05–06 Tools Spotify Ad Studio 07–08 Campaigns TikTok, John Legend, Sleepy Tom, Billie Eilish 09–132 Behind The Campaign- Ghetts

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UNDERRATED & MISUNDERSTOOD what people just don’t “get” about digital marketing Sandbox Summit 2019 NYC After the huge success of last year’s inaugural Sandbox Summit in the US, Music Ally returns to NYC again next month with the only dedicated marketing conference for the music industry on May 23. Sandbox Summit is an essential forum for cutting edge and creative thinking in music marketing: a day full of practical tips, refreshing discussions and interviews, insightful presentations, and of course, lots of networking. Brought to you in association with Linkfre, we are delighted to also announce our supporting sponsors, The Orchard and Vevo.

Some of the program we have in store for you includes:

• FlighthouseSandbox TikTok channel Summitfounder Jacob Pace is on marketing to Gen Z, and Sony Music’sa music Jose marketing Abreu discussing conference how to target Superfans. • Secretly Group’s Robby Morris and Laura Sykes explain the secrets behind the Khruangbin campaignseries which organised included a Spotify by playlist that tapped into Flight APIs • ‘Dry StreamsMusic Paradox’ Ally, panel the with global Pandora’s leader Heather in Ellis, Island Records’ Cindy James, Artist Manager Naveed Hassan (MDDN)digital and The Orchard’smarketing Amanda training Suriani for • Panel on how to bring together the various data silos around an artist hosted by Linkfre’s Jeppethe Faurfelt music industry • International marketingand the panel publisher focused on India, of the China and the African markets AT THE • Podcasting anddigital music panel marketing-focused chaired by Cherie Hu, featuring Atlantic Records’ podcast guru Tom MullenSandbox and KevinReports. Wortis , founder of music podcast label HELEN MILLS EVENT Signal Co No 1 SPACE & THEATRE, NEW YORK Taking place at the Helen Mills Event Space & Theater, lunch and refreshments are included in the ticket price, not to mention networking drinks at the end of the day! As a Music Ally subscriber you have access to tickets for a reduced price. Please be MAY 23 2019 sure to secure your tickets here asap, early bird tickets have already SECURE YOUR sold out and the event has a highly limited capacity. For group discounted rates and TICKETS NOW! sponsorship opportunities please contact Anthony. #MarketMusicBetter CLICK HERE... COVERFEATURE RETARGETING PRACTICE

For us, retargeting sponsored content is both underrated and misunderstood. Artists need to use sponsored posts to UNDERRATED & capture the attention of their potential fans, rather than running ads on their music video and hoping that people stop MISUNDERSTOOD scrolling and take the time to listen. Artists need to utilise the retargeting features to first push out content to grab fans’ attention, then retarget those people with your music and upcoming gigs in order to convert them into life-long fans. Artists often run ads on their music video and conclude that it didn’t gain any fans – but in reality this is just stage one of a five-stage process. With the right strategy, content and patience, artists can grow a global fanbase from their bedroom by using social media ads. Alex Jobling, head of digital, Burstimo

PLAYLIST PRIORITIES what people just don’t “get” about digital marketing

It is a simple question, but one with a multitude of answers: what digital marketing trend do you think is most underrated or misunderstood in 2019? To take the temperature of the industry today, we posed that question to a variety of people working in music marketing to see what left them flummoxed, exasperated or simply disappointed.

