Now, I know a lot of my blogs recently have been about the latest adverts and yes, I understand I should vary things a little. So please believe me when I say this week I was going to do my very best to find something serious, something industry related and something that wasn’t flaunting any products what so ever.
Well the best laid plans don’t always pan out. I was doing so well until my attention got drawn away by one of the most bizarre and funny adverts I’ve seen in a long time!! I would have turned away from the story had it not been the fact that said advert is unlikely to be aired on UK television, and seeing this as an absolute travesty, I thought I would serve the British public by bringing it to their attention.
The advert in question is Kia’s new Soul – A New Way To Role ad campaign that has just been launched in the US. Now normally I hate any kind of attempt to humanise animals. Doctor Doolittle; no thank you. Alvin and The Chipmunks; oh god no! But this advert genuinely did make me laugh.
Not only has the ad been awarded with numerous industry accolades including a "2010 Automotive Excellence Award” and "Automotive Ad of the Year" but the hamsters have a forthcoming fashion range www.hamstarclothing.com and chart success at their feet with the campaign extended online with free track downloads www.kiasoul.com/#/downloads
It’s bizarre and I’m not sure where the choice between a car and a toaster comes into it, but who cares!! Personally, I think its genius!!
Friday, 28 May 2010
Monday, 24 May 2010
We Made A Film!
Well, that's not strictly true.
However, Lauren and I did find ourselves at St Pancras International at midnight last Thursday, with a whole bunch of lights, cameras, and a lot of musical instruments. Luckily three very competent people came with all of this equipment who actually knew what they were doing. Phew.
So why St Pancras at midnight? Well as you may or may not already know, we are just about to launch The Station Sessions, Live at St Pancras International. We've got an amazing lineup of great new artists that will be playing, starting on the 3rd June at 6pm.
So come on down to the station, and check out some great new exciting artists!
Sunday, 23 May 2010
Captains Log: the year is 2010...
As a child (and still as an adult) the gadgetry in the Star Trek Series completely amazed me. Just like in the James bond films the gadgets were a serious highlight, and more often then not, they were crucial to the survival of the main character.
Today it seems that a great number of those very gadgets have been created in our world: Earth.
I always wanted to use a Combadge, the ones that all Starfleet personnel wore and just had to touch (no dialling necessary mind) to speak to any of their mates. Well I guess the closest modern day version of that would be the Bluetooth Headset. Then there was the computer tablet that that Scotty the engineer used to make insane calculations at warp speed; we now have the IPad. Touch screens, lasers, digital wristwatches and computers that speak and are apoken to are all here today to make our missions more successful. (Someone just needs to hurry up and invent teleportation cos I’m seriously sick of TFL)
Undeniably, the most essential modern day sci-fi interpretation has got to be the Mobile Phone, and more specifically the Android enabled mobile Smartphone. These perform all the essential functions of the average Smartphone but recently Google announced the release of software that enables android users to access their entire home music and photo libraries, stored on their desktop computers, from their portable Android Smartphone. www.readwriteweb.com
This is clearly the next step in lifesaving technology, and I think it’s about time we start making Starfleet Enterprise cronies jealous of some of the cool gadgets we use on missions to save our social lives from falling into the hands of the Borg... Suck on that Picard!
M
Today it seems that a great number of those very gadgets have been created in our world: Earth.
I always wanted to use a Combadge, the ones that all Starfleet personnel wore and just had to touch (no dialling necessary mind) to speak to any of their mates. Well I guess the closest modern day version of that would be the Bluetooth Headset. Then there was the computer tablet that that Scotty the engineer used to make insane calculations at warp speed; we now have the IPad. Touch screens, lasers, digital wristwatches and computers that speak and are apoken to are all here today to make our missions more successful. (Someone just needs to hurry up and invent teleportation cos I’m seriously sick of TFL)
Undeniably, the most essential modern day sci-fi interpretation has got to be the Mobile Phone, and more specifically the Android enabled mobile Smartphone. These perform all the essential functions of the average Smartphone but recently Google announced the release of software that enables android users to access their entire home music and photo libraries, stored on their desktop computers, from their portable Android Smartphone. www.readwriteweb.com
This is clearly the next step in lifesaving technology, and I think it’s about time we start making Starfleet Enterprise cronies jealous of some of the cool gadgets we use on missions to save our social lives from falling into the hands of the Borg... Suck on that Picard!
