06–07 Tools Chartmetric 08-09 Campaigns Joy Division, Thom Yorke, Mabel, a-ha 10–14 Behind The Campaign- Little Simz

JUNE 26 2019 sandboxMUSIC MARKETING FOR THE DIGITAL ERA ISSUE 231 COVERFEATURE n an industry as infuriatingly, wonderfully enigmatic as the music business, it can Ibe comforting to have some statistics on your side. You probably can’t explain why, exactly, that hot new band’s music breaks your heart. But if you have some statistics about streaming plays and Instagram likes, you can at least make a case for them being special. This helps to explain why the music industry is so keen on conversion marketing. Conversion can be measured in a precise number of clicks, giving A&R and marketers an impressive-looking spreadsheet to take to their bosses, which they can then pass up the chain, safe in the LIKE A knowledge that marketing budgets aren’t CONVERSION being wasted. Everyone is happy, in other

tracking cause and effect in fan marketing

Trying out Marketing Thing A doesn’t always result in Consumer Behaviour B – and measuring that, even in the digital age, is never simple or clear cut. Is “clicking on a link” enough to know that a casual consumer is now a fan? How precisely can you actually pinpoint that moment of conversion? We look at the 3:1 pull/push approach and the “rule of seven” to see how they can apply today. Should we think less about conversion metrics and more about brand awareness? And is “trajectory and velocity” a better way to understand things than just trying to measure absolute numbers?

1 | sandbox | ISSUE 231 | 26.06.2019 COVERFEATURE words, and the music industry can reflect pushy and cold sales messages don’t get back on the bad old days when advertising good reach and are typically ignored,” he in traditional media had to be measured by says. “A simple communications the rather brute force of sales statistics. rule to keep in mind is the 3:1 pull/ push framework. First, create three Following the conversion pieces of content designed to pull; breadcrumb trail this creates reach, awareness and engagement. That earns you one In marketing as in life, not everything can push message for conversion.” be measured with total accuracy. How, for The key point is that clicks should not be example, can you measure the impact of a considered the be all and end all of music positive review? Or a new billboard? A leap industry marketing. Marketers should look in streams might give you some idea. But at going beyond conversion into brand it is impossible to say with the certainty awareness, as Ross explained at the recent of conversion marketing that one isolated Sandbox Summit event in New York. “It is piece of promo led to precisely this increase think is the wider sickness of this: everyone But that doesn’t stop us from believing still great to drive conversions and move in streams or sales. Rather, press, posters, thinking that, because this is digital, we are (somewhat blindly) in its benefits. along the funnel,” says Ross. “But think TV and other such physical marketing tend supposed to attribute everything.” All of this leads to a rather tricky about the rest of the funnel as being more to be seen as an unknowable part of the This obsession with conversion is situation where the obsession with tracking about awareness and activities.” problematic for a number of reasons. and conversion blinds us to the benefits of As an example of this, Ross mentions Privacy is the new digital hot potato other types of marketing. “What you end up the power of GIFs, which have become a key following a number of high-profile scandals: having in a label environment is, ‘We have factor in modern marketing plans – from in Europe, GDPR has forced marketers to spent this much, what did we achieve?’” Drake to Paul McCartney . “You don’t get a adjust their plans for data capture; while says Ross. “I think that is a dangerous conversion from a GIF,” Ross explains. “You Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg recently game. Perhaps it’s good to say: ‘Hey let’s can put that out there and get people to announced that his company would pivot just do something that makes people to a “ privacy-focused communications aware; let’s do a nice thing that doesn’t platform” as the social media horse rode drive through to a conversion.’ There is the off into the horizon, leaving the stable door idea that the only time you should spend gaping wide open behind him. is if there is a conversion on the other end The knock-on effect has been lower of it. That is as opposed to, ‘What if we just responses to marketing. “Of all the people promoted some social content that was general push towards brand awareness. And who click on a Linkfire, 70% of them do not nice and tried to get that further reach?’” this is far harder to sell to your superiors. give us their data,” says Ross. “So what are “I was at a record company recently, we doing, are we ignoring them? Or are we Beyond conversion talking about this,” says Patrick Ross, SVP going to say it’s a failure? They clicked on of digital strategy at music:)ally. “And they our link!” To be quite clear: we are not saying there is told me that their bosses like to see clicks. There is a curious case of double-think anything wrong with conversion marketing: ‘We spent this much and drove these going on in the music industry around this clicks remain a powerful marketing many conversions.’ And the response is: topic. We know, logically, that the majority objective and Linkfre co-founder and CCO ’Great, we have done well. We spent this of people don’t click on digital advertising; Jeppe Faurfelt agrees with the need to go much. We achieved this much.’ Which I we probably don’t even do so ourselves. beyond conversion. “Generally speaking,

