05-06 Tools Deezer Backstage 07-08 Campaigns Sam Smith, KSI, , Pearl Jam 09–16 Behind The Campaign- UKF10

FEBRUARY 19 2020 sandbox ISSUE 246 | Music marketing for the digital era

INFLUENCEBAD Social media’s new fault lines COVERFEATURE

BAD INFLUENCE Social media’s new fault lines may be doing little to deter deception,” wrote Tighter rules around what they must declare and a series of scandals have not quite knocked influencers Chopra in a statement. off their pedestal, but there has been a lot of damage to some big reputations and this reflects badly on “ The FTC will need to determine whether everyone in the influencer world. Record labels and managers are getting more deeply involved in the to create new requirements for social media platforms and advertisers and whether to influencer world and we look at how they must navigate this new world of regulations and the ever-present activate civil penalty liability.” danger of scandals. We also look at where things are moving next, why Instagram might be losing its Chopra added, “I am concerned influencer crown to TikTok and why things in China are very different to the rest of the world. that companies paying for undisclosed influencer endorsements and reviews are ive by the viral story, die by the viral (far too many examples to mention). Just last week, the FTC appeared to be not held fully accountable for this illegal story. Such is the life of the influencer At the same time, influencers have gearing up for a fresh crackdown on shady activity. Going forward, we need to seek Lin 2020 following a couple of years found a raft of new regulations cramping and questionable influencer marketing, tougher remedies for companies that are that have seen their community rocked by their style. In the UK, influencers now with commissioner Rohit Chopra calling for illegally astroturfing or disguising their scandal (such as YouTuber Chris Ingham have to adhere to ASA (Advertising tighter rules. “Misinformation is plaguing advertising as an authentic endorsement being accused of sending inappropriate Standards Authority) rules on sponsored the digital economy, and recent no-money, or review.” messages to a teenage fan, or Clemmie content, while the FTC (Federal Trade no-fault FTC settlements with well-known Even ahead of possible new US Hooper trolling other Instagram influencers Commission) in the US has issued rules on retailers and brands to address fake reviews regulations, this has all proven tricky through a sock puppet account) and greed disclosure for influencers. and undisclosed influencer endorsements for the sector, with rumours rife that

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pulled between the two extremes. “Certain influencers have lost their value,” says Genius. “But there is still an infrastructure there that works. Influencers consistently change. The sort of influencer that might have been powerful, a social media influencer, a year ago may have lost that. But there are also new ones that have come into the space.” Genius believes that as people have become more aware of the often humdrum reality behind the apparently glamorous influencer lifestyles – the begging letters to hotels, desperate sponsorship deals and lack of accountability – the magic has gone. “The Instagram influencer bubble just kind of burst, ” he explains. “Back in the day, a some influencers are bending or simply The ASA , Basheer adds, normally doesn’t on influencer marketing was predicted to lot of the influencers we used to do would ignoring these rules. take a proactive approach to investigation, grow to $6.5bn in 2019, more than double be supermodels on Instagram with large “When you see something that says ‘ad’ limiting itself to examining complaints that the 2017 spend. followings. And that lost its value.” [on a post] it’s not as impactful,” says US DJ it receives. “Typically brands or influencers “I would say the problems with influencers and entrepreneur Genius, who has worked will simply be told to take posts down and were always there; it’s just that people didn’t Reach out and touch… what? with the likes of Megan Thee Stallion and K ensure that they ‘do not appear again in the realise it,” says one US music marketer. Changes at Instagram itself have also Camp. “It just feel like someone is trying to same form,’” Basheer explains. “The bigger “People, and especially companies, are finally contributed to this decline. “When sell you something.” issue is if a decision is brought by the [UK’s] becoming more savvy about the issues that Instagram changed its algorithm from Competition & Markets Authority, who can were always there. The initial excitement being a timeline to being something more Trust, transparency and truth be proactive and does not have to wait to has turned into more reality. [Influencer complicated, it affected influencers’ ability to Tahir Basheer, a partner at Sheridans who receive a complaint. marketing] was put on a pedestal.” reach their audiences,” says one major label works closely with influencers, brands and “That body has the remit to audit Luisa-Christie Walton-Stoev, influencer marketer in the US. “That is very important agencies globally, says that the main issue for influencer activity going back for typically marketing lead at Atlantic Records UK and as business or brands. If you are paying influencers has been press coverage around one year, can sue influencers and has a wider a blogger/influencer at Luisa-Christie, says people for reach based on followers, you are these rules in the mainstream media, which power to take such enforcement action.” that influencer marketing is “certainly” here probably being ripped off. Because a lot of in turn “shines a sometimes unfavourable to stay in the music industry. those people won’t ever see the post.” light on the influencers themselves”. The new gods? Or empty vessels? “We’ve only just touched the surface in Instagram’s experiments with hiding “The hurdle for those influencers – Add into this melée the persistent rumours ways that music companies can creatively likes, which the company has been testing and therefore the brands – is the level of influencers buying followers and you collaborate with influencers,” she says. “I also since 2019, are also hindering the influencer of trust consumers have in them as a have what appears to be an industry in think that artist teams can learn a lot from market. “I haven’t seen likes on a post for marketing outlet,” he adds. “This has meant crisis. And yet, from a slightly different influencers. They are so skilled in building a while,” says one marketer. “As a business that the rules are forming a bigger part of perspective, things might seem rosy for engaged audiences that invest long term person, when I try to decide which influencer brands’ thought processes and perhaps the influencer community. According to and most influencers do it all on their own, to use, that can be frustrating.” that they are more keen to observe the Influencer Marketing Hub (not exactly a creating a brand from scratch.” Rather than spelling the end for rules more closely.” disinterested party, admittedly), spending The truth, as ever, seems to be being influencer marketing, however, she believes

