Artist Sponsorships

Team 21 Pilots:

Hannah Kelly, Ian Green

and Annalisa Canepa

Music Copyright and Publishing

Fall 2016 !1

It comes as no surprise that the music industry experiences change over the years. Most recently, streaming has become the primary way to consume music, artists grow less reliant on record labels to release music, and artist sponsorships are becoming essential in almost all aspects of an artist’s career. Artist sponsorships existed before streaming and record labels, but they have shifted in both deal structure and public perception. The history of sponsorship deals reveals why companies want to be involved with artists, and why artists want to be sponsored by a certain company. While the deals are different between the largest artists and smaller artists, sponsorships aim to benefit both parties. The industry is enduring change, and the range of sponsorships grows yearly, but sponsorships seem engrained as a reliable and expanding source of revenue for artists, as well as a source of branding for companies, both in the current music industry and into the future.

In the first half of the 20th century, American music experienced great historical social and political changes, along with technological advances that allowed for greater access to music in the presence of vinyl records, radio stations, and television. These changes brought on opportunities for not only the music industry, but advertising for large corporations and companies as well. The growth and changes in the music industry introduced several generations of change, and the introduction of artist sponsorships has changed greatly from the experience at a typical today with prevalent artist and corporate partnerships.

Before technology brought American music to everyday households, popular music became known in communities by way of the traveling shows, medicine shows and tent shows.

Music evolved to accommodate the needs of a growing audience, where “bluesmen who migrated north and settled in cities found employment in clubs. Like the country artists who !2 created honky-tonk, and for the same reason (to be heard over the crowd noise), they started adding rhythm instruments to their sound, first piano, then bass and drums.”1 The rise of the influence of music was gradual, but it was not the result of large corporate sponsorships. Record labels, radio stations, or venues provided the primary financial support of these acts in development, touring and merchandising.

Radio created promotional opportunities involving the music in the thirties and forties, and the live , medicine shows, tent shows and traveling shows were coming of age.

“These organizations, transported by horse-drawn wagons in the early days, would move into a rural community, stake out their tents, and hold nightly shows that might run as long as a week, and then move on to another excited community.”2 The start of a communal musical festival atmosphere began to blossom. In the forties, bluesmen transferred their guitar style from acoustic to electric guitar. “By the late Forties, the electric blues band was complete: vocalist/electric guitarist, piano, bass, perhaps another guitarist, and drums. This instrumentation became the nuclear rock 'n' roll band,” further setting a precedent for the highly influential music of the fifties and sixties that served to revolutionize the music industry and introduce music as a factor of cultural impact.3

In the fifties, with the emergence of rock ‘n’ roll music, popular radio, and recording artists, concerts were likely to be associated with either a record label, a radio station, or a venue.

If did a promoter's name appeared on a bill, it would likely be in a smaller font and less prominent in comparison with the artists’ names. At this time, the artists themselves were the products and brands - the products and brands that would change the world. Live concert venues !3 shifted from ballrooms, country clubs, and dance halls to larger auditoriums and concert halls.

The music audience was growing, and so was the influence of musical artists on society.

In the sixties, music served as inspiration and agent for social change. During times of the civil rights movement, songs about social justice, empathy, social change, peace and love dominated the scene. Artists and audiences found an emergence of the folk rock movement, where the authenticity of the music became strongly valued, so any corporation or commercialism would be seen as an interference with the musical integrity of the music. The audience heard music as a call to social activism, and the musical audience began to identify with artists as spokespersons.

The concept of authenticity during the sixties continued as a number of “musicians performed songs expressing their opposition to the Vietnam War, a sentiment that was enthusiastically shared by the vast majority of the audience. Later, the term ‘Woodstock Nation’ would be used as a general term to describe the youth counterculture of the 1960s.”4 The importance of the protest songs, anti-war songs, and themes of authenticity, peace and love would not translate well to advertising for beer, washing machines, or other commercial products, so advertising’s connection to music was not as easily accepted as it would be for later generations.

