Music festival marketing research project by Caitlin Anderson

How can brands effectively use music festivals as marketing platforms without threatening the authenticity and public appeal of the event? Caitlin Anderson N0371009 FASH30001 Negotiated project stage 1 8400 words approx 2

Contents

Chapter 1: Context 2: The consumer 3: The key to music festival marketing 4: How to create memorable brand experiences 5: Strategic outcomes

Introduction

This research paper explores how brands can effectively use music festivals as marketing platforms without threatening the perceived authenticity and public appeal of the event. It utilises a variety of different research methods in order to gain a breadth of valid and reliable primary and secondary information and evidence; from interviews with industry experts to focus groups of festival goers.

Not only will this give the consumer the fun or emotional experience they seek, but it will enable brands to actively involve the consumer and create a meaningful connection through a shared experience. In this report I explore how these meaningful brand experiences can be created, the importance of matching brand to festival and fitting in whilst standing out in the festival landscape. These research findings suggest possible strategic outcomes for brands and attempt to demonstrate how theories can be transferred to a real-life commercial context. I hope to do this in the most ethical way possible; promoting the brand but also being conscious of the environmental/ social impact the activation may have. Corporations are generally focused on their own commercial success and tend not to dwell on their ethical responsibilities. However, music festivals have strong associations with achieving environmental and social change and this research aims to demonstrate that aligning brands with these attitudes and attempting to make a genuine change will improve brand image whilst working towards the ultimate goal of a better more ethically responsible world.

It aims to discover what factors make it possible for brands to successfully market themselves and be perceived as an asset to the festival landscape rather than a selfish corporate ploy. I hope to establish that a healthy balance between authenticity and commercialism can be achieved if the brands’ activations are sensitive to the particular festival environment and audience. In an era where traditional advertising and marketing can be perceived as somewhat disengaging, there is often a desire for more meaningful experiences and marketers need to help satisfy this (Lopez & Molena, 2013). Music festivals can be the perfect place for this.

‘It’s rare you get the opportunity to access a large amount of 18 to 34-year-olds in one place, all there for a shared purpose. It takes a lot of commitment to get to a festival - time, money and transport, so these people have a real desire to enjoy the entire experience. Therefore, it’s a great environment for brands to reward that’ (Burrows, 2012).

7 1. Reading Festival Crowd, 2011 (own image) Figure

Methodology

primary research

For secondary research methodology, refer to the appendix.

Method

Why Chosen

Research Aim

Sample

Limitations

Online survey on marketing at music festivals via surveymonkey and spread via my social media channels. Conducted on 23/10/2013.

Quick, convenient, easy to get participants of target market via social media.

To find out the general public’s opinion on marketing at festivals.

Convenience

Sample is not representative so cannot be generalised across the population. People might not be honest online as they do not feel that they have connection with experimenter. Participants may miss out questions as they do not understand.

Telephone interview with Musician Paul Gray. Conducted on 19/11/2013.

He has a huge amount of experience in the music industry and has worked the festival scene since the 1970’s.

To find out how UK music festivals have changed over the years in terms of commercialisation and an industry insiders opinion on the impact festival marketing has on authenticity.

Purposive

May lie if they are embarrassed or does not want to be judged Demand characteristics – may give answers that they think the interviewer wants

Focus group with seven regular festival goers of mixed gender on 18/11/2013 taken place at Nottingham Trent University.

As people who go the music festivals regularly, their opinion on marketing at festivals is really important as these are the kind of people brands are aiming to appeal to.

To find out the affect brands using music festivals as marketing has on festival goers. Whether it is embraced or an annoyance, and what kind of marketing do they feel is appropriate depending on brand and festival choice.

Purposive

The honesty of their answers could have been affected by the presence of others in the focus group.

Email Interview with Julia Bruns (managing director of OurKidBrother- hugely successful music, events and promotion agency) contacted via email on 15/11/2013 and interview received on 18/11/2013

She is an expert in marketing at music events as has had great success with brands such as Strongbow at various music festivals.

To find out what the key to success is within music festival marketing.

Purposive

May lie if they are embarrassed or does not want to be judged. Demand characteristics – may give answers that they think the interviewer wants, or not give too much information away to retain private corporate information.

Trend seminar by Trend Boutique: Online vs. Offline on 27/11/2013

To get information on future trends within online and offline.

To find out information on offline experiences so I can link it to the experiential marketing chapter of my report, and hopefully inspire me to think of potential offline experiences brands could use at festivals as part of their marketing.

Purposive

A lot of the information is only prediction and the opinions of the trend boutique so therefore isn’t particularly reliable.

CHAPTER 1:

cONTEXT -Why festivals? -Commercialism vs authenticity -Corporate social responsibility -The desire for experience

Why festivals? “Few consumer touch point opportunities offer themselves up on a plate in the way a music festival does. Where else can you find a predominantly young, captive, emotionally charged audience engaged in a shared, tangible social experience?” (Fitzgerald, 2011)

Music festivals offer the perfect opportunity to engage with target consumers. Festival goers are generally in a holiday mind set and feel more open minded and willing to try something new. In my survey of festival goers, 98% said they were more likely to try something new in a music festival environment. Therefore this gives brands more of a chance of being engaged with rather than ignored, which in everyday life is sadly more likely. A study in Marketing Week supported this idea and stated ‘Going to a festival is the most exciting thing 44% of respondents have ever done’ (Roberts, 2009) and talked about how in turn this means festival goers are : ‘

‘far more open-minded, allowing sponsors and advertisers a better chance of getting their message across’ (Roberts, 2009).

Surprisingly the study even concluded that more than a third of respondents (39%) think advertisements fit better with the rest of the experience than elsewhere, compared with 19% who get annoyed by advertisements at festivals more than elsewhere. Finally, the most positive statistic from this study for brands who are interested in music festival marketing is that 15% believe that advertisements at festivals enhance the enjoyment of the experience more than elsewhere (Roberts, 2009).

This positive emotion appears to rub off on brands that associate themselves with festivals. The study revealed that of the 2,000 respondents, 41% have positive feelings towards the brands that sponsor music festivals, while 40% have positive feelings towards the brands that advertise at festivals.

Therefore this illustrates that this is a market that can be penetrated by brands without necessarily annoying festival goers and perhaps even adding to their experience in a positive way.

Music festivals as an arena of cultural life If a brand is looking to focus its marketing on young people and wants a way of connecting with this target audience then being an intrinsic part of youth culture is the key. Music festivals bring together the youth of today like no other event. So if a brand is specifically trying to target a young audience, then there really isn’t a better place. Music festivals are not only where young people congregate but are where they divulge in rites of passage and new and eye opening experiences that they may not have in everyday life. So if a brand is to activate within the music festival landscape (particularly at the more youth orientated festivals) then they are automatically going to be associated with these all important elements of youth culture.

The festival experience is not purely about the music, but is intrinsically linked ‘to other ‘youth’ concerns with friendships, sexual relationships and drugs’. (Moor, 2003). So using music festivals and appropriate music can ‘provide a means of connecting with a much broader range of sentiments or experiences that are assumed to matter to the target audience, without having to refer to these explicitly.’ (Moor, 2003). So, if brands are perceived to demonstrate an interest in these values, beliefs, feelings and sentiments then they have a good chance of resonating with their young consumer (Moor, 2003).

Guinness explicitly focused its youth marketing strategy on music because it presumed

‘that music was an arena of cultural life in which all young consumers would be interested’ (Moor, 2003). It is believed that ‘Everyone has some sort of touching experience with music’ (Patel, 2000) therefore using music festivals within marketing is an effective way to access the emotions and pastimes of the consumer and create a meaningful experience for them. 14

Opportunities There are so many different opportunities for brands at music festivals today, depending on the festival type of course. Whether you want to go all out and sponsor a festival, have a small activation within the festival site or even be as subtle as having a presence of brand ambassadors, all can be effective in achieving marketing goals. A music festival could also be an effective place to launch a new brand or product. The opportunities are endless. Being a sponsor of an event or in particular a music festival can have many benefits and help fulfil marketing goals. A marketing journal states there are opportunities to:

‘increase brand awareness; create brand image; reposition the brand/product in the minds of consumers; increase profit over a short period; and, achieve larger market share. Other reasons for sponsorship can be to eliminate any negative feelings that consumers may hold about the brand/company; and, suggest a connection between the event and the brand.’ (Jennifer Rowley et al, 2008).

Without sponsorship and essentially brands and organisations, it would be extremely difficult for music festivals to exist today. Despite some disdain directed at corporation’s involvement within music festivals, brand activations contribute significantly to the overall funding of festivals and without this funding, music festivals may struggle to maintain such a high standard in terms of aesthetic, line-up, facilities etc. So brands need to be seen as a helping hand in creating a wonderful festival experience rather than an imposing presence.

Sponsorship is an important revenue stream for music festivals, and it ‘provides opportunities for targeted communication to the relatively homogenous festival audience comprised primarily of young people’ (Oakes, 2003). Ticket revenue simply isn’t enough to fund the rather decadently beautiful music festivals of today, so more often than not sponsorship becomes part of the equation.

Commercialism vs. Authenticity ‘In the 1960s and 70s, when music festivals began to rise in popularity, they were predominately about rebelling against social norms and commercial and corporate ploys, and primarily focused on sentiments such as ‘peace and love’. Fast forward to 2013 and corporate promotions and branded experiences are as synonymous with music festivals as the music itself’ (Bromley, 2013)

One of the first of its kind, Woodstock was pure in its intentions. It was a coming together of like-minded individuals to celebrate anticonformist ideals to a soundtrack of rock n roll. There were no corporate sponsors and the event was funded by a few core investors. However the festival soon lost its integrity when it took corporate sponsors such as Pepsi on board and in turn lost the loyalty of the original fans. Therefore, an example of how commercialism can be of detriment to the authenticity and public view of the event.

Within music festival marketing there is a significant conflict that needs to be addressed, and that is the battle between commercialism and authenticity. In the hedonistic festival heydays of the sixties and seventies, music festivals were seen to epitomise the anticonformist, anti-consumerist, anti-establishment ideals of the time, where a middle finger was put up to corporate goals of society, and alternative anarchistic behaviour was embraced. Music festivals were about the music and social change, and little was done to create a whimsical aesthetic like the festivals of today. The events were simple and to the point, rebellion at their core. Woodstock epitomised this. It was a pioneer for music festivals to come. At the first Woodstock in 1969, the festival was said to have ‘synergised a way of life which had been growing through the sixties: anti-war, anti-establishment, pro-drugs, non-competitive and individualistic’ (Young and Lang, 1979). . 18

19 Figure 4. Unknown photographer, 1969. Drop acid not bombs

In an interview conducted with the musician Paul Gray, a former member of successful eighties rock bands: The Damned, UFO and Eddie and the Hot Rods, he expressed his dismay with the increasing commercialism of music festivals saying:

‘ VW , Mercedes, Coca Cola, Barclaycard, MBNA...rock n roll used to be all about rebellion - how on earth do those gigantic corporate monoliths sit in with rock n roll and rebellion?’ (See appendix 1.2 for full interview)

It’s important to note that times have changed since the sixties and seventies and there has been a significant shift in ideologies and values. There are no counter-cultures as prevalent as the hippies were in the sixties, or the punks in the seventies, so anti-conformity appears to be at a fairly minimal level in comparison to those days. This is turn reflects society’s reactions to commercialisation and in particular the authenticity of music festivals. There is no obvious backlash or revolt against the commercialisation of music festivals. People don’t even appear to have a problem with the festivals blatantly named after the brands that fund them such as V Festival and T in the Park. It’s as if branding is such an integral part of society that people are no longer fazed or annoyed by it. It has become the norm for big name corporations to have their stamp on pretty much everything, no matter how irrelevant it is to their business. Amongst the focus group of festival go-ers assembled for this research, the general consensus was that the presence of brands and even big national or world-wide corporations weren’t an issue for them. The only time brands seemed to be unwelcome was if they had ‘in your face’ advertisements playing repeatedly whilst waiting for an artist to come on stage. Participants also expressed dissatisfaction about big name brands charging more for products such as alcohol. However all of the members of the focus group felt that brands actually added positively to their festival experience. One participant even said ‘They provide more fun, entertaining things to do’. Others said they didn’t really take notice of brands so it didn’t annoy them. (See appendix 2.2) 20

Figure 5. Branded world infographic [own image]

The 2013 focus group and survey revealed that most festival go-ers don’t really have much of an opinion on the increasing commercialisation of music festivals and that they barely even notice it (See appendix 2.2). However the results might well be subject to some bias as the participants were largely representative of a younger age group. There is a clear demographic divide in terms of the attitudes towards commercialism and authenticity according to a Mintel report.

