05 Tools Fan Bits 06–07 Campaigns Years & Years, Def Leppard, Gaana, RJ Thompson 08–12 Behind The Campaign- George Ezra

MAY 30 2018 sandboxMUSIC MARKETING FOR THE DIGITAL ERA ISSUE 205

ASH FL HE MERCHANDISING IN T AND SWIFT SALES PAN II RT ING PA NDIS CHA MER IAL SPEC COVERFEATURE Make the most of technology

“Merch is one of the last parts of the music industry that has remained un-innovated and static in the digital age,” says Tersha Willis, co-founder of Terrible Merch . “That’s mostly because merchandising companies are still making money doing it the old- fashioned way and there’s a bit of an ‘if ain’t broke...’ attitude towards merch generally.” FLASH IN THE PAN merchandising and swift sales

Novelty, she adds, of the kind that has seen Kiss produce coffins, the Kiss Kasket, and Rammstein hawk dildos, is probably not the way forward. But relevance is. And one way to increase the relevance of your merchandise offer is to make the most of current technology.

In the second part of sandbox’s merchandise special, we talk to some of the companies shaking up the world of music merchandising to discover how the music industry can use new digital tools to increase merchandise sales today.

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“All of our artists, no matter how small, Ingrosso bot for ATM, One of the problems, Cocker explains, is are able to take card and phone payments claimed the same bot had that smaller bands may not sell enough on the road – and this also allows us to an impressive 21% click- merchandise to be able to analyse their monitor stock levels and we are then able through rate on average. sales in any meaningful way. But larger to re-stock them long before it’s a same- bands – or, indeed, merchandise specialists day-delivery charge and rush-re-print Use data to like Dizzyjam – can generate enough data charge,” says Willis. “We monitor stock, we understand points to come to practical conclusions. monitor sales – and we also know which your audience Dizzyjam recently looked at the question grassroots venues sell more merch and on of T-shirt size, using the data from what nights of the week. We know what Both the live music and 15,000 D2C sales worldwide. It found that items sell well in which cities and we know the recorded music approximately 15% of all men’s/unisex how much merch a band will need on the businesses have long band T-shirts sold in the US are XXL, double road. We’re currently building an app so realised the power of the percentage found in Europe – a very that bands and managers can see and data in understanding useful stat for bands about to embark on a know this too.” their markets. But the US tour. Cocker explains that data analysis Kevin Douch, founder of indie record merchandise business in merchandise can tell you about gender label Big Scary Monsters says that apps lags somewhat behind splits, size preferences and how musical like AtVenu are useful for bands to in this, a situation that genre affects shoppers’ tastes; so a funk monitor their stock flow while on the road. Neil Cocker, MD of music “It isn’t sexy or particularly rock ‘n’ roll,” merchandise specialist he admits, “but if it means the difference Dizzyjam , finds between turning up to a venue missing key frustrating. items or not, it’s essential”. “If you started thinking smartly about data and getting access to data, that is where you can start an app that they seem to neglect the idea to make smart of the actual fan experience at the show decisions,” he says. and after the show.” Bots are another platform that the band from Portsmouth, say, would know merchandise industry should look to exploit what kind of merchandise to stock up on Willis says that the technology currently further, taking advantage of the feeling for their German tour. Of course, it helps used by ticketing companies could also personalised attention they engender in this if bands have retained the rights to help to improve merchandise sales. “We in fans. Sean Hill of Axwell /\ Ingrosso’s online merchandise sales and therefore think artists should be looking at selling management company, ATM Artists, told own their data. merch at the ticketing stage for delivery music:)ally last year that their company Matt Young, EVP of Warner Music Artist at show,” she explains. “New-generation had sold over £10,000 of limited-edition Services , says that data “plays a huge ticketing companies actually have the merchandise via a Facebook Messenger role in how we approach each individual technology to do this, but they are so Bot in just a couple of months. The Bot artist’s integrated branding campaign”. heavily focused on the user experience of Platform, who created the Axwell /\ “For example, last year when we launched

