All about the Music

The poor weather has bred a rant I'm afraid, all apologies.

With the announcement of her new book entitled My World, England’s Nu-Rose, Cheryl Cole has confirmed her intention to coat every single element of media available with her own terrifyingly thin layer of hearing-aid beige branding. Should this be aloud? Should I care? Does caring make me part of the problem?!

Now as a disclaimer I should note that I realise this is not a new process. Modern day pop acts are required to apply themselves over a multitude of different platforms. This is a given. However with our Cheryl, I can’t help but think it’s a bit more disturbing than most, since she honestly can’t seem to apply herself on more than one – namely being rather photogenic.

We’ve had Cole’s music, best described as a gruelling exercise in validating the term ‘collaboration’.

We’ve had a TV show; the inexplicable ‘Cheryl Cole’s Night In’, during which Cheryl mimes her way through her flagship ‘collaboration’, and is then interviewed by the actual presenter of the show; Holly Willoughby for perhaps 3 minutes.

(We mustn’t forget about Cheryl’s contribution to The X-Factor at this point, namely her L’Oreal smile and a contractual obligation of 6 visible tears per episode. Credit where it’s due Chezza.)

We’ve all bore witness to Cheryl’s almost total domination of the tabloids from the moment she was announced as the ‘hot one’ from Girls Aloud, through the charge of Racially Aggravated Assault and Actual Bodily Harm of a club toilet attendant [please note for legal reasons that Cole was only successfully charged with the latter]. Right up to her phoenix-like rise from the flames of her failed marriage to Ashley (or ‘The Key Defence Witness’ as I like to call him).

But it is with the up-and-coming release of her new book that I finally reach the end of my tether. My World will doubtlessly jump off the shelves for at least a few weeks only to prolapse from the charts before any consumers can think the word ‘Shenanigans!’ A short, sharp shock strategy exercised to perfection. I just hope the publishers can sleep at night.

Will My World let us all into the world that is Cheryl Cole; what makes her tick, what spurs her on etc? I’d wager that it manages this with the greatest of ease – it’s a book entirely composed of photographs… Can anyone suggest a more accurate way to portray the life (so far) of a young woman who has got where she is today through being pretty in front of a camera, and genuinely nothing more? I can’t either, other than not making the book in the first place… Hang on, wait a moment, I’m on to something here…

Joe

He'd Lose His Head If It Wasn't Attached

I just saw this and couldn't help but laugh. I mean, I'm all for stopping illegal downloading, artist's getting paid fairly and all of that jazz, but when Simon Cowell is involved, somehow it just ends up being amusing:

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/bizarre/2909733/Simon-Cowell-suffers-fresh-attack-from-internet-thieves.html

Jon

First time blogger....

Hello all fellow followers and bloggers. Having only started on Monday I’m new to the Syllabus crew so think it’s best to get introductions out of the way first. So, I’m Katie. I love music, I love being creative, and although I initially hadn’t thought about a career within music marketing, after four days with the team this definitely seems like my kind of thing!! Not only do we talk music all day and come up with some seriously exciting campaigns, there’s also a cracking lean, mean coffee making machine in the office and our lovely, if not slightly gender confused goldfish Jay Z / Beyonce. All in all, a seriously inspiring workplace to be in.

So that’s a teeny bit about me. I’ll be blogging a fair bit keeping everyone up-to-date with all that’s going on in the world of Syllabus, so keep your eyes peeled for interesting articles and exciting news.

On a slight tangent from the above, if anyone saw some unassuming Londoners being bundled into the back of an MGMT promo van last Thursday (as my rather bemused housemate did) don’t panic. It was all part of a rather elaborate and innovative PR stunt to promote the band’s new album Celebration. Thankfully the chosen few knew they were going to be abducted as it meant they had just won a treasure hunt entitling them to “a very special MGMT experience” according to the bands website. Hmmm not quite sure what might have gone on in said van, or where they might have ended up but if it sells a few more albums and encourages fans to interact with the band then I guess there’s no harm done. Good job I say! Check out more details at www.whereismgmt.co.uk

Katie

Oi Darling! leave our cider alone!!

If, like myself, a high proportion of tramps and the Wurzels, your a cider drinker, then please join this inevitably futile Facebook 'petition'. This is in response to Alastair Darling's 10% increase in the duty on strong Cider products as revealed in his 2010 budget yesterday. It's a significant rise in comparison to tax increases on other alcoholic drinks which apparently levels out a long-term tax disparity. The people this will really effect are the small local producers of 'real' cider despite the rise clearly being aimed at the larger companies producing 'White Lightning' and alike, in effect, a completely separate market.

So join the group, sign the petition and fight the power!

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=108529325839226&ref=search&sid=508054454.298915647..1

Downing street petition... http://bit.ly/9BCStp

Just the Facts?

And so my morning cup of coffee was today accompanied by the cutting-edge crew of BBC1’s Breakfast, as they delved into the veritable minefield that is music file sharing for all of 4 minutes… It would appear that a new website is being created to highlight legitimate download sites (i.e. those that come at a per-purchase price or subscription fee) and ‘red flag’ illegal sites offering free downloads or file-sharing. Please don’t ask for the site’s name as I’m pretty sure they failed to mention it.