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they spend the most on advertising. They the company explains. “However, if your don’t know exactly which piece works. But campaign doesn’t meet the criteria to they know that, by continuing to spend, they conduct a full study, the estimated ad recall stay at number one. And they keep doing it.” lift (people) metric can be an accessible alternative.” Awareness of Google also offers branding campaigns brand awareness “to raise awareness and visibility of your product, service, or cause”. For companies who crave the comfort “To help reach these objectives, you of statistics while raising their brand can create Google Ads campaigns using profile – be it for artists, releases, concerts the Brand awareness & reach goal or whatever – all is not lost: there are to increase traffic to your website or digital solutions that offer some degree of encourage customers to interact with your measurability. Facebook, for example, offers brand,” Google explains in its Ads Help. brand-awareness campaigns which are Meanwhile, in what feels like a move into use it. But we’re not trying to get everyone ‘hear’ the advertiser’s message seven times intended “for advertisers who want to show similar territory, Spotify recently announced to click through. It’s about awareness and before they take action] of just let’s try and ads to people who are more likely to recall a new set of streaming conversion metrics feels.” hit people everywhere as opposed to just them”. that show how users on the service’s free hammering the same people in one place.” Facebook’s Brand Awareness tier respond to their audio ads. The new Influencers as the great Scott Cohen, recently installed as objective is one that is based on “how many metrics will, according to a Spotify blog, be unmeasurable – and chief innovation officer, recorded music, people we estimate would remember your able to answer questions such as: “How rethinking the “rule of seven” for Warner Music Group, says that the ad if we asked them within two days”. many people who heard your ad checked marketing rule of seven might need to “A brand lift study is required for the out your music on Spotify? Did your ad Influencer marketing is another modern be updated in a world of noise. “Maybe it most accurate measurement of ad recall,” perform better with fans that have been example of this kind of brand awareness should be the rule of 70 or 700 or 7,000,” work. The very nature of most influencers he explains. “Or maybe it should depend – who tend to live in the click-free desert on the type of impression. I think that is Instagram – means that it is the biggest issue is that we are impossible to measure the impact of an just bombarding people with too influencer campaign in clicks. But that much. I believe that measuring didn’t stop advertisers spending $3bn on trajectory and velocity is more them in 2017, a sum that is expected to illuminating than measuring rise to $5-10bn by 2020. absolute numbers.” “When I was experimenting with micro- Bigger brands do this kind of brand influencers for a while, that was a big awareness work all the time, as music:)ally thing,” says Ross. “‘OK, we have reached marketing and training manager Kushal this many people, we had this much Patel explains. “How many shoes did a engagement: what does it all mean? How brand sell because one artist wore their many people actually clicked through?’ We sneakers at their appearances throughout don’t know. But it was about this wider rule the summer festival circuit? They can’t put of seven [an old advertising axiom which a price tag on that,” he says. “Look at Coca- says that a prospective customer needs to Cola. They always stay number one because

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Drake played Fortnite. Why are they doing these things? It wasn’t using Fortnite to get fans to go and buy his new album. It was using Fortnite just to push his celebrity which makes people go, ‘Who is that? What is that music?’ Things are sometimes turned down playing your music recently or with newer that is of key importance in a market like because we go, listeners? How many of them saved your China. “Someone told me consumers don’t ‘It doesn’t lead music to their library or added one of your care about music in China – they only care to an album songs to a playlist?” about celebrity,” says Ross. “They listen to the sale.’ But often “This is the reporting we’ve been music based on the popularity.” it can be wanting to see,” Jimmy Brunetti, VP of He continues, “If we extrapolate that worthwhile marketing at independent label services out to elsewhere, sometimes someone just getting people company Croshal Entertainment Group having celebrity works. Marshmello has a into the public told Spotify. “I really like how it gives us cooking show. consciousness an indication about how our ads drive so that when you do serve them deeper actions. That’s promising for an that clickable ad at the end of the artist, especially newer artists with room to day it is part of a marketing mix?” grow.” Email can also work. Ross gives the More generally, social media can be used example of Nick Cave and his Red to build brand awareness by simply using Hand Files email newsletters. “He’s not social media as social media, rather than the kind of person you would expect to do as a promotional channel. What this could a Facebook post,” Ross says. “Email works mean is simply encouraging acts to create for Nick Cave; he likes to write. You can social media posts that are about them as ask him questions. people, talking about their lives and then There is no ‘buy now’ at the bottom promoting these posts in the same way as of this. It is just communicating; it is you might boost a post that announced an affinity. And I know people who are rabid album release. about this. This kind of activity doesn’t promote a “He’s not trying to drive conversions specific release, of course, but is centred and tracks. There is no remarketing around an artist’s general celebrity, something pixel here.”