2 | sandbox ISSUE 246 19.02.2020 COVERFEATURE business will simply move elsewhere. Surprisingly perhaps, Genius says Twitter is now hugely important (again) for influencer marketing as people look to drive organic conversation. “We focus more on influencing the conversation around music. It’s all about the chatter. Somebody wants to hear from somebody else that this is something hot,” he says. “It may not be the large influencer account. It may be somebody that’s in your circle that comes across in your timeline.” The key here is that most overused of directly to them.” words – “authenticity”. Authenticity, however, is a double-edged Genius says, “If you look at your Twitter, sword. A paid campaign – whether straight you will see stuff that your friend retweets TikTok recently launched its Creator “If it’s obvious that if someone is only ad or influencer endorsement – cannot, by from an account that you may not be Marketplace to allow brands to connect posting about something because they are definition, be entirely authentic. Meanwhile following. So you may just be on your feed with talent, with more than 1,000 TikTok being paid, followers and fans switch off,” the more brands pile into a platform for its and you see something pop in your feed, as creators currently listed. According to a she says. supposed organic appeal, the less organic somebody retweets from another account. recent AdAge piece on TikTok, advertisers Similarly, Joe Gagliese, co-founder of it will become. Twitter, you could argue, A lot of time we work with that level of pay TikTok stars “anywhere from $1,000 to Viral Nation (viralnation.com) believes currently works for authentic conversation influence.” tens of thousands of dollars” for videos, with that influencers should be given creative precisely because its advertising offer has He adds, “We might put a piece of CJ OperAmericano, who has 715k TikTok freedom to promote a song “as long as it is on yet to take off. content out there through one of our pages, followers, doing deals with companies a positive note and within brand guidelines”. As such, marketers need to make careful we see that we are getting feedback, we including Taco Bell, Alba Botanica and “Influencer marketing is about creating choices about platforms when working take that actual conversation feedback. So Missguided US clothing recently. one-to-one connections, but at scale,” with influencers. “People may want the somebody goes, ‘Hey this is a really dope “It’s not like an ad that someone would he adds. “The best influencer marketing hottest platform, people may want to grow video.’ We retweet that comment into more want to click away from,” CJ OperAmericano campaigns produce organic influencer their base on Instagram, but sometimes feeds. In essence that person becomes explained. “It’s not just an informational content that audiences feel speaks that may not be the right platform to grow,” the main driver or the main influencer, boring ad. It’s an actual story that makes the says Genius. “It may be better to do stuff on the normal person that might have had a viewers want to participate in the product YouTube.” conversation.” or the activity that I’m advertising.” Walton-Stoev says that there are “so many kinds of influencer marketing TikTok takes talk from Instagram The organic and the long term activations that work in music”. TikTok, clearly, is another huge platform for Authenticity can work in many ways: Genius “Simple things such as Instagram Story influencers right now, thanks to its booming says that marketers are finding success shares of new releases, soundtracking popularity, youthful audiences and – for with influencers who have a more organic video content on Instagram/YouTube/ the moment – organic feel. “Influencer appeal, such as dancers and SoundCloud Tik Tok, to more complicated long-term marketing is moving from Instagram onto rappers, while Walton-Stoev says music collaborations telling a story or building TikTok,” says our US marketer. “And that’s marketers should always work with creators a narrative between the artist and not a bad thing as anyone can get their who genuinely like the music they will be influencer, so that they grow together videos seen on TikTok.” promoting. – and usually end up creating awesome

3 | sandbox ISSUE 246 19.02.2020 COVERFEATURE content together, too,” she explains. changed. That is not the influencer. You Genius also firmly believes in the have to work really hard to find who the real power of narrative as part of a long-term influencer is. And realise that an influencer is influencer campaign. “You should know not just someone with a large following.” what kind of narrative you are going for Our US marketer agrees. “There are around the story,” he says. “We work with more and more influencers out there and our clients long term, which is three-to- more and more niche accounts. It becomes six-months, six-months-to-a-year. We are more about finding niche influencers and trying to influence an overall message over the right audience, rather than just the big time. It’s not just one piece of content or influencers,” they conclude. :) this one song.” For all the apparent crisis in the influencer world, then, Genius says that be around because, even in the general “I think that the platforms are just influencer marketing is here to stay, if not sense of the word, there will always be going to change. What we have historically necessarily in its current shape. “I think people who have influence in one way or thought of as influencers – which is people [influencer marketing] is always going to another,” he says. with large social media following – has

