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Sandbox MUSIC MARKETING FOR THE DIGITAL ERA Issue 98 | 4th December 2013

Nordic lights: digital marketing in the streaming age INSIDE… Campaign Focus Sweden and Norway are bucking PAGE 5 : the trend by dramatically Interactive video special >> growing their recorded music Campaigns incomes and by doing so PAGE 6 : through streaming. In countries The latest projects from the where downloading is now a digital marketing arena >> digital niche, this has enormous implications for how music Tools will be marketed. It is no longer PAGE 7: about focusing eff orts for a few RebelMouse >> weeks either side of a release but Behind the Campaign rather playing the long game and PAGES 8 - 10: seeing promotion as something >> that must remain constant rather Charts than lurch in peaks and troughs. The Nordics are showing not just PAGE 11: where digital marketing has had Digital charts >> to change but also why other countries need to be paying very close attention. Issue 98 | 4th December 2013 | Page 2 continued…

In 2013, alongside ABBA, black metal and OK; they still get gold- and platinum-certi ied CEO of Sweden’s X5 Music latpack furniture, Sweden is now also singles and based on streaming Group, explains. “The known internationally for music streaming. revenues [adjusted].” marketing is substantially It’s not just that is headquartered di erent as you get paid in Stockholm; streaming has also famously Streaming is changing entirely the when people listen, not when turned around the fortunes of the Swedish marketing narrative they buy. You get as much recorded . In the irst half of money when people listen As you might imagine, these two 2013, recorded music revenue in Sweden the second time as you do Scandinavian countries have seen envious grew 12% year-on-year to SEK 499.4m the irst time, so there is a glances from many international music (£46.5m), with digital accounting for 75% of huge bene it in promoting businesses, not least the UK where streaming total revenue and streaming accounting for your albums constantly. The has yet to make up for falling music sales. 94% of digital revenues. launch date is less important But Sweden and Norway don’t just o er a now. The activation is equally This is a trend that Sweden shares with possible future for the wider music industry: Kieron Donoghue, founder of Playlists.net, important.” Scandinavian neighbour Norway, which itself the fact that streaming is so advanced a playlist-focused music discovery service saw a 17% rise in recorded music revenues in these two countries means that it has This, he believes, may be key to artists for Spotify, says this has led to the rather in the irst half of this year, with streaming become part of record company marketing getting a reasonable return from streaming bizarre experience of seeing Spotify playlists accounting for 66% of all revenue. plans there in a way that the UK and US can services. “Many artists in the business say, for Swedish hip-hop advertised on the ‘I don’t get enough money from Spotify’,” Stockholm Metro. “Streaming in Norway and Sweden is now only dream of. There is a lot to learn, then, from what Sweden and Norway have done. Lagerlöf says. “I normally then ask two over 70% of music revenues and the total “Record companies in Sweden are pushing things: ‘What have you done today to make market is increasing for the irst time in a On a very basic level, the rise of streaming in streaming in above-the-line advertising, people listen to your tracks?’ Normally the decade,” says Kjartan Slette, head of strategy Norway and Sweden has helped to break the on billboards, on the Metro, bus stations answer is a bunch of questions: ‘What do you at Norwegian streaming service WiMP. “Our music industry cycle of falling revenue and even TV advertising,” he adds. “Universal mean? Why? What shall I do?’ And the answer projections show that the total music market falling investment, as Slette explains. “First Music’s [fan-facing music playlist service] is: ‘You or your record company shall activate is likely to get back to the all-time-high of all the increase in sales and the following Digster service has been advertising on TV them and remind them to listen again.’” levels we saw in 1999/2000 – before Napster positivity has lead the labels to increase in Sweden, advertising it as a hub to ind launched – by 2020 or sooner.” their marketing and investments in new curated playlists. What it builds on is the fact The playlist is now one of the strongest that record labels are making good money Andreas Ahlenius, commercial director of talent,” he says. “Going to work today I often weapons in the arsenal from streaming so they can a ord to go and Universal Music Sweden, adds, “[In Sweden] see billboards and outdoor ads with music get more users to their playlists.” streaming is no longer a question of, ‘Will releases in the prime locations. That was not The knock-on e ect of this battle for streams the case just two years ago.” is that playlists have become ever-more this be good for us in the future?’ It’s what But labels in Sweden and Norway aren’t important, especially as labels recognise inances our investment in new talent. Most Naturally, this shift has also signi icantly just putting money into above-the-line their importance in driving streaming plays. artists in Sweden sell very few CDs, but that’s impacted marketing plans as Johan Lagerlöf, advertising for streaming: they are also Issue 98 | 4th December 2013 | Page 3 continued…