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music:)ally digital marketing all channels. It’s all about quality over awareness. But we should not forget also would be seeing her everywhere on coordinator Isabelle Ljungqvist adds, “You quantity when it comes to creating solid the more traditional marketing methods YouTube. She was all over Spotify and can’t really pay for affinity; it’s something artist/fan relationships.” that the music industry perfected in the Apple Music. And all these things were that you have to work quite hard for. pre-digital era: billboards, TV ads, stickers driving together to make an awareness. Having an interesting and intriguing artist Traditional techniques and press. And I tell you what: I was aware,” he says. brand will help draw people in and you and conversions Ross talks about the recent Billie “It is about reaching the consumer need to keep them engaged by giving Eilish campaign, which helped turn who is able to walk by and know very them what they want. It’s the classic Facebook ads, influencer marketing, her into a superstar without giving the quickly that there is a new album. Now marketing exercise of defining your social media and GIFs are, of course, all impression of being overtly pushy or sales we can’t track that, but we still do these brand’s personality and communicating relatively modern advertising techniques driven. “I had this Billie Eilish poster at things. We, of course, agree that this is that consistently and coherently across which can be turned into brand the top of my road for a month and then still worth while. Taking out billboards in Times Square are worthwhile. It’s driving it home.” Ultimately, what we are talking CHARTMETRIC AND CPP about here is creating a connection with consumers “so that when they go Chartmetric recently launched a new into listening sessions they will have in metric that may give us a broader view of their mind the memory that there is a artist success across platforms, potentially new track”. This becomes particularly helping marketers to move beyond important when you consider that recent conversions and clicks: Cross-Platform studies have found that some 55% of Performance (CPP). Spotify streams come from a listener’s own playlists and libraries, with 28% “The recording industry faces some coming from Spotify’s algorithmic playlists significant challenges when it comes to and just 2% from Spotify’s editorial ‘audiences’ – namely it does not know playlists. who is listening to its music” explains “At the end of the day, it’s trying to Chartmetric partner and advisor, Chaz understand the mentality of people,” “It’s the mix of these two which push artists forward in the Jenkins. “It never really has done, although says Ross. “What actually gets people to for years, socials gave it the sense that it was connecting noise of 10,000+ new releases per week,” Cho adds be aware of music in this day and age? directly with audiences and was ‘the forefront of digital’. Essentially CPP calculates a “Stage Score” for artists based Things like a cool activation. Activations However, the economics of streaming are very different to on the amount of reach they have on Spotify, YouTube, that happen where someone does those of a traditional physical retail business.” Wikipedia and Twitter, as well as a “Followers Score” based something; that is a cool experience that CPP is intended to address this. Chartmetric founder and on the size of an artist’s fanbase or an artist’s “stickiness” with doesn’t necessarily drive sales but drives CEO Sung Cho says that the new metric gives the ‘broader audiences on Spotify, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, Deezer and more awareness.” These kinds of things may not view’. SoundCloud. These are then used to calculate an artist’s CPP necessarily lend themselves to “What does the picture look like when we look at the score. spreadsheets that your boss can pass whole? How does that picture ‘morph’ its shape over time?” Cho explains that an artist’s absolute CPP score in itself is not always the most important statistic. “We care more about onto their superiors. And they may even Cho explains that CPP is based on two measures – be a little risky. But the benefits can, the ‘trend’. For example: what moves the rank up or down? potential reach through brand awareness, as well as current potentially, be huge. And who knows? It How do we improve this rank to reflect the reality better?” “engagement” from fans. might even be kind of fun. :)

5 | sandbox | ISSUE 231 | 26.06.2019 TOOLS CHARTMETRIC

When sandbox first covered Chartmetric in June 2017, we highlighted the fact that the service was focusing on one specific niche – namely Spotify playlists.

