CASE STUDY Breaking Australian Music Overseas: Persuasive Promotion Strategies 10 for Entering International Markets
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CASE STUDY Breaking Australian music overseas: persuasive promotion strategies 10 for entering international markets by Pandora Kay Victoria University Australian music into international markets and then focuses on two Australian acts currently experiencing considerable success overseas: silverchair and Human Case study Nature. Both acts have used persuasive promotion strategies to break into various international markets but their approaches and achievements reveal some similarities and some differences. In the 1970s, Olivia Newton-John and Peter Allen had success in the US and relocated there. In the 1980s, several Australian contemporary music acts achieved success overseas: Men at Work in the US especially with the hit single Down Under from their Business as Usual album, Midnight Oil in the US and Europe, and INXS. These successes were in an era when albums were recorded on vinyl and these artists were signed with record companies that no longer exist. Men at Work for example, were signed with CBS Records Australia, a subsidiary of CBS US which might well have helped their successful release there. It pre-dated the mergers of the so-called ‘major’ record companies to the current five: BMG (Bertelsmann Music Group); Sony (acquired CBS in 1988); Warner Music; EMI (merger with Warner put on hold in 2000) and Universal Music Group (incorporating Interscope, MCA, and Polygram in 1998). Source: Courtesy of News Limited Image Archive. It also pre-dated the Internet as a means of accessing music online for either listening or downloading. Several Persuasive promotion strategies are imperative to the big developments in online music occurred in 2001. success of Australian music in international markets as Napster which provided users with CD-swapping software will be demonstrated in this case. Furthermore, it is as well as a searchable database lost a long-running imperative for Australian artists to enter overseas markets. legal battle against the Recording Industry Association of The domestic market for sales of contemporary music is America to keep its free music-sharing service and will only about two per cent of world music sales and, within become subscription-based. Online music service this, an estimated 85 per cent of the music bought in provider, MP3.com, entered into an agreement to be Australia is recorded by foreign artists. Additionally, in the acquired by Vivendi Universal (parent company of music industry, success in international markets can Universal Music) at which time it will no longer be a further increase sales in the domestic market. Special public company but will continue to remain an international releases of songs and video clips can benefit independent promoter and distributor of music for all domestic sales figures and chart positions as many fans independent artists and record labels. Two alternative purchase both copies. This case study first considers online music service systems were announced whereby persuasive promotion strategies used generally to break record company majors will join forces with leading 10 Ⅲ Promotion in International Marketing 415 Internet companies. MusicNet will offer online music from association with the release of each album and some EMI, BMG and Warner Music that will be played over the acts such as Newcastle trio, silverchair, and Melbourne Internet by America On Line (AOL) and Real Networks trio, the Living End, have toured overseas relentlessly with customers paying either to listen to or download a since their phenomenal album debuts in 1995 and 1998 song. A rival system, Duet, will be launched by Sony and respectively. Vivendi. The promotion strategies used by silverchair and Maybe in the 1970s and 1980s, success for Human Nature and other Australian artists in Australian artists in overseas markets was more ‘hit or international markets are also complex and reveal six miss’ and influenced by a fad for Australian culture significant promotion activities for exposing artist’s music resulting from the success of Australian films such as to a market: live performance, recording releases, sales ‘Crocodile Dundee’ or Australian stars in American-made and chart positions, radio airplay, video clip broadcast, films such as Olivia Newton-John in ‘Grease’. In the UK, and artists’ websites (both official and unofficial fan- the Australian-made television program ‘Neighbours’ has based sites). Furthermore, live performances can take contributed to a fad for Australian culture since various forms: as a support act for well-known bands or the 1980s and directly brought Kylie Minogue to the artist; as part of a promotional tour usually associated attention of the UK market as an actor in the