05-06 Tools YouTube Analytics for Artists 07-08 Campaigns Marshmello, , Ashnikko, Tove Lo 09–12 Behind The Campaign- Shalmali Kholgade

JULY 22 2020 sandbox ISSUE 257 | Music marketing for the digital era

Making camera effects connect FILTERTIPS The appeal of these custom filters – most readily associated with but also available on Facebook, Snapchat and (more rarely) TikTok – is easy to understand. Filters are eminently flexible FILTER TIPS and can be used to reflect an artist’s particular visual aesthetic, be it Prince’s Making camera effects connect purple universe or Slipknot’s disquieting masks. They can be funny, artistic and The camera filter is an essential part cute – plus they can also be used with of life on social media – sometimes to music. Gracey’s Instagram filter features an instrumental passage from her polish looks, but mostly to have fun song ‘Empty Love’, which the user can with. Musicians are, somewhat inevitably, manipulate in various ways. all over them – from new acts like Gracey, through megastars like Taylor Swift and Social media, goofiness even heritage behemoths like Pink Floyd and filter ubiquity Oliver Muoto, the founder of Metablocks, and The Beatles. Labels, too, are using which specialises in digital marketing for them as part of building their own brands. the music industry, says that the use of AR We look at how they work, how much filters reflects how young people currently they cost to make, the platforms they use social media. “We all know that the perform best on, if they are worth the vast majority of the young population are now on Instagram and messing around investment and, ultimately, if they can with their phones is just something young last the distance. people do these days,” he says. “Go to a restaurant or go to a line and you have n 2020 you’re nothing in the music people there with their phones, taking industry without your own custom pictures, interacting with each other.” IAR filter, layering brightly covered digital swirls over camera displays. Legendary artists such as Prince, Pink Floyd and The Beatles have all launched their own filters on social networks – the Prince estate offering a Purple Rain filter on TikTok and WMG’s Firepit Technology creating Instagram and Facebook filters based on the artwork for classic Pink Floyd – while new acts are also jumping on the filter craze, from Gracey’s ‘Empty Love’ to Ale Aguirre’s ‘Soy un Robot’ Instagram filters.

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they’re being served an ad and for lots of not really surprised it’s not super easy to artists that’s not the most effective way to do that [create a filter].” reach your fans,” he explains. TikTok says that it is possible for artists and labels to get bespoke filters Not all social channels are built made – such as the Prince one – and equal: why filters are easier to make the best way to do that is to contact the on some platforms and not others company directly. But this is not exactly For marketers, meanwhile, filters are the open access to tools that Facebook relatively easy to create, thanks to the and Snapchat offer. The launch of TikTok’s Spark AR Studio which allows users Branded Effect programme in June 2020, to make AR experiences for Facebook’s which lets users activate “exciting visual family of apps, and Snapchat’s Lens effects such as a brand logo or brand Studio. Facebook’s head of music label product in user’s videos”, will be interesting partnerships, Megan West, tells to watch in this regard. Music Ally that “custom artist effects” Timothy Armoo is the CEO of influencer interactive experience that hardcore fans on Facebook and Instagram allow fans Reinforcing existing aesthetics marketing agency FanBytes , which has will love,” he says. “The breadth of the to interact with an artist, track, or or building creative springboards worked on filter campaigns for Deezer, format doesn’t really have any boundaries.” “in a fun, dynamic way while expressing in their own right among others. He believes that filters tap This interactivity is key: rather than themselves personally and artists can Most custom filters into the essential frivolousness of social passively consuming filters, fans interact build buzz for a project”. fit into one of two media, especially with Snapchat Lenses. with them and this helps the idea that Bespoke filters on TikTok are, for the distinct categories: “The reason why lenses work so well is the filter is promoting to stick in the moment, a lot rarer. those that mirror a that they give you an opportunity to be a fan’s head. Juniper calls this exchange “TikTok hasn’t rolled out a lot of stuff to song or album artwork bit goofy,” he says. “People go on “a mutually entertaining and beneficial people,” says Adi Azran, head of marketing (or a general artistic social media primarily to goof off and experience for artists and their fans”. for Flighthouse Media. “The API’s closed, aesthetic); and those if lenses can give you a form of escapism “Young, savvy audiences know when there’s not a lot of data you can get. So I’m that take a looser that’s quite cool.” and more creative approach. Beyond ads: filters offer a new “Sometimes the form of connection idea of the filter is a Beyond this, of course, filters also work more natural fit with on a more commercial level. Ed Juniper, whatever the content junior digital marketing manager at Polydor or single artwork Records, says that filters are especially around a single or powerful because the audience connects album is,” says with them in a more meaningful way than Muoto. “If you look at they would do with a standard digital ad. Ale Aguirre’s single “You can create something with a [‘Soy un Robot’], that novelty or shareable element to drive is the aesthetic; that is awareness for big tracks where you need the graphic, a picture to see immediate results or expand the of her with a robotic world of an album or music video into an silver face. So – bingo!