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I’d say one of the most misunderstood lazy and want others (influencers) to do it science maxim: garbage in, garbage out. From a digital advertising perspective, marketing essentials, even in 2019, is that for us. Kushal Patel, the most common misunderstanding I marketers tend to simply direct listeners Ricardo Chamberlain, marketing & training manager, regularly see is relatively small marketing to a single track on a streaming service. audience development director, Music Ally budgets being used to target a large The problem is that if the user who clicks Sony Music Entertainment number of territories. Because of the on the link isn’t a premium subscriber of TIKTOK IT OVER value that digital advertising represents, that service, they won’t be able to play the In an age when the barriers to entry for it’s presumed that adding in multiple song on demand. Instead, it’s far better to becoming an “influencer” are increasingly countries won’t be a problem. However, direct listeners to a playlist of that artist’s being lowered, there are a phenomenal aside from this watering down the impact music on a joint premium and ad-funded amount of them clamouring for attention of a campaign, these platforms are built service. That way, you can still deliver a (and payment). There can be a risk of in a way that gets the advertiser the stream for your artist, even if it’s not the seeing influencers as human billboards most value for what they are optimising specific track. that will happily pump out your marketing towards. While that sounds positive, it can Cindy James, message, take their fee and move on. actually work against you. For example, if VP of streaming service, Of course, there are some who – like you are bidding on clicks in UK, Germany Island Records Krusty The Clown – will heartily endorse and Mexico, an advertising platform is any product or service. But, for the best TikTok excites the team the most over going to spend 95% of that budget in FLUENT IN INFLUENCE of them, they need to be approached as here at the moment – it’s so much fun. Mexico where it can leverage cheaper creators in their own right. We need to But using it for marketing isn’t quite as clicks. This can, in turn, leave key markets understand that “influencers” are creators straightforward as other platforms so underserved and the missed areas are first and influencers second. They have the scope of what’s achievable remains a often markets with higher value streaming existing relationships with their fans little misunderstood. The community has rates or where physical product has a based around the content they produce – to be truly engaged to drive something higher chance of being sold. and they have earned that following just on the platform. We’ve seen some great Dan Griffiths, as your artists have earned their following. activations on there this year so far and senior director, interactive marketing, A good place to look when finding a few people really nailing it, but there’s The Orchard influencers for a campaign is your loads of space for more and we’re excited existing followers. These people are to see where it all heads. GET THE MESSAGE already fans of you and are likely to have Olivia Hobbs, overlapping interests, making it easier founder & director, I think that the trend that is most for you to incorporate your message into Blackstar London misunderstood is the use of influencers their content. and “trying to go viral”. A lot of the times The most successful influencer MARKET BUDGETS we receive comments like: “Why don’t marketing campaigns happen when we you get influencers to do X or Y?”; or “We work our artist’s message into a creator’s need this to go viral!” We are completely existing brand because this means forgetting that we are dealing with the our message is more likely to resonate biggest influencers in the world – our own amongst their fans. Quality has to be Dark social sounds like such a mystical, musicians and artists. We tend to dismiss paramount – working with influencers to elusive term, but in reality is just our strategy to communicate the artist’s create something that is valuable to both something that has been around since core story and communicate it to the right sides. In influencer campaigns it’s always the arrival of instant messaging and has audience with the right message and get worth remembering the old computer now evolved to encompass a wealth of DM

2 | sandbox | ISSUE 226 | 17.04.2019 COVERFEATURE habits. Not being able to apply a metric The term “Messenger bot” can feel DEVELOPMENT HELL to how much your artist or their music alienating, and often artists and managers is spreading throughout this particular find it difficult to wrap their head around medium of communication does not make it as a concept. However, my take on it it less valuable. With the very nature of is this: as a channel, it is effective, but it being completely organic, and knowing people haven’t been discerning enough that vast majority of people are now likely about which campaigns to use it on. In to be a member of at least 10 WhatsApp other words, there are a lot of campaigns and messenger groups, marketers should which it’s not suited to, but for the right be actively creating clever means of ones, it can be an impressive vehicle for infiltrating this behaviour and encouraging expanding on an album’s narrative in a fans to share content with their friends creative way, whilst also growing audience in this way. That could be memes seeded stats, converting cold or lukewarm fans out through micro-influencer networks, into engaged or highly engaged fans. hashtag challenges based around a song Multiple-choice quizzes, facts about an title, artwork or artist aesthetic, creative artist and competitions are quick and easy with a call-to-action to screenshot, add to programme into Messenger and can your own stamp to and share for social be great for a release with limited budget. In 2019, individual fans exist in their own media kudos... The list is endless. Overall, the main thing to take away or vertical, or what time of day you post algorithmically controlled content bubbles Fiona McAuley, from this is that, for the right campaign, it. Younger audiences are increasingly in their digital lives. Instagram, YouTube, senior digital marketing manager, the limit to Messenger is your creativity. more focussed on private interactions Facebook, and now even a few key Spotify Polydor Records UK Some other pointers: GIFs work really well through direct messaging. Some see this playlists are now controlled by algorithms. (see RuPaul’s Drag Race’s amazing GIF as an opportunity – and one that has been It’s challenging to understand the talked about in terms of replacing emails. Direct-to-fan messaging tools have huge Messenger bot) and always remember algorithms in detail as they are constantly It will be interesting to see if this results potential, but haven’t been exploited to the to focus the majority of your messaging learning and changing. As a result, in a split inbox system that differentiates fullest yet. I believe that they’ll prove their on content that will add value to a fan’s between personal messages and mar- achieving traction for a new artist takes importance as a communication channel experience, as opposed to asking them keting ones, also whether the investment a considered mix of direct and indirect between artists and fans. Chatbots are to directly buy or stream. That will come of building a database tethered to one advertising, earned reach and a consistent, best used as interactive information tools, anyway. platform (or company) is a smart one. Also cohesive audience development campaign as the novelty of mimicking conversation Celeste Guinness, I’m completely obsessed with TikTok over a much longer time period than in soon evaporates. Using WhatsApp or digital strategy manager, becoming the new Vine. Facebook is there previous eras. Real, long-term audience Messenger allows us to bypass algorithms [PIAS] UK for the over-35s who still compare their development is underrated. A hit song can and communicate directly to fans. We lives to their college friends; Twitter has change everything; but once the monthly become that problematic conversation you can provide them with personal, valuable listeners dry up, will that artist have a long PLATFORM-ATION overhear on the bus and can’t help but get content and, in return, gain insight on dragged into; and Instagram is just Face- term career? anything from which track to push to which I think the “science” of social media strat- book for the under-35s. So it’s genuinely Aaron Bogucki, merchandise design to launch. In an era of egy has always been overrated, especially refreshing to see a platform that seems VP of digital marketing, social media saturation, it’s vital to build when it comes to artist campaigns. Plat- to be about people spreading joy through AWAL direct relationships with fans. forms will always find ways to highlight dance and humour. the latest feature they want you to use, Luna Cohen-Solal, Aria Alagha, The most underrated digital marketing but if your content doesn’t resonate with social media manager, creative director, trend of 2019 is… digital marketing. your audience then it really doesn’t matter Warner Bros. Records what tags you use, whether it’s square Arke Digital More and more I am concerned with how