Rock concerts in this pivotal decade evolved to fulfill the needs of a growing audience who demanded access to popular culture and music. Rock concerts held influence as a source of revolutionary counterculture, and served to “coalesce the disparate fragments of this eclectic society, several catalysts were necessary. One came in the form of halls… Concerts gradually moved to stadiums and sports arenas seating 50,000 and more.”5 The larger concert !4 venue, and rock festivals became an important influence on the culture as the identity of music fans as the masses became to take shape as its generation found connection and identity in the communal musical experience. Often promotional companies or management personalities, such as Presents, were known as the sponsors of prominent concerts such as in the San

Francisco Bay Area during the emerging sixties rock counterculture.

The late sixties and early seventies saw the beginnings of a transitional time for corporate sponsorships, as the opportunities for music fans to buy live concert footage, live concert records and tour merchandise began to grow out of the counterculture of the decade. One of the largest examples of this appeared when in “1969, the grooviest event in music history–the Woodstock

Music Festival–[drew] to a close after three days of peace, love and rock ‘n’ roll in upstate New

York.”6 Profits from film and concert footage from the event would eventually surpass the base profits of the event itself.

The trend to consume more of the experience from the counterculture continued to rise.

In the “mid-70s, when music sponsorships really began, the corporate side was very fearful of the countercultural image of rock ‘n’ roll, and most of Madison Avenue shared the same sentiment. Today, most of the senior and middle-level managers in the agency and client world are products of the baby-boom era. They grew up with rock ‘n’ roll.”7 The generational differences became divisive in the corporate world, and for the baby-boomer generation whose

Depression-era parents grew up with a more clean cut image and big band and swing musical influence, the popular artists of the sixties and seventies had a rebellious edge. There was hesitation from both the artists and companies on forming corporate partnerships and !5 relationships to identify with one another, as generational views of sponsorships created a range of opinions on utilizing corporate money in music.

Many artists in the seventies rejected the idea of a company’s advertisement, logo or ethical choices influencing the artists’ musical or artistic expression. For , for example, a strong do-it-yourself work ethic served as a struggle between the label and artist.

The idea of selling out or going mainstream is still controversial today in some musical genres that support the idea of non-commercialism, or fight the idea of music going broadly mainstream or overtly commercial.

The relationships between music and corporations drastically changed in the next decade with the influence of MTV and a new generation coming of age alongside technological advances. In the eighties, MTV and commercialism had great influence on the impact of music and popular culture, interweaving advertising and music together for artists, commercials, and sponsorships. Music festivals drew tremendous crowds, and “corporate sponsorship of musicians was one of the signs of the growing convergence of popular music and advertising, and corporate sponsorship of tours reached new heights by the end of the 1980s, when many top musicians were expected to negotiate lucrative deals for sponsorship of their tours.”8 During this time, large festivals such as Farm Aid, Live Aid, and the US Festival grew, all benefiting from robust financial sponsorship backing from of Apple Computer and Bill Graham of Bill Graham Presents production company.

The introduction of MTV meant more visible, direct opportunities for artist endorsements. Music in advertising was on the rise, often becoming fully integrated into television commercials as jingles. Advertisers such as Pepsi, Target and Budweiser developed !6 relationships with top tier artists such as Michael Jackson and Madonna. One particular artist,

Neil Young, created a parody song and accompanying music video that made a mockery of the overt commercialism prevalent in modern music. As a result, Young was initially banned from

MTV. In response to the banning of the music video from the station, the artist wrote a letter to the popular network: “MTV, you spineless twerps. You refuse to play ‘This Note's For You’ because you're afraid to offend your sponsors. What does the ‘M’ in MTV stand for: music or money? Long live rock and roll.”9 The video later won the Video of the Year Award, an honor that revealed the extent of its influence over popular culture and a change in the level of acceptance of modern commercialism.

Willie Nelson’s Farm Aid concerts displayed the influence an artist can have over the public and the relationships that artists and the identification of a cause or concert can bring.

"’Today he can sing anything he wants to because he's a folk hero.’ Indeed he is, and starting in the mid-'80s Nelson helped to reinforce this iconic part of his persona by inaugurating a series of

Farm Aid concerts which drew attention to the plight of the American farmer at a time when such concerns seemed to be routinely neglected.’”10 The public began to identify artists with particular issues, which gave sponsors social leverage. Sponsors could raise awareness and and money for the issue, as well as inspire pledges to find a solution when their messages were combined with the communal power of music.