China’s ‘key opinion leaders’ are out in front Outdustry head of international, Alex Taggart, you can expect there to be plenty of bad actors. be kept under control; but also China tends not now the Instagram of China – influencers and explains the powers of influencers in China. Followers and engagement can be bought very to look too closely at problems in industries in celebrities are now all over it, but not really to the easily, and given that brand executives are often which China is generating a lot of revenue, both detriment of their other social channels. How healthy is the situation more concerned with showing big numbers to from China and overseas, particularly when that Also - people spend an awful lot of time on for influencers looking in China? their bosses than they are about creating genuine revenue is being generated by homegrown talent their phones in China! Overall, you can probably say with relative engagement, numbers are juiced with impunity, and companies. confidence that China is leading the world – or to an extent that we don’t see on global social What can the rest of the world learn at least teaching it a thing or two – when it platforms. Why, exactly, are influencers from China in terms of influencers? comes to the commercialisation of influencers Also, one of the key issues that exists in China’s so popular in China? One particularly interesting aspect is influence in [or KOLs, as they’re known in China, short for music industry is also in play in the KOL economy: It’s difficult to say for sure, but one reason we the music space. While KOLs aren’t often known “key opinion leader”]. Influencers have shown an a lack of verifiable data. Advertising ROI is, at often hear is that the government’s control over for their music tastes – and there aren’t actually enormous ability to sell product, and despite a best, difficult to track, even in more transparent traditional media created a vacuum of trust, into very many music KOLs – the online karaoke live- slight slowdown in China’s advertising world as markets, but in China that’s an even bigger issue. which influencers stepped. Combine that with streaming market is amazingly big, and very well a whole, brands are still all over KOLs, often, but the pace of tech innovation in China and the fact monetised: in Tencent Music Entertainment’s not always – deservedly so. Is there much legal restraint that Chinese consumers are much quicker to IPO filing, it was made clear that 70% of the It’s not without its problems, though. A on influencers in China? adopt new platforms – as opposed to everything company’s revenue was derived from virtual few notable scandals have shown that – As with many things in China, in theory there is happening on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter gifts and tips given to online karaoke performers. surprise, surprise! – influencers aren’t always a legal framework governing the industry [i.e. – and you end up with a lot of people who are However, since these kinds of performers tend to as trustworthy as they may appear, which is China’s laws around advertising]; but in practice, ready to be sold to in different, nuanced ways. spend almost their entire waking, and sometimes obviously a big issue when trust and sincerity is the law rarely comes into play. This is partly due One platform that has come out of nowhere over sleeping, life live-streaming, perhaps the rest the source of the influence in the first place. But to the fact that it’s essentially a fully internet- the past couple of years in Xiaohongshu [RED of the world should be cautious about heading when there is such insane money going around, based industry where things move too quickly to in English], which some people would argue is down this route.

4 | sandbox ISSUE 246 19.02.2020 TOOLS Deezer Backstage

Last year, Deezer became the first DSP to actively promote and test a user-centric payment system. At the same time, the streaming service began properly rolling out its own artist analytics backend, Deezer Backstage, with a freshly launched landing page and a host of innovative features. The last time Deezer publicly reported on its MAUs was in January 2019, standing at 14m, with a particularly Another interesting feature that no strong foothold in France, Germany and other big Western DSP currently offers Latin America. is the addition of a specific status field AS they would find on social platforms, The platform’s interface is divided into enabling them to communicate with three menu tabs: Analytics; Artist Edition; their listeners on-platform, albeit with a and User Manager. The headlines in terms 64-character limit. It’s interesting to see of the analytics that Deezer provides are that Deezer includes this social feature, grouped in a Data Digest box covering considering that Apple Music discontinued Total Streams, Average Daily Listeners its own Apple Music Connect in 2018, with and Fans Evolution. Below that, you can many noting how Western DSPs lack this easily get an overview about the artist’s form of direct engagement between artist best-performing tracks and discography, and fans when compared to the likes of including release dates. NetEase Cloud Music in China. What becomes immediately apparent Cue Spotify’s Daniel Ek’s statement is that Deezer doesn’t just lift existing from the company’s latest earnings call in features from its rivals. Deezer has added early February: “We keep on testing social interesting artist profile optimisation tools in more countries than any other DSP able to connect with audiences abroad efforts. Over time, the strong goal for us in to help artists establish a closer connection worldwide, but we do have certain while not alienating those homegrown fans social is to connect artists and fans directly. with their listeners. One of the outstanding territories where we’re particularly strong who often facilitated that early success in We think that’s the most powerful thing we examples of this is the ability to upload and we localise as much as possible for the first place. can do.” artist biographies in multiple languages, those regions.” On top of that, Deezer enables artists Social features on DSPs are clearly a enabling artists to speak to their fanbase in Given the music industry’s increasingly to link out to their social profiles which can hot topic and Deezer is at the forefront in their own tongue. global nature – one where artists from help in growing an artist’s overall digital the West. Nigel Harding, VP of artist marketing Nigeria, South Korea, Colombia or any footprint. However, as of right now, artists Another thing artists can do to customise at Deezer, explains the background to this. other country can now find loyal audiences can only link out to Facebook and Twitter. their profile is the ability to pin their “Deezer has a local hero philosophy,” he around the world – a tool like this can be Having Instagram added here as well is surely discography playlist to the top of their artist says. “We’re a global platform, available enormously helpful in making sure to be something artist teams are keen to see. profile. Deezer allows artists to contact

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covers the artist’s full catalogue, users Another feature that Deezer is working can also switch to see a comparison of on is what it calls Stream Activity, showing performance on a track-by-track basis. at which point in a song fans have liked Below that, you will gain insights into it, skipped it or banned it, with skip rates the artist’s top playlists, a world map being a crucial factor in a track’s playlist overview of where people are listening, top evolution. countries, top cities, who is listening to the “This is a fascinating piece of insight, which artist (gender and age breakdown) and how almost allows to understand people are listening to the artist (desktop, what it is in their songs that makes people mobile (iOS/Android)). skip,” Harding argues. “And equally you can Looking to the future of Deezer see where in a song you’re losing people and Backstage, Harding reveals how the where you’re winning people. We can literally track every single user.” While this is not only an important form of A&R feedback that can be especially their team from within Deezer Backstage helpful for artists in the early stages of to request changes to this discography development and lacking that playlist, focusing on the releases they want resource, music:)ally also thinks this can to highlight. While artists can also create be used strategically when putting online their own playlists – something that they spend behind snippets of songs to evaluate can do on Spotify but not on Apple Music which parts of a song are most likely to – the ability to pin these artist-curated hook new potential fans. playlists to their profile is something that’s Finally, an upcoming feature we are in the works. This is due to a broader design excited about is what Harding calls a Fan philosophy with Deezer aiming not to Algorithm. clutter its platform. He says, “The question is: how do you Looking at the More Analytics section, determine the quality of a listen? We’re artist teams can customise the date range working on an algorithm trying to identify for these analytics as well as location Harding highlights the importance of company is planning to further evolve the the behaviour of a listener in each location and, in another innovative step, they can these metrics for Deezer. “From my side in platform’s features. Deezer recognises and identify the likelihood of this listener differentiate between ad-supported users artist marketing, when we’re looking for the importance of a release’s first week buying a ticket to a show. We know enough and premium subscribers, which is helpful artists we want to engage with to maybe and gauging whether or not a market to create a hierarchy of where your biggest when trying to understand the revenue create exclusive content for the platform, is responding to the new music and if fans reside. That, for me, is a real game flowing in from Deezer. identifying artists with lean-forward it is moving in lockstep with how artist changer function for any artist or manager. A graph showing the amount of total listening is obviously very important,” he streaming analytics have developed on It has a real world impact as most of their streams versus unique listeners in a says. “When we create content for our other DSPs. Therefore, Deezer is currently income is from live performance and we’d particular timeframe provides insight into social channels, we want to make sure the developing live data enabling artist like to aid that side of their business.” whether an artist has a small fanbase that userbase has a passion for this artist.” managers to monitor the performance These are all important tools and streams excessively or has a large amount of This is where things like playlist of a release in real time after it went live, features that Deezer has added to its people streaming less often – the idea being additions and the amount of listeners that whereas at the moment the data is counted armoury and the way it is pushing Deezer to give a more detailed understanding of the have favourited the artist come into play. daily. Harding says this feature is expected Backstage is clearly going to be of long- artist’s fanbase. Whereas the graph mentioned above to launch in the first half of 2020. term benefit to artists and managers . : )

