential of a project because you are content in it.” associated – and able to influence it from outside; you are able Similarly, Apple Music recently revealed possibly still do to do something that actually changes a it has been hiring visual artists, including associate – with result in the end,” he says. Gerard Huerta, the creator of the iconic Spotify playlist Interestingly, as Spotify seems to be AC/DC logo, to design covers for its bigger brands like moving away from playlists, Apple Music playlists, including Hip Hop Hits, Rap Caviar . “You appears to be moving in the opposite Dale Reggaetón and The Rif . The artwork want your playlists direction, using playlists to differentiate itself is meant to “connect more directly with to be brands, you from its Scandinavian rival. “There are some the communities and the culture for which want people to clever people [at Apple Music] who I think are they were intended” according to Rachel recognise them, you looking at those gaps that Spotify has and Newman, Apple’s global director of editorial, want people to know they are filling those gaps,” says Donoghue. who spoke to The Verge about the move. that The Agenda “And they are doing it really well.” In doing so, Apple Music is tapping into or ALT CTRL playlist Donoghue explains that Apple Music is deep, visceral connections between music, is on Apple Music using in-depth (or more in-depth, anyway) art and identity, re-establishing some of and that’s it,” says one marketer. “And so playlist notes to differentiate its service. “If the visual signifiers of musical belonging you continue on your Apple Music account you look at most of Apple’s big playlists, they that have been lost in the digital music because it has these great playlists that will have a really long description, telling you age. “I really like the idea of getting really you remember the name of and that look what the playlists are about, what the songs well-known, established graphic artists really cool.”
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Friday is hardly an exclusively Apple Music trait, with many Spotify playlists updated on other days of the week. Donoghue, meanwhile, believes that the move to New Music Daily should help to drive listening. “The problem we had before with Apple Music Best Of The Week [which New Music Daily replaces] and Spotify New Music Friday is that after Saturday nobody really listened to these playlists,” he says. “ Who listens to a New Music Friday on a Monday? The fact that new songs are now coming in daily gives you that reason to keep going back in and discover. If anything I think it Music’s move to create a daily new music makes New Music Daily a more important playlist in New Music Daily could help playlist to be pitching to.” marketers escape the obsession with Friday Ultimately, as the battle between release dates – a fixation amplified by the Spotify and Apple Music rages, it is other smaller brands quite aggressively success of Spotify’s New Music Friday . inevitable that playlists will continue to The great playlist land grab within the channel.” “The ‘everything must come out on a evolve, pulling music marketing onwards Barker says he is looking forward to Friday’ [approach] is really anachronistic,” with them. This may prove challenging In a similar fashion, Apple Music has been seeing Apple’s plans beyond headline he says. “Why should it come out on a for marketers but it should help to keep associating itself with iconic compilation brands such as Now! . “Hopefully, once the Friday? Especially if your artist is a digital- playlists from becoming stale, of which brands, signing an exclusive deal with partnership with Now! and Ministry proves first artist. Of course, there are chart weeks there is already some evidence. Ministry Of Sound in 2018 and – successful, Apple might look to expand and if that is a concern for you then, sure, “A lot of Spotify’s playlists are really the reportedly – agreeing a similar deal with similar opportunities to other editorial you have to release all formats at the start same,” says one Swedish marketer. “I don’t the Now! series. (Apple hasn’t confirmed a brands that focus on other genres and of that week. But if that’s not what you know why. They have so many different deal with Now! But many of the old Now! we will have a richer ecosystem,” he says. are going for, I don’t see why it makes any ones for each genre, but if you look at them compilations have disappeared from Spotify, In doing so, he believes Apple Music can difference if you release on Friday, Monday they have the same stuff on it – the same while Apple Music claimed to have an set a precedent for taking a bit more of a or Tuesday.” songs, the same artists.” “exclusive playlist” for Now 102 in April 2019, democratised, yet still discerning, editorial He continues, “A lot of our artists Another marketer agrees: “The format of according to Donoghue.) approach. “That’s because there is an release on different days and it playlists is not necessarily stale, but needs “Apple Music is really embracing big inherent limitation to the size of editorial is usually in line with when we can freshening up a bit,” he says. compilation brands and musical brands teams on both platforms and they can’t get the best