Sales and Marketing Plan Debut Album: Talking Dreams Release Date: October 1st 2013
Jessica Goldman . Sales Intern . Summer 2013
DEMOGRAPHIC + FANBASE Target Audience
Echosmith has just fewer than 1,000 Facebook and Twitter fans, and most of the followers fall in the 18 to 24 age category and are from Los Angeles. Fifty nine percent of fans on Facebook are female and 42 percent are male and over 80 percent of fans come from the U.S., according to Next Big Sound. Echosmith has two slightly different fan bases. Because Echosmith’s two major touring gigs so far are opening for Owl City and playing at VANS Warped Tour, some of their fans are already Owl City or Warped Tour fans. The target demographic for the Vans Warped Tour is teens and young adults ages 15 to 25. Much of this demographic enjoys punk/alternative music, but fans’ tastes and lifestyles vary. The age range of the members of Echosmith is 14 to 20, and their music has a youthful, edgy style, which also helps attract this younger fan base. Echosmith’s style of music has fun and upbeat qualities and lies in the alternative pop/rock genre, which is attractive to a young adult fan base ages 18 to 24. These fans are possibly not as into punk/alternative music but rather the aspect of discovering new music with a universal sound. This target fan base is dominantly located in Los Angeles, or other major cities across the U.S. Echosmith’s wide variety of covers on their Youtube channel, i.e. Mumford and Sons, Jessie J and Ellie Goulding, also help the band appeal to a more diverse audience.
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MARKETING PLAN Major Markets
Album should be placed in the following stores: •
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Itunes: have album featured on New Releases, on the front page of the Itunes Store. Have a single off of the album be the “Free Single of the Week.” Amazon: Have album featured in New Releases and New & Notable sections. Walmart: Have album be in featured album list on website and in store and have music video playing on rotation in store TVs. Target: Have album featured in New and Upcoming Releases and have music video playing on rotation in store TV’s. Best Buy FYE Barnes N Noble: feature in front of music section of store as well as in the discover new music section Various indie retailers
PROMOTION S Print
Receive mentions in:
Rolling Stone, SPIN, Seventeen, Teen Vogue, NYLON, LA Weekly, NKD Mag, ELLE Girl, American Rag, -‐ Get an Echosmith song on a fall playlist/back to school type playlist or a staff pick mentioned online or in print.
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Online
Groundsounds (Interview, Fresh New Music Feature) • LA Music Blog • Property of Zack • Billboard Tastemakers • Perezhilton.com • Twitter Music Premiere a new song of record on a new music site each day for a week before album release. •
Receive features on: The Hype Machine MTV, MTVu VH1 FuseTV, feature and Interview ABC Music Lounge Pure Volume Idolator Absolute Punk Buzznet LA Weekly / OC Weekly Buzzbands LA. Decoder Magazine Alter the Press + Band of the month feature
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Artist Spotlight Features: • MTV Artist to Watch • Rolling Stone Band to Watch • 987 Close to Home Artist in Residence • Crave Online Band of Month + Interview • Fuse Artist of the Month
Radio
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Sirius Alt Nation Alt 987 and KROQ. Host a Close to Home show on 987. Other indie rock/alt stations, i.e. KEXP, Radio 104.5. CMJ
Internet Radio + Music Apps
Internet Radio • Pandora • AOL Radio / Slacker • iTunes radio • Myspace Radio • Spotify: Record a “Live in the Studio” Spotify Sessions • Coca- Cola Placelist Spotify app advert • Grooveshark
New Music Discovery Apps: • Soundwave • Band of the day • Songza • Rdio: new releases; create personalized playlist to share on social media
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PROMOTIONS
Television
Have Echosmith be the Featured Artist for an MTV show like Awkward. or Friendzone Air music videos on MTV, VH1 + Fuse
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Clothing Retailers
For stores with TV’s or screens, i.e. American Eagle Outfitters, have a music video be in rotation as well as on store radio. Also receive features on store’s websites or blogs. Pacsun American Eagle Outfitters Tilly’s Vans T.U.K. Hollister American Rag
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Late Night TV
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CONAN Late Night with Jimmy Fallon or Jimmy Kimmel Live! Last Call with Carson Daly (Performance and/or interview)
Various
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If a friend refers a friend to Echosmith’s album, either through social media or email, he or she receives a discount on merchandise, or free downloads of bonus tracks.
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Arrange a live CD recording at the high school the band attended/currently attends. Fans that are on email list/social media should be invited, as well as students at the high school. As an incentive to buy the CD, fans can hear themselves cheer, clap and sing along in the background. E-Newsletters: When fans sign up for email list, have them enter their birth date so they receive special discounts, free singles of a cover song or a personalized message from the band on their birthday. Have Echosmith perform at the GRAMMYs ReImagined series, where contemporary bands cover classic Grammy winning songs that inspired them. Livestream an album release party Yourvine: challenges for fans to receive rewards Have band do an interview and performance at Seacrest Studios at CHOC, Children’s Hospital of Orange County On day of release, highlight first person to buy album.
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Hand-To-Hand Promo Tools
mini cocktail umbrellas guitar picks
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ADVERTISING
Television •
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Partner with clothing company T.U.K. shoes to create a specific shoe designed by the band or for the band. Feature Echosmith or a single off album in advertisements. Feature song in commercial for Logitech UE. Feature song in a commercial for a fast food outlet popular with the 1824 age range, like Taco Bell. Feature band on placemats at fast food outlet during week of album release, and include a QR Code that links to bands website, or a site that enables access to free downloads, etc. Feature song in an American Rag or PacSun commercial.
Offer Shazam option during TV airing of commercials. If a viewer Shazam’s the song, they receive a free download or access to other exclusives.
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INTERACTIVE MEDIA
Spotify Have band create their own Spotify playlist with a collection of their favorite songs by artists that influenced them while recording their debut record. Share playlist on social media.
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Ask fans on Twitter (through an Instagram video) what song Echosmith should cover next. The most popular suggestions will be covered each day during first week of album release, or just one will be covered depending on band’s availability. Tweet to unlock: fans must send tweets to receive audio files of cover songs. This will be shared via Echosmith’s website and email newsletter. Twitter AMA around time of album release date
Youtube
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Continually release cover videos inspired by fan suggestions o Utilize features like stop motion and self-shot footage Meet the band interactive video Do a Jam in the Van session VEVO: premiere latest music video
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Continue to post daily insights into band’s life – tour, home, etc. Utilize Instagram video to post personalized updates
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Campaigns/Contests
Create an instagram campaign where fans can share their interpretation of the lyrics to “Come Together” by sharing the photos with the hashtag #cometogether. Photos will be shared in a real-time stream on Echosmith’s website and their Instagram profile (API??), and favorites will be compiled into a poster for sale in the Echosmith online store OR compiled into a new lyric video. Because Echosmith grew in popularity with their various cover videos of popular hits and old favorites, have fans upload their version of either a cover that Echosmith previously did, a new cover video, or an Echosmith song. Videos can be sent to an email account, and favorite videos will be shared continuously on Echosmith’s social media sites. The most-liked video during the time the contests runs will win a prize pack.
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