While it quickly established itself as a key platform for dissecting Spotify’s (CPP) rank feature. According to playlist ecosystem, over the past two Chartmetric, this rank is designed to help years the platform has evolved into one the music industry make sense of its vast of the most comprehensive data-tracking amount of potential data sources, covering tools in music, frequently adding new music services and social media platforms features. Here’s a roundup of what we as well as different success metrics (i.e. believe are Chartmetric’s most important active monthly listeners, chart positions, recent updates. searched etc.) and secondary measures (such as growth rates, ratios, averages etc.). Channels covered Aware that such a CPP metric will be performance – not merely on streaming course, go alongside being able to track a contestable one, the company claims to Chartmetric made the leap out of its and socials. For instance, in January, the radio exposure as well as TV and movie have been consulting with users across Spotify niche by presenting playlist, charts platform added “Genius page views”, synchronisation. the music industry supply chain – all with and curator insights across all major indicating how much interest there is from the aim of arriving at a quantifiable and Western streaming platforms (Spotify, users to learn about an artist’s lyrics. Comparing performance objective measurement. However, the Apple Music, Deezer, Amazon Music). This can be an interesting insight in team also stresses that it is open to any Amazon Music, now being the third- many ways. For one, it provides a sense Since the beginning of the year, ideas and feedback when it comes to the largest global streaming platform, was the of how well an audience is actually Chartmetric has added various data points metric as they plan to add further aspects latest DSP to be added (in April this year). connecting with a track rather than just to the artist profiles on the platform, to the score. This means that any marketer or manager passively listening to it; and it could also enabling you to quickly and easily assess When accessing an artist’s profile on can now easily delve into their artist’s inform decisions such as which tracks how your artist is doing compared to Chartmetric, you’ll be able to see how high performance across the main DSPs and to make lyric videos for or even if there the competition (i.e. when it comes to the artist ranks across eight platforms get familiar with the pitchable playlists should be merchandise featuring lyrics Spotify follower counts, monthly listeners compared to all the other artists that that might be relevant for them. It must be from a certain song. and Spotify popularity index – which is Chartmetric currently tracks (approximately noted, however, that the Amazon insights At the same time, the platform calculated from the popularity of all the 1.5m). CPP measures an artist’s overall are only available on the platform’s introduced TV appearances, so you can artist’s tracks). By hitting the new Analyze performance across Spotify, Apple Music, premium tier. now evaluate the impact on your artist’s button on the right-hand corner of an YouTube, Deezer, SoundCloud, Instagram, But it’s not only streaming services socials and streaming. It’s also a useful artist’s profile, you can opt to compare any Facebook, Wikipedia and Twitter. While this that Chartmetric is tracking; it’s steadily tool to compare where other artists at artist’s various metrics in one graph. is a good starting point, it would be great adding a variety of data points that aim the same career level have been able Most recently, the company has to see this metric expanded to include to provide a holistic view of an artist’s to get placements. These insights, of launched its Cross-Platform Performance platforms such as Amazon Music or TikTok.

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Once you’ve selected a country, it’s easy to narrow down your search by clicking into the different cities and navigating to the city’s page. You’ll then be able to see the most popular genres in that particular city (based on Shazam charts), artists from there, top artists by Spotify monthly listeners, top artists by YouTube video views and top artists by Instagram followers. This can But it seems like that’s something the This is done by using a three-day average be a great tool to gauge what is company is focusing on, having just added (called the rolling average) so that a viral trending in certain cities, informing Apple Music to its rank this week. moment will still be captured but not over- touring decisions and social media The CPP rank measures two values. The estimated. Moreover, music platforms are spend. first value is called Stage and takes into weighted more than non-music platforms, When planning on marketing account how big an audience is that an artist with Spotify at the top, with YouTube being to audiences in specific cities, you is actively reaching; this means that each weighted slightly less due to its mixed could even use the “top artists time a user views, listens or consumes an content and Wikipedia and Twitter at the by Instagram followers” insights artist’s work, this contributes to their overall bottom end. to see who might be worthwhile Stage reach. The second value is a measure to get on board for an influencer on an artist’s total fanbase – if they are Research campaign. engaging or not. This measure takes into account each follow, like or subscribe as this Two of Chartmetric’s newest features Pricing will make it easier for the artist to connect enable you to do some additional potentially pitch your artist to? The latter with said user in the future. The CPP score research that can inform your artist’s becomes especially important in the While Chartmetric still offers a free plan will update on a daily basis, with the score future strategy. One of them is called context of trying to minimise skip rates, and the pricing for the standard plan hasn’t heavily prioritising Stage to arrive at the Neighbouring Artists and you can find it being on the right playlists, with the right changed, due to its new premium features initial CPP score. in your Artist List or under Artist Profile audiences at the right time to support your it has now raised the price for the premium Additionally, the score includes small in the Social section. This feature allows algorithmic growth. tier to $140 a month for new subscribers bonuses. One example of a bonus would you to find artists that are on a similar An interesting feature (but is a (up from $100 a month). be to have a presence across numerous career level, fetching from similar metrics premium-only offering) is the Cities platforms, regardless of their foothold on in Spotify Monthly Listeners, Spotify Page. Under the main navigation bar at Future each platform. This informs the final CPP, Popularity Index, Spotify Followers, Spotify the top of the page, Chartmetric gives which Chartmetric ranks for the top 100k Monthly Listeners to Followers Ratio or insight into the listening preferences While we can already see that Chartmetric artists. Deezer Fans. of more than 7,000 cities globally. You is increasingly becoming a one-stop-shop There are a few other interesting When looking into these Neighbouring can filter by country or, if no country is for all things music data, note that its aspects to mention here. The platform Artists, you could ask yourself some key chosen, the platform picks the top 100 tracking remains heavily Western-focused. highlights that artists with a continuous questions. Could this artist be interesting cities globally based on their Spotify Sandbox is curious to see whether it will popularity level will rise higher than those for a collaboration? What kind of playlists listeners and sorts them by descending add more localised services to their mix in that spike on one day and drop the next. have they been added to that you could population. the future. :)