3 | sandbox | ISSUE 226 | 17.04.2019 COVERFEATURE many artists – particularly developing also means we sometimes move too this year – particularly how this type of FAN THE FLAMES artists – are overlooking the hard graft quickly from one trend to another without content could develop into a lucrative and strategy that goes into building a really exploring all of a trend’s potential. I source of income for artists through compelling artist proposition. Growing think AR is one such trend. In the coming gaming and sync. an engaged fanbase is often regarded year I would love to see more campaigns Josie Charlwood, as secondary to finding playlist support. that look to fully utilise all dimensions head of digital, Everyone is trying to jump the queue, of AR and the unique experiences it can Closer Artists to avoid touring in a van, to overlook provide to fans and potential listeners. finding creative ways to talk to and excite A Snapchat lens can be a really valuable Q-JUMPE-R their fans and to reach new potential asset to an awareness campaign. Now audiences. The reality is it’s a constant job that they’ve opened up the lens studio to to be digitally engaged and strategically everyone, they’ve really raised the bar on marketing an artist that stretches beyond the type of AR campaigns labels should be any pitch tool in isolation. People are rolling out for their audiences. The notion of fandom is too often treated distracted by the ‘direct access’ certain Ari Ewig, as a given in marketing. They already tools provide and are forgetting to put in project manager, international marketing, like the act and so they will happily drink the effort to tell the story of what makes Universal Music AB up any content – no matter the quality – them special in the first place. There is an thrown their way. Except it doesn’t work inaccurate perception that success just GAME FACE like that anymore in an age of fragmented happens in 2019. fandom and growing demands for Hannah Dudley, attention that have to be earned. There director of marketing strategy, is often too much chasing of metrics WMA and not enough focus on building actual communities around artists. The gaming AUGMENTED industry has managed to establish a REALITY CHECK proper ecosystem for its creators, artists and teams and music has to think about how it can properly reward fans for their engagement and loyalty in a visible An underrated trend is QR codes for geo- manner. Sure, there are rewards for fans local integration. In my head, since the if they follow an act on a DSP or pre- technology is included in most phones, save the album, but everyone is doing I am particularly interested in a cryptic message and a QR code would that and audience fatigue will be the net the evolution and relationship create that mental rush that would incline result. Fans want attention too – not just between music, gaming and virtual one to connect with it. Use a street team sales messages. Give them the tools to reality. Marshmello’s virtual Fortnite to spread across it major spaces in a express their fandom in a digital space and performance proved how huge an city, and link the QR code to an exclusive effectively becoming influencers within audience this type of content can pull concert in town that weekend. I’d love to their fan group – or watch them shrug Today we see digital marketing developing in, and there’s definitely a massive give it a try soon. their shoulders and walk away. at an increasingly rapid pace. This, of opportunity for the music industry here. Darius Mines, Marlen Hüllbrock, course, makes it an exciting time for the I’m not a VR expert, but this is one of the digital marketing assistant, marketing executive, field. However, the speed of development areas I’m very keen to learn more about Innovo Management Music Ally