putting signi icant resources into their own with ‘Thursday’ going to the top of the their marketing, according to go through the same transformation as playlist services. “For the cleverer labels – Playlists.net top 100 chart of most playlisted Norway commercial director Aslak Bendtsen. in Sweden and Norway, albeit at di erent mainly Sony and Universal – when you look songs on the week of the competition. More speeds. “I think next year will be the year “As a streaming service can o er us more at their pro iles on Spotify, they are really importantly, perhaps, the label saw a 60% when more countries and territories will detailed data on how the music is consumed, proli ic curators of playlists,” says Donoghue. uplift in streams of ‘Thursday’ because of the really see massive growth in streaming,” he we can set up more accurate marketing “Sony Sweden has half a million followers competition. says. “This will make the entire market grow, activities with regards to the di erent on Spotify. That is bigger than a lot of artists. just as we have seen in Sweden and Norway.” Beyond playlists and above-the-line segments based on age, gender and media They are using playlists as a tool. They advertising, labels in Norway and Sweden are consumption,” he explains. “With the typically have 80% to 100% of their own also advertising within streaming services consumer most likely being online already, the … but natural adoption barriers remain artists on there.” and working with these services on ways to road into consuming music on a streaming The question remains, however, whether The contrast with British labels is marked: boost streams. WiMP, for , worked service is completely changed from a this success can be replicated in bigger and Digster Sweden’s ‘Fresh’ playlist has 109,000 with Sony’s Thomas Dybdahl – “one of the marketing perspective compared to previous arguably less technologically advanced followers, while the UK Digster ‘Hits’ playlist bigger Norwegian artists” – to release a visiting record store habits.” music markets, such as the UK and the US. has 4,000 and Virgin EMI’s ‘Music On special version of his ‘What’s Left Is Forever’ And if so, what should labels do to bring this The buoyancy of the music industries in Monday’ just 29. “They have a long way for lossless streaming service WiMP about? Sweden and Norway is hard evidence that to go,” says Donoghue of British labels. HiFi, including commentary and unmixed this progressive attitude towards streaming is The key, according to Slette, is for labels “But playlists are a new format and a new sound. paying dividends in a cold, northern corner of to bring streaming to the forefront of their currency – and the Nordics realise this. Over This interaction between labels and Europe. Slette says he now sees evidence that thinking. “Don’t treat the streaming services here [the UK] it doesn’t really happen.” streaming services also extends to sharing Denmark may be the next market to follow. as an afterthought but as an integral part data on how consumers are listening to of your communication and plans,” he says. These marketing tricks are now being “I see it now beginning in Denmark as it is music. Labels can then use this to improve “And, remember, all services are slightly exported… catching up fast revenue-wise on streaming,” di erent. Get to know the strengths and he says. “Other territories are weaknesses of the local players and act This is not to say that the British music still inding their footing, and accordingly.” industry isn’t learning. Playlists.net recently with substantial physical sales in did a competition with Kobalt Label Services many markets still, like Germany, I Lagerlöf concludes, “Think ‘plays’ instead for the Pet Shops Boys’ single ‘Thursday’, understand why they are moving of ‘sells’. It is not about the irst week any which invited users to compile a seven-song more slowly. That said, the ones more. You need a more long-term plan, but playlist on Spotify – one for each day of the that get this irst will have a huge when it works your revenues will go on for week, including PSB’s ‘Thursday’ – for the advantage over the others.” a very long time. The entry level to listen to chance to win Spotify Premium subscriptions something is lower than to buy something, and assorted gear. The Ahlenius, meanwhile, believes that so it activates users to listen. All they need to competition received close to 200 entries, all music businesses will eventually do is to click. Get that click.” Issue 98 | 4th December 2013 | Page 4 continued…