7 | sandbox | ISSUE 231 | 26.06.2019 CAMPAIGNS The latest projects from the digital marketing arena FOR YOUR PLEASURES: JOY DIVISION PLANET NETFLIX: THOM YORKE’S STREAMING EXCLUSIVE DEBUT GETS ANNIVERSARY TREATMENT Thom Yorke recently had 18 hours of Joy Division’s debut album, demo material from Radiohead’s OK Unknown Pleasures, was released Computer sessions hacked and the band on 15th June 1979 but was only were being blackmailed for their return. an underground hit at the time. Except they decided to turn the tables (The OCC says the original release on the blackmailer, release them instead peaked at #71 in the UK in August on Bandcamp for £18 and give all the 1980 after the passing of the proceeds to Extinction Rebellion. band’s lead singer, Ian Curtis.) Since then, however, its stature The marketing for Yorke’s new solo album, and importance has grown Anima, is not quite as dramatic as this – but sharply and it is commonly cited that does not make it any less interesting. as one of the best and most influential albums YouTube Space in London for a number of He might have described Spotify as “the last of all time. these videos where Matt Everitt spoke to Joy desperate fart of a dying corpse” back in 2013, Division/New Order drummer Stephen Morris having pulled the band’s music from the DSP Now, on its 40th anniversary, it is getting the alongside Feargal Ward and Adrian Duncan (it returned in 2016), but he has less of a beef sort of re-issue push one might associate (who directed one of the videos), as well as with Netflix where a film tied to the album will with a Beatles album. Unknown Pleasures: Orian Williams who produced Control, the be, for now at least, exclusive there. Reimagined is the major part of the campaign 2007 Ian Curtis biopic. Described as a “one-reeler” film and exclusives on albums – but video content is whereby a video will be shot for each of the In the band’s hometown of Manchester, directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, it is still fair game. A few years ago, this would 10 tracks on the album. a number of prominent buildings in the city based around three tracks from the album have been the kind of thing that Apple or Working with the three surviving centre had the album’s artwork projected and will be available on Netflix from 27th YouTube would have had first dibs on, but members of the band, visual coordinator onto them, giving the whole thing a real June. It will also be screened in select IMAX Netflix and Amazon Prime are very much Warren Jackson commissioned 10 new films sense of occasion. cinemas on the day before for those without joining this video arms race. from a range of directors that will collectively BBC station 6 Music also got heavily a Netflix account. While money and promotional offer a “filmic re-imagining of the music in involved, dedicating an entire day to the Netflix has been backing a lot of original commitments will be important factors 2019”. The directors involved include Lynne album and its influence. For what is, in music programming of late – including The in determining which services land these Ramsay, Vincent Moon, Todd Hido and commercial terms, a cult album, to get Dirt (the Mötley Crüe biopic), Rolling Thunder types of exclusive, there is arguably a level Makato Nagahisa. this sort of focus on an anniversary is very Revue (the Martin Scorsese documentary of gravitas that comes with being on Netflix The videos themselves will be released unusual – but it was wonderful to see an on Bob Dylan’s 1975 tour), its ReMastered (where the artist involved feels their video throughout the rest of the year, with the album being celebrated so many years on series (including documentaries on Sam fits into the Netflix world) that perhaps gives first one – ‘I Remember Nothing’, directed by and at a time where, arguably, its influence Cooke, Robert Johnson, Bob Marley, Johnny it an advantage over a YouTube or an Apple Hörður Sveinsson and Helgi Jóhannsson – has never been greater. Cash and the Miami Showband), Beyoncé’s Music. Yorke was lambasted as a Luddite for coming out to coincide with the album’s The campaign saw Unknown Pleasures Homecoming and Taylor Swift’s Reputation. his attacks on Spotify but this deal shows he anniversary. enter the UK album charts at #5 and it is the Acts and labels have, for the most is a shrewder streaming operator than some There was also a premiere event at biggest-selling vinyl album of the year so far. part, given up the idea of handing DSPs had presumed.