Musician Paul Gray said on the matter : ‘Personally I would not play a festival sponsored by an unethical or burger company like MacDonald’s. And all told, all this commercial sponsorship had little to do with the musicians and music they are making. I think most would be far happier having none of it.’ (See appendix 1.2).

‘The majority of those agreeing with the positive statements about independent venues and negative statements about chains are aged 55+, from the highest socio-economic group, educated to a high level and are high earning broadsheet readers.’ (Mintel, 2009). So it is obvious that it is the older ‘Woodstock’ generation that cares most about this issue. Despite the primary research findings, secondary sources have suggested that people more inclined towards alternative culture do take offence to this issue. Music festivals are ‘increasingly expensive entertainment options. Those who identify with sub-and counter-cultures are unhappy with the increasing cost, commercialism, professionalism and regulations imposed by governments.’ (Getz, 2012). So this demonstrates to us that there is a divide in opinion, yet the majority (particularly young people) are comfortable with the commercialisation of festivals. Despite revolt appearing to only be present on the fringes of alternative culture, the ever increasing involvement of corporations can have a detrimental effect on the quality of music festivals and thus affect the public appeal and perhaps the authenticity of them. However festival goers don’t generally seem to pinpoint commercialism as the cause of this deterioration. Many musicians disagree with the blatant commercialisation of festivals and feel that the true essence of them has been lost due to the appeasing of corporate aims and demands.

Figure 6. Chummer, R, 2013. Unethical Mcdonalds.

The musician went on to say how some advertising and marketing warrants a place at music festivals ‘but needs to be carefully targeted .There’s a difference between having an advert in the festival programme and bloody great banners either side of the stage.’ (See appendix 1.2). It is clear that the involvement of brands has to be sensitive to the tone of the festival itself in order for it to retain credibility, not be labelled as a ‘sell out’ and keep artists and audiences happy. Commercialisation is having an impact on artist participation, which could mean poor line-ups, which result in poor ticket sales and a negative public view of the event 23

There have been many cases where commercialism appears to have gone too far and a strong public opinion has been provoked. Although not purely a music festival, The Edinburgh Fringe offers a perfect example of this. In 2010, the alcohol brand Fosters decided to sponsor the festivals comedy awards due to the brand’s desire to be associated with humour. They hosted a ‘God of Comedy’ award which was successfully hijacked by comedian Stewart Lee. The comedian with a great admiration for the creative integrity of the Fringe was angered by a big brand thinking they had the authority to host such an award and to be associated with such a prestigious event. In a furious email to the brand he stated

There are many things to be learnt from this in terms of commercialism vs authenticity. Brands need to be extremely sensitive to the tone of the festival and assess if there are any potential conflicts between the brand and festivals’ credibility and ethos. Appropriateness and respect for the creative integrity of the event are vital in being embraced by the festival audience.

‘You need to pull the plug on this now. It is the most shameful, inane thing I have seen in all the years I have been doing the fringe. You will ruin it for everyone. Have a heart, for God’s sake... Think about the logic of it for a moment. Who among those you are asking to vote has even heard of [1985 nominees] Frank Chickens, who for all anyone under 30 knows may be the best act on the list? It is not possible for the outcome of this vote to have any credibility,’ (Stewart Lee, 2010). His fear was that the corporation run award would dishonour the credibility of the festival and the talent of less known more alternative comedians, and merely celebrate the already successful well-known comedians. With fans and fellow comedians behind him, a farce was made of fosters and the awards, when little known Japanese band Frank Chickens were hailed the winner, obviously the opposite of what the brand had intended. The brand then changed the name of the award to ‘Fosters Funny Hour’ in order to take the attention off the more unknown winner and place it on three more well-known runners up. An embarrassment was made of the brand. Social media played a big role in this revolt, and was a catalyst for debate over commercialism and authenticity, with commercialism being heavily demonized. This displays that this conflict is present in today’s society and it needs to

be addressed 24

Figure 7. Fosters, 2010. Frank Chickens Fosters Comedy award. 25

Corporate Social Responsibility Brands owned by big corporations have been known to ‘step on the toes’ of liberal young people who are likely festival goers. The corporate world can be perceived as uncaring to environmental and social issues and only interested in money making. Big corporations have been in part responsible for the deforestation of Indonesian rain-forests amongst numerous other environmental and social problems world-wide (Green Peace, 2013) There are codes of ethics for corporations to follow but it is often argued that money and power corrupt at the expense of environmental and social objectives. However the corporations cannot be blamed completely when the consumer demand for their products is so high ( Hoffman, 2010). Despite this there are some corporations that have a more moral code and are determined to take ethical or social responsibility. Unilever is a good example of this with their ‘5 levers of change’ marketing strategy which aims to shift their consumers to sustainable behaviour (Unilever, 2011). They say that a huge part of their environmental impact comes from how people use their products, so inspiring consumers to adopt new sustainable products and behaviours is fundamental to achieving the goals set out in the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan. There is an increasing consumer desire for corporate transparency about the ‘provenance and the ethical credentials of the products’ we buy, and the companies we buy them from. (Eleftheriou-Smith, 2011) So when corporate brands have marketing activations at music festivals, it is important to keep ethical responsibility in mind, especially as festival goers are generally more ‘ethically minded’ (Anderton, 2011). 26

Figure 8. BNP Paribas, 2013.Corporate social responsibility diagram. 27

The desire for experience Another important contextual factor that needs to be considered when planning a marketing activation at a music festival is the current consumer desire for experience. ’Consumers are becoming increasingly less receptive to traditional advertising’ (Lopez & Molena, 2013). Consumers have been saturated with advertising messages in conventional communication media and as a result, they have become hardened to advertising. Marketing experts suggest that brands need to create experiences ‘that provide more than just commercial exposure, the marketing message or the transaction offering’ (Lopez & Molena, 2013). If brands want to be noticed, and most importantly, embraced by the public then they need to be perceived as offering something of value to the consumer. The consumer used to be regarded as a logical thinker who solves problems to make purchasing decisions. However more recently researchers have begun to question the validity of this theory on the grounds that it may neglect important consumption behaviours associated with various playful leisure activities, sensory pleasures, daydreams, aesthetic enjoyment, and emotional responses.

This demonstrates that the average consumer of today is looking for more than just a good product, but an experience that generates an emotion within them, whether it is happiness, exhilaration or even nostalgia. The ever increasing reliance on technology and obsession with online self also has an impact on consumer desire for real-life experiences. This is particularly noticeable in younger people. Studies in retail show that there has been a shift from product to experience and people want to be involved with brands on a more intimate and interactive level (Future Lab, 2013). A sense of humanity and sincerity is desirable in a world of technology driven mass-consumption. It is these emotionally valuable experiences that can help form ongoing consumer relationships with brands. However, big corporations are struggling to create these bonds with consumers when they are on such a large scale. They are described as ‘distant and impersonal’ (Page & Fearne, 2005). The challenge is to transfer intimate ‘local grocery store’ customer relations and service to a national or even global brand. So to win over the consumer of today, meaningful experiences and relationships are vital.

‘Consumption has begun to be seen as involving a steady flow of fantasies, feelings, and fun encompassed by what we call the experiential view’ (Holbrook and Hirschman, 1992).

Figure 9. Cagle Cartoons, 2010. Human interaction: there’s an app for that.

CHAPTER 2:

The consumer -Who are they? -Consumer profiles -What do they want from brands

The consumer

It is difficult to define the general music festival attendee when there is such a magnitude of variety within the UK music festival landscape. There are hundreds of music festivals alone in the UK, with a spectrum of musical genres on show. There is something for every taste. They attract a huge variety of people of different lifestyles, ages and ethnicities. However a passion for music and debauchery seems to be the common thread. A Mintel report states the key defining characteristics of music festival visitors are ‘age (a clear peak among under-35s), region (Londoners are around a third more likely than those in the rest of the country to go), working status (a strong bias towards students), socio-economic group and household income (peaks among ABs and those with household incomes of £50,000+, reflecting the high cost of some tickets) and portable media player ownership (indicative of a passion for music)’ (Mintel, 2013).

Another Mintel report which focuses on consumer divides in terms of purchasing and leisure event visiting habits also revealed some insightful statistics in terms of consumer choices that can be related to various festival audiences. ‘Interestingly, those from the younger age groups (16-24-year-olds) tend to be creatures of habit visiting the same places’ whilst the wealthy older consumer is more likely to be adventurous and try somewhere new. This applies to the music festival choices of these consumer groups (Mintel, 2009). ‘The young (aged 16-24) and those in full-time education are most likely to be influenced by advertising or endorsements’ (Mintel, 2009) therefore this would be a potentially viable consumer group for a brand to focus their marketing on at a festival. High internet usage is common amongst this group, ‘so online promotions, viral marketing and a presence on social networking sites will all be effective ways to reach this target market.’ (Mintel, 2009).

The report also revealed that festival goers are generally gender neutral ‘demonstrating that festivals have come a long way in recent years in terms of improving the quality of their facilities and thus their appeal to a female audience.’ (Mintel, 2013). It was also noted that visitors are heavily concentrated among the youngest 16-24-year-old age groups, while regionally they are most likely to live in the London and Yorks/Humberside areas. The fact that ‘festival-goers are more likely to have children in their household than not, particularly younger children aged 5-9’ was touched on. This reflects the increasing family friendliness that festivals are projecting. ‘This is an audience that is well served by events like Camp Bestival and the Kidz Field section at Glastonbury’ (Mintel, 2013). 32

It is also important to note that families with young children have the most environmental concerns and despite the past economic recession ‘over a third of adults don’t mind paying more for nicer surroundings and a better product; clearly highlighting the demand for high quality and premium products and services.’(Mintel, 2009). So these are all factors that need to be considered when trying to

appeal to a particular festival audience.

Consumer Profiles

Name: Robert Age: 25 Favourite Festivals: The Big Chill, Edinburgh Fringe

Name: Carrie Age: 22 Favourite Festivals: Bestival, Secret Garden Party, Boomtown

Carrie is a third year psychology student. She lives with her high earning parents in Surrey who help her financially with pursuits such as music festivals and travelling. She is a keen music festival goer and isn’t afraid to try new things. At Bestival she greatly enjoyed numerous brand activations such as Rizlab and the Wagamamas Lounge. Relaxation and the fun factor are extremely important to her. She wouldn’t go to an obviously commercial festival like V festival and upholds herself on experiencing new and authentic things. Over branding bothers her but if a brand is offering her something of genuine value and doesn’t appear to be selfish in their intent, then she’s more than happy to get involved.

