Music Promotion and Marketing Campaign David Shaw BA Hons Music 2009/2010 Perth College
Contents Proposal Case Study Market Research Document Report Evaluation
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I David Shaw, certify that all material in this essay/assignment which is not my own is duly acknowledged.
Signed
David Shaw
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17th May 2010
Proposal
David Shaw – BA Music (Hons)
Summary My primary objective of this project is to plan and engage in an effective promotion and marketing campaign with the aim of promoting myself as a professional session bassist. The reasons behind marketing and promoting myself as a session bassist include – •
Musician reputation and reliability
•
Increasing workload and versatility
•
Professional development - obtaining and maximising income from this specialist area
For the purposes of this project, the product will be in the form of a live performance – which, if successful in terms of attracting specifically targeted music industry personnel, alongside the average live music fan – will hopefully be a launch pad with regards to gaining more employment as a session musician. The music industry personnel that I will endeavour to attract to the performance will be, amongst others – recording studio owners/engineers, record producers and artists/bands.
Marketing Campaign Market research will be undertaken to provide information on particular session work criteria, as well as helping secure the best methods of promoting myself as a product/brand and who to target it to. These items are – •
Competitor session bassists (fees/rates charged, frequency of use, music styles covered).
•
Competitor live music events that are scheduled to take place at the same time as the product in question.
•
Recording studios that frequently call on the services of a session bassist.
•
Artists/bands that frequently call on the services of a session bassist for touring or studio recordings.
•
Musicians Union information regarding suggested session rates, contracts etc.
•
Preferred social networking site (e.g. Facebook and Myspace) that industry personnel and live music punters use to access information regarding live music promotion.
•
Regional and/or national newspapers and dedicated music magazines/journals that regularly advertise live music events, as well as those that include featured articles on musicians and artists.
•
Demographic information that will indicate a preferred age group, gender or social class of the live music punter that may be targeted for promotion – with respect to the style of music that is scheduled to be performed.
Product With the product being a live performance event, the information that the proposed market research provides will determine how the product is directed to potential customers. Price In order to attract as many of the necessary customers (i.e. music industry personnel – based on the proposed market research) and regular live music punters to the event, it would be in my best interests to advertise the event as being that of free entry. Promotion The specifics of who the event will be marketed to – and how – will depend on the information gathered from the proposed market research. Placement This will also depend on retrieved information from market research concerning proposed advertising mediums (e.g. hard copy media formats such as newspapers and magazines, electronic formats such as social networking sites). Customer The type of customer I am ideally trying to attract to the event in order to gain more employment in the session work sector of the music industry include – •
Recording studio personnel
•
Solo artists that require musicians for gigs, tours and studio recordings.
•
Record producers
•
Advertisement jingle writers/composers
•
Working musicians/bands looking for stand-by personnel
•
Media journalists
Alongside these targeted industry personnel, the invitation for regular live music fans to attend plays an important role in the event, as their presence will provide evidence of there being a demand for my product, as well as generating some energy and excitement in the audience. Competition This will relate to information obtained from market research. •
Session bassists – as I personally know at least three session bassists who are currently employed at Perth College, I will formulate a questionnaire for them to fill out that will provide the information listed earlier under the Marketing Campaign.
•
Competitive events – gig listings for venues in and around Perth and Dundee that coincide with the proposed date of my event will be researched using ‘old’ and ‘new’ media types (i.e. newspapers, venue websites).
Communication The way in which I communicate information regarding all aspects of the product will depend on information gathered by market research (e.g. commonly/preferred used social networking sites, ‘old’ media, etc). This will be achieved via a simple survey conducted with music students at Perth College.
Promotional Campaign Promotion of the product will be displayed in the form of a social networking site, posters (put up in strategic locations in the Perth and Dundee areas, Perth College and in the venue itself), a brand design for myself (logo), event announcement on local radio (e.g. Perth FM, Tay FM, Heartland FM), gig listing in targeted regional and/or national newspapers and music magazines, as well as a planned featured article on myself and the upcoming gig in one or more of these targeted hard copy media formats.
The proposed social networking site will involve an initial setting up, with regular updates and maintenance. This site will be sent as a link via an introduction letter/email to the targeted studios, bands/artists, jingle writers, producers and journalists. Information regarding the gig will be advertised here, as well as a chance to view photos, a biography and evidence of previous session work in audio and video formats. Invitations to the gig will be sent to all those who register as friends on the site, with the option to reply to the invite, giving an indication of the proposed level of attendance. In order to entice the preferred music industry personnel to the event, a unique selling point (USP) will be incorporated into the advertising which will be directed only to them. The USP that will be employed is as follows – •
I will waiver my performance fee for the night and put it towards treating up to two free drinks for any music industry personnel that I have invited who attend the event.