promo, which might be a Donoghue concludes, “I think, in some within the platform,” Donoghue tells possibly cover every single thing,” he says. radio premiere or an online premiere ways, the very format of a playlist, a music:)ally. “Spotify is very much Spotify This, in turn, could help marketers to move in conjunction with a brand partnership or collection of music which gets updated on editorial; Spotify content is what the beyond their rather blinkered obsession a sync. From that point of view you have a regular or semi-regular basis, is just how consumer sees and that’s about it. Whereas with big playlists, giving them somewhere to applaud Apple’s decision to move to we expect to consume content now. It is Now! has an exclusive deal with Apple, else to turn to when the star editorial something more dynamic than just weekly almost expected that things will change Ministry Of Sound has a much-publicised teams aren’t biting. updates.” All the same, he points out that and evolve. And I would like to see that collaboration and Apple is promoting a few Equally, Barker believes that Apple updating playlists on days other than happening.” :)
5 | sandbox | ISSUE 236 | 18.09.2019 TOOLS COMPANIONLABS
As Facebook and Instagram continue delivers daily emails summarising your to sponge up the bulk of the music recommendations for each ad account that marketing dollars out there, tools that you’re using the service for. promise to scale ad spend efficiently will Performance Trends were introduced naturally sound tantalising to anyone who in early 2019 to help to quickly understand advertises on these platforms regularly. trends over time in a way that, according to CompanionLabs, you cannot do through CompanionLabs is one of many accredited Ads Manager or other tools. Facebook Marketing Partners for campaign You can set a target performance management and sells itself as having threshold and compare your performance developed an algorithm to optimise spend trends against this target, despite day-to- based on “statistical significance”. day volatility. For each day, you will get a The first thing to mention is that the bar chart comprised of “gain” (conversion self-service platform works seamlessly value is higher than ad spend) and “loss” with Facebook Ads Manager. Instead of (conversion value is lower than ad installing a new application, you just need Before assigning the grade, all ad sets spend). to connect the ad accounts you want to are categorised by optimisation goal and There’s also the possibility of use the service for and then add a specific funnel stage, meaning that the platform clicking into each value to see suffix to your ad sets so that the system distinguishes between “prospecting” which ad sets contributed to can test various budgeting options. versus “retargeting”. that gain or loss. A possible way CompanionLabs aims to provide This is very useful for marketers to to look into this data could be, actionable advice on how to spend budgets help them quickly see how profitable their for example: “View dashboard in the most efficient way and help save advertising is with regard to fans who for prospecting ad sets with a time when managing your ads. haven’t shown an explicit interest in their goal of purchase show ad set The platform boasts three main artists’ products before. You’ll then be able performance for the last 14 days.” features – Performance Grading, to see how well each ad set is performing A graph visualises how your Recommendation Centre and its newest in each category. performance trends compare to addition in the shape of Performance After making you aware of which the ROAS threshold you set for Trends. ad sets drive profit versus which ones recommendations from the top of your yourself. In the context of Performance In an effort to help you optimise your perform poorly, the Recommendation dashboard, which will then display all Trends, CompanionLabs says that its big ad sets relating to your desired ROAS Centre is where CompanionLabs provides available recommendations categorised by differentiator from the insights you can get (return on ad spend), CompanionLabs help with optimising your ad spend and type. By clicking the Apply Now button, you from Facebook is that its trending analytics assigns grades to each of your ad sets that creative to deliver the most effective ads. can simply deploy each recommendation; are relative to the target performance you reach a “statistically significant level of There are four types of recommendations or you can choose to press Ignore, in want to achieve whereas on Facebook it’s performance”. This is done with a grading the algorithm can provide: budget; bidding; which case the system will stop making based on the end result, so you would have scale of A to F – with A and B being good, C creative; and pause recommendations. recommendations for that ad set and that to do an extra level of interpretation. average and D to F bad. You can navigate to these recommendation type. The platform also It has to be noted that the platform will