Robert is a twenty-five year old in and out of various customer service jobs. He gets by on little money and is very unmaterialistic. He is extremely passionate about social change and often vents about the wrong doing of corporations and the government. He refuses to work for a company which he feels lacks corporate social and environmental responsibility. His favourite band is Radiohead and he is disheartened by the current state of popular music. He enjoys more niche less commercial music festivals such as The Big Chill and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. He seeks authenticity and genuine creativity in terms of music and the arts. Brand involvement in music festivals is not generally embraced by him but relevance and an obvious respect and understanding of the event needs to be had to gain his approval. He thought the Fosters sponsoring of the Fringe festival was a travesty and would have been much better sponsored by an organisation with creative integrity and a strong link with the arts.

Name: Annette Age: 57 Favourite festivals: Greenman, Whychwood, Wilderness

Annette is a medical secretary in her fifties and a mother of two twenty something’s. Although she is a single mother, she makes sure she puts enough money aside for her to let her hair down once in a while. She enjoys the theatre, real ale, independent cinema and the occasional rock gig. She loves to reminisce about the 70’s and 80’s with her friends and feels like music festivals enable her to re-experience this energy and liberalism. She has thoroughly enjoyed the last few summers at Green Man Festival in Wales. The natural beauty of the site appeals to her greatly. She’s concerned with environmental and ethical issues and sways to independent brands. She is a vegetarian and likes to eat organically. She would not embrace big corporate brand activations at a festival if she perceived the brand to be unethical. However she would welcome independent, small-scale obviously ethical brand activations which embrace her more alternative lifestyle. 36

Name: Chris Age: 20 Favourite Festivals: Download, Sonisphere, Nass, Glastonbury

Chris is a forensic computing student at Bristol UWE. He lives for the weekend and his favourite music. He is open-minded and likes a variety of genres from heavy metal and reggae to house and hip-hop. He’s not overly fussed on what festivals he attends but Download is his favourite. His ultimate goal is to be surrounded by good friends, who all want to have a good time. He loves fancy dress, piercings and tattoos. He is very brand loyal, particularly to skate brands such as Vans. He is open to marketing from the brands he likes and can be swayed to get involved with new brands if there is something in it for him.

what do What thethey festival want? go-er wants from brands

‘In practice this means bringing fans closer to the experience, the content or talent; making them feel special or advantaged when in the brand’s presence; enabling them to share their experiences both physically and digitally; and finally delivering something above and beyond their expectations’

The Frukt 2011 Festival Guide cites ‘proximity, priority, sociability and a dash of the wow factor’ (Frukt, 2011). as important to the festival go-er at the event. So brands need to think about how they can satisfy these consumer needs and desires.

(Frukt, 2011). This alongside more specific consumer considerations, some of which are expressed in the consumer profiles will enable brands to create activations that their target consumer actually wants to be involved with.

CHAPTER 3: The key to music festival marketing -Brand relevance -fitting in whilst standing out -HARMONIOUS COLLABORATIONS -looking at the bigger picture 40

Brand relevance Establishing who/what brands have the potential to use music festivals as part of their overall marketing should be the first step. Is anything off limits? ‘It will come as no surprise that alcohol, food, drink and fashion brands dominate the festival circuit. However, what is also notable is that almost a third of all activations are from outside these areas – highlighting just how open an opportunity the sector now is to new entrants.’ (Frukt, 2011).

In an interview conducted with Julia Bruns, the managing director of OurKidBrother (a creative agency specialising in brand and music collaborations) she stressed the importance of brand relevance stating

‘The successful brand/festival activations are those that have credibility and a reason for the tie up, for example a beer or cider brand is relative at music festivals as those products are consumed at the event’ (See appendix 1.1). The brand has to be of interest to the festival consumer and be of relevance to the actual event. However, many brands that are not relevant to music festivals have also successfully used them as marketing platforms - this is not just through luck. These brands have purposely created a brand activation that is of relevance to the festival despite the brand not being so. Lynx the deodorant brand was a perfect example of this. They created an experience called the ‘manwash’ at V festival a few years ago, when men covered in festival mud were washed by models in bikini’s. The brand was successful in appealing to the festival crowd as they were able to create an enjoyable and festival relevant experience. Julia described it as ‘entertaining yet still had the brand message at the heart of the experience’ (See appendix 1.1). This demonstrates that festival marketing is not limiting in terms of the type of brand that can activate. However, brands need to be sensitive to the festival environment, as all these activations are a far cry from the authentic non-commercial festivals of the sixties and seventies. So the question is, “are there some types of brands that are simply incompatible with music festivals?”

Figure 15. Frukt, 2011. Music Festivals sectors infographic 42

Fitting in whilst standing out In the focus group of regular festival go-ers, It was asked if the presence of heavily corporate brands that were oppositional to the alternative roots of music festivals, for example insurance providers, car manufacturers etc. were inappropriate to be positioned at festivals. Disapproval was expressed but not noticeably because of ethical reasons. The group focused more on the fact that their presence would be a little pointless as not many people would be interested (See appendix 2.2). Experts in festival marketing have expressed concern about brands that are irrelevant to festivals getting involved saying

‘future festival sponsors could look out of place if they attempt to capture positive association from the festival as it becomes less of a cult media, certain brands that don’t belong are going to get involved.’ (Hopkinson, 2009). So if a brand is relevant to music festivals or is able to create a relevant entertaining experience at a festival then they have a chance of marketing success. However, certain sectors of brands are obviously quite incompatible with music festivals and there is often not a mutual target audience between them, and consequently, music festivals would not be a worthwhile venture for them.

Figure 16. Unknown photographer, 2012. Southern Comfort Juke Joint.

Not looking out of place in the music festival landscape is very important, yet brands can’t shrink into the background either. Their ‘presence has to be authentic, blending in with the festival scene and its hippy, alternative roots. Otherwise it will stand out like a sore thumb’ (Newey, 2013). Bestival is a brilliant example of a festival that works harmoniously with brands to create experiences that enhance the festival, rather than impose upon it. ‘Bestival gets under the skin of the brand and works with them strategically…to make sure their experience is integrated into the festival environment and isn’t seen as a corporate branding exercise. Working in this way is more likely to result in positive results for both the event owner and the brand.’ (Roberts, 2009). Brands need to evolve their experiences to look and feel right in the festival environment. It’s all about having a ‘natural congruence with the festival’ (Bromley, 2013). Fitting in is important, but in order to stand out the needs and desires of the festival goer need to be at the forefront of the activation. Brands need to earn their admission to music festivals by increasing the fun rather than pursuing their own narrow agendas. Music fans are quick to decry brands’ festival activity as “too corporate”, which implies they are insincere and involved only for selfish gain… Simply handing out a few free samples or using the festivals as a promotional opportunity won’t cut it with fans.’ (Newey, 2013). It’s about giving something back and adding genuine value to the festival experience. Southern Comfort is a glowing example of this. Their ‘Juke Joint’ became as much a part of the festival entertainment as the artists themselves (Roberts, 2009) (See appendix 3.1for case study). 45

Harmonious Collaborations ‘Understanding the fit your brand has with the event, audience and the activation you are considering is now more essential than ever with hundreds of festivals and a plethora of activation routes to choose from. The brand must ensure its content/marketing is appropriate to its product or service.’ (Leenders, 2010). Appropriate and relevant brand/festival tie ups are crucial for music festival marketing success. In my interview with Julia Bruns (specialist in brand/ music collaborations) she stressed the importance of matching the target consumer of the brand with that of the festival so that you are ‘talking to the right people in the right environment’. She also mentioned the importance of the general festival identity and how there should be some kind of overlap with the identity of the brand. Similar brand/festival philosophies/ethos generally means the brand is a good fit (See appendix 1.1). In the focus group of festival go-ers, an exercise was conducted in which the participants had to match a variety of brands with the music festival they felt they were most suited to. The main factors that influenced their decisions were similar brand/festival identity, a mutual target audience and the lifestyles associated with the brand/festival. They expressed mockery of certain brand/festival matches that were obviously ill matched due to audience, etc. This illustrates that brands need to be logical in their festival choices and that a mutual target audience, as well as an overlap in branding identity and lifestyle associations is important. If these factors aren’t considered then the brand will look out of place and risk alienation (See appendix 2.3).

In terms of choosing which festival to activate at, there are a number of factors to consider: Footfall is key as brands want to reach as many consumers as possible, matching their target consumer with the primary festival demographic, cost, activation positioning and digital reach. But even with all this in mind, brands need to be wary of brand sceptics who would rather big corporations stay out of the festival all together. The challenge is to get them to appreciate that a credible brand experience can actually add value to a festival, if the right brand/audience fit can be found. ‘With careful planning and creative alignment with the festivals own identities, brands can achieve the right balance between exposure to mass festival audiences and recognition of what people want when they go to an event. With the right partnership strategy, brands can add to the overall festival experience whilst simultaneously creating a stronger bond between the event and its attendees.’ (Bruns, 2012). Brands need to have a shared purpose with the consumer, leading to a clear value exchange so that the festival goers actually feel like they are getting something back from the brands rather than just being a pawn in a selfish marketing game.‘There is no reason why brand/festival unions can’t create harmonies that leave everyone with an engaging and memorable experience.’ (Bruns,2012). With the UK festival market now being heavily saturated with brands, the niche music festival is now coming into play. Although brands will not reach as large an audience as the more main-stream festivals

’these intimate festival settings, often complemented by sport, food or focused kids’ activities, offer a marketing lifeline to brands outside of the festival regulars, helping them to target specific types of festival goer.’(Frukt, 2011). Music/sporting festivals such as Wakestock and Boardmasters enable ‘new brands to gain a strong foothold in front of a dual audience – one whose interests lie not just in music but a range of other, equally targetable, passion points. As yesterday’s niche festivals – such as Bestival and Secret Garden Party – become stronger players in the market, a new selection of smaller (and possibly previously unconsidered) events offer the perfect springboard for brands taking their first tentative steps into the market.’ (Frukt, 2011). 47

Looking at the bigger picture Music festivals are a great place to help fulfil marketing goals since

‘events are the fastest and most cost-effective way to reach a qualified audience in a controlled environment’ (Saget, 2006) therefore brands need to be strategic in their timing in terms of their overall marketing. Sales initiatives and business objectives should be reviewed so that the festival schedule can match with the overall marketing plan so they are timed with product releases, customer announcements or research releases (Saget, 2006). This strategic timing will ensure the most marketing benefit is taken. Music festival marketing shouldn’t be regarded as an isolated event, but an exciting aspect of a strong overall big marketing idea. Integrated campaigns enable ‘fan interaction pre, during and post event…. from innovative apps to social sharing, there is now a raft of enhanced opportunities to spread the activation message to an audience many times larger than the festival capacity’ (Frukt, 2011).

Drinks brand Lucozade offer a great example of a successful integrated campaign using music festivals with their ‘Big yes’ campaign (See appendix 3.2). It’s important to think about the bigger picture in terms of event based marketing, and whether the message has any longevity. Brand activations at festivals need to have a strong idea and the brands essence at their core so that they can continue to resonate with the target consumer before and after the event on a number of marketing platforms. Knowing all this is well and good, but what will determine the success of the festival activation is the brands ability to create a meaningful or memorable experience for the consumer. There are various means by which this can be achieved which will now be discussed.

CHAPTER 4: creating memorable brand experiences -Emotion & Value -The power of music -Personifying the brand -Ethically conscious brand activations 50

emotion and value

Tuborg brand manager (a brand that has successfully used music festivals within their marketing) has stressed the importance of adding value to the festival experience saying ‘that brands that had combined entertainment with areas to take the weight off festival goers feet were the brands that were able to generate repeat visits and strong dwell time.’ (Thornhill, 2011). He also talked about the success of creating a destination within the festival site where people could ‘feel comfortable dwelling with a cold pint of Tuborg.’ (Thornhill, 2011). So brands need to give people a reason to visit. A destination where people can relax or have fun is often the best way.