Success/Failure The success or failure of this event is inevitably dependable on the audience size, with particular interest paid to the numbers of music industry personnel present. Here is a list of criteria I have set which will provide information as to whether the marketing and promotion of the product (i.e. the gig) is a success or not – Hits on social networking site •
Success – over 100 hits
•
Partial success – 10-99 hits
•
Failure – 0-9 hits
Feedback to proposed attendance via social networking site •
Success – over 50 people say they will attend
•
Partial success – 15-49 people say they will attend
•
Failure – below 15
Attendance at gig – (General) •
Success – over 30 people
•
Partial success – 10-29 people
•
Failure – under 10 people
Attendance at gig by targeted music industry personnel •
Success – 5 or more
•
Partial success – 1-4
•
Failure – 0
Case Study
David Shaw – BA Music (Hons)
Q. ‘Has the explosion of free music streaming improved accessibility or has it further demoted music as a creative ‘art form’
With the rapid advances and changes in technology affecting nearly all working industries, the music industry is definitely one such industry that could be highlighted in terms of there being a need to adapt and move with the times in order to commercially survive. Key technological advances made over the last few years, such as being able to download music from the internet for example, have caused – and continue to keep causing – much debate from artists, bands, record companies, and consumers. Due to these changes in technology – whether deemed as good or bad at this stage – it seems consumers now have more access to listening and purchasing recorded music, with the internet being the primary tool in terms of access. The following issues will be discussed in this case study:•
The impact free music streaming has had on hard-copy retail music sales.
•
How much does the consumer expect to pay in order to listen to music online?
•
The role of the record company. Is there still a need for an artist/band to be represented by a recorded label in order for consumers to access music?
•
Do artists and bands consider free streaming music to be a good thing in terms of getting their music heard?
Due to the evolution of music downloading through the use of web sites such as iTunes and Napster, an alternative and convenient means for purchasing recorded music was created. Hard copy music sales were affected dramatically. This is particularly evident through the closures of many independent, and some high-street record stores. “According to statistics from the Entertainment Retailers Association, between 2004 and 2006 more than a quarter of all independent music stores in the UK closed down. The reasons are well documented: the dominance of supermarkets and high-street chains, rising rents and the irrepressible growth of music downloads.” (Gausi, 2008)
Another concern that has had an impact on not just the survival of record stores - but also the survival of record companies/labels – is the impact illegal downloading has had on music sales. According to the IFPI Digital Music Report 2010, the continuing growth of illegal filesharing of recorded music has played a contributing factor in the decline of legitimate music sales, be it through legal internet downloads or hard copy sales. The report claims that global music industry revenues have dropped 30% over the last five years due to the widespread use of music piracy (IFPI, 2010). The reason for such popularity in illegal file-sharing lies with the fact that the consumer is getting something for nothing. Based on research and studies, the report also states that one in four illegal file-sharers typically spend none of their income on recorded music. The report still does suggests though, that some amount of illegal file-sharing does lead on to legal music purchasing, but the option in which consumers can access music for nothing will probably be more tempting than their inclination to purchase instead. Alongside legal and illegal downloading, the relatively recent advent of free streaming music internet sites such as Spotify, Grooveshark, Last Fm, and We7 has dramatically raised the level of access for listening to sound recordings by the consumer. This in turn will add to the problem associated with hard copy music sales, whereby many more record stores – both
independent and high street chains – are seriously feeling the effects financially and are continuing to be forced out of business. The debate that continues to cloud free music streaming sites is linked with the fact that most of them are still currently free to access. Funded by adverts, instant access to millions of songs is given free of charge to the consumer. Despite, for example, Spotify’s recent change to a monthly subscription charge for new members wishing to stream music, as oppose to its previous free membership – driven mainly by ongoing pressures from record labels such as Warner, who object to the whole idea of accessing music for free, as they feel it will have a detrimental effect to potential profits obtained through licensing fees paid to them for the distribution of their artist’s music online (see Youngs, 2010) – access for members who joined previous to the recent changes are still able to stream music for free. “Only about 4% of Spotify's users are paying subscribers, indicating that the music streaming firm still faces an uphill struggle to prove its business model is viable. A top music exec recently said the firm needs between 10% and 12% of its users to subscribe to be sustainable. Spotify says it has more than 7m users across the six markets it operates in, but is only willing to say that subscriber figures number "more than 250,000". Taking 250,000 as an estimate, Spotify's subscription rate comes in at less than 4%.” (Jackson, Mitton. 2010)
If this can be taken as evidence to suggest the number of subscribing users on Spotify, then undoubtedly 96% of members are accessing music for free. This in turn provokes the issue of how much – if any – consumers are willing to pay for online streaming services. These statistics could resemble a common consumer trend throughout other music streaming sites such as Grooveshark and We7, potentially providing evidence to suggest that the large majority of consumers who access music through online streaming services are expecting to listen to music for free. As a result of statistics like these – and the recent stance and resulting
action by Warner, where the company pulled all its represented artists/bands from licensing deals with free streaming services – there is now an even greater concern as to the future of the music industry in respect to sustainability for record labels and independent artists alike. As with any business, there is an understandable need for financial survival. Other business models and investment by record labels and music streaming companies are currently being considered – and in some cases utilised – in order to profit from licensing deals and subscription charges. The current trend – and potential move forward for the industry – is in the development of licensed music applications for mobile phones. For example, on 17th March, 2010, Universal and Sony backed the relatively new US based on-demand music subscription service Mog, as it unveiled its new mobile phone app for iPhone and Android devices. ‘The mobile version will cost USD10 per month and allow users to download music to a local cache on their device to access music when their phone is out of signal or Wi-Fi range..... "The whole point of putting music in the cloud is to be able to get to it whenever you want it, from anywhere - and mobile was always an end goal for us," says MOG founder and CEO David Hyman.’ (editor, www.strategyeye.com)
With developments such as these, access to recorded music by consumers would seem broadened even more so. Similar deals between record labels and on-line music streaming services will potentially set a path to securing some financial stability to those concerned as the issue of licensing deals and royalty payments for artists mounts. If the current pace of the changes in technology continues, developments such as these will evolve into other business models, therefore potentially creating an almost endless means of access to an unlimited amount of music – anywhere, anytime, anyhow.