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Melanie Martinez’s Cry Baby Perfume Milk, a specific design for every show. “But in New York recently that his company we utilised fan data from our email list and even then,” Willis says, “his T-shirts are created a commemorative T-shirt to mark e-commerce customer list and partnered still printed on shoddy blanks and there’s a client passing 3m YouTube subscribers, with Spotify, You Tube and Alternative Press definitely lots of room for doing it better with the process of concept to sale taking for insights on how best to drive awareness and innovating even more, especially just four hours. “The two things we have and reach fans,” he explains. when you’re at that level.” learned are that it is about scale and it Personalisation can also extend to is about speed,” said Scott. “When you Personalisation is key bundles you offer. “Customisable merch are reacting to something and hoping to is important because no two fans are the turn that into money, you have got to be Identification has long been a driver for same,” says Warner’s Young. “We do a lot really quick.” merchandise sales and this is one of of tiered bundles – everything from a basic the reasons why personalisation is so record/T-shirt offer to a full-fledged VIP Think like a brand important in the field. By buying a T-shirt behind-the-scenes experience.” from a particular tour, you are identifying Musicians can be understandably reticent yourself not just as a fan of the band but Scarcity sells to think of their work as a brand. But music also as a fan of the band on that tour, at marketing strategist Tyler Allen argues that specific moment in time. Personalisation may go hand-in-hand that they can learn a lot from the way Direct-to-garment is a modern printing with scarcity in the world of merchandise brands balance new products with more technique that uses specialised ink jet – but limited doesn’t necessarily have to “standard” merchandise. technology and print-on-demand – mean personalised. Sparklestreet founder “Think about [merchandise] like a big deploying digital technology to print Gary McClarnan, whose clients include brand’s commercial campaign,” he writes goods only when ordered – and it has DJ/producer Mr Scruf , says items of on the SonicBids blog. “Let’s take fast both helped greatly in terms of merchandise “are really useful when they food chain Wendy’s for example. It’ll run personalisation, allowing bands to are scarce or part of a uniform”. a commercial promoting its brand-new create small merchandise runs without “We tend to do things that Asiago Ranch Club sandwich but it’ll also large overheads. people want to show off that they have a standard commercial promoting “We see a lot of T-shirts dedicated to have got, or limit the number of Wendy’s as a brand; not necessarily specific events,” Music Glue’s Gabrielle them so that only a number of plugging a new sandwich, but just Nicot-Berenger said at AIM’s 2017 them can acquire that version,” promoting the values Wendy’s has and why Indie-Con conference in London. “With he says. “It is simple scarcity “With Scruff, jigsaws fitted because of the you should enjoy the food. You should be print-on-demand, you can create your and quality – trying to be a little cartoon nature of his graphics.” like Wendy’s, guys. Have material that’s T-shirt without any cost: create designs artisanal.” Musicians should also think about evergreen and can be sold year-round but specific or a gig in Manchester, in Brighton Mr Scruff, for example, has sold everything merchandise that works in the moment, also have your Asiago Ranch Club: that […] Fans start buying the ones they can from tea pots to umbrellas during his taking advantage of passing trends, be unique product that’s hot at the moment connect with.” lengthy career and produces exclusive they GIFs or TV moments. “If you can and needs to be pushed.” Willis, meanwhile, believes that posters for every venue he plays, using new turn out merch straight after something music:)ally Head of Training and merchandise “has become a way for technology to produce high-quality prints happens on Game Of Thrones, that is Development, Wesley T. A’Harrah, says fans to mark the occasion of attending at reasonable prices. These offers work, pretty much bank,” says Patrick Ross, that bands can learn a lot from the a show or concert” after the demise of McClarnan explains, not just because they Director of Digital Strategy at music:)ally. way companies license their products the ticket stub. Frank Ocean, for example, are limited, but because they fit with the In this, speed is pivotal. out. “Learning how to license a band’s has shown himself an innovator in this character of Scruff himself. “We try and stay Simon Scott, co-founder of Push image for merch so that other clothing field, printing T-shirts on the road with within the character of the band,” he says. Entertainment, told the sandbox Summit companies, for example, can exploit that