8 | sandbox | ISSUE 231 | 26.06.2019 CAMPAIGNS The latest projects from the digital marketing arena

DEFINITELY MABEL: SINGER CREATES TIKTOK TAKING ON ME, TAKING ON YOU – A-HA: NORWEGIAN POP BAND SINGLE AND HASHTAG CHALLENGE COUNT DOWN TO INDUCTION INTO BILLIONAIRES CLUB

friends a [sic] jump in for a hug!” is how TikTok lists it. What that involves is lots of people piling on top of each other (or piling things on top of each other) to show the ostentatious ways in which they can “hug” friends. “We are always looking for original and innovative ways to connect Mabel with her existing ‘Take On Me’ was the global breakthrough and potential new fans around hit for Norwegian pop act a-ha back the world and TikTok is the perfect platform in 1985, helped in no small part by its to do that,” said Fiona McAuley, senior digital pioneering promo video featuring a marketing manager at Polydor Records in melding of pencil-sketch animation a press statement. “Their community is and live action. The video won a raft of by Rick Astley is only at 572m views. passionate about music and creativity and we awards and is held up as one of the most This, then, is very much a big deal can’t wait to see the content they will produce innovative pop videos of all time. for a-ha. As such, Warner is running a as part of the #MadLoveTrain challenge.” competition asking fans to predict when it What is interesting here is a clip of the track And it has endured, with the official video will reach 1bn views. They go to a page on being released first and it being precision cut (at the time of writing) sitting at 906m the band’s official site and enter the date to fit the parameters of a platform – allowing it views on YouTube. Based on its play and time when they think the video will to be seeded across that community with ease history, Warner Music and the band are hit 1bn views. and not having to be crowbarred into it. predicting that it will cross 1bn views later Whoever gets it right (or is closest At the time of writing, there were this year. to the exact moment) will win a trip British R&B singer Mabel has placed TikTok at the several hundred posts associated with the While we are used to modern digital- to Trondheim in Norway to meet the centre of the marketing for her single, ‘Mad Love’. #MadLoveTrain hashtag and 2.9m cumulative heavy hits from the likes of Ed Sheeran, band and see them perform on views of the videos. Taylor Swift and Ariana Grande quickly 7th February 2020 The first part was making a 15-second clip of This is not her only foray into using sailing past the 1bn-play mark, catalogue It’s a straightforward prize for what the track available on the short-form video- different video formats in her marketing. Back videos rarely come near this milestone. seems a deceptively simple idea but which sharing platform ahead of its full release. in 2016, Mabel was commissioned by the Tate Indeed, the only videos made before is really a deft bit of catalogue marketing. Users were able to add the track to their own to create a video project to mark the opening of 2000 to rack up 1bn+ views on YouTube By turning this into a competition, it videos. the new Tate Modern building in London. Then are ‘November Rain’ by Guns N’ Roses, will dramatically boost plays of the This was followed up by the creation of in May this year, YouTube Music named her as ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ by Nirvana, and video and help surface the rest of the #MadLoveTrain challenge. “Join Mabel its first UK-based Artist On The Rise which will ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ by Queen. Even the the band’s catalogue in the YouTube and show us your #MadLoveTrain, grab your see her heavily promoted on the service. perma-memed ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’ recommendation bar.

9 | sandbox | ISSUE 231 | 26.06.2019 BEHIND THE CAMPAIGN LITTLE SIMZ Photo: Jack Bridgland BEHIND THE CAMPAIGNLITTLE SIMZ

British hip-hop act Little Simz released her third studio album, GREY Area, on 1st March and it saw her return to AWAL (who worked on her 2015 debut album). The album marked something of a shift in her sound and also her visual aesthetic. HELEN BARRASS (senior marketing director at AWAL) and ARIEL COHEN (digital marketing manager at AWAL) talk through how she dropped subtle hints that new material was coming, where YouTube got involved as a key partner, why a gallery exhibition was central in setting it all up and how a starring role in the new series of Top Boy on Netflix will broaden her audience. Returning to AWAL for her new album HB: We worked on her debut album, A Curious Tale of Trials + Persons, in 2015. At that point she had released a number of mixtapes and EPs. We kept things quite organic on the first album and didn’t plug things hard at radio or press. She did do ‘Wings’ from that album on Later... With Jools Holland [on the BBC] and she did get an iPhone ad sync with the same track. With her second album [2016’s Stillness In Wonderland] she went in a bit of a different direction sonically. She worked with another label service company on that record. Over the last couple of years she has just been working on GREY Area and we started working with her on this album around July last year. Everything was done at her pace and at her request. Her main objective with this album was that she wanted it to be heard by as many people as possible. She said she was not bothered about chart placements –

Photo: Jack Bridgland she just wanted her music to be heard.