Successful brand activations at festivals are those that utilise experiential and ambient marketing. It is these practices that seek to achieve

‘a much more proximal relationship between consumer bodies and brands, and, as theorists of the ‘experience economy’ put it, the more effectively an experience engages the senses, the more memorable it will be’ (Pine & Gilmore, 1999).

Figure 17. Unknown photogarpher, 2012. You can have anything you want. So long as you want Tuborg.

So brands need to focus on creating experiences that provoke emotion. James Williams, director of the Olympic torch relay and Coca-Cola collaboration talked of the ingredients that make up a successful experiential activation at a music festival claiming: ‘Brilliantly trained and enthusiastic staff members are the number one factor defining successful event activation. They can make the difference between a brand experience just looking good or being truly memorable. Delivering perfect product sampling is also a key success measure, as it builds a refreshing memory and builds brand love. To achieve a successful festival activation you have to focus on how to make your activity something that stands out and is a fun experience that people want to participate in together. It should be an engaging and exciting social occasion, just like a festival as a whole!’

(Williams, 2011) Brands need to bear in mind that these niche consumers haven’t come to the event specifically to see their products or services, so an incentive to interact with the brand is definitely needed (Scotchmer, 2011). Brands need to offer genuine value, whether that is emotional or practical.

Today’s discerning festival goers want additional value and one of the key opportunities developing in the festival sector is letting fans shape and tailor their individual experience; so experiences that offer additional value beyond the main stage line-up, and activities that they can stamp their individual mark on are likely to be well received (Roberts, 2012). Added value can also be given to the consumer in terms of usefulness and functionality. At a festival, people are away from their home comforts, so brands can help to make the experience more comfortable. The Orange ‘Chill and Charge’ tent at Glastonbury was a perfect example of this. Festival goers were able to relax whilst charging their phone and indulge in the interactive music entertainment on offer. This activation satisfied the need for utility and entertainment. Despite utility being a way to the consumer’s heart, the fun factor always seems to be the winning ingredient in music festival marketing. Creating a party experience can do wonders for a brand’s image. 53

The power of music

Music can be a vital part in creating an emotionally provocative brand experience.

‘The addition of music to the mundane can move us beyond the here-and-now into a space of private fantasy or nostalgia; like the brand itself, it can move us backwards or forwards in time, co-ordinating the activities of the present with those of an imagined past or future.’ (Moor, 2003).

So music can be a simple way for brands to shortcut to the consumer’s positive emotions or pastimes without explicitly doing so. It can also be a way of furthering positive brand re-call since:

‘Whatever the particular place of listening to music, it is suggested, the experience of listening is also one of creating a musical space – a space of ‘private fantasies’ and the imagination – and this space has a complex relation to ‘reality’ (Elizabeth Moor, 2003). Marketing controller of Accolade Wines, Neil Anderson, endorses this notion. In the companies Ginger Joe festival activation, Neil claims music was essential in bringing the brand personality to life and instrumental in keeping consumers engaged at their stand (Anderson, 2011).

54 Figure 18. Unknown photographer,2012.The power of music

Personifying the brand It’s important for brand image/identity to be captured in the marketing activation. Whilst having a captivating brand experience, the core values of the brand should be presented in some shape or form in order for consumers to connect the positive experience with the brand. Southern Comfort has been hugely successful in all aspects of music festival marketing. They not only managed to create an authentic, enjoyable, and memorable experience but one that epitomized their energetic New Orleans themed brand personality (See Appendix 3.1). The ‘Juke Joint’ activation offered ‘a gateway into another world entirely, delivering a unique festival experience rooted in the core values of the brand’ ( Frukt, 2011). Characters were even created to reinforce the brand personality. It gave consumers the chance to ‘interact with people that represented the spirit of New Orleans’ and offered ‘a sense of community and a ‘come one, come all’ environment’ which is very much what Southern Comfort is all about. These characters build relationships and add an extra dimension to the experience (Frukt, 2011). Representing the brand positively through sales and marketing staff is fundamental to the success of the brand activation. ‘By tying in your sales force you are able to hit your target audience and desired market. In most companies the sales team is the pulse of the customer.’ (Seget, 2006).

Brand ambassadors need to demonstrate a balance between the ‘passion of a festival goer and having the brand patter down to a tee. They are your brand personified during a few fleeting days in a field.’ (Frukt, 2011).

Figure 19/20. Frukt, 2011. Southern Comfort Juke Joint characters/activation

Consumer touch points also need to be considered as these are other opportunities in which the brand can present themselves in a positive way to the target audience.

‘You do not want the attendee to just walk in and have one touch point, you want to touch them every place you possibly can with the brand and company messaging, making sure that the look and feel is consistent from start to finish.’ (Saget, 2006). It’s important to get into the mind-set of the festival go-er and consider the touch points they would encounter pre, during, and after the festival. Whether that is ticket purchasing websites, Facebook event pages, train stations etc. The touch needs to be meaningful and resonate with the audience. The target consumer and the goals and objectives of the brand need to be at the forefront. So communicating with the target consumer through these multiple touch points on multiple occasions with a consistent brand message will accelerate and shorten the sales cycle. (Saget, 2006).

Ethically conscious brand activations There are numerous memorable and effective marketing activations that have also worked towards an ethical cause. It is not impossible for a brand to profit, not necessarily in terms of immediate sales but in increasing positive brand image, whilst also being ethically responsible or aiding an ethical cause. There is a problem with the lack of ethical transparency in large corporations. They are increasingly being seen as a: ‘shallow, wasteful, and a polluting influence’ (Sheth & Sisodia, 2005). False promises of ethical behaviour have provoked anguish amongst stake holders and environmental groups such as Greenpeace. As a result, brands that are making a genuine effort to make a positive change are being welcomed with open arms (Powell, 2011). Orange Rock Corps is a glowing example of this (See Appendix 3.3). The idea is based around an Orange-branded rock concert to which tickets are only available after completing four hours of voluntary work. It is an initiative that has received popular acclaim, with even the prime minister being a fan and deeming it a demonstrable example of ‘The big society’ idea (See appendix 3.3). Philanthropic marketing and the idea of ‘Doing better by doing good’ is what needs to be kept in mind (Varadarajan & Menon, 1988). This issue is ever more important in music festival marketing as festivals have such strong connotations of liberalness and environmental concern. Figure 21. Orange Communication Services Corporate, 2008. Orange Rock Corps promotional material

But what do these experiential brand activations achieve?

The 2013 focus group revealed that experiential brand activations at music festivals whether with an ethical cause or not have a positive impact on brand image and reputation. They leave the consumer with an emotionally valuable and memorable experience that leads them to think of the brand in a more positive way because of the emotional or practical associations they now have with that brand. Having said that, generally this positive brand experience and improved brand image doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t actually have an influence on the consumers purchasing decisions. So it is more beneficial in terms of credibility and brand image rather than direct sales (See Appendix 2.2). Despite this, good brand image with lifestyle associations that the target consumer is drawn to have been known to have a positive impact on sales figures (Ataman & Ă&#x153;lengin, 2003).

2. your REPUTATION AND BRAND BUILD TRUST IN YOU

1. Marketing process builds your reputation and brand

The diagram in figure 22 demonstrates how building positive brand image and reputation, in this case through experiential marketing, helps build a level of trust with the consumer which in turn creates further opportunities to sell to them in the future. Therefore experiential music festival marketing can be seen as a building block in the ultimate goal of commercial success.

3. TRUST IN YOU CREATES AN OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU TO SELL IN A SEPERATE SALES PROCESS

Figure 22. Firestone, B, 2012. Trust powers sales model 60

Key research findings These research findings have established that brands can successfully use music festivals as marketing platforms without threatening the authenticity and public appeal of the event, and that current consumer culture means that experiential festival activations are an effective way to connect with target audiences. However, upmost care needs to be taken in order for brands to be perceived as an asset to the festival landscape. Offering added value to the consumer and appropriate and fitting brand and festival collaborations are vital. The current conflict of commercialism vs authenticity also needs to be taken into consideration as this is a core factor in appeasing festival audiences especially in more niche, artistically driven festivals. Brands should also keep their corporate social and ethical responsibility in mind in terms of the festival activation, because as a whole festival goers tend to be more ethically minded and opinionated about environmental and social issues. Also, if a brand has a reputation of being unethical and attempts to associate itself with the values of music festivals then this may backfire. In terms of the festival brand activations themselves, experiential and ambient marketing are going to be most effective. The modern day consumer needs to be emotionally engaged and their senses enlivened. The marketing activation in every aspect must reflect the brand personality and ethos in order to achieve most resonance and positive brand recall with the consumer. Considering all of this will enable brands to create effective targeted communication that will help form emotional consumer relationships and improved brand image.

strategic outcomes this way

strategic outcomes These key findings have informed some strategic outcomes that can be applied to various brands that would potentially be interested in incorporating music festival marketing into their overall strategy. Generally speaking the key strategy would be as follows:

1. Assess whether the brand is suitable for music festival marketing in terms of sector, relevance and brand identity. Nowadays all sorts of brands have tried their hand at it. If your brand is naturally suited to the festival environment and consumer then great, but if it is not then that does not necessarily mean it is impossible. Look to brands like Lynx and Persil who don’t have an obvious synergy with music festivals yet have managed to create relevant brand experiences at the right festivals, enabling them to reach their target consumer. Brands which offer products that are integral to the festival experience such as alcohol and food are most successful. However brands whose ideologies overlap with that of festivals can also excel.

3. Establish how your brand can create a memorable brand experience that is in keeping with that particular festival’s atmosphere and that can create a meaningful connection with the target audience. Being perceived as genuine and pure in your intent to help or entertain the target consumer is important. You do not want to be seen as a selfish money- making ploy. The brand experience must aid the consumer in some way, whether that is emotionally or practically. You want to offer something that they couldn’t have had without your brand. Engaging the target consumer through their senses is often the way to creating a meaningful connection. Music, scents, tastes etc. can be an effective way of reaching a wider range of emotions and sentiments. Increasing the fun factor by hosting a party (Rizla were very successful with this at Bestival) or providing a relaxing destination have been successful activations in the past.

2. Discover which festival/festivals are best for you. What is essential here is an overlap in target consumer. You want to be where your loyal consumers and potential future consumers are. This requires an understanding of your target audience and what festivals they are likely to be seen at. A broad knowledge of UK and perhaps even world-wide music festivals must be gained in order to make the most informed festival choice. Footfall at festivals needs to be considered. Do you want to appeal to a mass mainstream audience at the likes of V festival? Or remain more underground and appear at a niche festival in order to have more targeted and meaningful communication? The level of commercialism at the festivals also needs to be considered. Is your brand too big for say a relatively small less known festival like Boom Town? Who you want to reach and what you want to be associated with in terms of attitudes, aesthetics etc. need to inform your festival choice.

4. Personify your brand. As well as creating a memorable experience that

resonates with the consumer, the brand activation must also reflect the brand identity and brand image. In order for the brand experience to resonate with the consumer and have a positive influence on consumers’ views of the brand, it must be clear what brand is hosting it and for them to be presented in a positive and accurate way. The brand essence, attitudes, values and aesthetics must be reflected in the look and idea behind the brand activation, the customer service/brand ambassadors and even the various consumer touch points that the target audience will hopefully encounter pre, during and after the festival.

5. Make it part of an integrated marketing campaign. Music festival marketing should not be seen as an isolated marketing activity. It should tie in with the rest of the brand’s marketing messages and plans. A consistent and cohesive brand message should be present through all marketing platforms. Although the activation at the festival may be something completely new, it is important to have a common thread through all marketing. A core slogan or message can often be the way to keep cohesion. Lucozade’s ‘Big Yes’ campaign is a perfect example of this. (See appendix 3.2) This enables the brand message to resonate with the consumer as it is repeatedly reinforced but in new and creative ways.

