BROUGHT TO YOU COURTESY OF 06-07 Tools CompanionLabs 08-09 Campaigns Björk, X Ambassadors, Mabel 10–15 Behind The Campaign- Hot Chip

IN ASSOCIATION WITH sandbox SEPTEMBER 18 2019 MUSIC MARKETING FOR THE DIGITAL ERA ISSUE 236

THE NEXT STEP FOR PLAYLISTS BEHIND THE CAMPAIGN HOT CHIP BEHIND THE CAMPAIGNHOT CHIP

A Bath Full Of Ecstasy is Hot Chip’s seventh album and was released in June – their first new album since Why Make Sense? in 2015. COREY ZALOOM (senior manager, digital marketing) and BROOKE SALISBURY (head of marketing) of Domino Recording Company explain how they set up the album by getting their catalogue streaming in order after the label acquired three of their previous albums from EMI/Parlophone, where live was used to reawaken interest in the band, how the video for ‘Hungry Child’ reached far beyond their core audience and why both Instagram and TikTok were key new platforms in the band’s marketing arsenal.

Getting the band’s catalogue streaming Domino acquired the band’s EMI/ CZ: We had a few goals going into the change in three or four years, so in order before the new album Parlophone catalogue in early 2018 album in spring 2019 and one was things like Instagram were a new BS: This is only our third album with [covering three albums between 2006 and to reactivate their catalogue. Some priority for the band. We were the band [after 2012’s In Our Heads and 2010] and that was a key part of the set up of that included re-uploading high- looking at how to integrate things 2015’s Why Make Sense?]. They have for this campaign. At that point we were definition versions of their videos and like Instagram Stories as well as how made seven albums altogether but we preparing for this new album campaign getting streaming to a stronger place. we shifted our content and asset strategy haven’t worked with them for their entire and so, finally, we had everything in- The band have a substantial social around these rapidly changing trends on career. We were lucky enough to take house. That’s when we really started to following, but given the amount of time social media in a way that fits the brand, them on a couple of records ago. get underway with our preparations for between releases, the fanbase really voice and style [of the band]. the new album campaign. needed to be reactivated. So much can We started off by setting up some key

11 | sandbox | ISSUE 236 | 18.09.2019 BEHIND THE CAMPAIGNHOT CHIP

catalogue playlists for the band as well This Is Hot Chip had been an follows]. We started in November last year members] Joe Goddard and Alexis Taylor as curated playlists that the band could algorithmic playlist on Spotify. It wasn’t when This Is Hot Chip had 5,000 followers on their solo projects as well. So during update regularly and that we could share curated or managed by the Spotify team. in total. After moving through the that time we were working closely with Joe on socials to help grow Spotify followers. We really wanted to work with Spotify on following drive and Spotify on-boarding and Alexis on their own album campaigns. We also did a merchandise giveaway the playlist as the key catalogue property the playlist as a curated list, we’re now at That meant the band members stayed leading into the end of the year. That was and destination for the campaign. In 18.62k followers. very well versed in what it takes to put attached to a Spotify follow and an email order to do that and to get Spotify to start The whole exercise in terms of together a modern campaign. list sign-up. It was about getting those curating the playlist and working on it with driving This Is Hot Chip on Spotify When we approached the new Hot core followers set up for that. us actively, we had a six-month period of and Hot Chip Essentials on Apple Chip record, the guys were completely au digital focus around growing the follower Music has been incredible. Those fait with how people were engaging and BS: We really were very invested in accounts and driving streams per user two playlists are now the band’s consuming music these days – which was reactivating the catalogue but we also within the playlist. number one stream generators really helpful from our side. As a band, knew that the stronger the following We were really working hard on that on both Spotify and Apple Music. they are incredibly creative and they bring that we can accrue around the This Is before we got into campaign mode. We’ve come into the campaign with the a lot to the table. They’re very connected in Hot Chip playlist on Spotify and the Hot We were then able to show Spotify the catalogue completely reactivated globally terms of the collaborators that they want Chip Essentials playlist on Apple Music incredible growth within the playlist and and two playlist properties that are to work with. the more it was going to benefit us when ask them at that point to start curating actually yielding really incredible stream For this campaign, the band had we moved into the new campaign cycle. it and really focusing on the list with us results week-on-week for the band. just taken on brand new management. Having that engaged audience ready to within the album campaign. That was They’d started working with Verdigris speak to with new music in partnership successful and Spotify ended up curating Keeping abreast of evolving marketing Management who also do Superorganism with the DSPs [was key]. the playlist. techniques and working with a new team [another Domino signing]. For us at Throughout the album campaign, BS: It was four years between albums Domino, we had a band who are incredibly we’ve seen incredible results with [playlist for the band. Domino works with [band engaged with a lot of great ideas and a brand new management company who always bring a lot to our campaigns. We were really coming into it from a strong position in terms of where the band was at and the team around them.