With these current trends in accessing recordable music, the argument is now available with regards to whether or not artists/bands need representation from labels in order for consumers to access their music. The recent actions by Warner, for example, have created speculation by one of its represented acts – Muse – as to whether they are making business decisions in view of their represented acts, or solely based on their own profit margins in order for survival in the industry. In a report by the BBC, 24th Feb, 2010, Muse claim that Warner’s stance on free streaming music takes songs away from potential listeners, adding also that bands these days are concerned with giving people the option of accessing their music any way possible. If this is a general consensus amongst bands and artists, then there is the option for bands and artists to distribute their music digitally themselves. For example, The Unsigned Guide publication (2010) lists over 50 music distribution companies such as itunes, Napster, Rhapsody and CD Baby, where unsigned artists can sell their music digitally. There are options whereby the consumer can ‘try before they buy’, creating more choice for the consumer in terms of spending power, but in doing so may limit the artists sales if consumers choose not to buy. Independent digital distribution has also extended to music streaming sites such as Spotify. This was made possible due to last year’s licensing deal with CD Baby, in which users can now gain access to over 175,000 independent artists (see www.spotify.com). This level of access would seem beneficial for both artist, and consumer. The artist is able to get their music distributed across various digital platforms – with very little expense – and the consumer is able to access a wider array of music which they may have not been aware of being in existence before. According to the IFPI report though, record companies still insist that the investment that they contribute to breaking a new act in the market cannot be beaten in terms of the scale of marketing, promotion and financial backing. By making such statements, it could be argued that record companies are scared of going out of business if
independent artists/bands succeed in breaking the market as they seek to employ these relatively new ideas and approaches to marketing and promoting their music.
Bibliography http://www.timeout.com/london/music/features/4441/Independent_London_record_shops.htm l Author – Tamara Gausi (Tues 18th March, 2008) Retrieved 9/3/10
IFPI Digital Music Report 2010 (published 21/01/10)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8507885.stm Author – Ian Youngs (10/02/2010) Retrieved 9/3/10
http://news.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/hi/music/newsid_10050000/newsid_10058400/10058415.stm Author – unknown Retrieved 18/03/10
http://www.theunsignedguide.com/contents/distributors Author – unknown Retrieved 18/03/10
http://www.spotify.com/uk/about/press/spotify-seals-major-music-deal-with-cd-baby/ Author – Spotify Retrieved 18/03/10
http://digitalmedia.strategyeye.com/article/fe34f088af/2010/01/22/Only_4_of_Spotify_users_ pay_to_listen/ Author – Jackson, Mitton (22/01/2010) Retrieved 18/03/10
The Unsigned Guide 2010 (mcr music, Manchester)
Market Research Document Various forms of market research, such as e-marketing (in the form of a quantitative data based survey published over the internet), demographic information sourced from www.mintel.com, phone calls to venues, studios, bands and artists, as well as looking up future events in gig guides and newspapers have been undertaken in relation to the product in question – Dave Shaw’s Billabong Band. The results that are obtained will identify such items as; •
Other music events scheduled for the same date of Dave Shaw’s Billabong Band performance of Sat May 1st, 2010, and whether these could be considered as competition.
•
How big a market there is for jazz and blues in the Perth area, as well as in the whole of UK, relating to the popularity of the genre and the age groups that are attracted to live performances in this music genre.
•
What is the preferred method/s by which music fans access information on live music events, bands and artists?
•
Whether there is a need for the services of a session bassist in the Perth and Dundee areas from recording studios, artists and bands. This will be in relation to both studio work and live performances.
•
Whether studio personnel, artists and bands would be interested in attending a live performance showcasing a local session bassist.
Local venues and live music events that coincide with Dave Shaw’s Billabong Band on 1st May In order to determine any proposed live event competition in the Perth area, gig listings for May 1st have been sourced through either specialist gig guides (see www.gigguide.co.uk), local newspapers such as The Perthshire Advertiser, or phone calls direct to known or established local music venues where no listing has been indicated through the other promotional mediums. This table indicates all popular live music venues in Perth and their proposed events for 1st May, 2010. Venue
Event/Band
Entry
Notes
Twa Tams
Eat Dr Ape
Free Entry
Alternative rock band with large local
79 Scott St, Perth
following. Biggest competitor in terms of
01738 580948
venue (capacity nearly twice as big, reputation of venue for hosting live music) and reputation of band.
Mucky Mulligans
Private Party
N/A
Not considered as a competitor for the night in
97 Canal St, Perth
No band scheduled
There is normally
terms of a live music event.
01738 632650
a door charge ÂŁ3 - ÂŁ5
Christies Bar
No band scheduled
Normally free
Not considered as a competitor for the night in
entry
terms of a live music event.
Normally free
Not considered as a competitor for the night in
entry
terms of a live music event.
Mostly door
Not considered as a competitor for the night in
76-78 Canal St,
charge when live
terms of a live music event.
Perth
music event
73 Kinnoull St, Perth 01738 623701 Corrina Bar
No band scheduled
44 Atholl St, Perth 01738 622201 Mondos
01738 449991
No event scheduled
Perth Concert
Stage production
Hall
(about Mum’s and
terms of a live music event.
babies)
Considered a competitor due to attracting
£12 - £16
Not considered as a competitor for the night in
potential audience that could be at a live music event instead
As can be clearly seen, this market research identifies The Twa Tams as being the only venue advertising a live music event that coincides with the scheduled performance of Dave Shaw’s Billabong Band. As Dave Shaw’s Billabong Band is the only scheduled jazz/blues music event on the night of 1st May, there is no competition in terms of musical styles between the two bands, and likewise from any other music or event venue. Therefore there is the potential to attract an audience who would prefer to attend a jazz/blues event.