6 | sandbox ISSUE 246 19.02.2020 The latest projects from the digital marketing arena CAMPAIGNS WIG WAM BAM: SAM SMITH SAYS HURRAY FOR TOUPÉE KSI FYI: YOUTUBE TURNS TIKTOKER FOR DEBUT SINGLE

quickly) on British YouTuber KSI (real and this has grown 1.1m Brewer Street name Olajide Olayinka within a couple of weeks of in Soho called, Williams) is a social media being on the app. So far he naturally, To sensation. His YouTube has only posted six videos, Die For. channel has 21m subscribers but half of them have all “I was and his videos often pass passed 5m views each. driving 10m views. He inhabits a The views for through world where his boxing content associated with London last match against Logan Paul #WakeUpCallChallenge year and last November in LA ended stand at 41.1m. Is this a sign randomly happened upon a wig shop – the up being described as “the of someone who built their idea for the ‘To Die For’ video came to me biggest amateur boxing following on one platform then and there,” said Smith in a statement. match in history”. (YouTube) abandoning it “That it has now come to life like this is to try and make a name “Snatch my wig” is incredible.” He released his new for themselves on the one of many heavily Smith set up an Instagram account (@ single, ‘Wake Up Call’, on hot platform du jour repeated online todiefor_) that started posting short video 7th February and joined (TikTok)? Not quite, as the phrases that may clips and photos teasing both the song/video TikTok to promote it with two can co-exist and the leave outsiders and the pop-up shop. the inevitable hashtag single is also being heavily nonplussed. In It opened on 12th February and fans challenge. promoted on his YouTube brief, it came from could go to the todiefor.uk site to sign up to His own video with the channel (the top video on the world of drag attend the opening event. The closing night #WakeUpCallChallenge the page, a massive banner and initially meant on 14th February also featured Smith doing sees him order a boombox ad across the top of his to attack/offend someone (stealing a drag a Q&A for fans. from Amazon (for £165.99 page etc.). queen’s wig is not a good move), but has come Spotify has been bankrolling pop-up – plus £9.99 delivery, But it is interesting to to mean more generally a sense of shock (in a events, galleries and spaces for acts such as so clearly not a Prime note the tone he uses on good way) or surprise. Billie Eilish and Arianna Grande and YouTube customer), set it on the the two different platforms is clearly keen to do things with artists edge of (we presume) his for what is ultimately the Sam Smith’s latest partnership with YouTube, beyond the events and shows it hosts for flatmate’s bed and wake him same end result (i.e. driving as part of the promotion for the ‘To Die For’ them in its creator studios. up by playing his single at streams of his single). single, is hoping to literally snatch your wig. Pop-up shops used to mean little more ear-punishing volume. TikTok is played more The theme for the video was inspired by a wig than a glorified merchandise booth and it is As a sign of just how big for laughs while YouTube shop Smith spotted in Soho in London. And great to see ideas like this that link to existing a noise he is, within three would, for the most part, so, in partnership with YouTube, Smith has assets (i.e. Smith’s video) and that are also hours of joining TikTok he very much like to stress opened a pop-up wig shop (try saying that wonderfully over the top in their own right. had over 100k followers that he is A Serious Artist.

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The latest projects from the digital marketing arena CAMPAIGNS LUNAR TUNES: PEARL JAM CREATE SUPER HEART – ATTACK: JAMES BLUNT’S ARCH VALENTINE’S DAY CARDS BLOOD WOLF MOON AR EXPERIENCE