Playlists.net’s guide to popular Music Ally has been harvesting and 50 streams between mid June and early Spotify playlists analysing the data for the Top 50 weekly August, with an average decline of 11%. charts published throughout the year by This picks up again between mid August The “Artist – Best Of” playlist – e.g. example of this is the monthly playlist Spotify. With regards to Scandinavia, it is and late September, climbing an average of • ‘The Best of ’. that indie folk group The Daydream interesting to see a few trends emerging 24%. Although this data only corresponds Club produce. Each month they publish for the overall volume of streams that make to the tracks that make it to the charts, we The “Genre” playlist – e.g. ‘RnB Party • a playlist of tracks and artists that they it to the charts. For instance, despite the assume that it is an indicator of an overall Playlist’ from Sony Music Sweden. This is like. They now have a small but growing di erences in the scale that the service decline in Spotify consumption during the updated weekly with new releases and fanbase who watch out for their playlists has achieved in each country, we can see a summer holidays. has more than 114,000 subscribers. each month.” consistent drop in the total number of Top The “New Artists/Releases” playlist – e.g. • “Established artists such as Rihanna ‘The Artists To Watch’ playlist from Sony • and Robert Plant can also use playlists Cumulative Top 50 Spotify streams per week, 2013 Music Sweden, which contains tracks to introduce new artists or to increase from their new and priority artists and is !)#*%& streams of labelmates by producing updated regularly. playlists and then waiting for the fanbase • The “Chart” playlist: Now That’s What to engage and listen,” Donoghue !"#'%& I Call Music releases a weekly playlist explains. !"#$%& :B;C;7& !!#+%& containing the hottest 20 tracks at the The “Occasion” playlist – e.g. ‘Now That’s "(#(%& "!#(%& moment. Topsify publishes charts from • "!#"%& What I Call NYE’. ?@1B34& the UK, US and Sweden in playlist format. ""#,%& +#)%& "!#,%& ",#!%& Their ‘UK Top 40’ playlist has 420,000 • The “Top….” playlist. The ‘Rolling Stone -#(%& +#'%& )#)%& D;7%31E& subscribers. 500 Greatest Songs Of All Time’ playlist and the ‘Xfm Top 1,000 Tunes Of All *#(%& -#"%& The “” playlist – e.g. Ed • Time’ playlists have more than 95,000 -#"%& $#-%& FG7837C& Banger, Blue Note Legends Of Jazz. $#-%& and 84,000 subscribers, respectively. The “TV/Movie Soundtrack” playlist – e.g. • Playlists.net Branded playlists – e.g. ‘Mad Men: Music From Seasons 1, 2 & 3’. • the ‘Weekly Top 100 Tracks’ playlist, ,+.568& "-.568& !".568& !(.568& ,!.567& ,'.567& ").567& !$.567& $,.567& ,).<=>& "$.<=>& !,.<=>& !+.<=>& !(./01& ,".:;0& ,(.:;0& "*.:;0& !!.:;0& !'.:;0& ,-./69& ""./69& "(./69& !*./69& ,$.?@A& ",.?@A& "+.?@A& !-.?@A& ,*.234& "!.234& "'.234& !).234& • The “New Artist” playlist. “Playlists are which is updated each Monday with the :0@HI4&C3>3&J@61=;C&K4&26JG=&/884& !""#$"%&'%()$ 7#K#L&=@67>1G;J&7@>&G7&J=38;&393G7J>&;3=M&@>M;1& a great way to introduce a new band most popular tracks from all playlists to our audience,” says Donoghue. “The over the last seven days. It has 55,000 reasoning being that if the artist creates subscribers. a playlist of their in luences then people Playlists.net also has new release who enjoy those in luences will probably • playlists for most territories. Find out more about our Spotify analysis on http://smarturl.it/MusicAllySpotify50 like the new artist.” He adds, “A great

Issue 98 | 4th December 2013 | Page 5 CAMPAIGN FOCUS: Interactive video special

Interactive music videos The video coincides with the release of The site’s comment section collates all the screen (either or the dancers) Dylan’s Complete Album Collection: Volume 1 social shares so that other viewers can perform di erent actions. The video is, in have certainly been in boxset, with a limited edition version coming see the posts. The site has currently (as of some ways, reminiscent of the Subservient vogue this past month, in the form of a harmonica-shaped USB 3rd December) had just over 4.6m views Chicken ad made by Burger King way back with releases from Bob stick. It is a very well executed video that in just over a week, which is an impressive in 2004 where users could type in di erent makes the passive act of lipping through number, even for Pharrell. The video is commands to make a man in a chicken suit Dylan, Pharrell Williams TV channels (which fewer of us are actually a simple concept but shows how simple perform those actions. doing) engaging for the viewer. sometimes is just enough. The viewers can and Bombay Bicycle Club Guillermo Ramos from