Underplays helping to set things up and teasing the album artwork CZ: The band announced a short run of underplays a month before the album announcement. We offered a pre-sale access code with an email signup. As it was a month before album announcement, we already had artwork ready and knew what things were starting to look like. So we were able to incorporate some of the new elements, like new fonts and new textures, as a gradual rebranding process. We were starting to trickle some

12 | sandbox | ISSUE 236 | 18.09.2019 BEHIND THE CAMPAIGNHOT CHIP

of that into our marketing. That was a perfect jumping off moment to brought in Martin Starr from Silicon Valley The album cover is very colourful. We announce the new record and to finally put and Freaks & Geeks along with Milana did everything in black and white to start a new track out there [at the start of April]. Vayntrub to appear in the video. It knocked so that when we were ready to move into We’d been doing a lot of teasing before all of us out – and the band too. the album announcement there would be that point. People knew there was new With ‘Hungry Child’ , we knew that a big explosion of colour. There was also music coming and they’d had a taste of there was this great opportunity to a new video that we were teasing out and the artwork. place the band very squarely in front of we had a substantial email list coming One thing that we learned a generation of fans who would have from the tour announcement to share along the way with Hot Chip probably never had contact with Hot Chip with everybody. is that their fanbase doesn’t before. necessarily need a high degree of Combined with having this great video, Getting everything in place complicated teasing. We knew that we also knew that this was a chance to for the album announcement this process of re-engaging the fanbase really introduce ourselves to this brand BS: When we came to do the album had been an elongated exercise and so we new strata of fans. This was a big target announcement, we had done six months didn’t want to draw it out too much. demographic for the campaign based on of digital housekeeping. The Spotify We came straight out of the gates after the album that the band had made. followers were in a great place. The the 6 Music Festival and announced the From that point, we really focused on band had announced and sold out a album. We dropped ‘Hungry Child’, the first digital marketing and social marketing global headline tour. They also had just single with a really great narrative-driven that would put the video in front of people played the 6 Music Festival where they video that we knew would really excite the who were not in the traditional Hot Chip previewed a few of the new songs live fanbase. fanbase. and these filmed performances from the Touring is always key for Hot Chip, festival were flying around the internet. so we put on sale a massive world tour CZ: We used the ‘Hungry Child’ video People were talking and we could and bundled the album with tickets, for the bulk of our digital advertising. really see that the engagement was high. which ended up producing an incredible result. With the album/ticket bundle and One of the great things about that was signed D2C combination, we were able to that, because it’s a narrative video, we produce our best ever pre-order results for were able to have more narrative-style Hot Chip, both in the UK and in the US. advertising. We had these comedic bits We came out of that week of the album that I think people were more likely to announcement knowing that the setup pause on and actually watch. There were period for the campaign and all the hard subtitles so they could engage with it even work of re-engaging and building the with the audio off in their feeds. fanbase had really paid off. The recognisability of the actors obviously helped and there will be people Moving things up a level who watched it because they recognised with the ‘Hungry Child’ video the guy from Silicon Valley. They were BS: Jonny Bradshaw, the band’s product making that recognition when they saw manager at Domino, knew that the first this just popping up in their feed and so video for Hot Chip had to be incredible. they were more likely to engage and want Music videos are such a core part of the to find out you know who Hot Chip are, or band’s legacy and such a contributor to they remembered them and wanted to see their visual identity. Director Saman Kesh what they are doing now.