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on ROAS, a tool like this lends itself much much of a difference it makes for your more to ad campaigns that are marketing advertising spend. physical products, merchandise, tickets or AdEspresso, Smartly.io and AdStage even downloads where a true conversion are probably the biggest competitors to can be tracked. However, you can also CompanionLabs. AdStage stands out switch to CPA view which will be the view due to its easy-to-use interface, while if you’re optimising for anything other than where the others excel is in the amount of purchase (such as engagement). platforms they can be used for. Using the service is not cheap so it However, CompanionsLabs claims will be more useful for mid-tier or bigger that it is currently working on making artist teams – especially considering the its platform work across Google Ads. fact that the system only works with ad Moreover, it positions itself well in the accounts with a minimum spend of $500 middle ground in terms of pricing, with be more useful for some music marketing Moreover, as there is no set global per month. AdEspresso being more affordable but cases than for others. “per-stream” rate, it is hard to calculate The pricing is based on your monthly Smartly.io charging much more. It is difficult to determine ROAS when an exact ROAS. There’s also the wider Facebook ad spend and starts at $179 Right now, the platform’s focus is it comes to streaming as there are no true factor that simply driving a single stream per month for an ad spend of up to very much on data science informing conversion metrics available on the main is not the end goal and will never be $25k, which enables you to connect an smart spending. music:)ally does wonder DSPs, particularly when driving to them able to justify a ROAS based on current unlimited amount of ad accounts and whether in the future the service will also from external sources; therefore you CPC/CPM rates. This differs from the access all features. have to incorporate tools that help to won’t have data on how many times a conversion metrics we relied on in the There is a free 14-day trial available generate great ad creative as opposed to song has been streamed as the direct past from things like iTunes. with no need to set up a credit card, so just recommending the best performing result of an ad. Therefore, when it comes to this focus you could always test it and evaluate how ad variations. :)
7 | sandbox | ISSUE 236 | 18.09.2019 CAMPAIGNS The latest projects from the digital marketing arena BJÖRK ’N’ ROLL: SINGER LAUNCHES VR VERSION OF VULNICURA ALBUM
here. “I know that 99% of people think VR is just for nerds with no hearts,” she recently told Ars Technica. “That it’s self- delusional wanking and has no soul. But I’ve been answering questions like that since 1993 when my first album with drum Björk has long been an apostle for the creative thirsty for something more than just games. machines came out […] Can possibilities of VR and has also been keen to twist The videos themselves are essentially a there be soul in technology? the album into new possibilities. Her creation of an collection of the promos she made for the album Yes! If you put soul in it, there iPad version of her Biophilia album back in 2011 between 2014 and 2016 now pulled together will be. That’s the same with was a sign of where she wanted to take things and for new (VR) platforms. But rather than just anything. Electric guitar, bongo she has now returned to her Vulnicura album from wrap up old videos in new ribbons, there is also turn it into an additional gift for the ideology in drum, whatever.” 2015 to push it into different shapes by drawing on a 360º animated score by Stephen Malinowski, the music.” While she is not completely an outlier, she is cutting-edge VR technology. meaning the sound will change for the user/ This is not totally uncharted terrain for Björk so far ahead of every other musician here that viewer depending on how they move with the and should rather be seen – as with her 360º whoever comes in her wake and does something The VR edition of Vulnicura, made up of nine headset on. video for ‘Stonemilker’ in 2015 or her immersive amazing with VR can only risk looking like an different videos, is available through the Steam “The whole process has been an VR exhibition that opened in Somerset House in arriviste. That should, of course, not preclude and Viveport digital stores for HTC’s Vive, improvisation, trying to keep faith in formats,” September 2016 and is now traveling the world others from seizing the possibilities here, but Facebook’s Oculus Rift and the Valve Index said Björk in a statement. “It is too easy for (where many of these videos were first shown) – they need to treat it as seriously and as carefully headsets. It costs $24.99 and, while not as musicians to turn pessimistic after CDs have as part of a creative continuum where music and as they do their own music. The lesson here expensive as the recent £500 boxset version of evaporated, but I wanted to try to have courage technology are melded. is that if they just see VR as a bandwagon, her Utopia album (including 14 handmade bird to grow along with how 360º sound and vision She is obviously hugely passionate about they have to accept they cannot actually climb flutes), this is really for fans or VR enthusiasts tech was growing. With every challenge try to the artistic opportunities and creative liberation onboard a virtual vehicle.