6. (Optional but important step) Make it as ethically responsible as possible. Ensure your activation is in keeping with the ethical values of music festivals and that you are being as environmentally and socially responsible as you can be. This will earn you more points with the festival crowd and further project a positive brand image.

These are fairly loose guidelines that a variety of brands or even charities could utilise. Consequent upon the primary and secondary research undertaken for this report, the key findings suggest that this is a realistic strategy that would enable a broad range of brands to succeed in using music festivals as marketing platforms without threatening the authenticity and public appeal of the event. It is now appropriate to consider how a specific brand could use this strategy.

brand application 66

Figure 23. Pukka brand analysis [own creation], 2014

Herbs Pukka Herbs is the brand of choice. They are herbal tea specialists. They also sell organic skincare and well-being products. The brand has an almost global presence now, having stockists in Europe, the U.S, Asia and Africa. They are a perfect fit for music festival marketing with their core product of tea being of upmost relevance at a festival and their invested interest in nature, being in keeping with the festival crowd and general festival brand ethos. Below, there is an analysis of the brand in order to understand what they stand for and what they want to achieve. This will inform a more brand specific strategy that will benefit the brand and allow them a smooth integration into music festivals, where they will be accepted and embraced by their target audience.

Brand Attributes/ Brand Personality Friendly, ethical, knowledgeable, kind, international

Brand Benefits Encourages health and well-being, ethically conscious, rewarding

Vision & Objectives

Pro-active, social and environmental activist, kind-hearted, honest, quirky and experimental.

-They ‘strive to look after Mother Nature: conserving, respecting, protecting her – forever putting back more than we take.’ (Pukka, 2013) -Aim to encourage good health and well-being. -Create a virtuous circle of herbs, plants, nature and people where everyone involved benefits. -Help people get back in touch with nature -Stay true to the Indian philosophy of Ayurveda and ‘inspiring us in the ‘art of living wisely. It recognises that we are all unique and focuses on food, lifestyle, massage, yoga and herbal remedies to suit our individual make-up’ (Pukka, 2013)

Brand Positioning Health and ethically conscious individuals who are generally of a middle economicsocial group.The brand appeals to the middle aged, ‘yummy mummy’s’ and 20-30’s ‘eco warriors’. 68

Name & Symbol

Value Preopisition

-The word Pukka is synonymous with authenticity and Functional, environmental and social, feel-good. trueness and ties in well with the brands ethical backbone -The logo has positive and accurate connotations of: Honesty, nature, organic, environmentally friendly, 69

This strategy has been applied to Pukka as their brand personality, values and attributes have a lot of overlap with various music festivals and festival goers themselves; with peace & love, environmental and social issues at their core. Their arty bold nature themed packaging and general brand aesthetic is also a good fit for the look and feel of music festivals. Figure 24. Pukka Herbs, 2013. Pukka Tea packaging

1. Assess whether the brand is suitable for music festival marketing. It is clear that Pukka has a natural synergy with music festivals with an overlap in values. The fact that the brands core product is organic tea also makes them a very relevant brand to have at a festival as tea is always going to be in demand.

2. Discover which festival/festivals are best for you. Pukka has a wide demographic appeal but seems to be very popular with parents in their thirties with a healthy amount of disposable income. In particular, health and environmentally conscious mothers interested in alternative health practices such as meditation and yoga. Therefore music festivals such as Wilderness, Wychwood and Green Man would be a good fit with a clear overlap in target consumer. These festivals have an older target audience than most, they are less commercial and they take being environmentally friendly seriously. I think Pukka would be accepted by these festivals and their audiences due to the brandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ethics, relevant product and their low profile non-commercial image. The lifestyle that Pukka promotes is very in keeping with these festivals already as many host morning yoga and health and well-being related activities.

3. Establish how your brand can create a memorable brand experience. Seeing as the brand has such a natural synergy with these types of festivals with an overlap in personality and values then why not make these at the core of the brand activation. Having a clear brand message of ethical, organic, healthy and embracing â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;the magic of natureâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; (a phrase the brand often say) alongside a strong visual brand identity will hit the message home to the target audience whilst making it clear that it is Pukka who made it. Pukka already has very suitable branding and packaging to these types of festivals, so incorporating this natural bold aesthetic would be a good move. It would stand out from the crowd with bold colours and patterns. Pukka could offer the consumer value emotionally and practically in the form of a relaxation destination, in which their herbal tea can be drunk and yoga and meditation can be practiced. It could be a place where festival go-ers go to recuperate following any over indulgence. It would be calming and aesthetically pleasing. The senses would be engaged on all levels with beautiful surroundings, smells, tastes and music. This would hopefully establish positive brand re-call and associations with being a helping hand in making one feel better. 70

4. Personify your brand. As the brand has such a strong visual identity and personality it makes it easier for the brand to be projected across the whole festival activation. In terms of aesthetic; tipis, huts and canvas tents would be appropriate for a venue. Colourful tactile rugs and cushions for people to sit back and relax, and candles and incense to fill the room with sweet aroma. It would be a treat for the senses. Engaging smell, sight, taste, touch. Organic would be the overriding theme throughout. Relaxing instrumental music would help further the idea of the brand being a calming influence and would assist with the yoga and meditation classes. The brand ambassadors who serve the tea and host the classes should personify the brand entirely, like the founders themselves Sebastian Pole and Tim Westwell. A genuine passion for promoting well-being should be demonstrated and the brand’s idea of bringing people together through herbs should be demonstrated. The brand ambassadors must be knowledgeable about the Indian philosophy of Ayurveda that the brand bases itself upon. They should be interesting, knowledgeable and approachable. People should be able to feel as if they can sit, relax and enjoy a herbal tea with them.

5. Make it part of an integrated marketing campaign. It is important for the music festival activation to be a part of the brand’s bigger marketing picture. This will ensure the brand message is reinforced to the target consumer. Pukka’s marketing campaigns are usually based around charity collaborations such as their most recent ‘beautiful world’ campaign with animal and wildlife charity WWF. So, a good way for the brand to keep a sense of cohesion across all platforms would be to ensure a consistent visual aesthetic and the incorporation of their charity effort/current marketing campaign. Timing is important here in order for the festival to be an integral part of a bigger marketing idea. The ‘beautiful world’ campaign will be over by the time 2014 festival season comes around so whatever the new campaign is will have to be incorporated instead. But to showcase how campaigns can be integrated let’s use the ‘beautiful world’ campaign as an example. A major part of that campaign was for members of the brands target audience to take photographs of what makes their world beautiful. This could have been promoted at the various music festival activations as the festivals targeted are known for their spectacular natural beauty, and festival go-ers could have posted pictures of their festival experience. This would promote the campaign, the brand and even the festival itself, so keeping all parties involved happy. Donations to the charity could also have been encouraged in the tea and relaxation tent.

6. (Optional but important step) Make it as ethically responsible as possible. This part of the strategy is more important to Pukka as a brand than most due to their public dedication to ethical production and giving back what they take from nature. The festival activation must echo their ethically and environmentally conscious vows in order for their message to be perceived as genuine and not contradictory. This can be the pitfall for many brands who attempt to demonstrate an ethical cause. So in practice this could mean using second hand materials for the venue, recyclable or reusable cups, solar generated energy, no excessive electrical use in terms of technology etc.

Strategy Evaluation A potential weakness of this brand specific strategy is the fact that at music festivals many people like to drink alcohol even during the day, so this could limit the demand for organic tea. However the festivals being targeted have a more mature and sophisticated audience who are less likely to want to drink excessively through the day, so this is less likely to be a problem (Martinus, 2010). The 2013 focus group also revealed that festival go-ers look for fun, interesting or relaxing things to do in the day that don’t necessarily involve drinking alcohol (See appendix 2.2), so the Pukka tea tent could be the perfect thing for fulfilling that need. This body of research suggests that this strategy would be effective in creating music festival marketing success for the brand and would enable them to promote themselves whilst not threatening the authenticity and public appeal of the festival/ festivals. The main benefit that would be taken from implementing this strategy would be to raise awareness of the brand as they are not that widely known. It would also help reinforce a positive and ethical brand identity and would create positive associations with relaxation, music and festivals. In turn these benefits, in terms of brand awareness, re-call and image could be converted into loyal customers. This research supports the premise that music festival marketing would be a smart and effective move for Pukka, that would not only benefit them, but the charities they collaborate with and ultimately contribute toward the goal of achieving environmental and social change.

References:

-illustrations -Bibliography 74

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Hoffman, J, 2010. Integrating environmental and social isues into corporate practice. Environment: Science and policy for sustainable development [online]. Volume 42 (Issue 5).25/3/2010, pages 22-33. Available at: http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.ntu.ac.uk/ehost/detail?sid=432218f3-0c14-49d1-b7d0-2d00465 609cb%40sessionmgr4001&vid=2&hid=4207&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=a9h& AN=3163935 [Accessed at 14/11/2013]

Anderson, N. In Frukt, 2011.The definitive guide to brand activations at music festivals [online]. Available via: Frukt Communications [Accessed 8/11/2013] Anderton, 2011. Music festival sponsorship: between commerce and carnival. Arts Marketing: An International Journal [online]. Volume. 1 (Issue: 2), pp.145 – 158. Available at: http://www.emeraldinsight.com/journals. htm?articleid=1954443 [Accessed at 9/11/2013] Ataman & Ülengin, 2003. A note on the effect of brand image on sales. Journal of Product & Brand Management, Volume. 12 (Issue: 4), pp.237 – 250. Available at: http://www.emeraldinsight.com/journals. htm?articleid=857817 [Accessed 8/11/2013] Bromley,2013. Is branding ruining music festivals. Huffington Post [online].8/7/2013. Available at: http://www. huffingtonpost.co.uk/freya-bromley/music-festivals_b_3563327.html [Accessed at 9/11/2013] Bruns, 2012. Tips on creating a cool brand presence at music festivals [online]. Available at: http://www. utalkmarketing.com/pages/article.aspx?articleid=23177&title=tips_on_creating_a_..[Accessed 8/11/2013] Burrows, 2012.Here comes the summer festival plan. Marketing Week [online] 14/06/2012. Available at: http://www.marketingweek.co.uk/trends/here-comes-the-summer-festival-plan/4002193.article [Accessed at 11/11/2013] Eleftheriou-Smith, 2011. Unilever draws up ‘Five Levers for Change’ strategy. Marketing Magazine [online]. 23/11/2011. Available at: http://www.marketingmagazine.co.uk/article/1105516/unilever-draws-five-leverschange-strategy [Accessed 8/11/2013] Fitzgerald. Frukt Source, UK, 2011, in Roberts, J, 2012. Brands and bands make festival experience. Marketing Week [online] 9th February. Available at: http://www.marketingweek.co.uk/brands-and-bandsmake-music-festival-experience/3033914.article [Accessed at 9/11/2013] Frukt, 2011.The definitive guide to brand activations at music festivals [online]. Available via: Frukt Communications [Accessed 8/11/2013] Getz, D. 2012. Event studies: Theory, research and policy for planned events. Second edition. London & New York: Routledge [Accessed at 9/11/2013] Gray, 2013. Musician: Telephone interview with Caitlin Anderson, UK, 20/11/2013. Green Peace,2013. Protect forests [online]. Available at: http://www.greenpeace.org.uk/forests [Accessed 12/12/2013]