Whilst the topical hot potato of illegal file-sharing should be highlighted more, and BBC1’s decision to touch on it this morning does signify that at least someone is taking it seriously, a couple of questions spring to mind. Firstly, is the Breakfast Show is the right platform for the issue at hand? But more importantly, isn’t this a story a not a drop in the ocean compared to the real issue here, namely the Digital Economy Bill?

I’d wager that I was in a very small percentage of viewers who didn’t switch over or run off to the kettle at this point of the show. To counter balance the Breakfast presenter’s collective inadequacy when addressing this ‘story’, the Beeb managed to pluck a youthful spokesperson from NME out of the sky, and an even more youthful radio deejay/born-again illegal downloader, who both managed to put across their opinion that nothing like this would stop people illegally downloading music online. Job done people, initiative successfully discredited and now lets move onto the ever-fluctuating daffodil market, currently suffering its worst season in 20 years…

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying this website is the way to go, and no amount of promotion will ever make this type of solution viable. The very idea of a website promoting ‘safe’ sites for legal music purchases seems to me to be missing one vital point: it relies on the notion that people want to pay for their music and avoid breaking the law. Even if this issue were covered properly, reaching millions of illegal file sharers, on a platform they watch regularly or subscribe to, I doubt you’d see them thanking the powers that be for finally emancipating them from this file-sharing slavery.

Not only is the concept fundamentally flawed, but given the inevitable passing of the DEB before the next general election, it also has the approximate shelf life of fresh basil. The House of Lords passed this bill through with a resounding ‘aye’ at a terrifying speed (perhaps they thought they were voting for roast lamb instead of pork that evening?) and the House of Commons look set to do the same. Soon enough we won’t be able to access these sites anyway, so why on earth would anyone want to visit a site telling them not to visit sites that they can’t actually visit in the first place? Should the DEB be passed, sites such as YouTube are as much at risk as LimeWire or Vuze. Surfers of the web face the very real threat of being disconnected if even suspected of copyright infringement. The blanket rules of the DEB are scary to say the least, but far too big to get into here and now - I witter on as it is.

The Digital Economy Bill is the real story here, and I personally don’t see enough information being released about it on more effective platforms. A pre-emptive website telling visitors (with no real authority) not to visit certain sites will be as effective as an NHS tourniquet at the source of the Thames, it’s a distraction and nothing more. The potential repercussions of the DEB being passed are huge, and not only should it really be directed towards those it might actually affect, but it should also be given the time of day that it deserves.

Now has anyone got a spare Spotify invite I can nick???

Joe

Are the Music PR's Days Numbered?

I think not.

However, there has been a lot of debate about this since a new site appeared recently. The Men From The Press is a site asking bands to sign up and pay to be reviewed by journalists. Now I guess if you think of the fact that an artist will usually pay anything from £500 a month/single release for a PR, then the price of this site isn't really that bad.

One of the selling points is that it helps bands who can't get a press officer. I would think however, on the whole, if they can't get a press officer, it is likely that they're just not good enough.

Anyway - see for yourself here: http://www.themenfromthepress.com

Jon.

Creative Vs. Corporate

I'm currently in two minds...

We're a creative company...an agency that prides itself on designing and implementing innovative and creative strategies and campaigns. However, I also understand that we are a business and have to conduct ourselves accordingly, take our work seriously and treat our clients with respect - an agency is nothing without its clients (I think that's a Don Draper quote but anyway...)

So, what the fuck am I getting at here, I hear you ask?!

I want the companies I work with to understand this reasoning - I want them to be creative in the way they produce work but also act as though they are a serious business and actually show me they give a shit.

Having said this, if your job is to produce creative content all day long, DON'T turn up to a meeting looking as though you are trying to sell me some insurance!

Take a second to think about the impression you are giving off - I mean really...basic.

I'm incredibly amazed that some businesses (especially small up-and-coming companies trying to make a name for themselves, no names mentioned) don't think about these things and then expect us to part with our hard-earned money when in actual fact, they couldn't have even sold me a bloody pencil let alone a valuable creative service.

Rant over.

Online Music sales overtake CD sales for the first time!

So are CD's becoming a thing of the past?...

http://www.brandrepublic.com/DigitalAM/News/990252/Growth-online-music-sales-overtakes-fall-CDs/?DCMP=EMC-Digital-AM-Bulletin

To re-brand or not to re-brand...

Re-branding is one hell of a headache!

Everyone wants a great looking brand with a slick and meaningful logo, a beautiful colour scheme, website, newsletter, business cards, letterheads, stamps etc. etc. etc. but in reality, how important is it to the success of your business?

One thing I think everyone agrees on is that uniformity is extremely important - whatever you do or look like, make sure everyone does it the same...this shows a 'together' company and one that has the same set of goals and objectives.