The nineties saw a change in the demographics of artists, and the musical alignment followed. “The boomers were the first generation that was raised almost entirely on rock music… Although they may have been rebels in the 1960s and 1970s, by the 1980s and 1990s they began to settle down. They were now doctors, lawyers, professors, and successful business !7 executives… They are powerful because of their sheer numbers and economic strength.”11 The demographic audience of affluent baby boomer aligned with the senior and middle level managers who grew up with rock and roll. Partnerships developed between the Rolling Stones and Microsoft, Paul McCartney and Visa, and Bob Dylan and Chrysler. These were artists who originally did not allow their music to be used in advertising. The acceptance of an artist’s association with a corporate sponsor shifted to a more neutral standpoint for both the artist community as well as the audience.

The increased interest in corporate sponsorship indicates a current shift in consumption in

American culture and an infatuation with anything that is considered popular. The influence of music on generations still holds nostalgic meaning as the culture and musical revolutions’ societal impact. “As Bob Dylan once confessed: ‘I just carry that other time around with me…

The music of the late fifties and early sixties when music was at that root level – that for me is meaningful music. The singers and musicians I grew up with transcend nostalgia – Buddy Holly and Johnny Ace are just as valid to me today as then,’” which shows the impact that musical artists have on society as cultural, social and political leaders.12 Artists’ influence expands as generations grow to identify with one generation of music or the next, the influence sometimes being an introduction, or a reassurance of the values or preferences of the audience.

Andrew Weiss, Tour Manager for Twenty One Pilots, provides insight to modern changes in artist sponsorships. “Tour sponsorship has grown tremendously in the last 40 years, and artist access has also evolved along with VIP access to events for sponsors and promoters alike.

There’s a larger menu available to sponsors for VIP access both to the artist and the event itself.

Making a sponsored event memorable for everyone evolved is a tremendous priority and people !8 are constantly trying to expand the fan experience. All live concert work is experiencing growth, as artists have turned to touring for revenue to make up for lost album sales.”13 Changes in technology, specifically the downward trend of record sales revenue due to streaming services, leads to a shift in the industry to rely on multiple sources.

With these current changes in technology, there an additional transition from management/promotion personalities, major or minor label recognition, to artist and corporate culture personalities. Large corporate identities replace the prevalence of record labels or radio stations as brand names. Larger companies are now more interested in sponsoring artists than ever before, and artists are receptive to sponsorships.

In their simplest form, sponsorships involve two sides: the sponsor, and the sponsored.

For music industry sponsorships, the deals involve an individual or group with money, and an artist. From sponsorship deals, artists receive money they need to pursue their careers in music, but the ways in which sponsors benefit from the deals are less obvious. Mom, grandpa or the local pizza joint might have a personal interest in sponsoring a hopeful new artist, but on a level involving established artists and expensive tours, marketing pushes, or recording sessions, it is companies rather than individuals providing the cash. Unlike an individual willing to donate money to an artist he or she supports, the company must make a sponsorship decision based on increasing product sales or pushing a brand image.

Companies in the spent a combined 1.4 billion dollars on artist sponsorships in 2015 alone, compared to 1.1 billion in 2011.14 This growth makes music industry sponsorships one of the fastest growing categories of sponsorships, according to an IEG report.

Forbes magazine corroborated this report of growth, reporting a 4.8% increase in sponsorship !9 spending on live music from 2014 to 2015.15 This increase tops spending increases of all other tracked industries, including sports, an industry notorious for attracting sponsors. The numbers show that companies are increasingly interested in sponsoring artists, particularly in the live music sphere of concerts and festivals. Companies clearly see some advantage in sponsoring artists, but the reasons for pouring money into the music industry vary by type of company as well as through time.

The goal companies achieved through artist sponsorships was once more narrowly set on selling products. This focus stemmed primarily from the type of company that tended to be involved in the music scene: beverage brands. When people think of music sponsorships even today, they probably first imagine energy drinks, beer and liquor. Beverages are products that are typically sold onsite at music events, making partnerships with artists a natural option.