talked hunt for celebrities in the video or take on all grabbing our attention. Just a few days after the Dylan video was to us about the campaign. “It’s been a huge the challenge of watching the whole 24 released, Pharrell Williams launched his own success,” he said. “In two weeks we’ve had Interlude is the team behind Bob Dylan’s hours. This helps make it a creative way interactive video – billed as the irst 24-hour 250k unique views and a dwell time of 8.25 latest interactive video for the track ‘Like A of attracting fans as well as keeping them . The video is for ‘Happy’, a track minutes – equivalent to almost two full video Rolling Stone’, originally released in 1965. interested in one track over a longer period featured in the Despicable Me 2 movie and it views per visit.” He added, “Having spoken (An interactive version of ‘Subterranean of time. features ‘civilians’ as well as celebrities such to creatives across a range of ields outside Homesick ’ in 2010 was customisable as Magic Johnson, Steve Carell and Jamie Finally, Bombay Bicycle Club and Powster of music, I know this has reached their radar, and shareable on Facebook.) The video, Foxx dancing along of LA. Pharrell have collaborated on an interactive video even if they weren’t previously aware of the released on 20th November, allows fans himself appears in the video every hour. The for the band’s irst single, ‘Carry Me’, from band. Always a great sign.” to play an active role in the video as they viewer can choose to pause the video or their forthcoming album (set for release in have the power to lip through 16 di erent Videos where bands engage and encourage move it to any time of day, while the music February). The viewer can act as a director TV channels while the various people and fans to take charge aren’t uncommon. keeps playing. They can then share the video and control the band’s movements in the celebrities in the di erent formats all lip Earlier this year, Keane, Bastille and Sigur on social media sites as well as buy the track video by swiping the mouse to the right sync the lyrics of the track. This makes the Rós all did similar things with their crowd- via the iTunes link featured on the website. or left in order to make the people on experience individual for every viewer. sourced videos compiled from fan photos, annotations or video clips. It has been popular for bands to create interactive videos for a number of years, but will the wow factor decrease as the number of videos increase? Issue 98 | 4th December 2013 | Page 6 CAMPAIGNS: The latest projects from the digital marketing arena

Sinfi ni Music advent The prizes include Spotify Premium Swinglist to raise awareness and streams of the Pet subscriptions, a Sonos system and other Shop Boys track ‘Thursday’ and that resulted calendar exclusive features like the latest composer competition in a 60% increase of streams over the Sinfi ni Music has created a animation in the ‘Lives In Miniature’ series. Robbie Williams’ new album, competition period. This opens up the competition to both Christmas countdown calendar ‘’, was released Playlists.net founder Kieron Donoghue classical music lovers as well as others celebrating its best releases from on 18th November and Playlists. informed us last week that the Robbie Williams new to the genre. When signing up, the net launched a competition competition had about 68 entries (out of the past year alongside off ering contestants are also agreeing to be signed up around 1m active users on the service) in its prizes for everyone participating. for regular email updates from Sin ini Music. asking fans to put together The calendar is created by swing playlists in order to win irst three days. “It is a good number Bristol-based digital agency Roberts told us, “It is an opportunity to a six-month Spotify Premium considering the users have to put in quite an e ort creating the playlist via Spotify and then showcase the bene its of signing up to the subscription, alongside assorted Prettygood and is available eCRM database through exclusive o ers upload it to Playlists.net,” he said. The through the Sinfi ni Music website. and competitions.” The advent calendar is Robbie Williams prizes such as competition ends on 15th December. Sarah Roberts, spokesperson for a timely way to raise awareness of Sin ini signed DVDs, albums and other Two months ago Sandbox wrote about Sinfi ni Music, told us that Mark Music and classical music. It also may be merchandise. Veronica Maggio’s Spotify campaign that a necessary step in the move to digital as Lewis, marketing manager for The playlists have to be created on Spotify resulted in a new wave of plays (39% increase) the advent calendar encourages people the company, wanted to create and must include at least one song from the of her old single on Vevo. Playlists can be a to interact with classical music online and a digital tool using the run up to new album. They can