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CAMPAIGNS The latest projects from the digital marketing arena
WEB SIGHT DESIGN: X AMBASSADORS CREATE “AUDIO-ONLY” VIDEO STAGE FRIGHT: MABEL PLAYS SOCIAL MEDIA-FRIENDLY CONCERT
Mobile phones and websites life.” With headphones in, the can and should be designed for audio shifts when the user The users with sight loss in mind rotates their phone left or right. stage for and W3C (the World Wide Web It all sprang from the fact the Mabel Consortium) offers important that keyboardist Casey Harris show was web content accessibility himself is blind so this is built to guidelines for companies very much a deeply personal allow “all and web designers to create mission for the band. elements sites that make content more “The app is for everybody,” of [a] gig accessible for people with he said in a press statement. to be seen disabilities (including sight “I hope that visually impaired and heard impairment). people enjoy it and get a lot in a vertical out of it, but I’m also really symphony”. With all this in mind, creating excited for sighted people and This is either the A vertical a music “video” specifically everyone else to experience the greatest idea of all symphony! designed for the blind and world and experience the music time or this year’s What times partially sighted is what video in a totally different and most significant we live in. Mabel performed in the X Ambassadors have partnered new way.” generational line being middle tier with her dancers, her DJ with Microsoft to try and There will also be a live tie- drawn in the sand. was on the bottom tier and her band achieve. What they are terming in where it will be recreated as were on the top tier so they would an “audio-only music video” has a “VIP pre-show experience” In short, Mabel all fit better into a photo. It might been created for the band’s track on X Ambassadors’ tour. This performed on a three- struggle, however, with an act like ‘Boom’ and released as an app part will be multi-sensory (with tier stage that was designed specifically Polyphonic Spree and they’d have to build a for computers, mobile devices a crackling fire if you choose to work for images being posted to social special pano-stage instead. and Microsoft’s own mixed- the Ithaca option or a bustling media. Despite cameras being able to It is easy to mock, but we all have to reality HoloLens headset. bodega if you choose the function in both landscape and portrait accept that things must change; ergo the It uses Windows Sonic Bushwick option). mode, both social media users and social older naysayers among us should pipe 3D, a bespoke spatial-audio It is an important and timely media platforms have defaulted to the latter. down and let the next generation do their technology, that lets users pick reminder, given just how much It was all part of a partnership with thing. So all power to them. It was also, between two scenes – either a marketing and social activity Samsung (of course there was a mobile we thought, slightly Ballardian and half walk in Bushwick, Brooklyn near is based on still and moving phone company involved) to show off not expected a cameo from Robert Laing. the band’s old rehearsal space images, that not only are just its hardware but also its new Samsung Given the stage is designed to look or Ithaca, New York (where two certain audiences excluded KX space in King’s Cross in London. The good on social media posts, we presume of the band members grew up). from this but that music is venue is described as “London’s new that acts like phone-phobic Jack White will The app description says, “Field recordings inherently a sonic medium and that’s where its destination to experience the latest in not be booked in any time soon to play the from each location bring the surroundings to greatest power still lies. culture and innovation”. So now you know. venue.
9 | sandbox | ISSUE 236 | 18.09.2019 BEHIND THE CAMPAIGN HOT CHIP BEHIND THE CAMPAIGNHOT CHIP
A Bath Full Of Ecstasy is Hot Chip’s seventh album and was released in June – their first new album since Why Make Sense? in 2015. COREY ZALOOM (senior manager, digital marketing) and BROOKE SALISBURY (head of marketing) of Domino Recording Company explain how they set up the album by getting their catalogue streaming in order after the label acquired three of their previous albums from EMI/Parlophone, where live was used to reawaken interest in the band, how the video for ‘Hungry Child’ reached far beyond their core audience and why both Instagram and TikTok were key new platforms in the band’s marketing arsenal.