Holbrook & Hirschman,1992. The experiential aspects of consumption: consumer fantasies, feelings, and fun. Journal of consumer research. Volume 9, pp. 132-140. Available at: http://www.jstor.org/ Hopkinson. Target media, 2009, in Roberts, J, 2009. Music festival sponsorship. Marketing Week [online] 9/2/2013. Available at: http://www.marketingweek.co.uk/music-festival-sponsorship/3002146.article. [Accessed 8/11/2013] Lee, S, 2010. Fosters comedy award. July 19th 2010. Email to : Fosters publicist [Accessed at 19/11/2013] Leenders, M, 2010. The Relative Importance of the Brand of Music Festivals: A Customer Equity Perspective. Journal of Strategic Marketing. Volume 18 [issue 4] ,pgs 291-301. Available at: http://www.tandfonline.com/ doi/abs/10.1080/09652541003768061#.UtbYi7RvlhI[Accessed 9/11/2013] Martinus et al, 2010. Outdoor music festivals: Cacophonous consumption or melodious moderation?.Drugs: Education, Prevention, and Policy,Volume 17: 6, pp 795-807. Available at: http://informahealthcare.com/doi/ abs/10.3109/09687630903357692?journalCode=dep [Accessed 6/1/2014] Mintel, 2009. Chains versus independent venues [online]. Available via Mintel [Accessed 11/11/ 2013] Mintel, 2013. Music concerts and festivals [online]. Available via Mintel [Accessed 14/11/2013] Moor, 2003. Branded Spaces: The scope of ‘new marketing’. Journal of consumer culture [online]. Volume 3, pgs 39-60. Available at: http://joc.sagepub.com/content/3/1/39.full.pdf+html [6/12/2013 [Accessed at 9/11/2013] Newey, 2013. How brands can win over the festival crowd. Marketing Magazine [online]. 28/6/2013. Available at: http://www.marketingmagazine.co.uk/article/1188089/brands-win-festival-crowd [Accessed 8/11/2013] Oakes. International Journal of Event and Festival Management, 2010, in Jennifer Rowley, Catrin Williams, 2008 .The impact of brand sponsorship of music festivals. Marketing Intelligence & Planning [online], Vol. 26 (Iss: 7), pp.781 – 792. Available at: http://www.emeraldinsight.com/journals.htm?articleid=1752000 [Accessed at 9/11/2013] Page & Fearn, 2005. Corporate reputation: What do consumers really care about?. Journal of advertising. (Issue 3), pp 305-313. Available at: http://ideas.repec.org/a/cup/jadres/v45y2005i03p305-313_05.html [Accessed at 10/11/2013] Powell, S. M. ,2011. The nexus between ethical corporate marketing, ethical corporate identity and corporate social responsibility: an internal organisational perspective. European Journal of Marketing, Volume 45 (9/10), pgs 1365-1379. Available at: http://www.emeraldinsight.com/journals.htm?articleid=1949650 [Accessed 8/11/2013] 77

Pukka Herbs, 2013.The story so far [online]. Available at: http://www.pukkaherbs.com/story-so-far [Accessed 6/1/2014]

Illustrations

Pine & Gilmore, 1999. The Experience Economy: Work Is Theater & Every Business a Stage. Boston: Harvard Business School Press. [Accessed 6/11/2013] Raymond, M. 2013. Strange days. [lecture to various creative courses at Nottingham Trent University] 24/4/2013 Roberts, 2009. Music festival sponsorship. Marketing Week [online].9th July. Available at: http://www. marketingweek.co.uk/music-festival sponsorship/3002146.article [4/12/2013] Rowley & Williams, 2008 .The impact of brand sponsorship of music festivals. Marketing Intelligence & Planning [online], Vol. 26 (Iss: 7), pp.781 – 792. Available at: http://www.emeraldinsight.com/journals. htm?articleid=1752000 Saget, 2006. The event marketing handbook: Beyond logistics and planning. Illustrated edition. USA: Kaplan Publishing Scotchmer, H in Frukt, 2011.The definitive guide to brand activations at music festivals [online]. Available via: Frukt Communications [Accessed 8/11/2013] Sheth & Sisodia, 2005 in Powell, S. M. ,2011. The nexus between ethical corporate marketing, ethical corporate identity and corporate social responsibility: an internal organisational perspective. European Journal of Marketing, Volume 45 (9/10), pgs 1365-1379. Available at: http://www.emeraldinsight.com/journals. htm?articleid=1949650 [Accessed 8/11/2013] Thornhill, C. Tuborg in Frukt, 2011.The definitive guide to brand activations at music festivals [online]. Available via: Frukt Communications [Accessed 8/11/2013] Unlilever, 2013. Unilever sustainable living plan [online]. Available at : http://www.unilever.com/sustainableliving/uslp/ [Accessed 8/12/2013]

Figure 1. Anderson, C, 2011. Reading Festival crowd [own photograph] Figure 2. North, D, 2012. The infamous paint fight [digital image]. Available at: http://2012.photos. secretgardenparty.com/view/3c89033c-d425-11e1-846e-fefd616b8533 Figure 3. Unknown photographer, 2012. We are the kids your parents warned you about [digital image]. Available at: http://www.wattpad.com/story/7156934-we%27re-the-kids-your-parents-warned-you-about Figure 4. Unknown photographer, 1969. Drop acid not bombs [digital image].Available at: http:// thewoodstockexperience.webs.com/ Figure 5. Anderson, C, 2013. Branded world infographic [own image] Figure 6. Chummer, R, 2013. Unethical Mcdonalds. [digital image]. Available at: blog.edelbioskincare.com Figure 7. Fosters, 2010. Frank Chickens Fosters Comedy award. [digital image] Available at: www.bbc.co.uk Figure 8. BNP Paribas, 2013.Corporate social responsibility diagram. [digital image] Available at: https:// www.cortalconsors.de/cmsstaticDe/EuroWebStep2/DE/Retail/Library/WebServer/bnp-personal-investors/ SiteBNPPI-BAT_2012/csr.html Figure 9. Cagle Cartoons, 2010. Human interaction: there’s an app for that. . [digital image] Available at: http:// theweek.com/cartoons/index/206669/human-interaction-theres-an-app-for-that Figure 10. Anderson, C, 2011. Reading Festival crowd activity [own photograph] Figure 11. Hau, C, 2013. Unknown festival paint fight (taken by consumer)

Varadarajan & Anil Menon, 1988. Cause-Related Marketing: A Coalignment of Marketing Strategy and Corporate Philanthropy. Journal of marketing, Volume 52. Available at: http://academic.research.microsoft. com/Paper/2816716.aspx [Accessed 8/11/2013]

Figure 12. Bell, A, 2013. Green Man Festival (taken by consumer)

Vila-López, & Rodríguez-Molina, 2013 .Event-brand transfer in an entertainment service: experiential marketing. Industrial Management & Data Systems. Volume 113 (Issue: 5), pp.712 – 731. Available at: http:// www.emeraldinsight.com/journals.htm?articleid=17084524&show=html [Accessed 9/11/2013]

Figure 14. Hart, C, 2013. Secret Garden Party hamocks (taken by consumer)

Williams, J. Coca Cola in Frukt, 2011.The definitive guide to brand activations at music festivals [online]. Available via: Frukt Communications [Accessed 8/11/2013] Young & Lang, 1979. Woodstock festival remembered. Illustrated edition. The university of California: Ballantine Books 78

Figure 13.Anderson, R, 2012. The Big Chill festival (taken by consumer)

Figure 15. Frukt, 2011. Music Festivals sectors infographic [digital image] Available at: http://www.wearefrukt. com/sites/default/files/FRUKT_FestivalReport2011.pdf Figure 16. Unknown photographer, 2012. Southern Comfort Juke Joint [digital image]Flikr. Available at: http:// www.flickr.com/photos/47495461@N07/7528092714/

Figure 17. Unknown photogarpher,2012. You can have anything you want. So long as you want Tuborg. [digital image] Available at: http://summitbeergarden.com/beer-festivals-and-festival-beer-how-carslberg-ismissing-a-trick-with-its-music-sponsorship/

Bibliography

Figure 18. Unknown photographer,2012.The power of music [digital image] Available at: http://www. guidancegospel.com/1/post/2012/03/the-power-of-music.html Figure 19. Frukt, 2011. Southern Comfort Juke Joint characters[digital image] Available at: http://www. wearefrukt.com/work/southern-comfort-juke-joint

Anderson, N. In Frukt, 2011.The definitive guide to brand activations at music festivals [online]. Available via: Frukt Communications [Accessed 8/11/2013]

Figure 20. Frukt, 2011. Southern Comfort Juke Joint activation [digital image] Available at: http://www. wearefrukt.com/work/southern-comfort-juke-joint

Anderton, 2011. Music festival sponsorship: between commerce and carnival. Arts Marketing: An International Journal [online]. Volume. 1 (Issue: 2), pp.145 – 158. Available at: http://www.emeraldinsight.com/journals. htm?articleid=1954443 [Accessed at 9/11/2013]

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Figure 22. Firestone, B, 2012. Trust powers sales model [digital image] Available at: http://www. dramatispersonae.org/?p=59

Bromley,2013. Is branding ruining music festivals. Huffington Post [online].8/7/2013. Available at: http://www. huffingtonpost.co.uk/freya-bromley/music-festivals_b_3563327.html [Accessed at 9/11/2013]

Figure 23. Anderson, C, 2014. Pukka brand analysis [own creation]

Bruns, 2012. Tips on creating a cool brand presence at music festivals [online]. Available at: http://www. utalkmarketing.com/pages/article.aspx?articleid=23177&title=tips_on_creating_a_..[Accessed 8/11/2013]

Figure 24. Pukka Herbs,2013.Pukka Tea packaging [digital image] Available at: http://www.pukkaherbs.com/ tea-room/all-our-teas.html

Burrows, 2012.Here comes the summer festival plan. Marketing Week [online] 14/06/2012. Available at: http://www.marketingweek.co.uk/trends/here-comes-the-summer-festival-plan/4002193.article [Accessed at 11/11/2013] Eleftheriou-Smith, 2011. Unilever draws up ‘Five Levers for Change’ strategy. Marketing Magazine [online]. 23/11/2011. Available at: http://www.marketingmagazine.co.uk/article/1105516/unilever-draws-five-leverschange-strategy [Accessed 8/11/2013] Event magazine, 2008. Brand watch: Case Study-Orange. Event Magazine.co.uk [online] Available at: http:// www.eventmagazine.co.uk/news/864869/Brand-Watch-Case-Study---Orange/ Festival Awards, 2011. Best Sponsor Activation Judging. Festival Awards.com [online] Available at: http:// www.festivalawards.com/sponsorjudging/ Fitzgerald. Frukt Source, UK, 2011, in Roberts, J, 2012. Brands and bands make festival experience. Marketing Week [online] 9th February. Available at: http://www.marketingweek.co.uk/brands-and-bandsmake-music-festival-experience/3033914.article [Accessed at 9/11/2013] Frukt, 2011.The definitive guide to brand activations at music festivals [online]. Available via: Frukt Communications [Accessed 8/11/2013]

Mintel, 2013. Music concerts and festivals [online]. Available via Mintel [Accessed 14/11/2013] Getz, D. 2012. Event studies: Theory, research and policy for planned events. Second edition. London & New York: Routledge [Accessed at 9/11/2013] Gray, 2013. Musician: Telephone interview with Caitlin Anderson, UK, 20/11/2013.