then be submitted via way of gaining fan attention as well as using not just by purchasing physical CDs. The Christmas to increase awareness Playlists.net using the ‘Robbie Williams the newer streaming models to generate more e ectiveness of the campaign remains to be Competition’ genre. The winner will be revenue for artists, especially in the Nordic of Sinfi ni Music among new and seen as it’s not certain how many of these chosen directly by Robbie Williams himself. countries where it dominates digital revenues existing classical music fans. sign-ups will stay throughout next year. The competition was promoted via Robbie (see cover feature for more on this). The calendar was promoted Williams’ social media sites as well as the via subscriber emails as well as Playlists.net through Facebook and Twitter, newsletter. where participants could also share their entries. This is something The company has Sin ini Music expects to be used previously been as participants spread the word successful with these about the features, prizes and types of competitions, opportunities. The competition is having launched a Pet easy to enter as the contestants are Shop Boys campaign only required to ill out their contact recently. The purpose details to have a chance to win. of that campaign was Issue 98 | 4th December 2013 | Page 7 TOOLS RebelMouse

This fortnight we look at Unlike any old social aggregator, RebelMouse allows users to move or freeze bits of content social media aggregator around – so for instance you can pick a RebelMouse, founded in speci ic Tumblr post to stay at the top of January 2012 by former your RebelMouse page. The company o ers di erent themes and also allows users to Huffi ngton Post CTO embed their page on any website, as well as Paul Berry. power a domain of their choice. The interface RebelMouse aggregates users’ pro iles across also includes a sign-up box for viewers major social networks (including Facebook, to enter their e-mail addresses in order Twitter, Google+, YouTube, Instagram, Flickr, to receive a daily newsletter with the top etc.) into a neat, dynamic page. The resulting aggregated social content. mash-up has a rather sleek design and works One of RebelMouse’s most prominent across all major browsers, tablets and phones. clients in the music industry is DJ Paul Although some layouts resemble Pinterest, Oakenfold, whose o icial website features his pages can be designed to match any website’s aggregated social output in the homepage. look and feel. The company does not seek to The startup can also be used on the side for compete against established social networks, special events and one-o campaigns. For but instead focuses on pulling content from all example, the Wall Street Journal set up a UK-based band The Hoosiers with a URL on the company’s domain, as of them, minimising work and recycling social RebelMouse embed dedicated exclusively recently integrated RebelMouse into well as the possibility to embed the front output e orts. to Fashion Week on the publication’s TheNewsFromSomewhere.com, a separate page into their own domains – albeit with own domain. Aggregating domain from their o icial website which RebelMouse branding. USD $9.99/month gets hashtagged tweets by speci ic ties into their latest release, ‘The News you unbranded embeds in addition to more reporters, the resulting page From Nowhere’. In talks with Music Ally, advanced controls and CSS customisations. featured an attractive and The Hoosiers’ manager Erik Nielsen stated: The company provides basic analytics and image-heavy look (and one “what I like about RebelMouse is that it’s arguably there is not much need for more, which demanded far less really intuitive, straight forward, easy to as users can already tap into the data of work than clipping tweets into setup and works well. It does so much more their respective social pro iles. RebelMouse Storify). Other companies and than anything out there – I once looked quotes enterprise clients on a case-by-case big brands using RebelMouse for something similar and ended up being basis, o ering further editing and design include Fox, GE, NBC and quoted something like £5,000 to have it customisation, social graph data, native Patagonia. developed”. advertising campaign creation, API access and high-end support amongst other features. In its free tier, RebelMouse provides users Issue 98 | 4th December 2013 | Page 8 BEHIND THE CAMPAIGN Primal Scream