first with the release of a recording; as part of a music festival instance and then as a pop singer. Nevertheless, this (see Table 1); at music expos, conventions or does not entirely account for why some Australian acts conferences—the trade show equivalent for music succeeded while many other aspirants did not. Some product (see Table 2); or as a product placement within Australian artists continue to have success overseas but a feature film, television drama series, television variety have relocated there. Nick Cave and Kylie Minogue or chat programs. reside in the UK these days and more recently Natalie Evidence additionally indicates important synergies Imbruglia relocated to Europe. Most of the other further occur between these various activities. Several Australian artists successful overseas, tour there Australian artists have had recent success performing at extensively as a significant part of their promotional music expositions in overseas markets with this often strategies but consider Australia the base where they live, leading to record deals and further live performances at albeit sporadically. At the minimum, most artists tour in music festivals. Country singer Kasey Chambers was one TABLE 1 Examples of significant music festivals in international markets Market UK US Canada Europe Other Festivals Reading; Lollapalooza; Edgefest, Roskilde, Rock in Rio, Brazil; Leeds; HFStival, Vancouver Copenhagen, Buenos Aires Alternative Meltdown Washington Denmark Festival, Argentina TABLE 2 Examples of significant music expositions/conventions/conferences in international markets Market United States Canada Europe Music exposition/ South by South-West Music & North American Folk MIDEM: International Music convention/ Media Conference (SxSW), Alliance Convention, Market, Cannes, France conference Austin, Texas (NAFAC),Vancouver Winter Music Conference (WMC), Miami, Florida International Blues Challenge, (IBC) Memphis Z416 The International Marketing Mix Ⅲ B of the best-received artists to perform at the 2001 SxSW UK 1995 and 1999; Roskilde, Denmark 1995; Buenos before an audience of 7,000. Perth folk trio, The Waifs, Aires, Argentina 1996; Edgefest, Canada 1997 and signed a worldwide deal with Nettwerk records and 1999; HFStival, Washingrton DC 1999; and Rock in Rio, secured six months work performing at more than 15 Brazil 2001. They also have an award-winning website festivals in North America as a result of their exposure at first established as an unofficial website by fan, Pete the 2001 NAFAC within the Australian delegation funded Walton, resident in New Jersey, US, that became their by the Australia Council for the Arts. Melbourne blues trio, official website in November 1996. Collard, Greens & Gravy, came second in the 2001 IBC, By December 2000, silverchair amicably concluded leading to many performances at American blues a three album contract with Sony Music Australia’s festivals. Melbourne duo, Madison Avenue, took out two Murmur label which they fulfilled in six years. Their awards at the 2001 WMC: the biggest award of the night, recordings in the US have been released by Sony’s Epic Best Dance Artist, in addition to Best New Dance Artist. Records since 1996. To date they have released four Their Melbourne record label, Vicious Grooves, took their albums, more than 13 singles and sold 6 million copies single Don’t Call Me Baby to the 1999 MIDEM where the globally. Their international markets encompass 17 artists ultimately signed to Virgin for the UK market and countries plus most of South-East Asia as evidenced by Sony for Europe and America. Madison Avenue’s debut their fourth and final album with Sony, Best of Vol. 1, album Polyester Embassy released in 2000 has since (released without silverchair’s endorsement), the had chart success in the Top 10 US Billboard Dance international release of which was staggered over a six- Chart and two UK Top 10 singles. week period concluding mid-December 2000. Specific As evidenced above, in the early 21st century, Asia-Pacific markets include the Philippines, Japan and Australian contemporary music acts achieving success NZ. Europe is heavily represented by 11 countries: overseas are ever-increasing in number and music styles. Portugal, Spain, Germany, France, Italy, Netherlands, Also expanding are the international markets sought. In Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Poland and Switzerland. The addition to the traditional markets—US, UK and NZ—other specific markets in North and South America are US, significant emerging markets for some Australian artists Canada and Brazil. are Canada, Europe, Japan, Asia, South America and Future recordings and international markets for South Africa. silverchair will depend on their new record deals. They have signed with Eleven, a new independent label under Persuasive promotion the EMI banner, aiming