It's the little design things I don't fully understand - the curve of a certain letter, a shade darker blue in the top corner, the width of your underline...Do people really care? Designers tell me they do! Funny that...

I think at the end of the day, of course I want my brand to look incredible...mainly because we are a marketing agency and I wouldn't trust an agency who can't get their own marketing right! However, I want something solid, something reliable and something eye catching - not something that sub-conciously makes you think of positivity, creativeness or financial benefits at the end of the day, people like nice colours and pretty pictures...

Trust me, if the quality of your work is high enough, easily accessible and presented in a great light, you're going to be successful...regardless of the degree of upwards slant in your logo!

RIP Beyonce or Jay Z

It's a dark day here at Syllabus HQ. Beyonce or Jay Z has died. I am unsure as to which is which. The other is now moping around looking suitably depressed. I think it is becoming apparent that perhaps we should have listened to the pet shop dude.

I'm thinking of trying to get hold of some of this magical stuff:

although I have to say, I'm not entirely convinced by it.

In other, more cheerful news, the work that we've been doing with Glade Festival has been mentioned in Music Week which is very nice indeed. Have a look here for the article: http://www.musicweek.com/story.asp?sectioncode=1&storycode=1040332&c=1.

Jon.

Jay Z and Beyoncé join the family...

So last week we welcomed two new additions (in the form of Gold Fish) to the Syllabus Family....

Gideon had previously expressed his desire to house a shark tank in the Syllabus office, so for his 25th Birthday we made a start on his aquatic collection and surprised him with Jay Z and Beyoncé the Gold Fish.

Now seriously how hard can two Gold Fish be to look after?.... You would be surprised!

The first problem began when the man in the nice fish shop up the road told me that I needed to have a 'mature' tank (not bowl) to put them in with a working filter, greenery and water that has been in there for at least 2 weeks! - Now in true Lauren style I had left this to the actual day of Gideon's birthday and could not wait 2 weeks! So I thought quick on my feet and pretended that I already knew this and had a fully working fish tank already housing a couple of fish (I even named the pretend fish... quite worrying really)...

Anyway so after persuading the nice fish shop man I left with my two fish, Jay Z and Beyoncé, and headed back to the office where Joe, Jon and Leo had their new home waiting for them.

On arriving back I discovered there was a slight issue with filling the tank, of course the Syllabus office has to be on the 3rd floor and the only tap is in the basement, Hmmm... This was a job for Joe!

With Gideon happy and me happy, having two new additions to talk to who would actually probably enjoy my rambling the fish swam happily around in their new tank.

However it would appear that we hadn't (or I hadn't) quite thought this through properly, who is going to feed them on the weekend? So on Friday we over fed them hoping that they would survive...

On arriving into the office this morning Gideon expressed his regret that Jay Z and Beyoncé had sadly passed away from weekend starvation :-(

AND THEN....

A miracle happened, Jay Z and Beyoncé took another fishy breath and came back to life (they had obviously had enough of the boys and decided to play dead until they heard my voice)

We have now come to the conclusion that our Gold Fish may be depressed, so have filled their tank with pretty green things in an attempt to revive their spark for life...

And so the story of Jay Z and Beyoncé continues, lets see if we can make it through another week...

L x

The Big Move...Goodbye Bill, hello Steve!

I've finally done it! That's right...the picture you are looking at is my brand new Macbook, beautiful even in its packaging.

After dillydallying around for far too long I've moved over to the good side, and what a side it is - Just the experience of the Apple shop was enough to lure me in...

However, even with all the good looks, flash designs, slick feel and smooth operating, PC could still compete if only they spent a tiny bit of energy on one small detail - making a computer that doesn't break all the f**king time!

Let's be honest PC, your computers are cheaper but once you've bought three in two years and still spent half your time in repair shops, I'd rather invest in something that works.

I'm looking forward the experience...

Gid

Glade Festival - The Glade Union

This year we are all very excited to be working with the Glade Festival, the UK’s leading arts and electronic music festival. Having originated as a stage at the mother of all festivals, Glastonbury, the Glade has been running independently since 2004 and has blossomed into a haven for dance music fans. This year (15-18 July) looks set to be the biggest yet with the headliners having just been announced as recently reformed acid-house pioneers Orbital, electro-house duo Simian mobile disco and Bristol legend Tricky.

Have a look at this video for a taster of what the Glade Festival is all about… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wW8HXbJZDxE

To help promote this year’s event, we have created The Glade Union – a specially selected network of student representatives who are tasked with marketing and promoting the Festival and selling student discount tickets. We are working with the Universities of Bristol, Bath, Exeter, Portsmouth, Southampton, Bournemouth, Plymouth, Birmingham, Cardiff and Oxford Brookes. We’re giving Glade Union students commission on tickets they sell, a free ticket to the Festival and a £1000 prize to the top seller! As well as general promotions, Glade Union members are going to be throwing amazing Glade endorsed student parties and putting on campus events whilst always keeping a blog of the efforts…

For more info visit http://www.gladefestival.com/students/student.php?id=1