middle surrounded by roses. Pearl Jam’s 11th studio , When sent to a sweetheart, they Gigaton, is due at the end click on the card and it flips to reveal of next month and the lead a print message as well as an audio single is called ‘Superblood message from Blunt himself. These Wolfmoon’ with the sleeve include: “I would say ‘You’re Beautiful’ artwork featuring a red lunar but I’ve used that line before”; “Are eclipse. you from Tennessee? Because you’re the only ten I see”; As part of the promotion, the “Happy Valentine’s Day to band worked with creative my single friend. Don’t worry, agency Powster to create James Blunt thinks you’re a Super Blood Wolf Moon beautiful”; and “I think you’re augmented reality effect for suffering from a lack of Vitamin smartphones (that works on Me”. both Android and iOS devices). Atlantic UK commissioned Users can scan a QR code Warner Music Group’s Firepit that will lead them to the Technology team to create the moon.pearljam.com mobile site. Once “Adapting to new technologies and James Blunt has managed to perfectly Once Upon A Valentines activation. (Don’t there, they will have to give it permission integrating platforms unleashes the full reinvent himself for social media – going from look for it as the valentines.jamesblunt.com to access their device’s sensors relating to potential of music, as well as changes the “that posh chap who sang ‘You’re Beautiful’” domain has now been deactivated.) It was motion and orientation as well as access way fans experience new sounds, and we to “that posh chap who sang ‘You’re Beautiful’ there in part to push his most recent album to their camera. They then have to move are excited to be teaming up with Pearl Jam but can endlessly mock himself and pull the from October, Once Upon A Mind (hence it around to locate the moon in the sky. to provide their fans with this exclusive rug from under the feet of trolls”. In many the Once Upon A Valentines title), but was Their camera will track the real moon, then look at their style and artistic direction,” ways, he was Lewis Capaldi before Lewis primarily a way to get people to sign up to his superimpose a rotating red lunar eclipse on said Powster CEO Ste Thompson in a Capaldi was Lewis Capaldi. mailing list (which they’d have to do to be able top of it while the words “super”, “blood”, statement. to send a card). “wolf” and “moon” appear and a clip of the It is a really simple and straightforward So when he decided to create Valentine’s Day A decade ago, Blunt’s album would have single plays in the background. use of AR to tease a single before its full audio e-cards last week, it was obvious they been racked with a variety of Greatest Love (Cheat: it doesn’t have to line up with release (the clip was available within the were not going to be sickly sweet: they are, Album Ever-style compilations on the shelves the actual moon when it’s in the sky and app for five days before it got a full release). instead, heavy on the self-effacing. Designed of supermarkets to give it another push, but you can just point your camera at a photo The temptation with AR is to try and do like playing cards, they feature a “j” for James those days are pretty much gone. Now it’s of the moon and it will work fine.) something that really pushes the envelope, in the top left corner (no doubt to echo the about taking your social media brand and There is also a link to pre-order the but that can sometimes end up being overly joker in a deck of cards) and “b” in the bottom making the marketing opportunity bend to it album or save it, with links to assorted complicated and fussy so it is nice to see right for Blunt, with the singer’s face in the rather than the other way around. digital services and real-world retailers. the “less is more” strategy here.

8 | sandbox ISSUE 246 19.02.2020 BEHIND THE CAMPAIGN UKF10 BEHIND THE CAMPAIGNUKF10

Planning the 10th anniversary compared to those people who’ve FA: UKF started off in Luke’s been there throughout the journey. bedroom. Not a lot of YouTube brands We came to the conclusion that make it to such a big milestone and we really wanted to celebrate the UKF has been such a huge part of lifestyle – that it’s not just an online people’s lifestyles. It’s been more platform where you go and listen to than just a YouTube channel that puts music; it’s also events. up music. It is releasing and People have been there compilations and even helping artists throughout the journey and it’s get to where they are now. about their music taste, but also We thought 10 years was a good the artists who have grow their time to really celebrate it properly careers and have stayed with UKF and everything that UKF has achieved throughout. as well as what it’s done for the scene. Starting a year of celebrations TD: It was time for reflection. We DF: We launched the campaign with wanted to look back at what we’ve this idea of a countdown from 10. achieved over the last 10 years. We made this video that was a splice I’ve been there for the entire time of mixed media covering everything – except for Luke’s bedroom, of that happened in the past 10 course! I remember when Luke first years. That’s how we kicked off the walked into the office and I thought, campaign. “This kid is onto something.” We put the compilation video on Time has flown by and in the blink YouTube and social media. It was to of an eye we suddenly realised that it was showcase to everyone who interacts with the 10th anniversary. It was like, “Wow the brand in different ways. Some people just we’re all still in business! And this business know about the channel, some people just UKF started life as a YouTube channel set up by teenager Luke Hood in his is booming!” I think that was a starting know about live – so this was to showcase the bedroom in Frome in Somerset in 2009, initially to focus on drum & bass point for the campaign – realising that we breadth of the brand in one short clip, to skim and dubstep. He soon partnered with AEI Group and the brand has grown had made a success of it and it’s been 10 through 10 years to show how much we’ve exponentially from there. To mark its 10th anniversary, the team at AEI spent a years. We then started reflecting on it and done and how much more we’re going to do. whole year celebrating its past but also pointing towards its future. FARHANA that made us look back at the earlier logo That launched the campaign. designs, the YouTube channel and what ABOO (head of marketing), TOM DUNN (project manager), SAMPO KASKIA was used back then, the infographics and CH: We asked Camo & Krooked to give us (curator and A&R), OLIVIA POOLEY (digital designer), DAISY FINETTO (head so on. And that all went into the creative. an epic intro. They are an Austrian drum & of creative) and CRAIG HAYNES (head of content) explain how the year was bass-based duo. They wrote that, but that carefully plotted out, why live events (including a return to Hood’s home town) DF: We all had a big brainstorm meeting then evolved into ‘Atlas’ which became the and physical objects (merchandise, branded speakers, a boxset) were key to with pretty much everyone that’s here first single on the album. ensuring this anniversary was marked in the real world as much as it was online. plus a few extra people. We sat down and The UKF community was also heavily involved throughout (so much so, one thought, “What’s the plan? What are we SK: That developed into the first single live event turned into a marriage proposal). To avoid drowning in nostalgia, the going to do?” I had actually just started from the album and it was released a campaign’s mantra was “look back, but don’t stare”. working for AEI so I was a fresh pair of eyes month later.