3 | sandbox | ISSUE 205 | 30.05.2018 COVERFEATURE is pretty much untouched in the music industry,” he says. Consider lyrics

Re-imagine merchandise music:)ally’s A’Harrah says that song lyrics are an often underexploited resource Bands, on the whole, still think of for music merchandise. LyricMerch , a merchandise as branded physical goods consumer-facing lyrics service which – and this may be limiting their business. launched in November 2017 out of Cocker believes they need to think lyric licensing company LyricFind, is laterally. “For some people, merch one company trying to address this. is not so much about owning LyricMerch provides on-demand and something but about having a custom-designed lyric merchandise, while unique experience,” he says. paying rightsholders royalties for the use “Some higher-end acts sell unique of their works. experiences, like meeting the band and “We see this as a win-win for being in the Golden Circle.” Many acts will songwriters and artists and for fans who have offered this kind of personalised love their lyrics,” LyricFind CEO Darryl experience during crowdfunding Ballantyne said in a statement. “LyricMerch campaigns, but there is no reason why also expands the income possibilities for they couldn’t be sold as “experience lyrics rightsholders, helping them make packs” on a more general basis. the most of an asset that is growing in Bands should also feel bold about using significance in the digital era.” members’ special talents to create unique As a consumer-facing company, merchandise items – if your drummer LyricMerch typically sells directly to likes to knit, then why not have them consumers. But Ballantyne believes his create some extra special hand-made company can also provide a valuable scarves? – or tapping into their fans’ service for small- and mid-sized artists. artistic abilities. “Someone like Taylor Swift is not going to Young told the NY:LON conference in have much added value from LyricMerch,” London earlier this year that Twenty One he told FYI Music News. “But a lesser- Pilots had used the work of devoted fans known artist who is marketing to a smaller to create artwork and even merchandise. fanbase and doesn’t know how well “They have an art director on-staff who something is going to sell can’t take that curates the stuff that fans bring in. They risk of printing up hundreds or thousands have a collection of 15 fans around the of a particular product to get a reasonable world who were generating Twenty One many examples of innovative music has since been downloaded over 6m unit rate. Then they’d have to deal with Pilots artwork,” he said. merchandising – such as the Wiz Khalifa times, with over 1.5m monthly users all the shipping, fulfilment and production Equally, musicians should look at app that changed the game on what a year later.” Young argues that the too. We can take a ton of hassle off their apps and games as part of their evolving merchandise companies do for their game “checks all the boxes in the new hands, remove all the risk, and have them merchandise offer, as Young explains. clients,” he explains. world where our goals are to drive brand make just as much money per item as if “We’re constantly experimenting and “ Wiz Khalifa’s Weed Farm is a free loyalty, engage fans and expand revenue they were doing it themselves because of evolving our offerings, so we have gaming app we launched last April that opportunities for our clients”. the efficiency of our system. :)