Jazz/Blues – Is There A Market? In order to determine how big a market there is for jazz and blues, a quantitative data based survey was posted on social networking site Facebook, targeted primarily at people living in the Perth area. The aim of this survey is to establish some indication as to musical tastes in relation to jazz and blues and popularity of attending such events, as there is the perception within today’s contemporary popular music that jazz and blues is considered a niche market, as well as what attracts people to such as event. Specific questions will also determine the preferred
media
that
music
fans
access
information
on
artists/bands
http://www.esurveyspro.com/Survey.aspx?id=fe41e946-2286-4c64-b6eb-de29d957f9e9
(see for
full survey). 20 people responded to the survey, and the results of the main questions asked are listed below;
1. How often do you listen to jazz or blues?
% of Number of Respondents Respondents
Always
0.00%
0
Often
30.00%
6
Sometimes
60.00%
12
Never
10.00%
2
2. Have you ever attended a jazz or blues performance/concert?
% of Number of Respondents Respondents
Yes
75.00%
15
No
25.00%
5
3. If you answered YES to question 2, what aspects of the performance did % of Number of Respondents Respondents you enjoy? Musicianship
37.04%
10
Range of instruments
11.11%
3
Atmosphere
22.22%
6
Overall sound
18.52%
5
The wine
11.11%
3
4. If you answered No to question 2, would you consider attending a jazz/blues event?
% of Number of Respondents Respondents
Yes
42.86%
3
No
14.29%
1
Maybe
42.86%
3
7. How would you like to receive information on Dave Shaw's Billabong Band?
% of Number of Respondents Respondents
Social Networking Sites Facebook, Myspace, Twitter etc
70.00%
14
Independent website
5.00%
1
Both
25.00%
5
8. Would you like to see more jazz or blues events being held in the Perth area?
% of Number of Respondents Respondents
Yes
55.00%
11
No
0.00%
0
Maybe
20.00%
4
9. Which social networking site do you prefer to source information on bands/musicians?
% of Number of Respondents Respondents
60.00%
15
Myspace
36.00%
9
0.00%
0
Bebo
4.00%
1
Although a comparatively small percentage of people responded to this survey, if the 20 people who did could be thought of as a representation of the local general public, then the statistics gained from this survey indicate that there is still a strong call for hosting jazz and blues events in the local area, with musicianship being the strongest attraction in terms of drawing an audience. Facebook is clearly the most preferred web site for accessing information on artists/bands, although Myspace would still have to be considered as another social networking site for music promotion.
In order to gain information relating to the popularity of jazz and blues within the whole of UK and the age groups that are attracted to the genre, demographics provided by www.mintel.com contained the following report;
“Over the past five years there has been a sustained increase in audiences for all the main genres of pop/rock, classical and jazz music. Jazz has a rather more inclusive socio-economic profile than classical, and appeals to concert goers from their twenties through to sixties. For the jazz lover, the sit-down concert repertoire is fairly limited. In many respects, jazz is a hard-gigging environment, with its roots in the pubs and clubs circuit rather than concert hall. But jazz has been making some headway in terms of bringing new audiences to the genre, as well as offering more marketable properties for promoters and sponsors. While jazz purists may bemoan the attempts to popularise the music, headlining acts have emerged. In the past few years, Jamie Cullum has become the UK pin-up of jazz male vocalists. Elsewhere, Jools Holland is bringing the Big Band sound out of the basement and into the concert hall and picnic circuit.� (mintel.com – 2008 report)
This report suggests that jazz music appeals to quite a wide age group, and continues to grow as a genre in terms of attracting more audiences to live events. Evidence of this growth is indicated in the graph below, with a growth pattern similar to that of the other music categories listed. From this though, jazz could still be seen to be a niche market, but with a continual steady growth of audience size;
The audience for concerts FIGURE 10: Estimated numbers of concert goers, in millions, by major music category, 2003-13
(graph provided by mintel.com, 2008)
Another statistical guide that provides some form of evidence of the range of age groups that have an interest in jazz and blues music can be seen in the graph below. This graph has been taken from interactions with Dave Shaw’s Billabong Band fan page on social networking page Facebook, indicating the number of fans and age group range percentages;
Facebook http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/business/insights/?pages&i=380424908480
This table suggests that people interested in jazz and blues are spread across all age groups, although the majority fall within the 18-44 age group bracket.
Recording Studios and Artists/Bands In conjunction with the overall project, there is an aim to attract music industry personnel with the hope of gaining future work as a session bassist. The following local recording studios and artists/bands were contacted and asked; •
How often do you rely on the services of a session bassist in the studio
•
Would you consider attending an event showcasing a local session bassist for potential future hiring
Name
Contact
Use session bassists?
Consider attending?
Clearwater Studios
Gavin
Yes. Occasionally. Depends on
Yes. Networking potential
Shore Rd, Perth
Munro
clients budget and production
01738 443217
aims.
Red Barn Studios
Stuart
Virtually never. Any other
Longforgan, nr Dundee
Duncan
additional instrumentation is
01828 686100
Unlikely. Busy working
provided by Stuart himself-part of the studio package.