10 | sandbox ISSUE 246 19.02.2020 BEHIND THE CAMPAIGNUKF10

and were very important to the brand and have supported it from day one. We commissioned some tokens for all of the fans.

DF: We also partnered with a local cider company, Lilley’s Cider. The tokens were mementoes for everyone to mark the 10 years in the home town.

TD: That campaign is one of the most fun ones that we ever put together.

DF: What was really interesting throughout it was how to keep a year-long campaign creatively interesting. We had the theme at the beginning of having mixed media and black and white footage. The black and white stemmed from the fact Live was a key part of that there were so many different bits of the anniversary footage and different styles, so making TD: There’s a lot of live [events them all black and white unified it all. There that we have done] and we did was the logo that ran throughout but each shows all over the world. That got show had to feel unique but also different. us thinking about places where we wanted to do shows again to mark Creating sub-brands this occasion. We looked for key TD: The logo in the field [done as a territories that have been important and Through these events, we touched on dubstep; it was a real eclectic mix of those computer-generated crop circle] was fanbases where we’ve really rocked their the different areas of bass music that the styles. unique to Frome. Each one of the events world. That led to us looking at where we brand is associated with as well. Let It Roll that we did had its own unique logo. We want to do some more. is drum & bass. In London we did a show The return to Frome – the “F” in UKF incorporated our UKF10 logo, but if it In total we did five different festival called Night Bass, which was very much TD: I think everyone’s favourite show was with a partner like Let It Roll or EXIT stages and then some shows to go with it. bassline focused. We rounded off at the was one we did in Frome , which is Luke’s Festival, it also incorporated their own We selected festivals that we work very end of the year with a London show that hometown. It was a small 800-capacity logos as well. So by the end of the year closely with – like Sundown in the UK. And had a very heavy dubstep presence. venue there called Cheese & Grain. we actually ended up with quite a stack then we worked with key partners like Dubstep is not as big as it used to be, It’s held fantastic shows. Even Foo of logos. It made each event special and EXIT Festival in Serbia. That was really but we felt it was very important to have Fighters played there, but they’d never unique. important to us. We did a stage at EDC that involved. The London show was a big done a show like this. We wanted to put [Electric Daisy Carnival] and another return to London for us. We did it at Studio in a lot of effort. We made it very UKF DF: Each event had its own take. We festival called Let It Roll in the Czech 338 and we had over 20 artists playing in terms of the production that we took wanted to keep it fresh as using the same Republic, which is the world’s largest drum over 10 hours. It was a great success in there. We have a fantastic lineup of visuals for a whole year could probably get & bass festival. and we hit on bassline, drum & bass and artists that really wanted to be involved quite boring and then you lose people’s

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attention. It was nice to have little flashes put on every one and that’s what tied it of sub-brands within the whole campaign. in. The flexibility of a year-long campaign meant there was space for artists to still TD: We have a great creative team who have their own stamp and be creative. foresaw this and did a really good job What was really nice was that the music of keeping things fresh. Each event felt was at the shows and in the promo for the special because of it – and all over the events. It was all made specifically, so it just world as well. I’m really proud of all the ran throughout the whole campaign. shows that we did. For each one to feel unique and special was a big part of it. TD: Ultimately it ended up with the music It helped in the promo of the overall in the vinyl boxset . There was a lot of campaign because it kept things fresh. time, energy and love that went into this People are seeing new launch videos and as a finished product. Our fans would get new artwork. There’s a reason to keep something they would really hold onto looking back but not seeing the same thing towards the end of the campaign. over again, just with a different set of names. FA: It’s four discs and the full album is on a On 1st January the first video went USB in the box as well. out and the last one went out on 26th December, so it was the full year. TD: It was a smart way to back up the hard Creating a decade-long celebration TD: It was a big step forward for UKF work and to have a really nice product at CH: Musically we wanted to do something to be seen as a record label releasing the end of the campaign. a bit different for UKF. We’ve dabbled in music regularly. [There were two drum & bass discs, one putting some music out on sister labels, but bassline and one dubstep.] in order to keep that running all the way SK: These were all tracks that were made through on the music side of things, there specifically for the album. TD: Two of them are black and two of them were 37 different tracks. white. FA: Previously, we would do compilations SK: We used 37 tracks for this album. We where we sign music just for the album FA: The album came out on Black Friday signed 41 tracks in total for the entire and release the album in one go. We drip – the 29th November. That was a very campaign but only 37 made it onto the fed the singles across the year so that each interesting time because of Black Friday actual album. At the same time as we were release would have its own campaign – as sales. That was definitely one where we doing all this, we were signing music from well being rounded up on the album at the had to really coordinate. We were actually a lot of the different acts that we always end of the year. working with Motive Unknown on it. They booked. helped out with the social advertising on If you look at the Let It Roll line up, half TD: Rather than just license existing tunes, this particular project. of those people also gave us a track for the they were all signed. And each one had its album. The same thing with the London own single artwork. FA: The key thing with this whole campaign lineup; it was half of them as well. At the is that there was a lot of attention to detail same time as all of this, we were releasing OP: Every piece of artwork is specific to – like the coins, the event at Frome, the music for the first time ever on UKF as a the artists, so it’s in their style; but we’ve little touches on the vinyl and the artwork. proper thing. made a little sticker that said UKF that was That was really important.

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An evolving logo and branded products OP: At the beginning of the campaign, we had so many different ideas for variations on the logo and we liked them all in different ways. We decided that there was so much we wanted to include and there were so many different things that have happened over the years that we created a mosaic tile that represented the different sides and the different aspects of the brand. So all the different logos are in there – like logos that we created for events and old merchandise logos that never saw the light of day.