Hypothetically, if Corona sponsors a concert, attendees see Corona banners surrounding the stage, get thirsty, head to the concession stands, and buy bottles of Corona. The sponsorship and its tangential onsite marketing immediately and directly increase product sales – or at least intend to. Beverage companies have a logical connection to the music industry because of the sale of their products at the scene, and the resulting consumer association of the product with live music events in general as well as the specific artist whose tours or shows promote the product.

Because of this direct connection between beverage brands and music, beverage companies have a storied history of artist sponsorships. Coca-Cola, for example, sponsored actress and singer Hilda Clark in 1895, the first artist endorsement deal in history.16 As a product logically sold at live music events, Coca-Cola fits into the category of a beverage brand that would sponsor an artist to directly drive sales onsite. The company and its original endorsement !10 of Hilda Clark also introduce the idea of using an artist endorsement for strategic branding. The advertisement Coca-Cola ran in 1895 depicted the young artist holding a bottle of the branded soda, drawing an association in consumers’ minds between not only music and the product, but more broadly between the artist and the brand. Coca-Cola aligned its image with popular culture, relating to young consumers. This focus on branding and image rather than sales depicts the aspect of sponsorships that has become most popular through time and that companies focus on in today’s sponsorship deals.

Today, Coca-Cola’s branding tactics appear much the same as they did in 1895, but with

Taylor Swift’s face instead of Hilda Clark’s. As will be discussed later, the artist’s side of the deal has changed to incorporate more control and creative involvement, but the company continues to take advantage of artists’ connections to popular culture to increase its ability to relate and appeal to young consumers. The increasingly wide range of companies that make use of artist sponsorships reveals the expansion of this tactic through time. Today the traditional beverage company sponsorships continue, but non-beverage companies sponsor artists as well – companies that have no obvious relation to live music events or artists. Mastercard, for example, has no direct connection to music, yet the company spent between 15 and 25 million dollars on music in 2015.17 In 2012, pop star Lady Gaga become the poster child of Mastercard, who financed special concerts worldwide. At certain sponsored shows like the Born This Way Ball in

Singapore, Mastercard cardholders had exclusive access to VIP treatment including a stage- viewing lounge, free drinks, free parking, line skipping priveleges, and more. Now, four years later, Mastercard’s artist sponsorships continue in the same vein on a larger scale with Gwen

Stefani. Since 2014 Mastercard has pushed a #PricelessSurprises campaign, surprising !11 cardholders with trips to see Stefani at international shows with VIP treatment and meet-and- greets.18 Mastercard’s logo appears all over the concert venues of these shows, but unlike the traditional beverage sales model, Mastercard is not selling credit cards; rather, Mastercard is building an image of itself as a youth-centric, relevant company intertwined with the popular culture and the artists that consumers care about. This brand makes Mastercard attractive to a particular market, most likely young people who will soon be old enough to open independent bank accounts and carry credit cards, and drives sales indirectly through this strategic, creative branding.

As demonstrated by Mastercard’s efforts, sponsorship deals are expanding not only by the amount of money poured into them, but by the variety of the types of sponsors and how those sponsors utilize their artists. Festivals provide companies even greater opportunity for this expansion, because festivals bring together multiple artists in an environment overflowing with consumption – festivalgoers require food, entertainment between shows, merchandise, and amenities. Furthermore, festivals require revenue streams to cover the massive amounts of money they spend paying full lineups of artists to play. The Vans 2016

Sponsorships webpage lists 82 companies as sponsors.19 The companies who provide the most money to the tour get the highest level of interaction with the consumers at the concerts, and thus the most opportunity to shape their brand image and market their products. Kia, for example, has a fleet of display cars transported by truck from city to city for every stop of the tour, and festivalgoers can climb inside the cars in the shaded Kia lounge area.20 Since festivals provide ample space, time and creative freedom for diverse consumer-product interactions, companies have the opportunity to try to present their brand exactly as desired. !12

Vans Warped Tour Sponsorship Manager Kate Truscott explains that the festival, as a sort of middleman between the sponsors and the fans, do pay attention to the way sponsors reflect on the artists and the tour.21 The Warped Tour, for example, will not partner with alcohol or tobacco companies due to the lineup’s generally young fan base. “If a brand makes sense, and is looking to build in the youth space, we will try to find a way to make it make sense. We do try to work closely with brands to help them create a campaign that makes sense for our audience - to maintain some continuity,” Truscott said. In terms of making the sponsorship deals logistically,