M
Thursday, 20 May 2010
The role of the brand in the digital music age
There’s no doubt that any forward thinking brand understands the importance of using music in at least some aspect of their marketing activity. Whether its simply syncing tracks for ad campaigns, aligning themselves with artists through traditional endorsements or by going further and developing more creative music properties or sub-brands. Whichever route a brand does go down or gets advised to take, with the waning of the traditional music business model and the boom in digital music services, the music marketing landscape has changed.
Arguably, the changes we’ve seen and that we continue to experience in the music industry are largely a result of the shift in power from labels to the technology they have failed to embrace. Over the last decade, the majority of the industry decision-makers have been desperately clinging on to an outdated system and have been hell-bent on legislating against progress and essentially alienating their consumers. In rejecting the advances and possibilities of the Internet, the music business has left a gap in the market. In my view, this gap stems from the same concept that has led to the success of Radio over the years… music fans need direction and actually want to be told what to listen to!
So who is capable of utilizing technology and filling this gap? The music media has always influenced what we listen to and continue to do so relatively well in the digital age with blogs, podcasts and the music press having developed their online presence. However this is by no means a closed shop and it presents brands with a novel opportunity to really engage with the consumer. Marketing in general is at its most effective when it builds a relationship with its audience and what better way to build a relationship than by recommending a great new band or an amazing gig!
Arguably, the changes we’ve seen and that we continue to experience in the music industry are largely a result of the shift in power from labels to the technology they have failed to embrace. Over the last decade, the majority of the industry decision-makers have been desperately clinging on to an outdated system and have been hell-bent on legislating against progress and essentially alienating their consumers. In rejecting the advances and possibilities of the Internet, the music business has left a gap in the market. In my view, this gap stems from the same concept that has led to the success of Radio over the years… music fans need direction and actually want to be told what to listen to!
So who is capable of utilizing technology and filling this gap? The music media has always influenced what we listen to and continue to do so relatively well in the digital age with blogs, podcasts and the music press having developed their online presence. However this is by no means a closed shop and it presents brands with a novel opportunity to really engage with the consumer. Marketing in general is at its most effective when it builds a relationship with its audience and what better way to build a relationship than by recommending a great new band or an amazing gig!
Wednesday, 19 May 2010
Blogging, Blogging Blogging!
This one is for Leo our official in-house blog police!
Blogging began in the late 90’s. The word “blog” is a shortened form of “web log,” and it stands for a web site that keeps a log (much like a diary) of people’s thoughts, their actions, and their reactions to other people’s thoughts and actions. Today, there are millions of blogs on the Internet.
So do Blogs really achieve better corporate/organisational communication?
Many would argue YES! – Blogging has caused the blurring of lines for mass media, after all a blog is open to the entire online world!
Politicians and News channels were both early adopters of blogging, using blogs as an ‘unofficial’ and grass roots way of spreading their message. Now it appears that Blogs are used by the masses, spilling out their inner most thoughts or ranting about their pet hates – The free flow of information is rapidly changing the way in which we exchange information and communicate.
Blogs have allowed for the receiving of information from places we would not ordinarily be exposed to, this information is much more than what we can receive from a social networking site or a company website. Blogs have the ability to change the way in which consumers view a product/company/organisation given their more open nature. Obviously, consequently this has both a positive and negative effect, but in my opinion blogs allow for truthfulness that you would not normally get.
The disintegration of communication lines caused by the internet have no doubt broken down distance and boundaries, but just how far can we go? And is the closing distance for information discovery a positive thing? Or is it safer to keep to our bubble?
What do you think? Is a blog really capable of all of this?
L
Blogging began in the late 90’s. The word “blog” is a shortened form of “web log,” and it stands for a web site that keeps a log (much like a diary) of people’s thoughts, their actions, and their reactions to other people’s thoughts and actions. Today, there are millions of blogs on the Internet.