Getting the band’s catalogue streaming Domino acquired the band’s EMI/ CZ: We had a few goals going into the change in three or four years, so in order before the new album Parlophone catalogue in early 2018 album in spring 2019 and one was things like Instagram were a new BS: This is only our third album with [covering three albums between 2006 and to reactivate their catalogue. Some priority for the band. We were the band [after 2012’s In Our Heads and 2010] and that was a key part of the set up of that included re-uploading high- looking at how to integrate things 2015’s Why Make Sense?]. They have for this campaign. At that point we were definition versions of their videos and like Instagram Stories as well as how made seven albums altogether but we preparing for this new album campaign getting streaming to a stronger place. we shifted our content and asset strategy haven’t worked with them for their entire and so, finally, we had everything in- The band have a substantial social around these rapidly changing trends on career. We were lucky enough to take house. That’s when we really started to following, but given the amount of time social media in a way that fits the brand, them on a couple of records ago. get underway with our preparations for between releases, the fanbase really voice and style [of the band]. the new album campaign. needed to be reactivated. So much can We started off by setting up some key
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catalogue playlists for the band as well This Is Hot Chip had been an follows]. We started in November last year members] Joe Goddard and Alexis Taylor as curated playlists that the band could algorithmic playlist on Spotify. It wasn’t when This Is Hot Chip had 5,000 followers on their solo projects as well. So during update regularly and that we could share curated or managed by the Spotify team. in total. After moving through the that time we were working closely with Joe on socials to help grow Spotify followers. We really wanted to work with Spotify on following drive and Spotify on-boarding and Alexis on their own album campaigns. We also did a merchandise giveaway the playlist as the key catalogue property the playlist as a curated list, we’re now at That meant the band members stayed leading into the end of the year. That was and destination for the campaign. In 18.62k followers. very well versed in what it takes to put attached to a Spotify follow and an email order to do that and to get Spotify to start The whole exercise in terms of together a modern campaign. list sign-up. It was about getting those curating the playlist and working on it with driving This Is Hot Chip on Spotify When we approached the new Hot core followers set up for that. us actively, we had a six-month period of and Hot Chip Essentials on Apple Chip record, the guys were completely au digital focus around growing the follower Music has been incredible. Those fait with how people were engaging and BS: We really were very invested in accounts and driving streams per user two playlists are now the band’s consuming music these days – which was reactivating the catalogue but we also within the playlist. number one stream generators really helpful from our side. As a band, knew that the stronger the following We were really working hard on that on both Spotify and Apple Music. they are incredibly creative and they bring that we can accrue around the This Is before we got into campaign mode. We’ve come into the campaign with the a lot to the table. They’re very connected in Hot Chip playlist on Spotify and the Hot We were then able to show Spotify the catalogue completely reactivated globally terms of the collaborators that they want Chip Essentials playlist on Apple Music incredible growth within the playlist and and two playlist properties that are to work with. the more it was going to benefit us when ask them at that point to start curating actually yielding really incredible stream For this campaign, the band had we moved into the new campaign cycle. it and really focusing on the list with us results week-on-week for the band. just taken on brand new management. Having that engaged audience ready to within the album campaign. That was They’d started working with Verdigris speak to with new music in partnership successful and Spotify ended up curating Keeping abreast of evolving marketing Management who also do Superorganism with the DSPs [was key]. the playlist. techniques and working with a new team [another Domino signing]. For us at Throughout the album campaign, BS: It was four years between albums Domino, we had a band who are incredibly we’ve seen incredible results with [playlist for the band. Domino works with [band engaged with a lot of great ideas and a brand new management company who always bring a lot to our campaigns. We were really coming into it from a strong position in terms of where the band was at and the team around them.
Underplays helping to set things up and teasing the album artwork CZ: The band announced a short run of underplays a month before the album announcement. We offered a pre-sale access code with an email signup. As it was a month before album announcement, we already had artwork ready and knew what things were starting to look like. So we were able to incorporate some of the new elements, like new fonts and new textures, as a gradual rebranding process. We were starting to trickle some