Truscott said about half the companies reach our to the tour and ask to be sponsors, and about half of the companies are reached out to by the tour, looking for specific sponsors. Euphoria

Music Festival’s founder Mitch Morales corroborated this 50/50 split.22 Euphoria specifically seeks out sponsors willing to be involved with the festival via active onsite interactions, like lounges, activities and installations rather than simply hanging branded banners. Each of these festival look for sponsors whose messages and images fit with the festivals’ and whose involvement is more complex and creative than the traditional beverage-signs-on-stage model.

American music consumers spend an average of 152 dollars per year on music, over half of which goes towards live shows.23 The majority of this spending is driven by the rise in popularity of festivals. These consumer-spending trends, combined with the creative opportunities festivals present for sponsorship interaction, drives companies to festivals. With more companies sponsoring artists through festivals, there is more variety in the type of sponsorship seen today as festivals continue to grow.

Just as festivals provide a space where sponsorships expand and innovate, concert promoters provide the span of connections across all areas of the music industry to bring in !13 sponsors in every aspect. Concert promoters have seen unprecedented growth in sponsorship in the past few years. The largest promoter in the world, Live Nation Entertainment Inc., saw an increase of 11% in advertising and sponsorship revenue in 2015, up from a 5% increase in

2014.24 The second largest promoter, AEG, saw similar numbers. Promoters such as Live Nation and AEG sell millions of tickets a year, Live Nation hitting 14.9 million and AEG 7 million in the first six months of 2016 alone.25 The third largest promoter drops below 2 million tickets sold, revealing a consolidated market. With the dominant competitor Live Nation holding such significant market share, the company has the power and money to reach into all aspects of the industry and incorporate sponsorships across the board, contributing to the expanding variety in sponsorship deals companies can make. For example, Live Nation works with Absolut Vodka to sponsor Lady Gaga’s most recent tour, and with First Investment Bank to sponsor concert venues in the Midwest, and with Yahoo to sponsor a live concert streaming web channel.26 These three diverse companies sponsored three entirely distinct projects in the music sphere, all through Live

Nation. Through concert promoter sponsorships, even more expansion in sponsorship possibilities becomes available for companies.

From selling a beer at the concession stand to connecting to America’s youth at a festival, companies’ incentives to sponsor musicians have changed over time, becoming more varied through the years as sponsorships evolve and possibilities emerge. Companies work with artists not only to sell a product, but to create an image of their brand.

After seeing the company’s side of sponsoring artists, it is important to notice what the artists receive by endorsing a certain brand. Relationships between brands and artists differ from the top tier artist to the act that is just beginning a career. Starting with the biggest artists will !14 show how these big names tend to maintain control over which brands they choose as partners, as well as how involved they want to be with the projects. In most of the provided examples, the sponsorship agreement is beneficial to the artist, but the general public can take offense to some of these deals, especially if they believe the artist can avoid blatant branding.

The first example deals with Steve Angello, formerly of the electronic music group

Swedish House Mafia. After the band broke up in 2013, Angello still wanted to pursue a musical career as a solo artist.27 Despite the star power he retained from Swedish House Mafia, it was clear that Angello needed some financial help in launching a solo career. The first thing Angello did, even before releasing any new solo music, was sign a sponsorship deal with Kraft Foods.28

The terms of this deal specified that Angello would help promote Kraft’s new energy drink called

MiO, and debut a music on his new music platform, sponsored by Kraft.29 The launch of the new music platform involved an exclusive concert in Miami, where Angello agreed to debut his music, sponsored by MiO. Angello was satisfied with this deal due to his involvement in the marketing process. Other brands had previously approached Angello, but they wanted him to operate exclusively as a spokesperson even if he knew little about the product.30 Kraft gave

Angello the opportunity to embrace the product and be creative, an opportunity Angello put into action through the exclusive concert and new music platform.