TD: We did a collaboration with Minirig, the speaker company, and they created a the time where all of us have to really Involving the UKF community wrap that went around it which was a nice collaborate to make sure that everything is FA: Music-wise, we created a superfan nod to all that. promoted together. app, if you want to call it that, in UKFamily A lot of the merchandise had started where, when people sign up or login with DF: The year before, we did a merchandise in previous years so people were used to their Spotify, they can be notified or have range on UKF that has been really seeing the merchandise out and about tracks saved directly into their playlists. successful. So we decided to do a range for and also at events. We’ve got quite strong We’ve got a lot of segmentation going UKF10. It started with some summer items audiences across Facebook, Instagram and on for the different things that we’re and some winter items. We did a water so on. We’ve got a mailing database as well. promoting. With events we will often do bottle, a scarf, a bumbag, a bomber jacket, sign-ups. The bots were what we were a sticker pack and more – it was a mostly using last year. range of different things . They were drip fed throughout the year and came out at TD: We use a Messenger bot a lot. It is key moments. Chatfuel-based but it is something that we designed in-house. With the events, FA: A lot of the UKF10 campaign neatly we chose some of the territories because tied together how AEI works across like we’ve had great success there in the past. music, live, merchandise and everything We have good partners that we work with else. We’ve got so many different threads and we used them to help promote our that we are able to do all of these different product within that area and so we were things in one place. This was a nice little not doing things willy-nilly. campaign to showcase all of that. We selected them because we know At the same time, we have events that we’ve got an audience there and we coming out, we have merchandise coming know what that audience likes. We analyse out and we have music coming out. It was

13 | sandbox ISSUE 246 19.02.2020 BEHIND THE CAMPAIGNUKF10 the data as it comes in. That’s also how we SK: It was great in terms of keeping us might not be loyal UKF fans anymore but it adjusted our lineups according to what front of mind for that length of time reached everybody. works in each place. without annoying people. There was We saw interaction from a huge range We look through YouTube data always something new, whether it was a of people and a huge audience all over regularly to analyse it. There is no point in release, a new piece of merchandise or an the world. That gave us all the warm fuzzy pushing something if it’s not going to be a event. feeling that kept us going in dark times! I great success there. think that was very important. Planning TD: I think that is a great credit to the that and identifying those things early on Pacing things throughout the year team here at AEI where there are “filters” were key for us. FA: It’s about spotting opportunities. If internally. Before things go out and we have events and there’s events mailers before there’s any accidents when stuff CH: I think it was a good mix. What was going out, there’s no reason why you can’t goes online, generally it’s caught. It’s like, important to Luke right from the get-go put in some of your merchandise products “Hang on a minute. We’ve got something was to not just look back. Obviously, we that people might want to wear at the else happening today. Or something very wanted that nostalgia as it gave us a lot event. Or telling people who are going to similar went out a couple of days ago or of value, but he was also driving for what the event that there is a playlist they can last week. Or we’ve got this plan in the flyer that said to go and buy a ticket or UKF is going to be. “What are we going to listen to before going there. It is a really future.” buy an album. UKF as a brand has so many do that’s new?” That’s where releasing the good way to cross-promote the products That’s a real credit to the team here. different channels and touch points with music and that completely different album without bombarding people with things That’s one thing we’re very good at doing. the audience; there are mailers, there are campaign came from. It’s a good balance of separately. different Facebook pages for drum & bass, nostalgia and forward thinking. Because we had so many things going OP: We spent a lot of time reworking the dubstep and so on. on, we had to be very good with the socials and Instagram [in particular]. We TD: That happened throughout the scheduling of things, such as when releases redesigned it, made it more visually on The power of nostalgia: campaign. It was, “Look back, but don’t were coming out or when events were brand and really built that up, which has “Look back, but don’t stare” stare.” When we looked back, we got that coming up. We had to be careful when we been really successful. TD: We’d have to give a nod to the reaction. And then Sampo did a great job were promoting them. We made sure there was a diverse nostalgia side of things as well. Early on, of helping us look forwards into a new enough amount of content to keep people we realised we have done this for 10 years. direction. TD: We knew early on that we wanted to interested, but also having a bit of a flow It means that 10 years ago we were doing do this campaign for a year. We could have so people would know when there was a something right. So we looked back at the SK: With the album, we signed a healthy gone in hard and done the whole thing in a release and if it was, say, a dubstep release start of that and found some tracks. The mix of not just tracks that sound like they month, finished it and moved onto another that it would have a certain colour block Emalkay track ‘When I Look At You’ is one were from 10 years ago, but tracks that one. But when we approached this at the at the bottom or if it was drum & bass it of the earliest uploads from UKF Dubstep, sound like they are from 10 years ago by end of 2018, it was about doing a year- would have another colour. so we gave that a share. artists who we featured 10 years ago. That long campaign. That was always in our That meant when they were navigating We saw a huge organic engagement on is half the album. The other half of the mind so we were always very cautious things they didn’t have to take all the that, because it was hitting people’s feeds, album are artists who have either had one about how we went about promoting information in. People could navigate all and it was giving them the nostalgia trip or two UKF uploads and maybe fewer than everything. the content easily. as well. We noticed in the comments very 1,000 fans but that we believe in and we We regularly looked at timelines and early on that people were saying things want to showcase that this is what we’re so on just to make sure there was good FA: With the creativity around things like like, “I remember going to this party. I going to be about in the future. crossover, but not bad crossover and that the Frome event, the content was really remember listening to this music.” Instead of just looking back, we were we were maximising our reach and getting cool and creative and people would want Our audience, if they were 18 then, are looking at what we’ve done and where to the relative audiences. to see it rather than just have an event 28 now. They might have moved on. They we’re going to go.