Butterstone Studio
Jamie
Rarely. Most recording artists come
Yes. Networking potential,
Butterstone, Dunkeld
McLean
complete with band. Any other
but probably unlikely as
instrumentation can be provided
studios interest is mainly
by studio family and friends.
linked with Scottish Trad and
01350 724281
folk. Seagate Studios Dundee
Graeme
Rarely. Most recording artists come
01382 200725
Watt
complete with band. Any other
Yes. Networking potential
instrumentation can be provided by engineer and owner. Tpot Studios
Robin Evans
Yes. Occasionally. Depends on
Yes. Networking potential,
Nr Kinross
clients budget and production
but generally busy working
07519698765
aims.
Michael Rattray
Michael
Yes. Has previously used session
Perth based singer
Rattray
musicians for the studio. Generally
songwriter/composer
Yes. Networking potential
has a band he can call on.
Wolftrain
Robin
Calls on 4-5 different bassists for
Yes. Networking potential, as
Blues Band
Johnstone
live work, depending on
musical style is similar.
availability.
Unlikely to attend due to gig commitments
Ian Hutchison
Ian
Only once...for solo studio album.
Yes. Networking potential.
Perth based songwriter.
Hutchison
Usually has band to call on
Depends on music style.
Country, Rock
This table indicates that in the Perth and Dundee areas there does not seem to be much of a call for studio session work for bass players. Despite this, there is a slight hint that session work is perhaps more available when artists/bands are considering live work (concerts, tours).
There is an indication from the majority of contacts that they are quite interested to know that there is a bassist available in the local area, and consider the networking potential in this field as somewhat beneficial.
Sources
Mintel (2008). Report: Music Concerts and Festivals – UK – August 2008 [Online]. Available from www.mintel.com [Accessed 24/04/2010]
Facebook (2010). Dave Shaw’s Billabong Band [Online]. Available from http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/business/insights/?pages&i=380424908480 [Accessed 26/04/2010
Esurveyspro (2010). Dave Shaw’s Billabong Band – survey [Online]. Available from
http://www.esurveyspro.com/Survey.aspx?id=fe41e946-2286-4c64-b6eb-de29d957f9e9 [Accessed 24/04/2010]
Report Overview The primary objective of my individual project is to market and promote myself as a professional session bassist. This will be achieved through hosting a jazz and blues music performance, featuring Dave Shaw’s Billabong Band playing at the venue known as The Malthouse, Princes St, Perth, on Sat 1st May, 2010. The intended outcome from promoting and staging such an event is to secure the attendance of music industry personnel such as recording studio engineers/owners, record producers and artists/bands in order to display my availability as a session musician. This will in turn, aim in developing musician reputation and reliability, increase workload and versatility as a session bassist, and aid in my own professional development with the intention of obtaining and maximising income from this specialist area.
Market Market research has been undertaken in order to determine the nature and scale of the proposed market place. Several items relating to the objectives of the project have been researched. These include; •
Competitive music events scheduled for the same date as Dave Shaw’s Billabong Band.
•
The popularity and size of market for jazz and blues in the Perth area, detailing age groups and sex.
•
Local studios, artists and bands that perhaps call on the services of a session bassist.
•
Preferred method/s by which music fans access information on live music events, bands and artists.
The scale of this market research has predominately been undertaken locally in the Perth and Dundee areas, although there has been some insight given from other areas of Scotland and even overseas relating to the popularity and size of market for jazz and blues. According to the information and statistics gathered and published on the supporting Market Research document, the only considerable music event competition that coincides with 1st May, relating to the same size and scale as to that of Dave Shaw’s Billabong Band performance (i.e. similar size music venue, capacity and free entry charge to the event), comes from the proposed performance of alternative rock group Eat Dr Ape at the Twa Tams, Scott St, Perth. From the information obtained through gig listings in gig guides, newspapers and venue or band promotion, there is no indication of any other jazz or blues performance scheduled for the 1st May, 2010. If there is a similar musical style event scheduled for another music venue on the same date, it would seem that perhaps the same scale of promotion is not evident in the various music event promotional mediums that were researched as highlighted in the Market Research document. Therefore, Dave Shaw’s Billabong Band could be considered as having an edge in attracting potential jazz and blues fans to the event. Although jazz and blues are perhaps perceived as being a niche market, the market research carried out suggests that these musical styles still attract quite a following of fans. Age groups interested cover a broad spectrum, although the majority of fans who attend similar music events, or would like to attend similar events, are concentrated around the 25-44 age group brackets, and nearly 2/3 of fans are suggested to be male.
The preferred method of sourcing information on upcoming gigs, artists and bands is over the internet, with Facebook and Myspace being the most popular social networking sites through which this is being achieved. Due to this information, Dave Shaw’s Billabong Band networks with music fans through a fan page on Facebook, and there is a link to my own Myspace page providing information on previous music sessions I have been involved with. Market research suggests that although session bassists have been occasionally called on for studio work, there is not a strong call from recording studios or artist/bands for this specialist field in the Perth and Dundee areas. The research undertaken suggests that session work is called upon more frequently in the live performance sector.