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AC: She is very good at communicating sync we got on Insecure , a big comedy- creatively her vision for a project beyond drama in the US. That was the perfect music. When we first started coming up demographic for her. That came as a little with ideas, we were looking at her previous bit of a surprise and we knew we had to projects. They were all quite conceptual line it up quickly. At that point, Annie Mac and there was a comic book theme going on Radio 1 was really supportive and she through them. She was very quick to say wanted to make it a Hottest Record In The this was not her vibe anymore. World even though it wasn’t a single. We had to do a lot of ground work from HB: She saw this as a classic album and the beginning. Previously 6 Music had not we agreed. Everything from the artwork to been supportive, but on this record they the sound of the album and how we rolled were the first to get on board and she was it out was to be classic. We wanted it to put on the A-list within two weeks. 1Xtra say this was a classic hip-hop record for and Capital XTRA had also been supportive. the UK. Alongside both of those tracks we also had lyric videos with handwritten lyrics. Defining the visual aesthetic for the album All through this there was no AC: She had been developing a visual announcement of the album and that did aesthetic in terms of styling her band and HB: She styles herself – and photography not come until January. the imagery that she was putting up on her is one of her main passions. She said that socials. It all had a slick and classic feel to it. was also something she wanted to get ‘Offence’, which was the first track on the Keeping the tracklist a secret That is a credit to the creative team she has across with this album. She really wanted album and the first moment that Simz AC: Simz was very keen not to give around her, Tam Cader and Jeremy Cole. a way of expressing her music with the wanted to create. away the tracklisting on the album Jeremy has done all of her videos from imagery in terms of each single having its announcements so we staggered it by day one. He also did the album artwork. own bespoke artwork based on one of her AC: She didn’t actually speak having the album announcement and Tam is the photographer on tour with photos. She wanted to present that all as about the album until this year. following up with the tracklisting. That tied her and helps her put up some of her one piece of work in a gallery at the end. But before that she started using up with the sticker initiative [see below]. content. grey square emojis on her socials; It was a coincidence, but it worked out A long set up on radio for so she was setting down little that the time between her tracklisting the album breadcrumbs from that moment announcement and the album coming out HB: We hadn’t had any of the first single. That was before was, in days, the exact number of tracks on radio support previously. she had even revealed the album title. the album. That Because we wanted to allowed us get those traditional HB: She also started making all her to reveal a track market drivers in place, photographs black and white. There title each day for we went with quite a were little hints that she was putting 10 days. long set-up period. We out there. In January, we knew we would have to With ‘Offence’, Zane Lowe on Beats 1 was dropped ‘Selfish’ get certain producers and one of the first people to hear the record with the album radio supporters on board. and we got a #WorldRecord on there. We announcement. The video Photo: Tam Cader We kicked things off in also had another track coming a few weeks came September. We went with later – ‘Boss’. That was to line up with the on 16th January.

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YouTube as a key partner they had shown us an example AC: Around September, we came HB: The exhibition at where someone had actually up with our main ideas and what Somerset House was a uploaded a sticker for a track we wanted to achieve. One of private event that we before the track was released. those was an event and gallery organised [on the day of It was something we had that that Simz was very keen on. album release]. That started we wanted to use with the Another was to have a with conversations we had right artist. Then when the plan London bus where we could with Somerset House back in around the tracklist release came essentially take over the route December. around, we saw the opportunity of her local night bus. We knew Simz and I went in and to not just do it for one track but the gallery would be a place for met with them and they to do it for the whole album. her fashion friends and industry showed us various rooms. It ended up being quite a people to hear the music; but we They had a long history with complicated process; but with also wanted to appeal to wider her from 10 years ago when our operations and release audiences. We wanted something that she was 15 and entered a Somerset management team – and Simz was more geared towards her fanbase. House performance series and won a as well – they delivered us All that involved wrapping the bus and competition there [What Next]. 10-second snippets as we didn’t having an event on it by picking fans up They wanted to continue that want to give too much away. along the way; that was something we relationship and they were really proud Jeremy, her art and film director, supplied wanted to do from early on. We started a of her. They helped us choose one of the us with the visuals to accompany each conversation with YouTube last year and rooms to have a space for a party so we sticker. we carried on chatting with them. Then could also showcase art from the singles Then we worked with release in January, we arrived at a deal where they football and things like that so her fans are as well as other art related to the album management and ops to set up 24-hour ended up funding a bus that was wrapped aware of him. but that hadn’t yet been released. windows for each track. They would only for us. We were also able to do an event and be available on Instagram Stories for each We ran a competition for her fans to get HB: With that we wanted to have DJs. We had a sponsored bar and it day and they would run in the order of the access to the bus. On launch day, we went get across her personality. Kiki was all under Simz’s direction. We had a tracklisting. to various different stops around London, really brings that out of her and photo booth, grey balloons, grey cupcakes Every 24 hours, the new sticker became picked up fans with Simz on board, listened the dynamic between the two of and so on. available and it was up to Simz to post it to the album and ate pizza. It ended up at them in conversation was really We brought her fans there after the bus on her account. Somerset House in London where we had engaging. journey but also members of the media as They were up for 24 hours and she the gallery launch event. So the fans got He’s very funny. He gets up and walks well as friends and family. The gallery was would post them with the related sticker access to that as well, but they also had out in the middle of the interview because for one night only in London, but we were as a teaser and then there was a swipe-up this two-hour journey through London on he wants to play football and then he says able to later bring it to LA and she did her option to her album pre-save. a wrapped bus. he doesn’t like two of her songs. It’s very own gallery event there around Coachella Mostly it was about allowing Part of the partnership was that we funny and she handled it very well. and that was sponsored by Beats By Dre. fans to interact with a teaser had to deliver content for it. We did two We are looking to bring it to Berlin next. beyond just having a video. main bits of content. The first was in the AC: We also shot content on the bus and at As it was a sticker , it was available to YouTube Space in London. Instead of doing the launch event. That was the second part Instagram stickers tease the anyone and they could add that sticker to the standard EPK, we wanted to involve of the video content for YouTube. We were album track-by-track their Stories during the 24-hour period. her nephew, Kiki . He is all over her also active on the community tab during AC: This was just on Instagram . We met Then the next day it would switch to socials and she is always taking him out to that time, bringing other bits of content in. with Facebook a few months before and another track.