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While most of the focus on Spotify has streams and building audiences on the been on it pushing up its subscriber platform. The hope is that some artists numbers (96m paying subscribers as of will see this works really well in activating late 2018), its free tier is where the largest more passive listeners and getting new share of its audience is (111m monthly fans on board, generating repeat listening active users). so that the comparatively high costs of running the ads are paying off. While ad-supported revenues grew 34% In its accompanying blog post, Spotify in the final quarter of 2018, it still only has claimed that a recent Rich The Kid accounts for 11.67% of Spotify’s revenues, campaign, run by music marketing agency so it is keen to super-charge this part of Wavo, has seen 38% of people listen to the its business. artist after hearing the ad, with around When Spotify charges between 20% of those being first-time listeners. For $0.015 and $0.025 per ad served, a music artists who find it difficult to get placings marketer doing the maths might find that, on Spotify’s playlists, this could be an in the micro-penny business of streaming, effective way of exposing their music to it’s hard to generate ROI – especially if a new audience directly within Spotify. you have no attribution tools at hand that However, the more interesting metric here are able to provide measurement. In light will be who actually saved the track and of this, Spotify Ad Studio (available in the performed across who will continue to stream or even go US, UK, Canada and Australia) has just existing and new ahead and follow the artist? announced some new conversion metrics listeners; On Ad Studio, you can create audio that it hopes will take its self-serve • and the number ads of up to 30 seconds, containing a platform to the next level. of listeners who are clickable display creative that can link These music promotion-related likely to stream the through to a single URL (i.e. an artist’s metrics will now allow artists and their artist’s music again Spotify profile or playlist). When used to teams to understand which actions a user as they saved the promote other music products such as has taken after hearing their ad, such as: artist’s music or merchandise or ticket sales, due to the • how many people who heard the ad added it to a playlist. lack of a Spotify pixel, it’s still quite difficult subsequently listened to the artist’s to evaluate the conversion rate of a given music on Spotify; (The conversion window campaign. Spotify Ad Studio also operates • the percentage of new listeners the is set at calculating on a minimum spend of $250, which does ad attracted; conversions up to 14 present a barrier to entry for smaller acts • the amount of streams generated days after a user was and labels (arguably the people who most by new and existing listeners after exposed to the ad.) need these conversion metrics to really hearing the ad; These new conversion metrics will providing a deeper understanding about work for them). • the ability to tell how well the ad be a blessing for every music marketer, how effective ads on Spotify are in driving There will be more updates coming

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ad-blocking tools when listening to music on the platform, representing around 2% of its ad-supported monthly active users. Since then, the company has increased its efforts to clamp down on these activities, first disabling the ability to play music for the users circumventing their ads and finally updating their terms and conditions this February, with accounts being terminated for those who continued to block ads. While these developments have certainly been long overdue, Spotify has been working on other innovations around its ad experience such as testing a skippable ad format called Active Media in Australia at the end of last year. The plan is to serve more personalised ads on the back of this. In January, Spotify to its free userbase, stemming from the announced that it will enhance its idea of Spotify’s larger ecosystem of targeting capabilities with additional personalisation, although Spotify hasn’t demographic and interest-based shared any results of the tests yet. segments which it will source from Interactive ads are something that its first-party behavioural data. Right Pandora has announced it will be taking now, ads can be targeted based on into the voice environment later this location, age, gender, device and some year, so there is certainly a lot happening basic listening behaviour (genre, around making ads less intrusive to the playlist category etc.) but will soon consumer and therefore more effective for see the introduction of categories like advertisers. “fitness enthusiasts” or “mom” based Spotify could take a leaf out of on listening habits on the platform. It’s Pandora’s book, which already offers its currently unclear if this update will also users the opportunity to watch video enable targeting fans of similar artists, ads, view a swipeable gallery or play with something that would surely please many a 360-degree image in order to unlock artist teams. a certain amount of ad-free listening What’s more, select advertisers will time. This could be a huge opportunity get access to an audience upload feature, for artists to introduce themselves and enabling them to market to ‘custom’ and prospective listeners in the same way as It’s important to mention that Spotify connect with new audiences on the ‘lookalike audiences’, when talking in on Facebook and Instagram, but with the has been dealing with issues around ad platform through visual storytelling. In Facebook language. This will undoubtedly added benefit of decreasing drop-off by blocking. Ahead of its IPO in April 2018, this way, ads could actually offset some of be interesting to music marketers, who targeting people who are already inside the company had revealed that around the limited communication and branding would be able to target existing and the platform. 2m of its freemium users were using capabilities on streaming platforms. :)