Industry Comparison Comparison 1 – ‘TWISTER’ – Blues band Twister is a blues band based in Perth. They mainly play locally in venues of similar size, such as The Twa Tams, Mucky Mulligans, Mondos, and Dexters in Dundee. Upon undertaking research, their promotional campaign leading up to their recent 24th April gig in The Malthouse could be considered as being that of the same scale, market, funding and intention. Twister operate a Facebook fan page and notified its’ intentions to play a music event to its fans. This form of product promotion seemed to work well for them in terms of gaining a large interest with interaction on the site from fans who indicated they would be attending the gig (67), with the event being posted to around 3000 people. Linked with Facebook, Twister operate a Myspace music page, offering a choice of recordings to listen to, alongside a complete list of upcoming events. They also have an independent website, although upon viewing this, there does not appear to be much updating of information. Twister secured a review and event details column in Tuesday’s edition of the Perthshire
Advertiser the week before the gig. Posters advertising the product were placed throughout the venue and various city centre locations prior to the event also.
Comparison 2 – ‘RED PINE TIMBER COMPANY’ – Americana/Country Red Pine Timber Company are a Perth based Americana/Country outfit, fronted by Clearwater Studios owner Gavin Munro. Although not similar in style of music, their promotional campaign leading up to a recent gig in Perth Library Theatre on 23rd April could also be considered similar in size, scale and intention as my product. Like Twister, there is a dedicated fan band page on Facebook, and the gig was advertised through this page as an event. The difference being though, it would appear that there was not the same amount of interaction on the site from both fans and the band themselves, therefore suggesting that Facebook was perhaps not used to a great capacity in order to promote the product. This website page appears to be the only form of online promotion for the event, although there are just the basics of a Myspace band page evident which is looks like it is currently in development, yet no listing of the event was available. RPTC perhaps relied on promotion of the product through a column in the music page of last week’s Perthshire Advertiser. Similar to Twister, posters for the product were placed in and around the venue, yet, no other posters were evident in other locations. Unlike Twister, RPTC were advertising their product at £6 as entry fee, and the venue for product release was more of an intimate setting as oppose to a pub music venue, yet a bar was advertised as being available as a means to still attract people to the event.
When comparing these two products with my own, the same promotional tools have been used, although at varying degrees. Dave Shaw’s Billabong Band keep an updated fan page on Facebook, and an event invitation was posted several weeks before product release. Although this posting was released well before the product date and updated each week since, there has not been as much interaction from fans in comparison to Twister, with the number of confirmed guests reaching only 23. This may have been due to the fact that my product only reached 800 Facebook members, which has perhaps been due to a lack of knowledge in knowing how to utilise this particular social networking site as a promotional tool. I have my own personal music page on Myspace, compared to Twister and RPTC, who are band orientated in this way. My link to a Myspace page ties in with my product being geared towards gaining more session work, so advertising other projects I have been involved with (e.g. list of recordings for streaming) is a method I’ve decided would help in order to achieve exposure as a session musician through this promotional medium. I have not employed a dedicated web page as part of the marketing and promotional campaign as market research indicates (see document) that most people accessing artist/band information are doing this from social networking sites, with the added bonus being that these sites are a free promotional tool. Similar to both bands, my product will be reviewed with attaching photograph in Fri 30th April edition of the Perthshire Advertiser. Posters have also been placed in Perth College and various locations in Perth City centre.
Professional Feedback Two industry professionals with experience in music event promotion have been sourced and contacted for feedback regarding the promotion of the product, Dave Shaw’s Billabong Band; •
Gavin Munro – Musician and singer/songwriter, studio owner. Over 200 events promoted over about 20 years.
•
Ewan Normand – Lecturer in Music Business studies. Over 100 events promoted over 12 years.
After establishing each individuals experience in music event promotion (see appendix), I outlined in detail to both industry professionals the promotion and marketing campaign undertaken for Dave Shaw’s Billabong Band. The responses given are listed below; •
Should have tried to secure a radio interview leading up to the event – you will be surprised as to the number of people listening to local radio stations.
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Should have perhaps used a logo throughout all promotional mediums – people will be able to associate the logo with the product/brand.
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Could have advertised using posters and press a bit further afield than just the local Perth area.
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Should have made contact with many more music industry personnel than stated, particularly producers if wishing to gain future session work as a musician.
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If you’re friends with other gigging musicians and bands, get them to make an announcement concerning your product during their performance/gig.
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Should have considered Perth College music publication Surround Sound for product information and announcements.
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The venue chosen for product launch has a good passing trade, provides a more intimate setting than other local music venues (ideal for jazz and blues), and is
gaining popularity as an established venue in Perth. Due to this, there is the potential to gain extra clientele than first anticipated. •
You have a good, professional looking poster advertising the product – if your advertising looks professional, then punters will presume there is a professional sound related to the product.
Results The key outcomes relating to this project include promotional, financial, placement of product and business development. With regards to the promotion campaign, although I have been aware of the strengths of advertising using press, posters and word of mouth (as I have used these promotional tools with some or limited success in the past), incorporating social networking sites such as Facebook into the promotion of Dave Shaw’s Billabong Band has proven to be a quick and inexpensive means of advertising a product, with the potential of reaching many thousands of would-be fans. There is greater potential to interact with fans and create some sort of hype on the product and helping to build a rapport with the potential audience. For this project alone, it has proven to be moderately successful under the success/failure criteria set out in the project proposal. To date, 97 fans have joined Dave Shaw’s Billabong Band Facebook page (just falling short of the stipulated 100 as being a success). The event for product release was posted to over 800 people on Facebook (although probably only half this number would be located in the Perth and Dundee areas), of whom 23 have confirmed as likely to attend, and 38 say they might attend. Under the criteria set out in the project proposal, these figures indicate a partial success rate in terms of attracting an audience to the event.