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artists they represented. Muoto is a fan of these quizzes, which he says “really play off the AR elements” of filters. Armoo, however, is not so convinced, arguing that quizzes only really appeal to core fans. “We haven’t really seen that sort of thing [quizzes] work that well,” he says. “Because the people who tend to do that tend to be people who base it on the artist. They tend to go: ‘What type of Ariana Grande fan are you?’ That only really works if you are a very strong Ariana Grande stan.”

Super-serving existing fans versus creating new ones Here, perhaps, is the nub of the filter debate: do they appeal only to core fans who you don’t really need to market to so much? Or can they reach a wider audience? Most marketers, as you might imagine, are convinced it’s the latter. “If a creative implementation ‘hits the nail on the head’, in terms of the campaign aesthetic We are going to let people replicate that.” implementation was an absolute bullseye over your head and if you stick out your and the audience demographic, then And that is precisely what her Instagram for the creation of face filters, being as it is tongue or open your mouth then fire the viral impact is huge,” says Saunders. filter does, superimposing a robotic visual associated with the AR creation of existing engulfs the pyramid.” Juniper, meanwhile, says the reaction to effect onto the user’s face masks, which are the band’s incredible the Gracey filter “helped to deliver the Slipknot have their own hugely trademark,” he says. Quizzical attraction: the Q&A filter strongest single launch for Gracey so far”. recognisable aesthetic in their trademark As for the wider creative approach, Muoto There is also the recent trend for As with so many things on social media, use of masks. It made sense, then, for mentions an Instagram filter that his company Instagram filter quizzes in which users artist support is important, encouraging Warner to use this when it created a set created for label ConceptHa.us, which uses answer a series of questions to discover fans to try out filters and share the results of Facebook Camera effects for the band the song ‘Illuminati’ by Lil Pump and what kind of fan/character/musical without coming across as too heavy- which allow fans to virtually try on the Anuel AA. genre they are, with the results typically handed or obviously commercial. band’s masks and share the results to “We did a filter for ‘Illuminati’ where displayed on a panel over their head. “The filters we have done, the ones that social media. that’s more just around the symbolism US dance label Astralwerks recently tend to work better, the artists go out and Josh Saunders, head of Firepit and the concept of the word ‘Illuminati’,” launched an Instagram filter quiz in which they do something, they post it out there Technology at Warner Music, says that he explains. “So it’s not exactly the cover users could discover what electronic music to their fans,” says Muoto. “Some people the reaction to the Slipknot masks was artwork, but most of us are familiar with genre they were closest to while dubstep are creative and they do contests and “overwhelmingly positive”. the Illuminati triangle. The idea [of the label Never Say Die produced a quiz where competitions or they just feature and “The Slipknot mask creative filter] was that there is a triangle floating fans could discover which of the label’s highlight the most creative content.”