4 | sandbox | ISSUE 205 | 30.05.2018 TOOLS FAN BITS

“Who spends $140,000 on a CryptoKitty?” audience,” explained Rare Bits, the San asked a querulous New York Times Francisco-based startup behind Fan Bits. earlier this month in the latest media You can include musicians in that. coverage of blockchain-powered, cat- Until now, crypto collectibles required claims they are, why not experiment? By collecting game CryptoKitties. high-level technical development work, which we don’t mean shove any old artwork but Rare Bits wants to help anyone create up as a JPG and expect to make a shedload Built on top of the Ethereum network, the these digital assets in a matter of minutes. of money. game launched in the autumn of 2017 Content provided by creators can What might an interesting artist- as a way for people to buy, sell and even be uploaded and tokenised instantly, focused crypto collectible be, especially breed virtual cats. And yes, someone has preparing their crypto collectibles for if and when video and audio are part of paid the equivalent of $140k in the ether trading online. After each sale, the creator the picture as well as static images? Early cryptocurrency for one of them. is paid in ether – plus they get a cut each experimentation with a platform like Fan The game’s developer raised $12m and every time their creations are later view information on who’s buying them. Bits could provide some useful lessons of venture funding in March to continue traded between fans. Each creator constructs a profile where on that score, whether this or some other working on CryptoKitties, having already At the moment, Fan Bits collectibles they sell their collectibles: a profile that is platform turns out to be the one that sparked intense interest in the idea of can only be in the form of images – but made to be shared and grown, adding a becomes popular in the future. ‘crypto collectibles’ and a first wave of videos and, perhaps most interestingly for community aspect to it, where fans can The jury is certainly out on whether the imitators like CryptoPunks. musicians, audio will be supported in the follow their Fan Bits profiles as a creator. future will see music marketers supporting Which brings us to Fan Bits, which near future too. One reasonable view of something like their release campaigns with exclusive (and is an attempt to take the magic dust of This is where the industry should Fan Bits is to steer well clear until it has scarce) tokenised items that can be traded CryptoKitties and make it a platform for be pricking up its ears: assets that proved itself to be more than just crypto fan-to-fan. a range of creators to make and sell their are tokenised and uploaded as crypto vapourware. Particularly for artists with sandbox thinks there is potential in this own crypto collectibles. collectibles are, by definition, digitally a profile, the risks of being involved in model, so even if labels and artists prefer to “As a completely self-service tool, Fan scarce. In the long term, that can help to something that could be seen as milking remain hands off for now, understanding Bits is designed for content creators of all create more value for the tokenised item. fans of (crypto) cash with little real value what games like CryptoKitties and Crypto- types: digital artists, photographers, graphic Rare Bits has created a dashboard for exchanged should be considered. Punks are and how they work, as well as designers, streamers and anyone else that creators to have more insights into how Another view, however, might be that if following the progress of platforms like Fan wants to create crypto collectibles for their their collectibles are selling, as well as to the barriers to entry are as low as Rare Bits Bits, is a useful line of research to pursue. :)

5 | sandbox | ISSUE 205 | 30.05.2018 CAMPAIGNS The latest projects from the digital marketing arena

YEARS & YEARS OFFER FANS & FANS HYSTOURIA: DEF LEPPARD’S LONG TAIL GETS SOME COINS & COINS FLICKEDON INTERACTIVE CONCERT MAP

It seems like every digital through assorted actions like around 1987’s blockbusting Hysteria album startup is seeking alternative playing tracks/pre-saving the but also to drive up their total streams. The funding by going the ICO album/following the band on Def Leppard Tour Book is an interactive (initial coin offering) route, Spotify, watching videos (which online map that links to a user’s Spotify using cryptocurrency rather are embedded from Vevo), account (something that was unimaginable than the more traditional sharing content (via encrypted even half a year ago). Each city on the stock flotation course to messages) with other fans or world tour contains a song from their vast raise capital. friends on social media and catalogue, where clicking on the related adding the chat bot to their plectrum on the map and listening to the When something is being account. Having been digital holdouts for years, Def full song will unlock an “exclusive digital spoofed on Silicon Valley – Pied Piper just went “The more coin you mine the longer msg Leppard have taken to online with gusto in laminate and photo from the band.” galumphing into the ICO world in the most you can encrypt save enough and become a recent months. You can only click on a city once the tour recent series – then you know something is up. free human with an official palo santo id card,” has been there and you also must listen to Not quite satirising this (fool’s) gold rush, explains the site. At the start of this year, they ended their at least 30 seconds of the linked track in British pop band Years & Years are weaving Obviously these YearCoins are not actual digital deadlock with Universal Music over order to claim the digital plectrum – which the idea of the ICO into the narrative around cryptocurrency and so they can’t be used to contractual issues and made their entire is, by sheer coincidence, the minimum the build-up to the release of their second order questionable products from the darknet. catalogue available for downloading and amount of play time needed on Spotify to album, Palo Santo, on 6th July. In brief, the Rather they sit as points to be collected streaming. quality for a royalty micropayment. motif around the album is that the world and for fans to try and earn enough to get a They were in the very fortunate position Fans are encouraged to keep collecting has collapsed into a near-future dystopia personalised Palo Santo ID card which will of not needing financially to take the first them as the tour progresses and we – something that has already been set up yield “special surprises” for holders as the digital deal offered to them and so waited presume there is some incentive to collect via their own social media accounts and a campaign progresses. until it made sense – albeit years after them all, possibly with prizes for the most Facebook Messenger bot – and the humans “We wanted a superfan initiative that pretty much everyone else. “We weren’t dedicated collectors. But as a way to tie have to rise up against the machines to try and borrowed the themes of cryptocurrency, hurting,” lead singer Joe Elliott told us in a tour back to streaming, this is a simple take back control of the world. but was ultimately a bit of fun for fans,” a January by way of explaining why they took but highly effective move – ensuring that Still with us? Good. So, this is where spokesperson from label Polydor told Sandbox. their time. “We were out on the road selling it drives up streams of their biggest hits YearCoins come in and they will play a role in “We get some interesting data capture from more tickets in the last five years than we (‘Pour Some Sugar On Me’ was the track on the humans fighting back against their despotic this – pre-save, follow-on Messenger – as sold in the Eighties. We were doing great the opening date of the US tour at the XL mechanical overlords. well as it tying in perfectly with the futuristic […] We still have a very good business Centre in Hartford CT) but also seeking to “There is a small human rebellion being themes of Palo Santo.” model when it comes to anything that is give the more esoteric or overlooked songs coordinated through illegal encrypted It is, even at the earliest stages, a fun nothing to do with the back catalogue – if at the end of the long tail of their catalogue online communications and is funded by campaign that is aimed squarely at the we want.” a boost. the cryptocurrency, YearCoin,” explains superfans and trying to find ways to engage And talking of touring, it is live where They might have been late to the party, the dedicated microsite for this part of the them in the long run up to the album which is their next digital dalliance is happening but they’re certainly starting to get the campaign. Fans have to “mine” YearCoins still several weeks off. – in part to promote the anniversary tour hang of this digital business.