6 | sandbox | ISSUE 226 | 17.04.2019 CAMPAIGNS The latest projects from the digital marketing arena TIKTOK TALK: VIDEO APP CREATES MUSICAL LEGEND HAS IT: JOHN LEGEND IS THE VOICE OF GOOGLE ASSISTANT STICKERS AND COURTS INDIE ACTS

With over 1bn downloads of its app to date, TikTok has also TikTok is a big deal in social media, with music just launched its being one of its key building blocks. What is new Spotlight most surprising about its new partnership feature in South with Sony in India is not that it has happened Korea and Japan but rather that it has taken this long to – after a similar happen. initiative in China – to give new For the song ‘Haaye Oye’ by QARAN and acts a foot up by featuring Ash King, TikTok has created a putting them in special filter for the track that users can front of a massive apply to clips of themselves as they lip sync global audience. along to the song. In brief it lets users add It says it wants a heart-shaped puff of smoke to cover their to help “discover Sadly just available for a limited time and the company gets and we can only presume mouths while hearts race up the screen and and support the only accessible by users in the US, singer Legend is the first of many who will have they mime along to the self-styled “love song growth of independent artists”. Over the next John Legend is going to be the voice of their voices replicated for the technology. of the year”. five months, its panel of judges will whittle Google Assistant. This has been a long time coming as Videos featuring the #haayeoye hashtags submissions down to between five and 10 Legend originally made a cameo as the voice have been viewed over 190m times on TikTok, acts, also drawing on data around which “Just say, ‘Hey Google, talk like a Legend,’ and of Assistant back in May 2018 in a demo of with the makers of the most creative videos tracks are proving most popular with users of you’ll hear John’s voice for select content the technology at the Google I/O conference. being in with the chance of winning meet and the app. when you ask the Assistant for jokes or It is both a marketing gimmick for Legend greets and shoutouts from the act. It is currently not clear if rightsholders and for answers to questions like ‘What’s the but also a way for Google to show off the “The tremendous response artists will be remunerated temperature outside?’ or ‘Why is the sky WaveNet technology that it describes as “a to the video and the deep for the use of their music blue?’” writes Manuel Bronstein, VP of new deep neural network for generating raw audience involvement with here, but the major labels are product for Google Assistant, in a blog post audio waveforms that is capable of producing TikTok have resulted in reported to be seeking higher about the initiative. “You’ll also hear John’s better and more realistic-sounding speech some incredible numbers payment rates as part of voice when you ask about his personality and than existing techniques”. In brief, it allows and quality of participation,” their licensing renegotiations affinity for music.” a user to input their own voice and work says Rohan Jha, the head with TikTok. Paying for music Legend appears in a promo video reading through a list of key sounds which WaveNet of pop at Sony Music India. is one part of the conundrum the weather report and introducing one can then turn into natural-sounding speech. “The association is one of its for a platform like TikTok, but of his favourite songs (“Happy birthday to Dystopians will naturally shudder at kind – and exemplifies what ensuring songs and artists the person whose birthday it is…”). It is all the thought that anyone’s speech can be an engaging content and don’t become a short-lived delightfully tongue-in-cheek. replicated so easily while voice actors and an involved platform can do meme sensation is another Google says that cameo voices on impressionists will be worrying about their together.” thing entirely. Assistant are one of the top user requests future career prospects.