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It’s all about the ROI FYI effects rather than post-production. Another key question is whether filters, Outside of Instagram, Saunders for all their popularity, offer a solid return believes that TikTok’s Branded Effect on investment. This is not always easy to programme could be an important assess. Armoo says his company looks development. “The UGC focus of TikTok to create lenses where, after engaging and the enormous music-oriented audience with the lens, fans get the opportunity size, makes their AR area very much one to stream the song. “That works very to watch and we will be building Effects well,” he says. “We are able to do direct going forward,” he says. attribution.” Saunders believes that ‘off-platform’ In cases where this is not possible, filters, such as custom apps or WebAR marketers need to take a more holistic (AR experiences that are accessed approach. “In instances where you’re through a web browser) are also set to get trying to drive a specific record, you bigger. “Certainly, with Apple’s AR tech consider everything else going on around on iOS, there are wide-ranging and very the track,” Juniper explains. powerful ‘sky’s the limit’ AR possibilities “Things like how it’s performing for designing custom experiences for at streaming and radio et cetera – fanbases, such as portals on mobile apps,” then correlate the engagements to he says. ascertain the impact the AR effect Is Ultimately, Saunders believes the having. For a more fan-focused experience, engagement that Firepit is seeing with you’re looking for uses, shares and filters is proof of their effectiveness. “I engagement. You can tell it’s effective can’t go into numerical specifics, but if one when you can see this spreading beyond works hard to match the relevance of the your existing followers.” campaign creative assets/aesthetic and It helps in terms of ROI that filters £1k. More complicated filters and lenses convincing, compelling and open new combines that with the sort of interaction can be relatively cheap to make, thanks do often way exceed this, though.” avenues to be creative,” he says. design that would be perfect for the to the tools offered by social networks. Certainly, recent developments in the fan demographic in question, then the Juniper says that “for as little as £100 or Today’s necessity or field have seen music marketers use filters engagement we’ve seen has been very £200 you can deliver something really tomorrow’s digital landfill? in ever more creative ways. impressive indeed,” he suggests. effective and often in terms of reach and Another concern for marketers is that To tease her 2019 track ‘Me!’, “The main clue is the large amount of engagement it’s great value for money filters could become a victim of their own Taylor Swift’s team released a custom AR repeat commissioning,” he says. “That is, versus more traditional means of digital popularity, with what was once a novel Instagram effect over three days, with we are increasing in our production of marketing”. way to reach fans becoming another the effect adding a new layer each day, them all the time because the fan reaction Saunders adds, “There are two main digital marketing cliché. For the moment, and then created a filter for the Lover and KPIs generally exceed expectations factors to take into consideration: one, at least, this doesn’t seem to be the album; Haim turned the cover of their on a regular basis. It’s an exciting area the complexity of the creation of the case. Juniper says that filter technology new album Women in Music Pt. III into because AR tech is always moving 3D models; and two, the complexity of is constantly moving forward “as are the an interactive AR experience that allowed forward. That doesn’t leave audiences any the interaction design,” he says. “If you imaginations of designers building them”. fans to create a virtual soundscape; and chance to find filters passé – something use existing creators out there, such as “Advances in the accuracy of face Mark Ronson and King Princess made that could be a danger – provided you freelancers in the filter community, then tracking, retina tracking, object tracking an AR music video for their collaboration keep pushing the innovations forward to you can get simple ones done for under and so on allow effects to be more ‘Pieces of Us’, which was shot using AR stop any stagnation.” :)

4 | sandbox ISSUE 257 22.07.2020 TOOLS YouTube Analytics for Artists

While each of the major DSPs has launched their own suite of analytics and data dashboards, the competition around who is providing the most actionable and unique set of insights is getting fiercer and fiercer, with each platform leveraging their own strengths and building on what they already offer. Hoping to raise the bar further here is YouTube Analytics for Artists.