So do Blogs really achieve better corporate/organisational communication?
Many would argue YES! – Blogging has caused the blurring of lines for mass media, after all a blog is open to the entire online world!
Politicians and News channels were both early adopters of blogging, using blogs as an ‘unofficial’ and grass roots way of spreading their message. Now it appears that Blogs are used by the masses, spilling out their inner most thoughts or ranting about their pet hates – The free flow of information is rapidly changing the way in which we exchange information and communicate.
Blogs have allowed for the receiving of information from places we would not ordinarily be exposed to, this information is much more than what we can receive from a social networking site or a company website. Blogs have the ability to change the way in which consumers view a product/company/organisation given their more open nature. Obviously, consequently this has both a positive and negative effect, but in my opinion blogs allow for truthfulness that you would not normally get.
The disintegration of communication lines caused by the internet have no doubt broken down distance and boundaries, but just how far can we go? And is the closing distance for information discovery a positive thing? Or is it safer to keep to our bubble?
What do you think? Is a blog really capable of all of this?
L
Tuesday, 18 May 2010
In with the old, out with the new
Well what do y’know, an old song is covered by a new artist, featured in a £6m ad campaign and it’s suddenly everywhere, getting hundreds of thousands of hits on YouTube, and likely to become a chart topping hit. Sound familiar at all? It’s certainly not the first time this has happened, and I’m sure it won’t be the last.
On the 23rd of April John Lewis launched its new ad campaign featuring Billy Joel’s “She’s Always A Woman” performed by Fyfe Dangerfield from the Guillemots. Within two days the ad had already gained over 320,000 views on YouTube and it looks like John Lewis, Billy Joel, Dangerfield and all record companies involved will substantially profit from the enormous success this simple syncing has had. Dangerfield’s version has already rocketed up this week’s UK singles charts to number 7, been added to 108 radio stations playlists and has just broken the record for the most tagged track in Shazam’s history.
Although it wasn’t used in an advert, at the end of last year Journey’s Don’t Stop Believing also experienced similar meteoric fame thanks to X-Factor’s Joe McElderry and fox’s musical comedy, Glee. Personally, I can’t fault the call to rejuvenate old songs and give them a new lease of life. Ok, so I know a lot of people whinge that the remakes aren’t as good as the original, and to be fair in a lot of cases I have to agree, but I can’t help but think that without the rehashing of these old classics, entire generations will never be exposed to a whole host of amazing songs, and I personally feel that’s more of a travesty. So, for those who aren’t acquainted with the original, here’s Billy Joel, doing what he does best....
Katie
On the 23rd of April John Lewis launched its new ad campaign featuring Billy Joel’s “She’s Always A Woman” performed by Fyfe Dangerfield from the Guillemots. Within two days the ad had already gained over 320,000 views on YouTube and it looks like John Lewis, Billy Joel, Dangerfield and all record companies involved will substantially profit from the enormous success this simple syncing has had. Dangerfield’s version has already rocketed up this week’s UK singles charts to number 7, been added to 108 radio stations playlists and has just broken the record for the most tagged track in Shazam’s history.
Although it wasn’t used in an advert, at the end of last year Journey’s Don’t Stop Believing also experienced similar meteoric fame thanks to X-Factor’s Joe McElderry and fox’s musical comedy, Glee. Personally, I can’t fault the call to rejuvenate old songs and give them a new lease of life. Ok, so I know a lot of people whinge that the remakes aren’t as good as the original, and to be fair in a lot of cases I have to agree, but I can’t help but think that without the rehashing of these old classics, entire generations will never be exposed to a whole host of amazing songs, and I personally feel that’s more of a travesty. So, for those who aren’t acquainted with the original, here’s Billy Joel, doing what he does best....
Katie
Saturday, 8 May 2010
Virgin Perks.
Let’s face it, at one point or another we’ve all wanted to live the lucky life of a rock star. You know the one, being treated like a complete god, pampered by your minions, waited on hand and foot. Then the fantasy vanishes, the bubble burst and we rocket down to earth with a thud, waiting in line at the usual cues at Tesco’s and hoping not to be trampled over on the tube.