Moor, 2003. Branded Spaces: The scope of ‘new marketing’. Journal of consumer culture [online]. Volume 3, pgs 39-60. Available at: http://joc.sagepub.com/content/3/1/39.full.pdf+html [6/12/2013 [Accessed at 9/11/2013]

Germaine, G, 2009. Spirits in the Material World: The Challenge of Technology.UK: Lexington Books Green Peace,2013. Protect forests [online]. Available at: http://www.greenpeace.org.uk/forests [Accessed 12/12/2013] Hoffman, J, 2010. Integrating environmental and social isues into corporate practice. Environment: Science and policy for sustainable development [online]. Volume 42 (Issue 5).25/3/2010, pages 22-33. Available at: http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.ntu.ac.uk/ehost/detail?sid=432218f3-0c14-49d1-b7d0-2d00465 609cb%40sessionmgr4001&vid=2&hid=4207&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=a9h& AN=3163935 [Accessed at 14/11/2013] Holbrook & Hirschman,1992. The experiential aspects of consumption: consumer fantasies, feelings, and fun. Journal of consumer research. Volume 9, pp. 132-140. Available at: http://www.jstor.org/ discover/10.2307/2489122?uid=3738032&uid=2129&uid=2&uid=70&uid=4&sid=21103342373833 [Accessed at 10/11/2013] Hopkinson. Target media, 2009, in Roberts, J, 2009. Music festival sponsorship. Marketing Week [online] 9/2/2013. Available at: http://www.marketingweek.co.uk/music-festival-sponsorship/3002146.article. [Accessed 8/11/2013] Jones, 2013. Ozzie deFaria Offers Tips on “Humanizing” Online Marketing. Segment magazine [online] Available at: http://segment.com/ozzie-defaria-offers-tips-on-humanizing-online-marketing/ Laing & Frost, 2010. How green was my festival: Exploring challenges and opportunities associated with staging green events. International Journal of Hospitality Management. Volume 29 (Issue 2).

Newey, 2013. How brands can win over the festival crowd. Marketing Magazine [online]. 28/6/2013. Available at: http://www.marketingmagazine.co.uk/article/1188089/brands-win-festival-crowd [Accessed 8/11/2013] NME, 2013. Big brands spend over £100 million using UK music. NME magazine [online] Available at http:// www.nme.com/news/various-artists/71662 [Accessed 8/11/2013] Oakes. International Journal of Event and Festival Management, 2010, in Jennifer Rowley, Catrin Williams, 2008 .The impact of brand sponsorship of music festivals. Marketing Intelligence & Planning [online], Vol. 26 (Iss: 7), pp.781 – 792. Available at: http://www.emeraldinsight.com/journals.htm?articleid=1752000 [Accessed at 9/11/2013] Orange RockCorps: Want to know why it works?, 2012. [user generated content Youtube] thinksponsorship. 09/01/2012. Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gIAewNIqTQ&feature=plcp&context=C3a1d82 eUDOEgsToPDskLIIR78-IuRV3W0ks7iH1Pe Page & Fearn, 2005. Corporate reputation: What do consumers really care about?. Journal of advertising. (Issue 3), pp 305-313. Available at: http://ideas.repec.org/a/cup/jadres/v45y2005i03p305-313_05.html [Accessed at 10/11/2013] Powell, S. M. ,2011. The nexus between ethical corporate marketing, ethical corporate identity and corporate social responsibility: an internal organisational perspective. European Journal of Marketing, Volume 45 (9/10), pgs 1365-1379. Available at: http://www.emeraldinsight.com/journals.htm?articleid=1949650 [Accessed 8/11/2013] Pukka Herbs, 2013.The story so far [online]. Available at: http://www.pukkaherbs.com/story-so-far [Accessed 6/1/2014]

Lee, S, 2010. Fosters comedy award. July 19th 2010. Email to : Fosters publicist [Accessed at 19/11/2013] Leenders, M, 2010. The Relative Importance of the Brand of Music Festivals: A Customer Equity Perspective. Journal of Strategic Marketing. Volume 18 [issue 4] ,pgs 291-301. Available at: http://www.tandfonline.com/ doi/abs/10.1080/09652541003768061#.UtbYi7RvlhI[Accessed 9/11/2013] Martinus et al, 2010. Outdoor music festivals: Cacophonous consumption or melodious moderation?.Drugs: Education, Prevention, and Policy,Volume 17: 6, pp 795-807. Available at: http://informahealthcare.com/doi/ abs/10.3109/09687630903357692?journalCode=dep [Accessed 6/1/2014] Mattinson, 2013. Live Nation launches agency hunt for UK music festivals. Prweek.com [online] Available at: http://www.brandrepublic.com/news/1211897/-[Accessed 12/12/2013] Mintel, 2009. Chains versus independent venues [online]. Available via Mintel [Accessed 11/11/ 2013] Oracle, 2011. Customer experience impact report: Getting to the heart of the consumer and brand relationship [online] Available at: http://segment.com/ozzie-defaria-offers-tips-on-humanizing-online-marketing/ 82

Pidd, 2010. Frank Chickens have last laugh as Stewart Lee’s rant goes viral [online]. Available at: http://www. theguardian.com/stage/2010/aug/06/frank-chickens-stewart-lee-rant Pine & Gilmore, 1999. The Experience Economy: Work Is Theater & Every Business a Stage. Boston: Harvard Business School Press. [Accessed 6/11/2013] Raymond, M. 2013. Strange days. [lecture to various creative courses at Nottingham Trent University] 24/4/2013 Roberts, 2009. Music festival sponsorship. Marketing Week [online].9th July. Available at: http://www. marketingweek.co.uk/music-festival sponsorship/3002146.article [4/12/2013] Rowley & Williams, 2008 .The impact of brand sponsorship of music festivals. Marketing Intelligence & Planning [online], Vol. 26 (Iss: 7), pp.781 – 792. Available at: http://www.emeraldinsight.com/journals. htm?articleid=1752000 Ryan, D, 2009. Understanding Digital Marketing: Marketing strategies for engaging the digital generation. UK: Kogan Page Limited 83

Saget, 2006. The event marketing handbook: Beyond logistics and planning. Illustrated edition. USA: Kaplan Publishing Scotchmer, H in Frukt, 2011.The definitive guide to brand activations at music festivals [online]. Available via: Frukt Communications [Accessed 8/11/2013] Sheth & Sisodia, 2005 in Powell, S. M. ,2011. The nexus between ethical corporate marketing, ethical corporate identity and corporate social responsibility: an internal organisational perspective. European Journal of Marketing, Volume 45 (9/10), pgs 1365-1379. Available at: http://www.emeraldinsight.com/journals. htm?articleid=1949650 [Accessed 8/11/2013] Stewart Lee speaks out about Fosters Comedy award, 2010. [user generated content Youtube] STV Entertainment .01/09/2010. Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1DLypoy8EI Thornhill, C. Tuborg in Frukt, 2011.The definitive guide to brand activations at music festivals [online]. Available via: Frukt Communications [Accessed 8/11/2013] Unlilever, 2013. Unilever sustainable living plan [online]. Available at : http://www.unilever.com/sustainableliving/uslp/ [Accessed 8/12/2013] Varadarajan & Anil Menon, 1988. Cause-Related Marketing: A Coalignment of Marketing Strategy and Corporate Philanthropy. Journal of marketing, Volume 52. Available at: http://academic.research.microsoft. com/Paper/2816716.aspx [Accessed 8/11/2013] Vila-López, & Rodríguez-Molina, 2013 .Event-brand transfer in an entertainment service: experiential marketing. Industrial Management & Data Systems. Volume 113 (Issue: 5), pp.712 – 731. Available at: http://www. emeraldinsight.com/journals.htm?articleid=17084524&show=html [Accessed 9/11/2013] Williams, J. Coca Cola in Frukt, 2011.The definitive guide to brand activations at music festivals [online]. Available via: Frukt Communications [Accessed 8/11/2013] Young & Lang, 1979. Woodstock festival remembered. Illustrated edition. The university of California: Ballantine Books

Appendix this way

Appendix

To: Caitlin Anderson Picture of Julia Bruns julia@ourkidbrother.com No probs, I will get something over to you on Monday!

Appendix 1- Industry Interviews

Julia Bruns Director

1.1 Email interview with Julia Bruns of Creative agency Ourkidbrother Dear Ms Bruns,

Hi Caitlin,

My name is Caitlin Anderson and I am currently a third year communication and promotion student at Nottingham Trent University. My creative passions lie in music,pr and marketing and thus I am writing my final year project on this subject matter. I know you and your agency are experts in these fields so was wondering on the off chance if you would be able to help me with some research? I am in the process of conducting some research into how brands/charities can effectively use music festivals as marketing platforms without threatening the public view or authenticity of the event. Would be able to give me any insight from past experience etc? I’ve seen some of your success stories such as your work with Strongbow. If you could offer any information on your key to success within festival marketing or how brands should carefully decide which festivals they are best to associate with etc? Some quotes from you would add some real validity to my project. I would be extremely grateful if you could spare the time to help me out.

Apologies for the delay on this…

P.s If you are ever looking for interns/assistants, I would be very eager to have an interview. I graduate in June in hope of pursuing a career in events, pr etc, but working in the realm of music would be the dream! Kind Regards, Caitlin Hi Caitlin thanks for your email, When do you need it back by? I can send you some info no problem. Julia OURKIDBROTHER

IF A BRAND JUST PUTS UP A MARQUEE AND DOES PRODUCT SAMPLING WITHOUT ANY ENTERTAINING ELEMENTS THEY OFTEN STRUGGLE TO GET SUCCESS. STRONGBOW HAVE LED THE FIELD IN CREATING FESTIVAL CONSUMER EXPERIENCES, OTHER BRANDS LIKE REPLAY JEANS, RAYBAN, BACARDI AND RIZLA HAVE ALSO SUCCEEDED IN CREATING RELEVANT, CREDIBLE BRAND EXPERIENCES AT FESTIVALS. THE TARGET CONSUMERS OF THESE BRANDS ALL SHARE THE SAME FESTIVAL CONSUMER PROFILE, SO THEY ARE TALKING TO THE RIGHT PEOPLE IN THE RIGHT ENVIRONMENT. WHERAS IF A BRAND LIKE STRONGBOW TRIED TO SPONSOR A CLASSICAL MUSIC EVENT IT WOULD NOT SHARE THE CONSUMER PROFILE, SO WOULDN’T BE RELEVANT. IN TERMS OF DECIDING WHICH FESTIVALS TO ACTIVATE AT, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF FACTORS TO CONSIDER- FOOTFALL IS KEY AS BRANDS WANT TO REACH AS MANY CONSUMERS AS POSSIBLE, MATCHING THEIR TARGET CONSUMER WITH THE PRIMARY FESTIVAL DEMOGRAPHIC IS ALSO KEY TO SUCCESS, COST AND ACTIVATION POSITIONING, DIGITAL REACH AND THE GENERAL FESTIVAL IDENTITY ARE ALL FACTORS TO CONSIDER

Julia Bruns Director Caitlin Anderson 15/11/2013 To: Julia Bruns julia@ourkidbrother.com Picture of Caitlin Anderson

Here are some links to interviews I have done in the past which may be useful too: http://www.festivalinsights.com/2010/11/best-practice-for-leveraging-brand-activity-at-festivals/ http://www.contagiousmagazine.com/2010/10/brands_and_bands.php

Thanks so much for the speedy response! I have a presentation next Friday showcasing my research so far, so If you were able to get me anything by then that would be perfect, but it’s not a worry if not as the report isn’t due until after xmas. Thanks again Caitlin

THE SUCCESFUL BRAND/FESTIVAL ACTIVATIONS ARE THOSE THAT HAVE CREDIBILITY AND A REASON FOR THE TIE UP, FOR EXAMPLE A BEER OR CIDER BRAND IS RELATIVE AT MUSIC FESTIVALS AS THOSE PRODUCTS ARE CONSUMED AT THE EVENT, WHEREAS A DEODORANT BRAND LIKE LYNX HAS LESS RELEVANCE IN A FESTIVAL ENVIRONMENT SO IS MORE DIFFICULT TO BE SUCCESSFUL, UNLESS THEY CREATE A FUN EXPERIENCE THAT HAS RELEVANCE AT THE FESTIVAL. LYNX CREATED AN EXPERIENCE CALLED THE “MANWASH” AT V FESTIVAL A FEW YEARS AGO, WHICH WAS SUCCESSFUL AS THEY CREATED AN EXPERIENCE (MEN COVERED IN FESTIVAL MUD BEING WASHED BY MODELS IN BIKINI’S) THAT WAS BOTH ENTERTAINING AND STILL HAD THE BRAND MESSAGE AT THE HEART OF THE EXPERIENCE.