While Amazon Music’s analytics, for instance, lure users in with innovative insights into how music fans use voice to interact with music, one of the most platform as well as on platforms like TikTok. interesting sides of YouTube is its UGC. Fan involvement is really important.” Due to the nature of the platform, this has now integrated within its new YouTube The launch of these new analytics YouTube Analytics for Artists has just represents a key point of differentiation Analytics for Artists. This all makes this reinforces the trend that the more launched inside all Official Artist Channels to other streaming services. Getting launch very exciting, especially for those videos – be that owned or UGC – and (OACs) on YouTube. To recap, YouTube insights into how UGC contributes to artists and their teams who have never opportunities to connect with users there launched OACs in 2018 to create one a song’s success within the YouTube had access to YouTube’s Content ID are, the better the chances of discovery official destination that grouped together ecosystem is precisely what the platform backend before. and success on YouTube. Rather than all of an artist’s content. Previously an fighting against the appearance of an artist’s owned-and-operated channel, Vevo artist’s music within UGC, it is now seen as and auto-generated Topic channel were a catalyst for growth. separate, resulting in split views and split T Jay Fowler who is VP of product at analytics. YouTube explains, “We already had really While the launch of OACs makes great analytics on YouTube, which were YouTube more akin to other DSPs, making analytics for creators. We knew that artists it easier for listeners to find official releases have a really unique challenge on the and albums, it also provides a more platform, so we wanted to make sure we holistic view on an artist’s performance have something tailored to them. The new across YouTube, combining insights into analytics tap into what’s really going on in consumption across all those channels. global culture.” With these new analytics, YouTube is He adds, “The music industry has taking this holistic view to another level. evolved significantly over the last few years, with people now really seeing the A new Total Reach feature allows artist power of fan creations. You see that off- teams to not only see how an artist’s music

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for this song. YouTube says, “From official uploads to fan-created lyric videos, covers, dance videos and more, Song Detail shows all of the ways in which fans are enjoying and engaging with any specific track, all in one place.” What’s more, you can see how many views and how much watch time each of these creations have driven during a certain timeframe. You will then be able to further customise and compare the performance across various metrics – e.g. by looking into uploaded to their OAC is performing help in further strategising around than an official video by the artist. YouTube views alongside likes or shares. (and thus reaching fans) but also when this content. highlights how “this content created by YouTube’s analytics have been robust their music is featured in third-party As YouTube is a platform offering users benefits artists of all sizes and is for a long time already, with the ability to uploads as long as it contains “most of the diverse forms of content, being included largely incremental to views of their official slice and dice data and gather data across artist’s recording”. on other creators’ channels can really help content on YouTube. On average, the top things like impressions, impressions CTR, Although we don’t have an official in bringing a new audience to the artist. 1,000 artists on YouTube get over 20% retention and engagement rates. Another percentage for this, according to Fowler, When asked how artists can encourage of their chart-eligible views from videos element of the new product launch is YouTube wanted to make sure that UGC if they want to increase this side created by users”. the addition of real-time analytics on the eligible videos are a fair representation of their YouTube content, Fowler says, After expanding on the overview YouTube Studio app, following the example of the creator using this song and that “What we’ve seen is artists reaching out analytics by clicking “see more”, by then of Spotify, and Amazon that it’s not just a clip. These channels could directly to creators on the platform. Those clicking into a specific song you can also have already been offering these real-time be tastemakers, collaborators or fans. relationships go a long way. Just in general, see how many videos have been created insights that teams can access on the go. :) As long as these videos contain “most of being a participant on the platform really the artist’s recording”, this will drive both unlocks the possibility on this.” revenues as well as views for the OAC. You will be able to look into analytics This wasn’t the case before and is another across both OAC and third-party channels reason to move away from the obsession combined, as well as individually, by around “a single view count” that has toggling one of them off. Artists with prevailed for so long. an OAC will find these analytics when Fans are enjoying an artist’s music in going inside YouTube Studio and will different ways and that is exactly what be presented with a quick stat showing these new analytics account for. Artists what percentage of views in the chosen might even spot channels they’ve been timeframe have come from the OAC unaware of that are driving many views versus from other channels. for them, which would mean they can Below that, they will find the top videos now reach out to these channels and build across the OAC and other channels in longer-term relationships with them. this period, including views and average Ultimately, UGC plays a key role in watch time – a highly important metric on an artist’s discoverability and growth on YouTube. So, you might find that a third- YouTube and getting these insights will party upload is actually driving more views

6 | sandbox ISSUE 257 22.07.2020 The latest projects from the digital marketing arena CAMPAIGNS MELLODEES MAKER: MARSHMELLO RAVES UP NURSERY RHYMES MIXED RE-ELLIE-TY: ELLIE GOULDING MAKES XR VIDEOS