More Light was Primal This was the fi rst album that the band, in Scream’s fi rst album in fi ve a career stretching back almost 30 years, put out by themselves years and also the fi rst since The band had left a major [Atlantic/Warner they left B-Unique Records/ for the album] and had Atlantic Records. Released done a big campaign around ‘’ as a JV with Records, for its 20th anniversary in 2011 [with Sony]. the band had to start much They wanted to take back creative control and put something out on their own label. It of their digital marketing worked for them to partner with us. We do from scratch, building a partnership whereby we give them all the an email database and a functionality of a label and they license it to us – but actually it comes out on their own Facebook presence, as well label and they have quite a lot of control over as an offi cial site, from the the creative, the assets and the approach. ground up. Nick Moxham, What we did to begin with, in terms of the digital manager at Ignition schedule, was the single ‘2013’, which we Records, explains how took to radio in February. That was a nine- minute epic tune. The video for ‘2013’ was that was a hub for the content while the show on Radio 2. We coincided that with an premieres and live shows directed by Rei Nadal and based around website was being launched. We had a very online premiere of the audio and we worked were key to data capture seven di erent short ilms. We created loads simple holding page with the ‘2013’ video with Tumblr on that. Because they had got of content from those seven short ilms and and why a partnership with on it and put up loads of stills and short involved with us right from the beginning focused on Tumblr as the hub for that. Tumblr off ered far more than animated GIFs which Tumblr was very keen of the campaign, this was our moment with on. They helped us signi icantly on that and them. breathing space until the The campaign started without an offi cial helped to launch the feature on their music. There is a feature on the Tumblr dashboard offi cial site went live. site for the band so Tumblr was used as tumblr blog and they featured some of the called Radar. It opens a great little creative the hub content in their music discovery page. panel on the bottom so everyone who goes They had a very simple website for the The irst single was in March and the album on Tumblr sees that feature on that day. It Screamadelica campaign but there was no came out in May. The track ‘It’s Alright, gets between 6m and 8m impressions. They o icial band website. We were on the back It’s OK’ led into the album and had a radio premiered the audio on that section online foot in trying to get one sorted, so they premiere on the breakfast and that gave us huge reach. We had around decided that Tumblr was a good idea and Issue 98 | 4th December 2013 | Page 9 continued…

150,000 plays within the irst 48 hours. but we were able to send a couple of emails Because we were starting from scratch we You don’t want to bombard people with That used the SoundCloud API. We not only to that database. From the beginning we were able to get high quality data. We got sales messages so we made sure with every reached a lot of people but we also managed started to generate that data. emails, irst name and location so we were sales message there were three or four bits to get that stat right up which helped with able to personalise the mailer somewhat. of content on there. Because the list is new We had an remix of the taking it into other media platforms. We were also able to use dynamic tools and we’ve been able to work it properly – i.e. single and he is an important part of the in the mailers to segment them and make not bombarding fans with sales messages, band’s history – so there was a lot of interest them much more relevant to people. Say, premiering new content, targeting content Working with Facebook to convert in that from the fanbase. We o ered anyone for example, a piece of video content wasn’t by location to keep it relevant etc. – we see legacy ‘likes’ to the offi cial band page who signed up to the list a irst listen to the available in Germany, we would be able to an average open rate of 51.2% and a click- We inherited their Facebook page and it had remix. We were able to then get people to send the same mailer but with that element through rate of 17.1%, which are both massive. around 40,000 fans. If you had previously sign up via social media and the website. We removed or changed. With the messaging liked the band on your [Facebook] pro ile, mailed the Sony list, asking people to sign around the pre-order of the album, we were Using live to drive email sign-ups and it automatically set up a page and made up to the o icial list, telling them they would able to send tailored messages depending on steer the social media conversation you like it; that was when they irst started get the irst exclusive play of the Weatherall where they were just by using MailChimp. bringing in Pages. We were able to work remix. To continue to grow the email database with Facebook and get them to convert all we had a number of initiatives. There were the likes from that legacy page onto the guestlist competitions so fans could get on o icial page. It was around three times the iTunes Festival guestlist [when the band the number of likes that brought us up to played in September] as well as a Benicassim