6 | sandbox | ISSUE 205 | 30.05.2018 CAMPAIGNS The latest projects from the digital marketing arena HOWZAT’S WHAT I CALL MUSIC: GAANA GOES INTO BAT FOR CRICKET DAILY THOMPSON: BRITISH MUSICIAN BUILDS HIS OWN BOT FOR REGULAR FAN ENGAGEMENT

boost of 100 points if they turn on Facebook alerts. “If you do this, you will be notified when Until now, music’s only real connection to whole thing is aimed at boosting interest RJ posts something new on cricket was Buddy Holly (or, more esoterically in both cricket and music among young Facebook (a couple of times a The Duckworth Lewis Method, featuring Neil consumers aged 12-34. week at most),” explains the Hannon from The Divine Comedy). There are faint echoes of the fantasy bot. “The benefit of this is that football league that Kasabian created last June you can be the first to react Indian streaming service Gaana is, however, for their For Crying Out Loud album as a way of to a post, earning points, and looking to change all that. It has created Game pushing plays of catalogue and new tracks on being ahead of the game in Fan Of Sixes which is effectively a kind of MMOG Spotify. The Gaana approach is, of course, not There are a number of companies building Connect.” (massively-multiplayer online game) that tied to an individual act but rather it is about dedicated bots for social media platforms With the resulting points earned, fans blends playlists with cricket teams. boosting plays and playlist adds for as many – with The Bot Platform and I Am Pop being can cash them in to receive a social media Users are expected to have some tracks and acts as possible. two notable ones with multiple music clients “shoutout” from the singer as well as knowledge of cricket – and with the bulk of It comes as the service is finding itself in – but British singer-songwriter RJ Thompson get merchandise and access to meet & Gaana’s users being in India or part of the an increasingly competitive streaming market has decided to go it alone and build his own greets. “I didn’t want to create just another Indian diaspora, we can take it as read that in India. It raised a $115m funding round for Facebook Messenger. form of mailing list,” explains Thompson. they will be up to speed on the sport. earlier this year, led by Tencent, before then “Messenger is, by definition, social. I wanted They are asked to select a city cricket team seeing rival Saavn merge with telco Reliance One of the best things about signing up to have conversations with my fans and – such as Mumbai, Hyderabad or Rajasthan Industries’ JioMusic service in a deal valued at to this RJ Thompson’s bot is the ability make them feel a part of what we are trying – and then register to a cumulative and more than $1bn in March. Interestingly, there to set frequency of messages from the to do – and I wanted it to be a fun and collaborative playlist for that city team. Points are many cricket-themed playlists on the bot to weekly or monthly, with the latter rewarding experience.” (or, rather, runs – given this is cricket) are service so this option being used to deliver only the This is, for an independent act, a smart scored as follows: one run per play of a track could be seen most important updates. To drive user way to move and it appears to be delivering on the playlist; and six runs for every song they as its latest engagement, those signed up to the bot are results. In its first three months, it has add to that playlist. The whole competition attempt to link encouraged to listen to Thompson’s music signed up 5,000+ active users and delivered last for 15 days and the winning team will be itself to the and watch videos as well as spread news a 2,514% increase in Facebook engagement the one whose users have worked together to sport in order to about him among their social media circle, (e.g. likes and comments on Thompson’s score the most “runs.” bowl a googly earning points for these assorted tasks. posts) as well as strong increases in his KFC has signed up as a partner against the They can also collect points by taking followers on YouTube (up 215%), Instagram brand for the competition and the competition. part in games and quizzes, getting an initial (up 201%) and Spotify (up 275%).