He already looks “Positive and inspiring like a bit of Lego, content is critical, so it was only a especially during the matter of time COVID-19 pandemic, before pail- when children’s screen headed electronic time is at an all-time star Marshmello high.” did something for The videos are short the lucrative kids’ (the first upload has a market. run time of 1.45), but The initials XR stand for show the stage set she is they are clearly designed around extended reality or cross performing on (complete with He has, along with his manager driving repeat plays. They are also reality (the “X” representing a camera track) and her band Moe Shalizi, set up Mellodees available as audio tracks on the cross, of course) and it is really a hybrid of members and other musicians, driving where they give nursery major DSPs, creating a multi- AR, VR and mixed reality – kind of like a home that the whole performance and the rhymes and other child-friendly platform ubiquity for parents. Transformer for reality. CGI layering happened live and in a single tunes an EDM makeover. YouTube The series promises to create take. is the initial main focus for the content, “relevant messages and energetic music To push her ‘Brightest Blue’ single (as well She also did a performance of ‘New with short-form and brightly coloured for the pre-school set and their millennial as the album of the same name), British Heights’ as part of the Vevo series using animations getting a 4/4 remix. parents to enjoy”. There are further plans pop singer Ellie Goulding has worked the same technology. It is all based around the antics of Dee, a to take the Mellodees brand into both with director Giorgio Testi to create a “The XR set up allowed us to blend jovial robot with headphones built into his original music and original storylines as mixed reality video for the song. It blends real time camera footage with beautiful, head and a play button on his chest who well as leaving the possibilities open for a real camera footage and CGI content in otherworldly CGI content in real time,” shows up and brings the bass (and other merchandise line. real time and was created in partnership says Claudia De Wolff, VP of content and instruments). Given that Dee has more than a passing between Polydor, her label, and Vevo as programming, UK & International at Vevo. The first video upload on the dedicated resemblance to Marshmello, this is a pan- part of its Official Live Performance series. “We took a different approach to each YouTube channel sees Dee scamper around generational marketing strategy for the DJ On paper, it’s a simple performance of the tracks, creating worlds for Ellie to an animated bedroom to the ‘ABC Song’, that we can term “cradle to the rave”. video where Goulding stands in the same perform within that suited the emotions jumping on corresponding letters (which spot as she sings the song. But it is what and soundscapes of each track.” light up) as he works his way through the happens around her that is of interest It is only when you get to the end of alphabet. Other nursery classics coming up here. Initially it looks like an aurora-like the video that you realise what is really include ‘Itsy Bitsy Spider’, ‘Twinkle, Twinkle, backdrop in a bright blue hue, but as the happening in terms of the blending of Little Star’ and ‘Wheels On The Bus’. video progresses, new features are added effects with a live performance. It is a highly “Over the past year, we’ve been diligently in around her like a lowered porthole-style complex undertaking, but to its credit the working on merging electronic music with window and a moving floor that makes her video is restrained and subtle rather than educational content for children,” said Shalizi. look like she’s standing on a giant pedestal. being clumsily showy or desperately trying The camera eventually pulls back to to draw attention to itself.

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The latest projects from the digital marketing arena CAMPAIGNS CROSSED PURPOSES: TOVE LO PERFORMS ASHNIKKO TICKS TIKTOK BOX WITH BEATS PARTNERSHIP ON HASHTAG CHALLENGE DJ SET IN ANIMAL CROSSING