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of that into our marketing. That was a perfect jumping off moment to brought in Martin Starr from Silicon Valley The album cover is very colourful. We announce the new record and to finally put and Freaks & Geeks along with Milana did everything in black and white to start a new track out there [at the start of April]. Vayntrub to appear in the video. It knocked so that when we were ready to move into We’d been doing a lot of teasing before all of us out – and the band too. the album announcement there would be that point. People knew there was new With ‘Hungry Child’ , we knew that a big explosion of colour. There was also music coming and they’d had a taste of there was this great opportunity to a new video that we were teasing out and the artwork. place the band very squarely in front of we had a substantial email list coming One thing that we learned a generation of fans who would have from the tour announcement to share along the way with Hot Chip probably never had contact with Hot Chip with everybody. is that their fanbase doesn’t before. necessarily need a high degree of Combined with having this great video, Getting everything in place complicated teasing. We knew that we also knew that this was a chance to for the album announcement this process of re-engaging the fanbase really introduce ourselves to this brand BS: When we came to do the album had been an elongated exercise and so we new strata of fans. This was a big target announcement, we had done six months didn’t want to draw it out too much. demographic for the campaign based on of digital housekeeping. The Spotify We came straight out of the gates after the album that the band had made. followers were in a great place. The the 6 Music Festival and announced the From that point, we really focused on band had announced and sold out a album. We dropped ‘Hungry Child’, the first digital marketing and social marketing global headline tour. They also had just single with a really great narrative-driven that would put the video in front of people played the 6 Music Festival where they video that we knew would really excite the who were not in the traditional Hot Chip previewed a few of the new songs live fanbase. fanbase. and these filmed performances from the Touring is always key for Hot Chip, festival were flying around the internet. so we put on sale a massive world tour CZ: We used the ‘Hungry Child’ video People were talking and we could and bundled the album with tickets, for the bulk of our digital advertising. really see that the engagement was high. which ended up producing an incredible result. With the album/ticket bundle and One of the great things about that was signed D2C combination, we were able to that, because it’s a narrative video, we produce our best ever pre-order results for were able to have more narrative-style Hot Chip, both in the UK and in the US. advertising. We had these comedic bits We came out of that week of the album that I think people were more likely to announcement knowing that the setup pause on and actually watch. There were period for the campaign and all the hard subtitles so they could engage with it even work of re-engaging and building the with the audio off in their feeds. fanbase had really paid off. The recognisability of the actors obviously helped and there will be people Moving things up a level who watched it because they recognised with the ‘Hungry Child’ video the guy from Silicon Valley. They were BS: Jonny Bradshaw, the band’s product making that recognition when they saw manager at Domino, knew that the first this just popping up in their feed and so video for Hot Chip had to be incredible. they were more likely to engage and want Music videos are such a core part of the to find out you know who Hot Chip are, or band’s legacy and such a contributor to they remembered them and wanted to see their visual identity. Director Saman Kesh what they are doing now.
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marketing to really complement the live Social media in general and activity. Instagram in particular as a key focus We were using the band’s socials to CZ: It was definitely about striking a engage with fans who’d been at the shows balance. We wanted to look at one-third to get them to share content that they had direct marketing content so we had a new been sharing from their own channels. video and there were tour dates and pre- We wanted to make sure that for each orders for the album; another third was show the band played, even if it was only indirect but pre-planned and scheduled to 1,000 people, we were having an impact content, including things like updates with however many fans they had in that to the band-curated playlist, sharing particular market who were there and snippets from the road or re-sharing fan were ready to be engaged with. content; and the final third was organic and fun content. CZ: The fans were so enthusiastic about The band have really fun videos that are getting to see the band in these small smart and witty. It was about getting that venues and they were really aggressive to translate into sharing candid photos It was just a little more about sharing on socials. We were or fun videos. Around Valentine’s Day, we attention-grabbing and a little getting this really great content in shared a video of Al [Doyle from the band] more engaging than your standard from fans, The band were also able playing ‘What The World Needs Now Is advertising. to share that, letting everybody see Love’. It was keeping people engaged and what Hot Chip in 2019 looks like live. making sure they were connecting with BS: One of the best performing the band as people and as personalities. creatives of the entire campaign BS: Throughout that time, Instagram Stories was a really great was actually using a screen grab we also continued running way to do that because it’s quick and from the music video where one advertising on Spotify’s free casual. They’re gone in 24 hours, so if of the characters says, “Ugh – tier. We kept our focus something isn’t the most brilliant I hate house music! ” on catalogue and we piece of content in the history of continued to bring in social media, then it disappears. CZ: There’s a lot of dialogue in the video giveaway tied into a pre-save. Pre-saving more casual or lapsed fans, and that was the most engaged-with and and pre-adding was a core focus on a lot using catalogue as the BS: Instagram definitely ended up most commented-on part of the video. of our messaging. hook. being the biggest growth platform We knew that with everyone for the campaign. At this point we’re Touring leading into the album release BS: Once we announced the record, the we could bring into the This Is Hot almost close to doubling the follower CZ: We had about 10 weeks of lead in. The band had also begun their underplay Chip playlist based on someone count that we started with. album came out on 21st June. We