The partnership of 50 Cent and Vitamin Water provides another example of a brand’s pursuit of an artist, as well as an artist’s intense involvement with the product. Before Vitamin

Water was commonly seen on beverage shelves in most stores, the brand was struggling to break into the market. This was back in the early 2000s, when 50 Cent was dominating the charts with hits like “In Da Club.” Vitamin Water found out that 50 Cent was drinking their product before !15 presenting any offer of sponsorship. With this knowledge, Vitamin Water decided they would approach 50 Cent with the hope that he would be a creative partner and minority owner of the company. Being a creative partner allowed 50 Cent to come up with his own flavor of Vitamin

Water, Formula 50. Since he already genuinely enjoyed the product, making money while promoting a quality drink created an easy career decision for 50 Cent. Eventually, Vitamin Water grew so large that it attracted the attention of Coca Cola. Coke proceeded to purchase the company, and as a result, 50 Cent’s personal profile increased by 100 million dollars.31 This example again shows an artist being actively involved in the creative process for marketing a product, just like Steve Angello and his new music platform for Kraft.

Beyoncé’s deal with Pepsi presents yet another example of a top tier artist pursued by a company. In 2012, Beyoncé signed a 50 million dollar deal with the company, a renewal of a relationship that has been going on since 2002. As one of the most widely known superstars on the planet, Beyoncé could most likely approach almost any company and realistically expect them to be ecstatic to have her on the team. Despite her array of options, Beyoncé has decided to stay with Pepsi because the company focuses on creativity, just like the 50 Cent and Steve

Angello deals. With the 2012 deal, Pepsi promised to sponsor future creative projects as well as promote her album, due out in 2013. When asked why she continues to work with Pepsi,

Beyoncé replied, “Pepsi embraces creativity and understands that artists evolve. As a businesswoman, this allows me to work with a lifestyle brand with no compromise and without sacrificing my creativity.”32 It is clear that Pepsi is set on accommodating Beyoncé in the business sphere while also allowing her to continue to do what she does best musically: top the charts. !16

While the previous three examples show healthy relationships between a sponsor and a top tier artist, not all deals run so smoothly, especially in the public eye. A deal between the heavy metal band Anthrax and the energy drink company Monster Energy provides one example of increased difficulty navigating a sponsorship. Anthrax is a smaller artist than those who fall into the category of top tier deals, but the group is well established with a large fan base. The partnership between the band and Monster Energy appears logically symbiotic. Monster Energy is a drink that is associated with extreme sports and activities, so sponsoring a metal band, a genre typically linked to high energy, is a clear connection. Since the artist is smaller and has less power to leverage, the company can exercise more control. Anthrax’s tour bus is covered in

Monster Energy text, and even during performances, Anthrax must hand out cans of Monster

Energy to the crowd.33 The band is not able to wield creative control in this deal, and the blatant promotion of the product might make some fans question the artist’s image. Anthrax is not as popular or influential of an artist as Beyoncé, and that difference becomes clear through the sacrifices it has to make to please its sponsor. In 2015, Anthrax made 366,013 dollars in sponsorship money.34 For an artist that is not top tier, it is important to exploit any available revenue stream. While sacrificing some creativity and feeling of partnership in the sponsorship deal, Anthrax still benefits financially.

One final example of a successful artist sponsorship provides a case similar to the

Anthrax deal, but in which the artist defends his decision to be associated with a brand despite giving up some creative control. Coors Light has sponsored Ice Cube for several years. Some people are skeptical that the former N.W.A. member could be a genuine spokesperson for a mass produced beer, as there is little obvious connection between the artist and the product. Unlike 50 !17

Cent, Ice Cube has no title or stake in his sponsoring company, weakening his potential to ever hold a creative position within Coors Light. Ice Cube defends his decision to enter the deal by saying that he wants to keep all the parties involved happy. If he helps Coors Light continue to reach their projected numbers, opportunities for creativity will result from increased revenue.

This exact scenario has recently occurred, as Coors Light launched a hip-hop competition called

“Search for the Coldest.” The competition, which is judged by Ice Cube, gives underprivileged rappers the opportunity to make a mark on the industry.35 Even though Ice Cube entered this deal with no creative control, the “Search for the Coldest” competition shows that an artistic partnership can later develop if the artist helps the company reach its financial goals.