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RHYTHM & SNOOZE: SLEEPY TOM CREATES VIDEO GAME FOR NEW SINGLE FILTER ME UP, BUTTERCUP: BILLIE EILISH AND COACHELLA GET INSTAGRAM TREATMENT a chained-up heart. The aim is to deflect attacks from it in order to It was the best of filters, rack up points and compete with it was the worst of filters. other gamers to top the leader Here is a tale of two filters board. that came out at the same Throughout the game, the time, that do different full ‘Amateurs’ track plays but things and that are still very there is also the option to follow much linked together as Sleepy Tom on the itch.io gaming they show how Instagram platform (which suggests that is courting very distinct other games linked to future audiences through music. releases may be planned) and also test out itch.io’s range of games. First up, Billie Eilish has an It is not a remotely complex Instagram filter that users game, but that is absolutely in can access as long as they keeping with the retro feel – making follow her on Instagram. it a very simple platform gaming It turns your face plastic-y experience. Interestingly the game and blacks out your eyes, was also made possible by the adding strobe flashes in the background audience skews younger, although her Canadian government, Ontario to echo the sinister cover art of her debut crossover appeal in the wake of her debut It’s not quite “Marshmello invading Fortnite” Creates Is… (an agency of the Ministry of album. album’s success will push that average or “Drake buying into another esports Tourism, Culture & Sport) and FACTOR (the Next up is the Coachella filter – either age up a bit. It is fascinating to note how company”, but it’s noteworthy nonetheless. non-profit organisation that helps grow the ignoring or fully embracing the online fundamentally the same technology Canadian music industry). shade thrown at the festival that suggests – a filter applied to images or videos – Canadian DJ and producer Sleepy Tom has This is something that Iron Maiden have it is little more than a connected series can create two very different types of released his latest six-track EP, Amateurs, done in recent years, where each new album of Instagram opportunities for attendees engagement for two distinct audiences. with the lead track also featuring fellow campaign comes with a tie-in retro game. who are more concerned about selfies The first is about showing loyalty to Canadian singer-songwriter Lights. But For these kinds of things, it’s less about than who is playing. The ‘Desert Chill’ filter an artist by applying their imagery and rather than just throw it up on SoundCloud, feeling that the marketing envelope has to (yes, they really called it that) gives photos aesthetic to your own face to feel part Spotify and Apple Music (and other DSPs), be pushed further and further each time a pink sheen that ties in with the wider of a likeminded community and where they have created a retro video game to go and more about understanding what your aesthetic the festival is pushing. There is looking good is not the sole point; the along with it. audience wants and will actually use. also an effect that pops sunglasses on the other is about indirect participation Players can compete as either Sleepy Tom Marketing campaigns don’t need to user and where the shape of the glasses through association, buffing every photo or Lights as they roll through a street scene reinvent the wheel every time; they just need frames turns into stars and ferris wheels. from an event into being just one part of on a skateboard and have to face off with to find ways to make the wheel they already The core Coachella audience is a homogeneous gallery and where looking some kind of flying skeleton creature with have spin that little bit faster. estimated to be mid-20s whereas Eilish’s good is the only point.

8 | sandbox | ISSUE 226 | 17.04.2019 BEHIND THE CAMPAIGN GHETTS PHOTO: Misha Meghna BEHIND THE CAMPAIGNGHETTS

For Ghetto Gospel: The New Testament, his first album through Caroline International, London rapper Ghetts came with a whole THE TEAM concept and marketing plan upfront. This was also going to be the album that introduced him to a wider audience and so DOMINIC Ghetts – artist LOUTH (international head of digital at Caroline International) and Misha Meghna – creative director ALI NEALE (product manager at Caroline International) explain how The Confect – creative team the album was set up, why they focused on building his streaming Trenton Harrison-Lewis – audience, where Instagram was used as the lead social platform and management why an exhibition about the album and his life was both a real world Dominic Louth – international head and a VR undertaking. of digital Ali Neale – product manager Andy Betts – digital marketing manager

of him, his life, everything he has been through, his story and the times we live in now. The record itself touched on these amazing things which we represented through an exhibition [the Ghettsibition ]. We had artwork for each track on the album and that all fed into the exhibition.

An artist arriving with a fully formed album and marketing concept AN: Ghetts came to us last summer with an album that was fully formed and with new management – Trenton Harrison- Lewis. He arrived with the concept and then we provided things on every aspect of this campaign – radio, press, marketing, digital, TV. This was a full-services campaign for us, not just a distribution one. So we were essentially Ghetts’s label DL: Every song had a unique piece of art and were involved in every step of the created for it. Ghetts wanted to release creative process. the album in one piece [with no lead-up He was integral to all of our discussions singles]. Part of our role as the service and he sat in every single planning partner was to advise and to come up with meeting. The album is a diverse and a strategy to get at least one or two songs

PHOTO: Misha Meghna culturally relevant interpretation out prior to that, with audio and visuals, in