The posters have been a success in terms of design and professional quality (as indicated by industry feedback and some word of mouth), although whether they attract more people to the event is arguable. Securing an announcement and write-up in the Perthshire Advertiser could be considered a success, as this was indicated by professional feedback as being possibly the strongest form of advertising. The advantages of advertising in local press could be considered as follows; •
This allows you to focus your advertising nationally or locally to match your target catchment area.
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If your custom is largely local, you can avoid wasting money in unproductive areas.
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Depending on the nature of your business and the readership of the paper, you may be able to some extent to target a particular socio-economic group.
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People expect to find advertising in newspapers and many actively look for it, especially in classified advertising in local newspapers, to find goods and services they need.
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Because your newspaper advert will appear as hard copy on paper, the reader can easily keep it for future reference, unlike radio and TV advertising, whose effect depends on the listener or viewer’s memory. (Allen, 2008)
The only cost regarding financial outcome resulted in £5 being spent on poster duplication in A3 and A4 sizes. This low cost has been achieved due to gaining access of computer and printing facilities at Perth College. Feedback from industry professionals indicated that the intended venue for product release, The Malthouse, Perth, is an ideal location for attracting
passing trade and could arguably be considered as Perth’s second main music venue. The fact that it offers a slightly more intimate setting than that of The Twa Tams could help to further attract clientele interested in hearing this style of music. To date, only one targeted industry professional has indicated that he/she is attending the event. If this bears relation to industry professional attendees on event night, this will be deemed a partial success (see project proposal criteria).
Upon reflection to the industry comparisons and feedback/criticism from industry professionals, I feel that some extra promotional methods could have been utilised in order to bring more attention to the product. The promotion campaign sits almost level with that of Twister, yet slightly higher than Red Pine Timber Company. If the extra advice from industry professionals had been carried out initially, then I could say that I undertook a majority of promotion platforms, which in turn could result in quite a substantial turnout for the event. Not enough was done in order to target a larger range of industry professionals to the event (which was one of the main objectives combined with the product release), as industry contacts could have been targeted in the substantially larger music hubs of Glasgow and Edinburgh in order to potentially gain more session work. This side of the campaign could have been undertaken as a separate venture, with the possibility of hosting a live music event in these cities, resulting in perhaps a larger attendance from targeted personnel.
Sources
Suite101 (2008). Allen, T. Small Business Newspaper Advertising: The Advantages and Disadvantages of Advertising in Newspapers [Online]. Available from: http://marketingpr.suite101.com/article.cfm/newspaper_advertising_for_small_business [Accessed: 28 April 2010]
Red Pine Timber Company •
http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/pages/red-pine-timbercompany/108893025802806?ref=ts
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http://www.myspace.com/redpinetimberco
Twister •
http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/group.php?gid=237275317322&ref=ts
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http://www.myspace.com/twisterband
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http://www.twister-band.com/
Gavin Munro - Clearwater Studios, Shore Rd, Perth. 01738 443217 (known industry professional) Ewan Normand - Perth College, Crieff Rd, Perth. 01738 877000 (unknown industry professional)
Appendix 1 In order gain some background knowledge on the two industry professionals that were contacted in conjunction with this report, a set of questions was formulated, with the answers provided by both listed below each question; 1. What methods and promotional mediums have you used to promote and advertise music events in the past? •
Radio.
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Posters and flyers (including fly posting when it was still legal).
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Local Press.
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Word of mouth.
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Mailing lists and bulk email/texts.
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Social networking sites (Facebook, Myspace).
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Put on transport to the event (bus).
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Gorilla advertising – bombarding with advertising, approaching people in the street, writing with chalk on the road/footpath indicating direction of event on the actual night of product launch.
2. Which methods have worked best for you? •
Word of mouth.
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Press (identified by both as possibly the strongest).
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Posters and flyers.
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Radio.
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Social networking sites.
3. If you were aiming to promote yourself as a session musician to music industry personnel, how would go about it? •
Make sure you have a detailed and comprehensive resume/CV ready.
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Invite to studio.
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Make contact by phone, sell yourself.
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Send a demo.
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Email with links to website information and music examples/past sessions.
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Offer first employment services free of charge.
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Join Musicians Union for a comprehensive list of contacts in the targeted field.
Contact producers rather than studios, artists or bands as they have more influence in decision making in the studio.
Appendix 2 Dave Shaw’s Billabong Band is promoted on; http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/Dave-Shaws-BillabongBand/380424908480?ref=ts
Also linked with this site in promoting my previous session work; http://www.myspace.com/davidshawbass
Evaluation of Campaign Upon reflection of my promotion and marketing campaign, I feel that I have coped with the process suitably and as best I could within the given time frame, with an overall aim of achieving all objectives that were outlined in my proposal. Although not all objectives were met (to be discussed), the campaign has been a great learning experience, as my music career in the past, in terms of promoting myself or a project/performance I have been involved with, has been promoted mostly by others. Some of these events have been successful, although upon progressing through this module, I realise that a vast majority have been unsuccessful in terms of utilising as many promotional tools as possible, such as social networking sites for example, in which interest for a product can be achieved through constant networking and updating of product information and progress. The campaign I have undertaken has made me realise that promoting and marketing a product can be a relatively simple process, cost effective, and can be achieved on my own with the help of today’s technologies.