roughly 135,000 fans. We had to work with guestlist. There is a lot of demand for when that audience to improve engagement. As they play live so we used that demand to there were these seven di erent short videos help us generate data. within the ‘2013’ video, there was a lot of The other key thing we did was work with varied content that was good to seed. CrowdSurge on a great ticketing lottery tool where people who signed up get irst Building up a new email database that information on the tickets and then we could the band will own pick the winners at random. That was very The other thing that was a challenge for e ective. us was that when we started working They weren’t touring but they did a lot of with the band they had no email database festivals over the summer. It was a bit of whatsoever. Sony had a list of around 7,000 a problem as they weren’t really playing names that we could access but couldn’t around the album release. There was talk of really control. They wouldn’t give us the data doing a one-o show but it never happened. Issue 98 | 4th December 2013 | Page 10 continued…

They did the BBC Big Day Out in June, which Later… With Jools Holland. It was really using partnership in the bag but it unravelled very is Radio 5 Live’s big event at the Liverpool digital marketing to drive the conversation shortly before we were going to do it. There Echo Arena. They headlined that and the around that. were di erent options of giving exclusives whole show was played out on 6 Music and to people and di erent people had di erent We did a Teenage Cancer Trust gig at the 5 Live. They also trailed that across all BBC priorities in terms of it being available in Albert Hall in March. We used that as a great platforms prior to the event. di erent countries. So we decided to go with way to generate content. As Noel Gallagher YouTube just because of the availability of The other one was Glastonbury where they was curating that show, we were able to it and the fact that it has 1bn active users played just before . We share content between the two artists’ a month. We also were able to control our used the announcement of them playing forums. That was useful for both parties. messaging around that. Glastonbury to get in among the discussion. When the announcement was made we did YouTube became the focal point when a We did four di erent videos – one for each a promoted tweet and a promoted Facebook pre-stream partnership fell through side of the double-vinyl release of the album post to make sure their name surfaced – and we got someone to make a video of the We were thinking of doing a pre-stream among those online discussions. The other actual vinyl going round. They animated it of the album up front and we had a big live stu was The Jonathan Ross Show and and you could skip between the tracks using video annotations. We released those once backstage photos and four tour videos. Nokia every 12 hours over two days. That gave us Lumia is providing the hardware [Nokia the opportunity to go back to our audiences Lumia 1020 Windows Phones] and resources and make a splash and that helped to to enable it, as well as additional reach via improve the reach. We were able to get fans their own channels. to embed that all over the internet and then take it down the day after the album came We also did a Gold Pack partnership with out. Spotify, where we provided them with a track-by-track audio commentary – which Partnerships with NME, Nokia and was taken from an interview with the band Spotify extend the reach of the campaign – and playlists from the band. In return they enabled a series of push noti ications about NME are following the band on the road the new music via their mobile app, which is during their UK tour and the Xfm Winter an excellent and highly visible way to reach Wonderland show in December. They’re fans via mobile, their desktop app homepage creating a series of content pieces around and coverage on their mailers. the tour – such as a pre-tour photo shoot and interview, an on-the-road feature, live and Issue 98 | 4th December 2013 | Page 11 MUSIC CHARTS Online in numbers All data is taken from Musicmetric: www.musicmetric.com

AC/DC ‘Highway To Hell’ With the news that winner’s YouTube, Vevo and Myspace stood at 184k on song is once again in the running for the 30th October but accelerated to 686k on 7th Christmas #1, the internet is awash with November, holding around that average for scheming to derail it and “do a Rage Against ive days. It’s biggest spike was 773k on 13th The Machine” by trying to hype a rival track November but thereafter it’s fallen (albeit up the charts. This year, AC/DC’s ‘Highway with a few minor spikes) suggesting that the To Hell’ is the one being put forward. The campaign has perhaps peaked too early to tie-in Facebook campaign began in the irst be a serious challenger in the race to #1 for week of November. Total plays on Last.fm, Christmas.