With her 2019 single ‘Stupid’, media activity Marshmello and Travis Unlike the Fortnite Ashnikko first went viral on around it. And Scott doing gigs in Fortnite? examples mentioned above, TikTok and then was able to in a reciprocal That’s old news. It’s all the DJ set is not exclusive parlay that into a genuine hit. move, the about Animal Crossing now. to Animal Crossing and will The track has had 77m plays video and Maybe. also be livestreamed on on Spotify and 36m views on the hashtag YouTube via the NintenTalk YouTube to date. challenge Tove Lo performed a DJ set channel. It was heavily are getting within the Nintendo Switch pushing it in the days She is going back to the pushed by the game over the weekend before the set, having platform that launched her official Beats by Dre account (18th July). In advance of posted a video (that runs career – but this time with on TikTok. this, she ran a contest via to a staggering two hours a major brand partner on TikTokers are invited to her Instagram for fans to and 23 minutes) showing board in the shape of Beats by create videos, with the most win one of six places to how the stage for the DJ Dre. It is all to push her track creative ones being used in join her inside the game, was designed and built. It ‘Daisy’. (Bonus fact: that was a new video for the track. with the competition being features Pat from NintenTalk the codename for the service “This song is for the brats based on whose avatars discussing in intricate detail which evolved into Beats (brattiness being a recurring sported the how the stage Music and, in turn, became theme in my music),” said best outfits. was created and Apple Music.) Ashnikko in a statement. “I’m picking you see it all The theme of the “It’s about this absolute boss 6 villagers to playing out in real song is “self-expression dominatrix vigilante character join me on the time, with the through colour” and the of mine. She rids the world island,” she most staggering video features product of rapists and throat punches posted on her part being just placements from the new the patriarchy, leaving daisies Instagram. how much PowerbeatsPro headphones behind as a calling card of “BUT! you attention to in four different colours. The sorts. She’s sexy as f**k, wears gotta dress detail goes into #BeatsDaisyChallenge will only platforms, latex, and blue to impress to creating these run for four weeks – with diamonds.” Now if that isn’t enter. Design sub-worlds. each week having a different enough of a concept to inspire an outfit for your #ACNH character and Lo is not the first musician to see the challenge that focuses on a flurry of short-form videos, post with #ToveLoAnimalCrossing to potential of using Animal Crossing in their one of the four colours the we don’t know what is. enter. I’ll pick my favorites on Friday marketing. At the end of May, Alice Chater headphones come in. It has clearly taken off. and send winners a dodo code for entry.” promoted her ‘Two Of Us’ single by making The headphones get plenty Views of the videos with (Dodo codes, for the uninitiated, are the a series of her outfits from the video of screen time in the video the #BeatsDaisyChallenge pass codes gamers use to invite others available to gamers to dress their avatars and her marketing/social hashtag have passed 3.7bn. onto their island in the game.) in via the game’s system of design codes.

8 | sandbox ISSUE 257 SHALMALI BEHIND THE CAMPAIGN KHOLGADE BEHIND THE CAMPAIGNSHALMALI KHOLGADE

Shalmali Kholgade started as a playback singer in Hindi-language films in India and from there developed a career where she was at the forefront, including being a judge on Indian Idol Junior. For her single ‘Kalle Kalle’, the focus was on female empowerment and celebrating the single life. GAURAV WADHWA, co-founder and CEO of BGBNG, explains how her career was developed, where major sponsors were brought into the promo video, why a tour of Starbucks coffee shops was key to the follow-up single and why it is essential in India to go beyond YouTube.

The personal expression The broad theme is, “I am happy being of the artist forms the genesis single.” That’s really how we are now of the campaign marketing the song. What we do is create When you look at independent music, both opportunities for both content and media in the West and in India, it’s always driven reach around that same theme. by the personal expressions of young We are sharply focused on single people that are then seen as universal women being our core audience. We want truths. So it could be a girl writing about to connect with them and we want them to how she felt after her boyfriend cheated on connect with the song – and then for them her; or it could be about a rapper writing to take the song forward through word of about the hustle and how to make things mouth. All our efforts are then focused on happen on your own. creating hype around the whole concept of These become the genesis of our being single and being happy. marketing campaigns. The themes that these artists write about or the themes Working with brands that they believe in – which also become We are focusing on women in terms of a part of their own persona – provide the consumption, in terms of digital, in terms theme of our marketing campaign. of marketing, in terms of doing events A lot of Bollywood films promote and even with the brands that we bring themselves on very specific digital on board. We work a lot with brands who platforms: they’ll do YouTube advertising; want to associate with these themes. they’ll do TikTok; with influencers, they’ll In the video for ‘Kalle Kalle’ we have now do some kind of dance or acoustic cover to drive more marketing reach. What we do is to take a 360 [approach] around the theme.

Targeting female consumers with a song about empowerment Shalmali’s ‘Kalle Kalle’ is a song that talks about being independent as a woman: it’s better being single than being in a toxic relationship with a guy [is the message]. It was released on Valentine’s Day.