Artists other than Ice Cube, 50 Cent, Beyoncé, Steve Angello and Anthrax certainly seek sponsorships. It is more difficult to attract sponsors as an unknown artist, but it is not impossible.

Having a source of money to rely on is especially important for smaller artists who may have fewer and smaller revenue streams than established artists. The sponsor can finance a tour, a single event, or find a new and innovative way to connect with a smaller artist.

Alex Auxier, the manager of Orange Amplification AR team, displays a long history of experience sponsoring smaller artists. He insists that his own personal music taste does not factor into Orange’s choices of who to sponsor. An artist should not try to send Auxier music in order to show that Orange should be his or her sponsor; even if Auxier liked what he heard, his approval of the music itself would barely factor into his sponsorship decision. Orange prides itself on having a balanced roster of artists it sponsors, so the company rarely grants one genre preference over another. Auxier also says he likes to see that a band has touring experience. If a band has been able to tour without losing all of its money, Auxier thinks that the band must be doing !18 something right, meaning Orange would be interested in sponsoring one of the artist’s next tours.

The next aspect Alex wants to examine is the band’s social media numbers. Obviously, the greater the number of followers and interactions, the more likely Orange will want to sponsor the artist. Auxier makes it clear that in order to be considered based on social media, Orange also needs to see that fans are engaging with what the band posts. If the band only has 1,000 likes on

Facebook, but gets 300 likes every time it makes an announcement, Auxier interprets those numbers as a display of impressive fan commitment. Orange would consider sponsoring someone with only 1,000 likes if it sees a high level of engagement.36

If Orange decides to sponsor an artist, the artist will reap several benefits, including special pricing on Orange items as well as backline support on a tour. These benefits do not mean the backline will be a free gift from Orange; rather, the backline will still cost a fee, but it will be cheaper than renting a van to load all of the equipment for every show. In return, Orange will expect artists to engage in what it calls “cross promotion,” which basically means promoting the band and the Orange products. An example would be an artist recording a new song on an

Orange amplifier, and sending a video recording of the session to the company. Orange then shares this content with its fan base, which tends to enjoy seeing real artists use Orange gear, rather than staged advertisements. Finally, Auxier stresses that it does not hurt to ask for a sponsorship, but that it is important to first feel confident in the operations of the band without the support of a sponsor.37

Appearing to know the dealings of the band is essential for a small artist to get sponsored.

In his book “How to Get Sponsorships and Endorsements,” Simon Tam presents possible courses of action that a band should consider taking prior to asking for a sponsorship deal. Tam plays in a !19 band himself, so he has personal experience with attracting sponsors for smaller level artists.

Before even considering gaining a sponsorship, the band needs to make sure it has clearly established its brand and its target audience. A business will want to know whom the band serves and the band’s identity and image. Tam suggests condensing the band’s characteristics into a short speech to show the company that the band is professional and prepared to enter into a sponsorship deal.38

After the band has clearly perfected its identity, it can begin looking for sponsors. It is important for the band to look at potential sponsors at the local level. There is no reason to seek out a national sponsor if the band has no experience at all endorsing a brand. Local businesses might be inclined to sponsor an event or a small tour, which would aid a small artist in a particular community. Next, the band should research which companies in the area have been previously involved in sponsorship deals. If a company has put money towards a few different projects, it is more likely to consider sponsoring the band. It is easiest for an artist to try to use an existing relationship to gain a supporter. If the artist knows someone from the company, he or should reach out to that executive and try to continue to develop a relationship. The band can also look for new and creative ways to partner with a sponsor. For example, the Austin band

Brownout Presents Brown Sabbath, a Latin Funk orchestra that plays Black Sabbath covers, recently partnered with Independence Brewing Company to create Symptom of the Universe

Lager. 39 The brewing company gave several lager samples to the band for them to try, and the band decided on a specific brew. The beer was available for purchase at Brown Sabbath’s album release show, and it is now sold in grocery stores across Texas.40 Placing the band’s name on a specific beer creates a new and innovative revenue stream. Artists frequently partner with !20 beverage companies, but having a beer that is specifically related to a smaller artist is not common. If lesser known artists can find invested companies and invent interesting ways to partner, like the Brown Sabbath beer deal, smaller bands increase their chances of acquiring sponsorships.