13 | sandbox | ISSUE 236 | 18.09.2019 BEHIND THE CAMPAIGNHOT CHIP

marketing to really complement the live Social media in general and activity. Instagram in particular as a key focus We were using the band’s socials to CZ: It was definitely about striking a engage with fans who’d been at the shows balance. We wanted to look at one-third to get them to share content that they had direct marketing content so we had a new been sharing from their own channels. video and there were tour dates and pre- We wanted to make sure that for each orders for the album; another third was show the band played, even if it was only indirect but pre-planned and scheduled to 1,000 people, we were having an impact content, including things like updates with however many fans they had in that to the band-curated playlist, sharing particular market who were there and snippets from the road or re-sharing fan were ready to be engaged with. content; and the final third was organic and fun content. CZ: The fans were so enthusiastic about The band have really fun videos that are getting to see the band in these small smart and witty. It was about getting that venues and they were really aggressive to translate into sharing candid photos It was just a little more about sharing on socials. We were or fun videos. Around Valentine’s Day, we attention-grabbing and a little getting this really great content in shared a video of Al [Doyle from the band] more engaging than your standard from fans, The band were also able playing ‘What The World Needs Now Is advertising. to share that, letting everybody see Love’. It was keeping people engaged and what Hot Chip in 2019 looks like live. making sure they were connecting with BS: One of the best performing the band as people and as personalities. creatives of the entire campaign BS: Throughout that time, Instagram Stories was a really great was actually using a screen grab we also continued running way to do that because it’s quick and from the music video where one advertising on Spotify’s free casual. They’re gone in 24 hours, so if of the characters says, “Ugh – tier. We kept our focus something isn’t the most brilliant I hate house music! ” on catalogue and we piece of content in the history of continued to bring in social media, then it disappears. CZ: There’s a lot of dialogue in the video giveaway tied into a pre-save. Pre-saving more casual or lapsed fans, and that was the most engaged-with and and pre-adding was a core focus on a lot using catalogue as the BS: Instagram definitely ended up most commented-on part of the video. of our messaging. hook. being the biggest growth platform We knew that with everyone for the campaign. At this point we’re Touring leading into the album release BS: Once we announced the record, the we could bring into the This Is Hot almost close to doubling the follower CZ: We had about 10 weeks of lead in. The band had also begun their underplay Chip playlist based on someone count that we started with. album came out on 21st June. We did have tour. It started in the UK around the loving [earlier hits] ‘Ready For a few other things come through before announcement and ran for a month from The Floor’ or ‘Over & Over’, we had CZ: We saw an 80% increase on that – a video for ‘Melody Of Love’ and announcement onwards. They went all that opportunity to put the brand Instagram alone. Age-wise, the we also had some remixes of ‘Hungry through Europe and the US. We were new singles in front of them and demographic breakdown is pretty Child’ in that time period. using that underplay tour to engage fans to bring them into the fold on the evenly split now between the 18-24 We did do a few things to continue at a local level. new campaign. We set that agenda segment and the 25-34 segments. sustaining our growth on the Spotify and For every market that they went to, we right through the album campaign That is really exciting for a band that Apple playlists. We did a signed album were doing digital marketing and social and into launch. is on their seventh album – seeing

14 | sandbox | ISSUE 236 | 18.09.2019 BEHIND THE CAMPAIGNHOT CHIP

how certain platforms, and passed between albums, not musical equipment. We filmed all of those a platform like Instagram a lot of had gone on on the and we worked with Big DB to edit four especially, can really help band’s Facebook page. separate advertising creatives that we open up new fans and new At Domino we have could use during release week. audiences. a lot of fan insights and They had the goal of presenting people you can actually see with advertising content they’d not seen Testing TikTok higher engagement on before so that, when they encountered BS: We did make the band’s a page that has 20,000 it, they would be compelled to take a bit catalogue available on TikTok followers than on a more time to sit with the creative and sit for this campaign. The page that has millions with the album message. independent sector’s music of followers, sometimes is currently in the process based on the way that Maintaining the album of being licensed to TikTok. the artist is using campaign after release We worked with Merlin to the page. on music videos but that was actually CZ: We’ve had numerous remixes to carry make the singles and the key With Hot Chip, we really unique and gave the viewer something us through the post-release summer catalogue tracks available on the platform. just wanted to work with that half a to engage with or think about that they period. We’ve also continued with the The band were playing festivals like million people who were there to get hadn’t ever come into contact with before. strategy of sharing fan content. Glastonbury and we had major promo engagement on the page beyond where it We started chatting with Big DB and We also participated in the Spotify moments we knew would be placing the had been. this was the first music job that they’d storyline initiative. For select tracks on the band into the mainstream – so we wanted When we started focusing on this last taken on. They really specialise in working album, you were able to scroll through and to make sure their music was available on year, most of the posts on the band’s with big brands, telcos and companies that see some extra visuals and commentary TikTok around those points. Facebook page were probably in the region sit outside of the music space. from the band talking about how they of 100 likes. To have their perspective on how they wrote or recorded the tracks. Capitalising on Facebook and Twitter Just looking at where we’re at now, could market a record from Hot Chip – this They were sharing little bits and CZ: Facebook and Twitter were both we’re probably at a point where most band that has this great mainstream pieces about what each song is about. really active. The band have a massive posts will be getting around 500 likes. awareness and a very playful aesthetic – We included some not-yet-seen images Facebook following of over half a million We’ve been able to raise the general was a really nice addition to the campaign. and some of those included stills from a people and over 130,000 Twitter followers level of engagement on the page Big DB worked with us to brainstorm a video that hadn’t been released yet. That as well. Facebook was a big part of our through consistency and more attention campaign that we called What’s In has been an ongoing piece of engagement advertising. to detail around the way that we are The Tub? based around the album title. within Spotify that fans can scroll through Twitter ended up being a really strong speaking to fans. We worked with Big DB to shoot an as they listen to the album. :) way for the band to engage with fans. advertising campaign for the records that Hot Chip fans are on there and tweeting Bringing in an outside creative agency was focused on the idea of what your about the band – and they’ve got a lot of BS: For the album release period, we perception of ecstasy might be. We did WANT TO FEATURE IN really great things to say. In the same way had a lot of discussion with the band’s a shoot on one day in London in a studio BEHIND THE CAMPAIGN? that we were sharing fans’ visual content management around the way that we where we had a handful of different actors Marketing people: do you have a campaign you are working on Instagram, the band were really would advertise the record on release. get into different bathtubs full of unusual on that you would like to see featured in Behind The Campaign retweeting a lot of fan tweets. Management had a contact at London and unexpected things. in a future edition of sandbox? If so, send a brief synopsis of creative agency Big DB. There was a bathtub full of it to Eamonn Forde for consideration and your work (and your BS: With Facebook, our biggest objective They asked if it would be interesting if watermelons, a bathtub full of chips, a words) could appear here. was really just engaging the audience that we looked at making advertising creative bathtub full of disco balls and a bathtub Email: [email protected] was there. In those four years that have for the record that didn’t necessarily lean full of synthesisers and different bits of