The main issue arising from my campaign was getting used to working with and setting up my product on social networking site Facebook. As my market research suggested that a majority of music fans now access information on artists/bands through these, or similar sites such as Myspace, I felt that I had to get with the times and promote my product through this medium. The main problem I faced initially was navigation within the site, which in turn posed various issues relative to such items as setting up a product page, posting events, and generally attracting interest to the product from potential fans. This proved to be the most time consuming area of my campaign, with a lot of trial and error as a result, and some
guidance was needed from friends and colleagues in order to gain results from this promotional medium.
However, I feel that Facebook served as the best means in promoting Dave Shaw’s Billabong Band. Over one hundred fans joined the group before the product launch, which, according to the criteria I set out under my proposal regarding hits on a social networking site, is a success. Although the response to the posting of the product as an event to over 800 people on Facebook seemed positive at first, only 27 fans indicated they would definitely attend, which is a partial success according to the criteria set. This partial success though proved to be a positive sign in terms of helping to generate a successful overall turnout on the night, as all but two of these fans were present at the product launch. I calculated a total of 50-60 fans in attendance at the product launch, which according to my proposal criteria, is a success. With Facebook providing up to half of all attendees on the night, using a social networking site such as this in order to promote a music product comes as most beneficial in this particular circumstance.
There were two main objectives involved in my campaign. Firstly, promoting the performance of Dave Shaw’s Billabong Band on 1st May, and secondly, using this gig in order to promote myself as a session bassist. Only the first of these objectives was met though, and only to a certain degree. The promotion of the performance was met through; •
Advertising and networking with fans on Facebook.
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Designing a poster advertising the product launch and placing these at the The Malt House (venue), Perth College, and targeted areas in Perth.
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Securing a write-up of myself and the band in relation to the gig which was printed in the music section of 30th April edition of The Perthshire Advertiser.
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Word of mouth.
Designing a logo for the product, as well as securing an event announcement or interview on local radio stations such as Perth FM, Tay FM, and Heartland FM were objectives that were not successfully achieved. I decided that the poster design could virtually make do as a supposed product logo, and as the whole promotional campaign is geared towards the playing of bass instruments, a picture of me playing an upright bass would be the best approach in order to link the product with the man behind the product. The photo that was used for the poster design was also placed in conjunction with the write-up in The Perthshire Advertiser, so in actual fact, I feel that the photo replaced any prior intentions of incorporating a separate logo within the promotional campaign. Securing an event announcement or interview on local radio did not happen due to a combination of poor time management and a lack of researching the appropriate contacts, who in turn should have been contacted. I feel that the same success could have been achieved through radio as what was achieved through securing the press article release. There was minimum effort with regards to the press article – an email containing information on the gig, a short biog, and a photo (logo) was sent to the music journalist within The Perthshire Advertiser. Virtually the same effort could have gone into securing a radio announcement, and I feel that I was perhaps relying on the press article too much as the main promotional tool within the ‘old media’ format for advertising my product.
With regards to incorporating the gig in order to promote myself as session bassist, this objective was met only briefly. The press article in The Perthshire Advertiser listed all the
artists/bands I have worked with in the past as a session musician, although the mistake I made when submitting my information to the newspaper was in not stating the link between the performance and my services as a session bass player. Although several local recording studios and artists/bands were contacted directly by me in order to promote the gig, and my services - as well as combining market research at the same time (which indicated that there is not much call for session musicians in this part of the UK) – the outcome of actually enticing these music industry personnel to the product launch was dismal, despite my efforts of incorporating my USP into my sales pitch (see proposal). Despite this though, one studio owner did attend the product launch, which according to the criteria I set out in my proposal, is a partial success. However, I did already know this music industry contact, and although we did talk about potential session work in the future at his studio, there was no new industry contact present at the product launch.
I feel that undertaking the market research, including devising survey questions and obtaining substantial demographic information was the most difficult part of the whole campaign. The demographic information that I did obtain through mintel.com did seem fairly generalised in terms of age groups and class groups who are fans of jazz and blues music. Due to this, I felt that I didn’t have a specific audience to target as such. Despite this, the survey I created online proved in providing the most information that I was hoping to obtain. Preferences in how music fans source information and news on bands/artists, as well as the popularity of jazz/blues music in the local area, indicated which promotional mediums to use in order to target an audience. However, the biggest omission in the survey was a question on age, which may have helped somewhat in confirming some more specifics on age groups. The problem with the online survey was the low number of respondents. People cannot be forced into
filling out an online survey, and with only 20 respondents, I feel that this is not a huge representation of general public views regarding the information I was seeking. The easiest part of the market research was in collating information on competition events in the Perth area. This was achieved through a combination of telephone calls to known music venues in Perth, and sourcing gig guides and newspapers for the relative information. The market research conducted with recording studios and artists/bands provided me with exactly the information I was after, although I feel that I should have researched further afield than the Perth, Dundee and Fife areas. Targeting larger music hubs such as Glasgow or Edinburgh may have provided me with a slightly different view on the potential for session work, as well as gaining new contacts within the music industry within this specialist field.
The only other thing I would have done differently throughout this campaign would be perhaps in not linking the gig and session work as one combined product. The information I gained through market research on session work proved to be quite disappointing, and as a result, my thoughts on concentrating on gaining work in this field – especially within the studio – in this particular region of Scotland, seem somewhat pointless. However, this combination may prove fruitful if staged in Glasgow, Edinburgh, or even London. By omitting the session work side of things during the campaign, I would have had more time and energy in focussing on promoting the gig as being the sole product.