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TD: At some of our shows, there were a Hybrid Minds who were playing at the lot of people there who were also there at time – so shout out to them for that as they the first ones. They did come back to our were on board. It was a nice special thing to events. It was fun to actually walk amongst add on top of everything else. the crowds and see some familiar faces but also meeting the people there and finding FA: It just goes to show how it is all part of out they went to our massive show at people’s lives. Alexandra Palace [in London] back in 2011. It was bringing them out and then The neon sign showing them what we’re doing in the CH: Just to highlight how the creative future. And hopefully we’ll find out if they pushed through and how the campaign are coming on the journey with us for the developed as it was happening, there’s a next 10 years. neon version of a logo which was the digital version. We came up with this idea of how FA: Didn’t someone propose to their to promote the London show. We were just partner at the show? trying to be inventive, really. Often when we have to promote a show, initially it is without a lineup. So you have to think about what you do visually when all you might have is a date and maybe a venue. So we came up with this idea of actually making a neon sign and CH: That was for the album. But we then carrying that through to the event wanted to tie that in with the London show and the album cover. We actually had it as well. This video was inspired by the physically made [and shot a film featuring it launch video – so rather than just seeing in different locations]. the different stuff around UKF, it was the idea of putting the UKF logo around TD: It was the event on 14th of December, London. The neon theme carried through. TD: Yeah, a guy took to the stage and so very close to Christmas. We put a lot The second video is a mix of the proposed to his girlfriend. She said yes! of time and energy into that, especially actual neon sign and post-production. It It’s one of those scary moments when in promoting and tying it with the album involved me and a cameraman lugging this it happens because I’ve seen them go because it was so close to being released. extremely fragile sign and a battery pack horribly wrong. We stopped the show for The video actually shows it being made, around London. It is a testament to the there being too much of a difference – so them and then he popped the question. with a master craftsman doing the team that all these ideas were popping up there is a nice consistency throughout the They’ll be fans for a long time. It was glassblowing and making the neon sign. and we were seeing how we could link it year. amazing. The video is like a real-time visualiser in together – so an event, a release or a piece I was down there running the show for real life rather than just graphics. of merchandise. CH: For the recap video we wanted to link that night and I was more nervous about A bit of advice to people. Don’t get a back to that original video in terms of the that than I was about anything else! It really, really, really fragile neon sign and TD: We had regular creative meetings collage that we had going on. But this time was all to be a surprise. I had to get him then decide to take it all over London for looking at what we were working on at it was just made up of the events from the out the crowd, get him onto the stage and a shoot, then down to Frome and then the time and then what’s coming up and year and a few vox pops for the artists and then wait for certain tracks to drop. It was back here! how we could jump between them without the people there.

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FA: We had all sorts of social media DF: It was realising that it can be so advertising, Reddit, a billboard campaign flexible. There are other brands where in London. I think we covered pretty much the fanbase freak out over tiny things that all the bases. are different, but what’s been really nice is that we are able to be really flexible and Tight planning that allows flexibility bring people together, even though there’s TD: We knew we were going to do some lots of different music tastes within the sort of wrap-up video but we didn’t know fanbase. You can still unite them at events what was going to go in it or what it was and do merchandising around different going to look like. It was learning as we things. That’s a very nice thing to see. go. Yes, we adapted. With key dates and stuff coming up, we had to really analyse FA: AEI will always be the first to do live it. There was an element of that, but it was streams and things like that. It’s always very well planned. looking at what the next thing is. There’s We knew it was going to be a year- always something changing, like TikTok or long campaign when we got into this. chatbots. It’s just looking at what we can Everybody knowing that at the beginning do first before everyone else. :) really helped us get the foresight to plan it well. But there are always a couple of speed bumps here and there. into the physical world. The boxset was a CH: It was great actually having such a highlight for me. It’s nice to have a finished structured campaign for the whole year for Other team FA: For a campaign, know what the final product at the end of it that we can hold one of our brands. We often might have a members goal objective is, then you just make and cherish. couple of tentpole things like albums or events. Luke Hood – founder UKF/ director AEI everything that you’re doing work towards This was just branding an entire year. We that one thing. AF: We didn’t want to do CDs because: hadn’t really had anything to take us through Rupert Plumb – head of product a) they don’t sell; and b) they’re not as and look back to. It was really nice to have it all development DF: I think it was important at the special. But we definitely wanted a physical tied into the theme throughout the year. Bailey Hyatt – videographer/director beginning that, in terms of creative, we product that people can remember it by. Hope Nolan – live events assistant just said it really openly. There were a few If we were to look towards the 20th TD: Kurt Stubbings – front end developer things that we stuck by but they needed TD: And a big party! Which we did. anniversary it would be about involving Jack Springbett – designer flexibility because things change. There the community and the artists, because had to be different styles incorporated into TD: The Frome event was 5th October none of this would be here if it wasn’t for a whole year so we purposely left it open so it came quite late in the campaign, We them. The viewers, the fans, the ravers, the and for it to be a breathable project that did the summer thing with all the festival merchandise wearers – it’s a nod to them WANT TO FEATURE IN developed as it went along. stages, then went into autumn when we as well. I’m looking forward to continuing BEHIND THE CAMPAIGN? did Frome and then finished in London in working with them. Marketing people: do you have a campaign you are working TD: A testament to that is definitely the December. on that you would like to see featured in Behind The Campaign merchandise that came out. It’s nice to It was a nice way to wrap it up. It was TD: What this told us about UKF’s identity in a future edition of sandbox? If so, send a brief synopsis of it have something physical to show for it. nice for everyone here to be able to come is that it is adaptable. It’s the first time to Eamonn Forde for consideration and your work (and your Obviously UKF has always been very together to celebrate it. We got some great we’ve really broken the logo. That really words) could appear here. digital – like the YouTube channels and its ideas from this campaign and it made us excited me to the point where it’s led us to Email: [email protected] social media side. So this was taking a step rethink how we strategise. permanently change the logo.

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