Hope this is useful, good luck with it! We don’t really have facilities for interns but send me your CV as if there are any placements at festivals I will let you know. Kind Regards Julia

1.2 Telephone interview with musician Paul Gray

Are certain industry sectors simply inappropriate to be placed at festivals? E.g. banking/finance/cars etc things that generally don’t fit the liberal ethos of festivals

(Musician, mentor and Regional Officer of the Musicians Union)

The biggest bands already embrace sponsorship by multinationals - I guess it may depend upon the age range - people who can aford £200 tickets can probably afford the high end products promoted on these tours. Personally I think its abhorrent that the multinationals and banks have hijacked festival sponsorship so much. If you’re not one of the top few bands on the bill, the likelihood of you getting paid more than a pittance are small - “think of the promotion you’ll get!” is the get out these days. Do you feel charities have more of a place than commercial brands at a festival? not sure - most commercial brands at a festival would also be sponsoring / underwriting - charities would not be in a financial position to do that, I would assume. I think a charity having a stall at festivals is a great idea thats very different from big brand sponsorship.

As a successful musician, you have toured all over the world and played many music festivals, how would you say the UK music festival scene has changed over the years? - Well - the punk festivals have remained the same, such as Rebellion in Blackpool - theres no advertising there. Its the bigger outdoor festivals like Download and V that I imagine have got a lot more commercially savvy. Apart from Reading Festival in 1976 / 77 and Knebworth in 1985 there are not that many others that I have played in the UK so a little difficult to comment further. Would you say it’s got more commercial? - Very much so - VW / Rolling Stones, Merecedes, Coca Cola, Barclyacard, MBNA...rock n roll used to be all about rebellion - how on earth do those gigantic corporate monoliths sit in with rock n roll and rebellion? The Stones were perhaps the first band to latch on to the value of commercial sponsorship - tragic that the band that paved the way for rebellion in the 60’s is now playing the corporate game. Does advertising/marketing have a place at music festivals? - Sure, but needs to be carefully targeted - theres a difference between having an advert in the festival programme and bloody great banners either side of the stage.

Do you think the brand/charity ethos should be similar to or match the ethos of the particular music festival or is that irrelevant? Not sure how that fits - how does a brand or charity fit a music festival??? Obvously Coca Cola must sell a bunch more cans otherwise they wouldnt do it. Unless its something more specific like WOMAD. As a musician, do you think a heavily commercial/sponsored festival would put you or other musicians off playing? Personally i would not play a festival sponsored by an unethical or burger company like Macdonalds. And all told, all this commercial sponsorship had little to do with the musicians and music they are making. I think most would be far happier having none of it. rare,y do they directly benefit, unless its MBNA underwriting a Madonna or Stones tour to the tune of $20 million - getting into a whole different world there. Do you think advertising/marketing at festivals threatens the authenticity of the event? yes- but its everywhere now - I have rose tinted glasses from the 70s when there was no real outside sponsorhip. To me festivals seem like tescos - all corporately the same. But then I dont go to any lol

If so why? - ready made chilled out audience that if the product chimes with the band may be taken onboard Do you find certain kinds of marketing/advertising/brands in particular are annoying at festivals? I think its all annoying personally. Apart from playing Rebellion I havent been to a festival in 20 odd years - and 20 years back as I remember there was little outside advertising done outside of the few sponsors, eg Kerrang! for Knebworth Fayre. And if there was any, it was usually around music instrument manufacturers or local music shops, which made operfect sense. Can big name brands/charities be embraced at music festivals or do you think there is much more of a place for independent/under the radar companies? - They already are as I understand it see above re Coca cola...20 years back I played a festival organised by Friends of the Earth in Aberdeen. There is a difference between advertising tho’, and sponsorship - I’m not entirely clear where your demarcation lines are here. I dont see why its not possible for both to be present...certainly in the case of Glasto bands are almost secondary to everything else thats going on 88

Appendix 2-Consumer insight

2.1 Survey establishing festival goers opinions on music festival marketing. A selection of relevant results that helped inform my research findings.

2.2 Focus group of festival goers Participants: Callum Hart, Charlie Saunders, Harriet Kennedy, Scott Barnsley, Farah Watts, Stephen Jessup, Kaylea Blindell. Ages range from 18-25. AIM: To find out the affect brands using music festivals as marketing has on festival goers. Whether it is embraced or an annoyance, and what kind of marketing do they feel is appropriate depending on brand and festival choice. Best parts of a festival- atmosphere, the acts/music, friends Worst parts of a festival- toilets, weather, camping, food and prices, hygiene, sleep

What festivals have you been to? Any abroad? Any differences? Heat, camping is hell in hot countries. Everyone still there to have a good time.

How would you say the presence of brands impacts upon your festival experience? They provide more fun, entertaining things to do in the day, free things. Negatively because brands charge more, brands are pushed on you. If only one brand sells it, you have to buy from them. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the only option.

Do you feel the presence of big name brands makes the festival seem less special and unique or is it irrelevant to you? In your face marketing takes you away from the festival experience e.g. big vodaphone billboard I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really take notice Only annoying if there sending big messages out all the time.

Do you think that big corporate brands in sectors such as finance, insurance, cars etc are inappropriate for music festivals? Depends how they go about it. If they are In your face, then yes. Not inappropriate but not really a market for it. Hippy stuff and things relating to music festival culture is more appropriate.

Uk more commercial? Unknown festival in Croatia had no big brands at all. UK is owned by brands Benicisim had no brands.

Have there been any occasions at a festival when a brand or charity has heightened your experience in any way? Offered you something for free, had a fun activity etc

More authentic? Not for me, more focus on music. Just about that. At Bestival, brands meant there were other things to do. They added to the experience. We were bored at the Croatian festival in the day as there were no brands offering entertainment like at UK festivals. Brands add to fun.

What could add to festival experience?

Relentless poloroid photo at reading festival. It helped us remember our fun experience. Rocksound bus at Reading. Free charging for vodaphone customers Drinks at download- Tuborg bestival- wagamamas lounge was a cool place to relax, rizla hosted an awesome rave called rizlab

Do you see that as a singular good experience or has that encouraged you to think of that brand/charity in a more positive way? Yeah more positive impressions of those brands now. Relate relentless to cool things like rock and the music industry. I now associate Strongbow with fun, sun, summer etc

App live up dates- acts cancel etc

Are you generally aware of the presence of brands and charities at the music festivals you have attended? Oxfam always at reading, Vodafone is a big obvious one, Strongbow at cream fields was the biggest alcohol one, relentless, red bull. They are in your face brands, thats how you remember them.

Were you aware that Virgin runs the V festival and T-mobile runs T in the park? yes 96

Do you think it has affected your purchasing decisions or perhaps changed your brand loyalties? Not really, just have more positive impression of them.

What do you think about the potential for the charity Talk to Frank to use music festivals as part of their overall marketing? Its appropriate, always going to be drug use at festivals

What do you think about the potential for the spiced rum brand Captain Morgan to use music festivals as part of their overall marketing? Yes Other drinks brands are successful. Yeah no other spirit brands are really associated with festivals Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s room for that. They are a fun cool brand.

Perhaps in a pirate themed party on a boat? Where you can dress up and do battle reenactment etc

2.3 Focus group exercise that established that certain brands are more suited to certain festivals depending on clientele, brand image, lifestyle associations etc Participants had to match brands to music festivals that they felt they were most suited to. The images in the figure below demonstrate a selection of the matches the participants created.

Yes definitely. (Positive responses all round)

3.2 Brand Activation: Lucozade’s Big Yes Campaign

Appendix 3- Case Studies 3.1 Brand Activation: Southern Comfort Juke Joint What they did: Personified the brand completely into a fun and engaging party experience at various UK music festivals. Music, characters, New Orleans aesthetic and a party attitude captured the essence of the brand whilst providing an emotionally valuable experience to the consumer.

What they did: Lucozade teamed up with five of the biggest music festivals in the UK- to provide high energy music, fun in the sun, and an experience that festival goers are not soon to forget. The spirit of the campaign revolves around passion and giving your all. It demonstrates that when different forms of energy come together, great things happen – highlighted throughout the campaign as ‘YES moments’. This is a perfect example of a successful integrated campaign. The message was pushed before, during and after the festivals. What it achieved:

What it achieved: It reinforced a positive brand image and further associated the brand with the ‘good times’. It also enabled the brand to appeal to a younger demographic of 18-24 year olds? (Frukt, 2011)

Brand image and message was strong and was extremely well received by festival goers as the brand made a conscious effort to add to the festival experience positively. A positive brand image was created. The brand gained positive associations with fun, music and festivals and product sampling increased brand awareness and encouraged sales in the long run. The activation included: 1. The Energy Exchange: An eye-catching awning by the point of accreditation, provided the focal point for The Energy Exchange – which served to fuel the sense of festival anticipation. Activity included: Greeting the newly-arrived festival-goers with samples of Lucozade Energy (new Blackcurrant and Lucozade Original flavours). After a long, tiring journey our festival goers were hugely grateful at the sight of a full bottle of chilled Lucozade, immediately cementing our ‘right time, right place’ thinking. Provision of a Lucozade DJ. In its highly acclaimed TV advertising, the YES campaign uses music as a tangible energy to bring the campaign to life, so music needed to be incorporated as a key component to ensure a consistent and joined up brand approach. Our DJ also created a huge buzz and excitement at the point of accreditation – ramping up the energy levels at exactly the right time. 2. The Big YES: The giant yellow YES beacon, sited predominantly in the arena area or high footfall ‘dwell’ locations became a perfect destination meeting point, offering sip sampling, giveaways and an opportunity to share YES moments. A professional photographer took pictures of people experiencing their YES moments at The Big YES zone (ranging from human pyramids to pirouettes to parkour) – and these were uploaded to Facebook as part of the activity’s digital component (all social media elements of this activity were conceived and delivered by Lucozade’s digital agency, DAD). Festival-goers were then encouraged to find their photo on the Lucozade Facebook page and tag themselves in order to win prizes – amplifying their YES moments to the masses. The Big YES provided a great dwell time space in the lead-up and anticipation to the big acts. Helpful services including WiFi, iPads to surf Facebook and Twitter, mobile phone charging points and chill-out deckchairs ensured the area was buzzing throughout the day and well into the evening. 3. The wake-up call Lucozade brand ambassadors (recruited by TRO) paid morning visits to festival goers, with the delivery of a chilled bottle of Lucozade direct to their tents. Guests were set up for the day ahead – with Lucozade’s promise that it would be every bit as a good as the night before.

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(Festival Awards, 2011)

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Appendix 3.3 Brand Activation: Orange RockCorps

Appendix 4- Failed Responses

What they did: The idea was to stage an Orange-branded rock concert to which tickets are only available after completing four hours of voluntary work. At Event magazine’s Event 100 Club this year, the project was highly praised by industry delegates who were impressed by its merging of CSR and strong branding. The inaugural project saw 60 charity events and 5,000 people working 20,000 hours, mostly clad in Orange-branded gear. The event, which hit the headlines when main act Busta Rhymes was initially prevented from entering the country for ‘unresolved convictions’, went ahead successfully with performances from Rhymes, Feeder, John Legend and Guillemots. What it acheieved: The project was highly praised by industry delegates who were impressed by its merging of CSR and strong branding. It promoted the brand positively whilst also aiding a social cause. Orange gained real credibility for its corporate social responsibility which in turn created positive brand image and a loyal customer base. (Event Magazine, 2008)

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Appedix 5- Critical Path

Appendix 6- Paper Work

Appendix 6.1 Consent Forms

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Appendix 6.2 Tutorial record sheets

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6.3 Declaration Form

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