7 | sandbox | ISSUE 205 | 30.05.2018 BEHIND THE CAMPAIGN GEORGE EZRA BEHIND THE CAMPAIGNGEORGE EZRA

of people on that first campaign who Staying At Tamara’s is the second album from British singer-songwriter George Ezra maybe thought he didn’t look like how and it came out in March 2018, almost four years after his debut, Wanted On Voyage, he sounded. We hadn’t had a chance which went four times platinum in the UK. With such a big gap between albums, there to get his personality and him as a was a long lead into the campaign to re-engage his fanbase, starting with the “warm character across to people. That was up” single ‘Don’t Matter Now’ in June 2017. ALEX EDEN-SMITH (head of marketing maybe the first time that a lot of people at Columbia UK) and EDD BLOWER (senior digital marketing manager at Columbia actually saw him – but he was very UK) explain why his Sunday Service playlist and a weekly journal gave him a rolling entertaining on the show. presence between albums, how a video of pensioners dancing to his ‘Budapest’ hit was used to reawaken fans, where this became an audience-led campaign rather Using a personal playlist to maintain a than a release-led one and how a podcast series was his secret weapon and an streaming presence between albums Since ‘Budapest’ was released, he indicator of campaigns having to move beyond the actual music. EB: has been doing his Sunday Service playlist and that hasn’t stopped since. So every Sunday he adds three or four Capitalising on the swift initial success We had had Radio 1 and Radio 2 plays tracks to his Spotify playlist. He has around his early EPs and debut album and that got us through to a slightly more never let up. [It is now at 400+ tracks AES: The last single from his debut album casual audience at that point. People and over 31,000 followers.] was ‘Barcelona’ in 2015, just after The were able to connect the voice Brits. That was our final single, but the to his personality and how campaign had been a full two years. His he looks. first EP [Did You Hear The Rain?] came There was out in October 2013 and it moved quite a lot quickly from there. In today’s world it would be harder to move that quickly with a new artist as you would need to build up a streaming base. But at the time we managed to get enough momentum, particularly across Europe, on the first campaign. ‘Budapest’ naturally stuck its hand up as a hit. It was a responsive track whenever it was getting airplay. In the UK, there were a couple of TV syncs before that Christmas which precipitated the whole thing. There was a watershed moment when he did Graham Norton [on BBC One] in September 2014. It was a real crossover moment and you could tell the difference in the people that were engaging with him.