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Week of release the US, the UK, France, Brazil and Germany. HB: We had quite a lot of radio support. We did a number of different sessions HB: Australia was also a champion from including an Annie Mac live session at the first record. Initially her big markets Maida Vale for Radio 1, we did Live Lounge were the UK, the US and Australia. and a Mary Anne Hobbs session for 6 Music. Towards the end of that week we AC: Seeing Brazil and France really grow also did the Rap Show on 1/1Xtra. There rapidly on this campaign was great – and was also an interview with DJ Target. also South Africa. That is her sixth largest She did an underplay show at the market on Instagram. Courtyard Theatre [in London] and there was a last-minute Rough Trade signing COLORS session [also in London] where you had to pre- AC: She also had a COLORS session on order the album to attend. YouTube in Berlin.

HB: On Spotify we got a homepage HB: Her previous session for ‘Backseat’ a takeover and we ran a number of audio year ago had been one of her most popular adverts. We did one for each single and [it is currently at 10m views]. We did a one for the album that she recorded premiere of that on week of release with Photo: Jeremy Ngatho Cole herself. the track ‘Venom’, with just over 1m views. AC: They announced the show at Drake’s AC: The ‘Selfish’ video also had some Beats AC: The reaction to this COLORS was Appearing in the new series residency at the O2 [in April]. On the first sponsorship as we did a partnership with massive. COLORS has a really large of crime drama Top Boy night they played the trailer at the show at them on that video. It was very subtly done audience in both France and Germany. HB: She is also an actress and she is going 9pm on the dot. and they worked it in really well. That was a really nice thing to drop on to be on Top Boy which is coming back [in week of release for those markets in the autumn]. HB: There was no warning and on the Growing her audience and particular. screens they had this trailer pop up. It expanding internationally AC: They had done two series on Channel went viral very quickly overnight. The AC: Her core audience is 18-24-year-old 4 originally, starring Kano and Ashley following morning Netflix did its official females. She also has an older and more Walters. Drake was a massive fan announcement and we announced that indie audience lean; so 25-35-year-old of Top Boy. After the second series Simz was in it. We saw a big spike on her males is her next biggest audience. it was supposed to be done, but socials. :) Territorially we are looking at Drake executive produced it back growing her in Japan, France to life as a Netflix show. and Germany. WANT TO FEATURE IN BEHIND THE CAMPAIGN? HB: Simz said Drake was quite involved Marketing people: do you have a campaign you are working HB: Before this album, it was UK- and US- with the casting side of it. We knew about on that you would like to see featured in Behind The Campaign heavy. Her profile grew a lot on the last this last summer and she started filming in a future edition of sandbox? If so, send a brief synopsis of Gorillaz tour [the Now Now Tour]. She last July. It was a huge secret that we had it to Eamonn Forde for consideration and your work (and your was on the UK, US and South America legs. to keep under our hats. It is coming out words) could appear here. this autumn. She is going to be one of the Email: [email protected] AC: Her top five markets on Instagram are main characters.

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