did have tour. It started in the UK around the loving [earlier hits] ‘Ready For a few other things come through before announcement and ran for a month from The Floor’ or ‘Over & Over’, we had CZ: We saw an 80% increase on that – a video for ‘Melody Of Love’ and announcement onwards. They went all that opportunity to put the brand Instagram alone. Age-wise, the we also had some remixes of ‘Hungry through Europe and the US. We were new singles in front of them and demographic breakdown is pretty Child’ in that time period. using that underplay tour to engage fans to bring them into the fold on the evenly split now between the 18-24 We did do a few things to continue at a local level. new campaign. We set that agenda segment and the 25-34 segments. sustaining our growth on the Spotify and For every market that they went to, we right through the album campaign That is really exciting for a band that Apple playlists. We did a signed album were doing digital marketing and social and into launch. is on their seventh album – seeing
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how certain platforms, and passed between albums, not musical equipment. We filmed all of those a platform like Instagram a lot of had gone on on the and we worked with Big DB to edit four especially, can really help band’s Facebook page. separate advertising creatives that we open up new fans and new At Domino we have could use during release week. audiences. a lot of fan insights and They had the goal of presenting people you can actually see with advertising content they’d not seen Testing TikTok higher engagement on before so that, when they encountered BS: We did make the band’s a page that has 20,000 it, they would be compelled to take a bit catalogue available on TikTok followers than on a more time to sit with the creative and sit for this campaign. The page that has millions with the album message. independent sector’s music of followers, sometimes is currently in the process based on the way that Maintaining the album of being licensed to TikTok. the artist is using campaign after release We worked with Merlin to the page. on music videos but that was actually CZ: We’ve had numerous remixes to carry make the singles and the key With Hot Chip, we really unique and gave the viewer something us through the post-release summer catalogue tracks available on the platform. just wanted to work with that half a to engage with or think about that they period. We’ve also continued with the The band were playing festivals like million people who were there to get hadn’t ever come into contact with before. strategy of sharing fan content. Glastonbury and we had major promo engagement on the page beyond where it We started chatting with Big DB and We also participated in the Spotify moments we knew would be placing the had been. this was the first music job that they’d storyline initiative. For select tracks on the band into the mainstream – so we wanted When we started focusing on this last taken on. They really specialise in working album, you were able to scroll through and to make sure their music was available on year, most of the posts on the band’s with big brands, telcos and companies that see some extra visuals and commentary TikTok around those points. Facebook page were probably in the region sit outside of the music space. from the band talking about how they of 100 likes. To have their perspective on how they wrote or recorded the tracks. Capitalising on Facebook and Twitter Just looking at where we’re at now, could market a record from Hot Chip – this They were sharing little bits and CZ: Facebook and Twitter were both we’re probably at a point where most band that has this great mainstream pieces about what each song is about. really active. The band have a massive posts will be getting around 500 likes. awareness and a very playful aesthetic – We included some not-yet-seen images Facebook following of over half a million We’ve been able to raise the general was a really nice addition to the campaign. and some of those included stills from a people and over 130,000 Twitter followers level of engagement on the page Big DB worked with us to brainstorm a video that hadn’t been released yet. That as well. Facebook was a big part of our through consistency and more attention campaign that we called What’s In has been an ongoing piece of engagement advertising. to detail around the way that we are The Tub? based around the album title. within Spotify that fans can scroll through Twitter ended up being a really strong speaking to fans. We worked with Big DB to shoot an as they listen to the album. :) way for the band to engage with fans. advertising campaign for the records that Hot Chip fans are on there and tweeting Bringing in an outside creative agency was focused on the idea of what your about the band – and they’ve got a lot of BS: For the album release period, we perception of ecstasy might be. We did WANT TO FEATURE IN really great things to say. In the same way had a lot of discussion with the band’s a shoot on one day in London in a studio BEHIND THE CAMPAIGN? that we were sharing fans’ visual content management around the way that we where we had a handful of different actors Marketing people: do you have a campaign you are working on Instagram, the band were really would advertise the record on release. get into different bathtubs full of unusual on that you would like to see featured in Behind The Campaign retweeting a lot of fan tweets. Management had a contact at London and unexpected things. in a future edition of sandbox? If so, send a brief synopsis of creative agency Big DB. There was a bathtub full of it to Eamonn Forde for consideration and your work (and your BS: With Facebook, our biggest objective They asked if it would be interesting if watermelons, a bathtub full of chips, a words) could appear here. was really just engaging the audience that we looked at making advertising creative bathtub full of disco balls and a bathtub Email: [email protected] was there. In those four years that have for the record that didn’t necessarily lean full of synthesisers and different bits of
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