9 | sandbox | ISSUE 205 | 30.05.2018 BEHIND THE CAMPAIGNGEORGE EZRA

AES: Way back, Spotify came to us and Facebook, so we were using snippets to said they were using it as an example remind people about George and then of how labels should work with their taking them out to playlists on YouTube platform in terms of helping to bring and Spotify. people onto it and helping them engage. There was a video of seniors dancing to ‘Budapest’ and that was definitely Releasing a taster track to start one of the most explosive ones that we the slow lead up to the album and put out. The video doesn’t have George in to re-engage the audience it – but it is a video of old people listening EB: At the end of 2016, we started to get to to the track. This was something that work [on this album], but the album itself the US team commissioned. Seeing that didn’t come out until 23rd March 2018. resonate with George’s fanbase meant they were reminded of the track and they AES: There was a single called ‘Don’t went on from there. Matter Now’ which came out in June 2017. That was really just to have a track out AES: The thinking behind it was this: the there. It was like a toe in the water for first album was successful, but it was new material. He wanted to get back on We were putting core audience. We primarily driven by two really successful the road and play shows and festivals – those out organically were basically trying songs. There was a large part of the and we wanted to have a piece of music and, if they were to reach lapsed audience that we saw who knew those out before that. performing on his fans and bring them two songs and who liked them but didn’t We weren’t pushing it as a commercial socials above a back into the loop. know that much about George or even the single; it was more of a reintroduction to certain benchmark that we had calculated Twitter, Facebook and Instagram with story of the album title. George. The focus was on him playing live. internally, then we would post them with the main three platforms for that. We had all this content and He was also still working on the album – some more spend to reach more of his We can’t put full tracks up natively on we presumed that most people so we didn’t have a finished album at that would have seen it – but we realised point in time. that most people wouldn’t have actually With this campaign, we knew we had seen it. We wanted to make sure we were a lot to do to re-engage the fanbase. using assets that we had to set up and We had to get people excited again. Way prime the audience, getting engagement before that single came out last summer, up before we went with new material. there was a lot of reposting of content. The power of the slow build Seeding video content to AES: He did what was called the Secret draw the fans back in Tour where he went and played some out- EB: We wanted to remind people of-the-way and small places last May. It why they liked George. We started was a way for him to play new material re-serving people bits of his old and get back out on the road. He also videos on YouTube. We started played Glastonbury and a number of other with his music videos, some of his festivals over the summer. At the same live sessions and the covers he has time, he was still finishing the album. We done. didn’t know how long it was going to take

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[George Ezra & Friends] at the start of February this year. That was part of our strategy. We had been talking to him about the need for a content strand that was not just about the music. It was about us thinking how we could get his character and personality across. We won’t take credit for it because it was his idea. He decided he wanted to make a podcast series and he wanted it to be about music and creativity. It was to look at the processes that people go through. So, he just started approaching people, to finish all the music. ‘Paradise’ reacted incredibly strongly bought himself some podcast recording It has served our campaign really well from the start. We knew that one of the kit and basically went out and started to wait until it we were ready and we had things we needed to do strategically doing it. everything. We spent the time before was to have a TV moment early in the It was purely his own thing and Christmas shooting videos, getting the campaign. something that he wanted to do. It artwork together, getting photos done With streaming you can get an initial wasn’t initiated by any partner. It was and so on. That meant we were really burst but then it can take quite a long just something he was really interested composed at the start of this year when time before the familiarity of a track and in and wanted to do. We knew he would we began. the airplay can really crank through the be great at it and it would be a really It was about getting the strategy right gears. We wanted something that would interesting part of our campaign. He and working out what we needed to do. help connect people. AES: We had to think very carefully about launched the first one with him and We were ambitious from the start. We As his tracks go straight to playlists, the tension between needing time to build Ed Sheeran. believe in George, we believe in his music we had to manage the situation with the the album and them not having too much This fits in with something we have and we believe in his ability to connect radio quite carefully and set an earlier time that radio run out of steam. always been looking at – how we reach with people. We knew we had a great impact date so that we could manage other audiences and how we can talk to record with lots of potential singles on it. when it got playlisted. We knew we were His podcast series was the secret weapon people beyond the artist’s fanbase. So, it was about how we presented that. going to service to radio, but we wouldn’t AES: One of the core parts of promotion Today you really have to look at get added to playlists for three weeks was his podcast . He is a big fan [of the how people consume media and art. Going heavy with the first “proper” single after that. We knew we needed more format] and during his year off he really We are competing not just with other AES: ‘Paradise’ felt like the first single. It moments to fill that gap. got into them. musicians but we’re also competing for was the one that was leading up to the people’s attention and their emotional album. That was released on 19th January EB: He got on New Music Friday straight EB: When he was travelling and writing engagement – and that could include and it was a concentrated launch of the away – but we didn’t know when some the tracks for the album, he was listening things like films, computer games, TV and video and the track going live at the same of the other big playlists would come to a lot of podcasts. That became the whatever else you want to put in that. time. We also announced the tour and the in. We knew we needed enough time to second-favourite hobby after music. To have a successful campaign, you album at the same time. We were very generate album pre-orders and to build have to look outside of areas that are much going for it! the streaming on the single. AES: He launched his own podcast series solely music.