15 | sandbox | ISSUE 236 | 18.09.2019 ABOUTSANDBOX

CONTACT

Boat: Holly, Holborn Studios 49-50 Eagle Wharf Rd London N1 7ED

www.MusicAlly.com

[email protected] Published by music ally. SUBSCRIBE TRAINING :) Registered company number: 04525243 music ally music:)ally helps companies market To subscribe to music:)ally, begin a :) trains labels, agencies and music better, and helps create more corporate deal or add subscribers to management companies across over 30 VAT number: 858212321 sustainable careers for everyone in the an existing corporate subscription, countries. Training is available as: music industry. We accomplish this by please contact Anthony Churchman on © Music Ally Ltd. For the purposes of n In-house workshops and innovation personal, private use the subscriber may researching and publishing news and [email protected] sessions print this publication or move it to a the latest trends on digital change, storage medium; however, this publication n Material creation for corporate startups and strategy, by training is intended for subscribers only and as L&D programs companies in what we know, and by such may not be redistributed without To learn more about our training, n Team-level / department-level best permission. running campaigns to learn as much learning and development, and practice structuring as we can and drive excellence in our innovation workshops, again please n Internet-based learning options Subscribers agree to terms and conditions music ally industry forward. contact Anthony Churchman on also available set up on the :) website, except where a separate contract takes [email protected]. precedence. music:)ally has taken all We also produce events to facilitate MARKETING SERVICES reasonable endeavours to ensure the international discussion, planning and validity of all items reported within this networking around digital change and For digital marketing and n Digital health check document. n Audience development, remarketing digital strategy. campaign-level services, please We do not assume, and hereby disclaim, and CRM setup contact Patrick Ross at any liability for loss or damage caused n Ad campaign audit / optimization Clients include: Spotify, Red Bull, [email protected] by errors or omissions. In particular the n Universal Music Group, Sony Music Group, YouTube assessment / optimization content is not intended to be relied upon n in making (or refraining from making) Warner Music Group, Beggars Group, Facebook assessment / optimization n Digital marketing plan creation investments or other decisions. We cannot Facebook, Amazon, Google, Domino If you have a digital campaign be held responsible for the contents of any n Digital media buying Recording Co, AEI, Anjuna, Songtrust, linked sites. related story for sandbox, n Creative campaign planning Blue Raincoat Music, Chrysalis Records, please contact Eamonn Forde on n Full-service digital campaign The Orchard, the MMF, the BPI, Berklee [email protected] implementation College of Music, BIMM and more.

1616 || SANDBOXsandbox | ISSUE | ISSUE 236 XX | | 18.09.2019 DATE XXXX