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cities [as well as to colleges]. The idea was to tie into the concept of Ladies’ Night, which is common in most cities. They are typically on a Tuesday or Wednesday, which are more or less dead nights for most nightclubs , but they end up doing free entry and free drinks for women which drives footfall. We wanted to go and own those Ladies’ Nights with our song ‘Kalle Kalle’, look forward to the next song by an act. which means ‘Single’, on what we called the Kalle Kalle Tour. We were building Building the artist brand a movement around single ladies and For us, it all goes back to building the partying because it’s a dance song. artist’s brand. Today, when someone is a While we’re talking about female fan of Beyoncé, they want to follow her expression, we’re also doing it in a fun fashion, they want to follow her music, and youthful way. We wanted to increase they want to know what she’s doing with a smartwatch by Fossil featuring and Shalmali’s sphere of influence from being virtue of creating organic content around Jay-Z, they want to know when she’s on a we also have makeup brand MyGlamm a playback singer to now owning female that song. We had girls sending us dance private jet. appearing. It goes in line with the expression that other girls connect with. covers that they have done of the song, or They love the artist and they connect theme that we are building as a narrative sending us videos on TikTok that they have with the artist’s expression; they follow [around her]. Spreading the message with created around a certain part of the song them irrespective of when they’re creating support from UGC and social media that they connected with. a song or a video. Touring nightclubs and colleges As women connected with that As we shared that, and as these This is how we try and run our We took Shalmali on a club tour across expression, they joined the movement by different communities started sharing marketing. While it focuses on the on digital platforms, that was helping to expression of the song, we try and drive more sampling for the song, which match the expression of the song to the eventually drove more streams on Spotify overarching persona of the artist so that and on YouTube. it’s not disjointed. We were trying to find a balance Shalmali is about being unapologetically between how much you spend on these independent as a woman. You will see that media platforms versus how much organic on her Instagram stories, you will see that traction you can get. We wanted to build it in her TikTok persona, you will see that in in a more sustainable way. the way she’s dressed. You don’t want to get 10m views on It is all subconsciously driving home YouTube which are all driven by YouTube the same point of being unapologetically ads. Listeners that are found that way independent. One sliver of being are not really connecting with the music unapologetically independent is around deeply enough for them to come back and not being in a toxic relationship but rather either repeat that song on their playlist or being single and happy. For a later single,

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intimate and they are in line with what we’re trying to say about relationships – it’ll still be under the theme of being that you should not run relationships on unapologetically independent, but it will emojis, but rather on true emotion. That be a different sliver, such as maybe using only happens when you connect in person. your passion to drive your career. The subsequent marketing campaign Going beyond YouTube will be built around that sub-theme. That You look at what your audience is doing is the approach. and where you can catch them versus The strategy across whatever we do is hoping that everyone is sitting on to try and build more marketing beyond YouTube and waiting for to digital. We feel that there’s also an offline drop. The reality is that there is so much more intent by the consumer; there’s connection that you want to build with content being dropped onto YouTube more engagement and it’s more like a real the artists. today that, unless you spend millions of connection that you build. WANT TO FEATURE IN dollars pumping your ads there, you’re not You don’t have to really market to BEHIND THE CAMPAIGN? Doing a Starbucks tour getting natural discovery. the audience after that because your Marketing people: do you have a campaign you are working We did a Starbucks tour for her single We try and bring in discovery and goal is that they’re following the artists on that you would like to see featured in Behind The ‘Ruka Ruka’. It was true to her DNA. awareness for the artist and the song organically. Whatever the artist starts Campaign in a future edition of sandbox? If so, send a brief She loves coffee. She starts her day at beyond YouTube. We feel that’s a more dropping on their social platforms, these synopsis of it to Eamonn Forde for consideration and your the Starbucks under her building so she sustainable and long-term way to build fans are waiting for it. You then keep work (and your words) could appear here. loves that brand. Secondly, we always marketing and the artist’s brand. Then building those user bases as you go along Email: [email protected] thought that coffee conversations are very you’re making real connections and there’s different content pieces. :)

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