Artist sponsorships continue to develop as growing revenue sources for artists and branding opportunities for companies. The history of sponsorships shows a cultural attitude change, from the artists refusing sponsorships, like Bob Dylan, to Ice Cube, who does not try to hide the implications of his deal with Coors Light. Large companie benefit from association with certain artists, as seen with Mastercard’s deal with Lady Gaga. Some critics may complain that companies are restricting artistic expression, but big artists are pleased with current sponsorship deals, many of which involve creative roles. It seems that in 2016, sponsorships are providing more and income and publicity for artists. With music festivals, which rely a great deal on sponsorship, on the rise, the revenue stream is set to continue growing. While Neil Young might have ridiculed this idea in the 1980s, sponsorships are here to stay, benefitting both the company and the artist. !21

Notes

1 Malone, Bill – Country Music U.S.A. 2010

2 Malone, Bill – Country Music U.S.A. 2010

3 Campbell, Michael – 1996

4 History.com – Woodstock Music Festival 2009

5 Stuessy, Joe – Rock and Roll: Its History and Stylistic Development 1999

6 History.com – Woodstock Music Festival 2009

7 Taylor, Timother – Sounds of Capitalism 2012

8 Taylor, Timother – Sounds of Capitalism 2012

9 Young, Neil – Neil Young News 2014

10 Nelson, Willie – The Early Years 2009

11 Stuessy, Joe – Rock and Roll: Its History and Stylistic Development 1999

12 Cott, Jonathan - Rolling Stone Illustrated History of Rock and Roll 1992

13 Weiss – Email correspondence 2016

14 Karp, Hannah - Wall Street Journal March 2016

15 Hodack, Brittany - Forbes January 2016

16 Nestor, Steph - Coca Cola Webpage March 2014 !22

17 Karp, Hannah - Wall Street Journal March 2016

18 Mastercard Sponsorships Webpage

20 Vans Warped Tour Sponsorships Webpage 2016

21 Truscott, Kate - Direct Email Correspondence November 2016

22 Morales, Mitch - Direct Text Message Correspondence November 2016

23 Hadock, Brittany - Forbes January 2016

24 Karp, Hannah – Wall Street Journal March 2016

25 Pollstar Web Report - July 2016

26 Live Nation Case Studies Webpage – 2015

27 Barker, Andrew - Variety April 2013

28 Barker, Andrew - Variety April 2013

29 "MiO Energy Liquid Water Enhancer Fuels Steve Angello’s…”- KraftHeinz March 2013

30 Barker, Andrew - Variety April 2013

31 Whole paragraph uses info from Barker, Andrew - Variety April 2013

32 Whole paragraph uses info from Hampp, Andrew - Billboard March 2012

33 Direct experience of author attending Anthrax concert

34 "Anthrax Net Worth, Endorsement (Heavy Metal Band)." Net Worth Tomb. 2016.

35 Whole paragraph uses info from Barker, Andrew - Variety April 2013

36 Whole paragraph uses info from Auxier, Alex - Orange Amps Blog August 2014

37 Whole paragraph uses info from Auxier, Alex - Orange Amps Blog August 2014 !23

38 Whole paragraph uses info from Tam, Simon - 2012

39 Whole section uses info from Tam, Simon - 2012

40 Told to author by members of the band

Works Cited

"Anthrax Net Worth, Endorsement (Heavy Metal Band)." Net Worth Tomb. 2016. Web.

Auxier, Alex. "The (indefinite) Guide to Orange Endorsements." Orange Amps Blog. 28

Aug. 2014. Web.

Barker, Andrew. "Branding Deals With Pop Stars Go Beyond the Casual Endorsement."

Variety. 16 Apr. 2013. Web.

Campbell, Michael. And the Beat Goes On: An Introduction to Popular Music in

America. Schirmer, 1996. Print.

Cott, Jonathan. “Buddy Holly”. Rolling Stone Illustrated History of Rock and Roll.

Random House New York, 1992. Print.

Hampp, Andrew. "Beyonce Partners With Pepsi for $50 Million Deal." Billboard. 12 Oct.

2012. Web.

History.com Staff. “August 17, 1969: Woodstock Music Festival concludes.”

History.com, 2009. Web.