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order to tell the story. We managed to do that and Ghetts was very happy to support us. But it was still quite a quick turnover. With Spotify , you have public-facing stats, such as monthly listeners, that everyone can see. So releasing a song is going to naturally bump up these figures before you release the full body of work – and it will help get you on playlists. With Having outdoor advertising Using key tracks to both reposition him radio, TV and DSPs, you have the same make a statement and build anticipation conversations. You want to have at least AN: We announced the album with a bit DL: ’Black Rose’ is about fatherhood and two or three opportunities to talk to them of creative outdoor – using projections in the world that he is bringing his daughter about the project. Shoreditch as he’s from East London. We into. His daughter featured heavily in the got all of his mates on their quad-bikes to video. That was the first track we dropped AN: He came to us with the trailer that come down. which was completely different to anything AN: No one was really expecting that he had already made and that was a key Ghetts and I went to the GRM Daily Ghetts had ever done before. People from Ghetts. As soon as we dropped the tool in positioning both the album and Awards at Hammersmith Apollo and had know Ghetts as a ferocious, angry video it was trending on Twitter with 2m Ghetts as it really sums up the project. It an ad van with screens where we played rapper spitting at 100 million impressions that day. is a minute long and it is what we used to the trailer and video for ‘Black Rose’ and miles an hour. But that wasn’t the launch the campaign. It was also what we that was also the night that ‘Preach’ was case here. This was a song that DL: We were able to get some of the used to approach partners ahead of the launched. The fans outside thought we would go far wider than anything imagery out there early by using some album. were part of the awards! he had ever done before. of the outdoor creative to tell a bit of the This was around three months ahead story and to create anticipation. That led of the album release. He actually had DL: London Underground at Shoreditch DL: From a digital marketing and social into ‘Preach’ which was a bit more of a the album made and ready to go in the also let us use one of their whiteboards at perspective, we were obviously going to traditional track. November prior [2017]. His last release the station and we had lyrics from ‘Preach’ amplify it. But obviously releasing a track was in 2014 [Momentum 2 (The Return of as their thought for the day. Things like like that gave us a good conversation to AN: We came up with this really short Ghetto)]. Ghetto Gospel came out in 2007 that were a nice little touch in addition to go into media with as it was different strategy. He had wanted to drop the album and there were quite a lot of mixtapes in the marketing that was running. to what you might be expecting from a in one fell swoop, but this strategy was between. Ghetts record. able to show both sides of the album.

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‘Black Rose’ was an incredibly personal song with a video that was essentially him doing the school run.

DL: It was quite a bold decision from Ghetts and Trenton to actually go with this strategy. There was ‘Black Rose’ sounding so different and then waiting a good 10 days [for the next track] was quite bold.

AN: It just set the tone for the record and artist like Ghetts is a bit slow, but we just about the album. It was an amazing what people were going to get. We did made sure we were still posting to it. thing to draw press and TV down come out quite quickly the following week On Instagram we basically deleted to. We recorded a Channel 4 News with ‘Preach’ and that was Annie Mac’s everything and started again. That was one piece from the exhibition. He was hottest record [on BBC Radio 1]. long night for the team! You have to do it on Victoria Derbyshire [on BBC Two] the day before it actually opened and manually. talking about rap, feminism and knife filmed all the elements. We had Ghetts Building a streaming audience violence. walk around and introduce each piece of around him ahead of his return Opening the Ghettsibition Via these topics and the Ghettsibition artwork. MelodyVR were then able to do DL: One of the challenges was DL: There is a whole creative team involved [we got broad coverage]. We did Front Row some additional work on it so when he in converting an artist for a with Ghetts and they were able to help. We on Radio 4 from there. was introducing it they were able to put streaming audience because his came up with some fun ideas. On Snapchat the artwork up [for the user to see]. previous releases had come out at we came up with the lens for Shoreditch [in DL: We also did a YouTube live Q&A with We filmed the Ghettsibition and his a different time when downloads East London] around the projections and Akala . That was an hour long and people show at the Jazz Cafe [in North London on were more popular. the Ghettsibition . have watched it a lot. 11th October] and then we launched it on We went into his DSP profiles and MelodyVR in February. That was perfect made sure we had updated images and AN: Ghetts came to us with the idea of the AN: There was a section in the Ghettsibition for us to keep it relevant into 2019. also claimed them. We made sure that exhibition, but it wasn’t quite fully formed. where we recreated his bedroom and you management and artist had access to the There was no structure in place, plans for could sit in there and listen to the album. AN: The Ghettsibition was the real tools that were available – Apple Music how they would want to execute it or when That was pretty amazing. launchpad for the album because it had all For Artists, Spotify for Artists and so they were going to do it. They were looking the themes of the album there; it really set on. We set up essential playlists – even at a few places but then we came on board Moving into VR the tone. though we don’t own the rights to those and we give them that structure, working DL: MelodyVR was an interesting one The second night was the day of [catalogue tracks]. Our thing is that the out how we would do it. I found the venue because they had never had a grime artist the album release. During the day, the artists should be able to monetise any of with Ghetts – Kachette in Shoreditch. It’s on the platform before; he was the first exhibition was open to anyone and Ghetts their releases and that would also help an amazing space with two arches inside. one. We reached out to them because we was there all day so fans could come in our new music coming in. We were able The original exhibition was just two wanted to capture this [the Ghettsibition] and talk to him. In the evening we basically to add a couple of thousand followers nights [13th and 14th September]. The first before it was gone. We have talked about recreated the first night – but for fans only and that playlist is his biggest streaming night was for family, friends and media. doing the Ghettsibition in other cities at so there was no media there. That night playlist on Spotify. We partnered with Spotify and they used some point maybe, but this was our main he had a Q&A with Akala. We also live We were building up the following it to do one of their Who We Be talks with chance [to capture it]. streamed that. numbers and going back into the socials as DJ Semtex. That was the Q&A element of On the second day, when it was open There was also an opportunity for fans well and reigniting them. Facebook for an the night were they did an in-depth talk to the public, we had a run through during to ask him questions. He also did a little