Robbie Williams The release of his latest album, Swings as part of Rocks. There Both Ways, and a series of high-pro ile was another spike a few days after that and interviews (Q cover feature, The Graham then another on 24th November, the day his Norton Show) coincided with the race to album went to #1 and became the o icial have the 1,000th #1 album on the OCC’s 1,000th chart topper in the OCC’s history, chart. His biggest spike in Wikipedia was a rare incident that obviously cannot be on 10th November – midway between his planned for in the marketing but, because of swing show at the Palladium and its sheer serendipity, gives the campaign an an appearance at the unexpected boost. Sandbox is published by Music Ally. Music Ally is a music business DIGITAL MARKETING SERVICES Contact Music Ally: information and strategy company. We focus on the change taking place 22 Peters Lane in the industry and provide information and insight into every aspect Campaign support services: London of the business: consumer research analysing the changing behaviour  Strategy EC1M 6DS and trends in the industry, consultancy services to companies ranging  CRM and Email tools Tel: +44 (0)20 7253 7600 from blue chip retailers and telecoms companies to start-ups; and  Digital housekeeping www.MusicAlly.com training around methods to digitally market your artists and maximise  Social networking updates [email protected] the e ectiveness of digital campaigns as well as events. We are now  Search and online advertising Registered company number: 04525243 also o ering digital marketing services to labels, artist managers, artists  Mobile applications VAT number: 858212321 and other music related companies from campaign advice and strategy through to implementation and execution.  Blogs and online PR outreach  Measuring campaign e ectiveness Clients include: Contact Karim - [email protected] or +44 (0)20 72537600 Apple, BBC, EMI, MTV, O2, Orange, Sony BMG, Tesco, to discuss your digital marketing needs. Universal Music, Vodafone, Warner Music, Roadrunner Records, © Music Ally Ltd. For the purposes of personal, private Just Music and Connected Artists use the subscriber may print this publication or move Training services: it to a storage medium; however, this publication is If you have a digital campaign related story for SandBox, intended for subscribers only and as such may not  In house company mentoring be redistributed without permission. Subscribers please contact [email protected]  Workshops agree to terms and conditions set up on the Music Ally website, except where a separate contract takes  Digital brie ings precedence. Music Ally has taken all reasonable If you’d like to talk to us about our digital marketing/mentoring  Digital MOT sessions endeavours to ensure the validity of all items reported training services, consultancy or speci ic research services, within this document. We do not assume, and hereby please contact Karim Fanous [email protected] Music Ally has delivered digital marketing training sessions for a disclaim, any liability for loss or damage caused by wide range of clients including Universal Music, EMI, AIM/London errors or omissions. In particular the content is not intended to be relied upon in making (or refraining Connected and many individuals If you’d like to subscribe, add new subscribers, or talk about from making) investments or other decisions. We cannot be held responsible for the contents of any a corporate deal please contact [email protected] Check out Music Ally’s digital marketing courses here linked sites.

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