11 | sandbox | ISSUE 205 | 30.05.2018 BEHIND THE CAMPAIGNGEORGE EZRA

EB: He has also partnered with the streaming between the first album and Mind charity and that is a thread that the new album goes through every podcast. He talks about them the end of each episode. It’s EB: We did audience research at the start a theme on his album and he also did of 2017 and there was a segment of a charity event at the end of last year, his audience aged 25-35 who said they playing at the union Chapel in London to bought the first album physically had raise money for them. since moved on to become streamers. One of the reasons he bought the That was a job we didn’t have to do. They podcast equipment himself is that as were already in that space. soon as he knows the diaries are aligned he can just pack his bag and off he Segmentation and matrix marketing goes. He just goes and does it. It feels AES: We had a matrix of the different like you’re listening into a conversation audiences that we were hitting with bits because he intentionally of different content at different points. It bought lapel mics instead was very deeply segmented. We wanted of desk mics. That means to take everyone through a discovery the people he is talking journey that was targeted to the level of to don’t have that visual I hate the phrase ‘pre-save’ as interest they were coming from and what reminder of a massive it is not consumer friendly at all. they were engaging with. microphone that they are The way we run it is that you being recorded – you want don’t pre-save the album; you EB: It was audience-led marketing rather it to be secondary to the follow the artist and their top than release-led marketing. It was all about conversation. tracks playlist and the instant who the audience are, where they are and He ended season one grats that will drop before the how engaged they are with George. The aim with an interview with album will also go into that was to deliver them different messages and Elton John. But there will playlist. The catalogue is also in there – take them deeper into George’s world. We definitely be a second season. We are just sense of exclusivity. so you can kill two birds with one stone. dialled different pieces up and down based looking at that at the moment. They are quite lengthy journals and on moments in the campaign – like instant there are exclusive videos with them AES: We did a Spotify event [to Spotify grats and TV performances. We almost had His weekly journal over-indexed occasionally. That has been a real success Premium users at the Shoreditch something every week, so that was very EB: When something is written by the for us. The open rates are double what Treehouse in London] on the Friday of useful for us to build around. :) artist, that definitely gets the best open you would expect on a normal mailout. album lunch. He also did some signings rate and click-through rate. When we told at HMVs. He was on the Chris Evans him that he bounced the idea back to us Pre-sales and pre-saves breakfast show on Radio 2 that morning. WANT TO FEATURE IN and suggested that he write a weekly EB: We launched the ‘Paradise’ video There was a lot of radio promo and BEHIND THE CAMPAIGN? journal. He has been doing that for over a alongside the album announcement and various TV shows. Marketing people: do you have a campaign you are working year now. the tour pre-sale incentive. So, fans could He does appeal to the new streaming on that you would like to see featured in Behind The Campaign sandbox So, every Thursday at 8pm UK time he pre-order the album through the D2C audience but also to a more traditional in a future edition of ? If so, send a brief synopsis of will send out his journal . It’s an overview in order to get access to his tour tickets audience who still buy CDs and it to Eamonn Forde for consideration and your work (and your of what he’s done in the last week but [when they went on sale]. The first tour downloads. Adapting to the fact his words) could appear here. also what is coming up, so there is a sold out almost immediately. audience had made the transition to Email: [email protected]

12 | sandbox | ISSUE 205 | 30.05.2018 ABOUTSANDBOX

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