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show at the end. It was a proper party. AN: Spotify was really invested in the sale quickly and sell out. We were sensitive We had drink sponsors there – including project from the start. We partnered with to that so, rather than having a week or a Magnum Tonic Wine and rum. them for the Who We Be podcast but they 10-day period where you’re trying to sell also made him one of the premier acts in albums on the back of ticket sales, we were In-store performances the Who We Be festival [in London on 28th focused on the upsell and making sure that AN: This was introducing him to a totally November]. we were capturing the data. new audience. We did a vinyl edition of one of his albums for first time ever and AN: At the Ghettsibition, Deezer came down AN: The Jazz Cafe sold out in hours. He we also had a CD release. We used Rough and filmed content. We had an Instagram played with a full band and a choir and that Trade to do an indoor performance [on takeover as well. Amazon came down and was the perfect venue to do that. 15th September]. Rough Trade really filmed an interview with him too. It was a constant build from the album wanted to do it and he pulled in a massive release. He was the last artist confirmed crowd for it. DL: We were also in the genre and mood for the last show on the most recent series playlists that we wanted to be in. We have of Later... With Jools Holland. That tied in DL: He did have a fairly decent email had a good crack at broadening this out with our Radio 1 push and we got onto the database so we were able to send internationally as well. We have had some B-list. That all led into Christmas. information out to several thousand good support like in Australia where he has On his tour he went to Rough Trade people. We also did some data capture been before. He flew out to Berlin and did Bristol and did a meet-and-greet with in advance of the tour to refresh the some promotional work there. fans. He also played the Teenage Cancer database. We also worked with (ticketing Trust shows in London. We are really firm) Dice so, again, that was bringing Instagram as lead social platform pushing things forward. He has been him to a whole new audience. We also DL: He was great on Instagram Stories. He He went into 1Xtra and talked about ‘Black nominated for an Ivor Novello award. We had really strong open rates. He was also was really on it with highlights and IGTV. Rose’. That interview was really moving. We think this has potential to be a Mercury- trending on Dice. He has been great with supporting us and could also repost that and the stuff from nominated album. These were all little element chatting with fans. He is all over Twitter as Channel 4 News. That was really important. showing how he was reaching well. Instagram is his main social platform DL: That window for release was quite new audiences. Dice were involved – but he is also very good on Twitter. DL: Because we were doing all of this other short so we definitely had to make sure in the Jazz Cafe show and that helped media activity we were able to create fresh that we captured certain elements within us bring in data that we could use. It’s AN: It is important to note the velocity at content. That meant we could repurpose a that window that were compelling. The about utilising as many opportunities as which he puts content out. We work closely TV feature on Instagram . The ability to be album, of course, was compelling, but you possible. Rough Trade was a roadblock. with him on all the content creation. We fleet of foot and also having an artist who need to layer in additional stuff over that in And he loved it. did everything directly with Ghetts in terms was willing to support that meant that order to get partners excited. :) of content and social media. you had that story being told and that the Working with the DSPs on release week narrative was there. Then the record came WANT TO FEATURE IN DL: We got the new release playlists like DL: We would ask him to post something out and the fans were all over it. It created BEHIND THE CAMPAIGN? New Music Friday UK and the key Apple and he would do it right away. That really a really strong buzz. Marketing people: do you have a campaign you are working playlists. We had a premium homepage helps in a very fast timeline. It is great for on that you would like to see featured in Behind The Campaign takeover on Spotify which was nice. We our commercial team and it is great for our Using live performances as a in a future edition of sandbox? If so, send a brief synopsis of had really strong support from the UK promotional team. That means they can focus for the album marketing it to Eamonn Forde for consideration and your work (and your team there. Ghetts was on the cover of talk to radio, TV and DSPs about it. DL: We had our D2C offering with an upsell words) could appear here. Jazz Cafe that New Music Friday playlist. via SeeTickets [for the show]. Email: [email protected] AN: Traditional media was also important. With an artist like this, tickets need to go on

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