Well all is not so according to Virgin Holiday’s new Rockstar Service. Their forthcoming ad campaign follows ‘The Danke Schöns' a Spinal Tap style band created by Virgin Travel, who believe the service and attention they receive is all down to their self proclaimed success, when actually they’re being treated like every other Virgin customer.
Virgin loves to market itself as a friendly, youthful and hip company so by emphasising the personal care its customers get with the tag – “everyone gets treated like a rockstar” I guess it successfully ticks the younger market boxes. Whether the campaign works at attracting the 18 – 30 year olds is yet to be seen, but thank god they got rid of Charlotte Church is all I can say!!
http://www.virginholidays.co.uk/info/about/rockstar_service/offers.aspx
Katie
Well all is not so according to Virgin Holiday’s new Rockstar Service. Their forthcoming ad campaign follows ‘The Danke Schöns' a Spinal Tap style band created by Virgin Travel, who believe the service and attention they receive is all down to their self proclaimed success, when actually they’re being treated like every other Virgin customer.
Virgin loves to market itself as a friendly, youthful and hip company so by emphasising the personal care its customers get with the tag – “everyone gets treated like a rockstar” I guess it successfully ticks the younger market boxes. Whether the campaign works at attracting the 18 – 30 year olds is yet to be seen, but thank god they got rid of Charlotte Church is all I can say!!
http://www.virginholidays.co.uk/info/about/rockstar_service/offers.aspx
Katie
Tuesday, 4 May 2010
Is The Music Industry Trying To Be Taken Seriously?
So, it was announced today that UK Music, as part of their Liberating Creativity report, has launched a skills audit for the music industry. The idea is to get as many people as possibly working and running companies in the industry to complete the survey to make sure that:
- music companies have the required skills to be able to compete in the market
- companies can attract a diverse and highly-skilled incoming workforce
- the Government adopts a proper internship scheme
- that music business courses meet standards established by an industry accreditation programme
- a general code of practice is developed
Let's just hope it's not too little, too late, and that the industry can finally start to be taken seriously once more.
- music companies have the required skills to be able to compete in the market
- companies can attract a diverse and highly-skilled incoming workforce
- the Government adopts a proper internship scheme
- that music business courses meet standards established by an industry accreditation programme
- a general code of practice is developed
Let's just hope it's not too little, too late, and that the industry can finally start to be taken seriously once more.
Thursday, 29 April 2010
Bahh to politics...business as usual!!
Well it seems the race is well and truly on for the top spot in British Politics. With the leaders of the big 3 all over television, press and billboards it seems we will be hard pressed to find much else to entertain ourselves with over the next few weeks. What strikes me is that everybody seems to have something to say this year. Even our entertainers are making entertaining us a secondary pastime...It seems that the Music entrepreneurs that brought us IeMusic, and 24-7 Entertainment amongst others have taken a stand against a Lib Dem/Labour coalition (that many people have high hopes for)because of the reduction in funding for new business this partnership would ensue. Ah hell what’s all the fuss, face it we're stuck between a rock and a hard place; it wouldn't be entrepreneurial unless you were faced with adversity! I say stay out of politics and do what you do best - finding new ways to make music work!
We are certainly keeping the axe to the grindstone with plenty of interesting stuff in the pipeline...and we'll keep going regardless of who’s in parliament!
We are certainly keeping the axe to the grindstone with plenty of interesting stuff in the pipeline...and we'll keep going regardless of who’s in parliament!
Friday, 23 April 2010
This is a woman's world...
So a day to be English eh? Apart from landlords and me, I'm yet to see an England top or flag anywhere... Still, a leaked article on the fortunes of England's (well, Britain's) young and affluent in the music business seems appropriate for the day in question!
So the Sunday Times 2010 Rich List for Young icons in Music is already out... It would appear that the fellas need to up their game somewhat! With Craig David (?!) the first male name you see on the list, one has to wonder just where the lads are going wrong...
Now I know what you're thinking: 'How did Craig David get so far up that list?!' My guess is property development. And just how old IS Craig David?! The answer is 28... I guess we can't take this sort of thing too seriously...
But moving on from Craig David, it has to be said that the solo act is almost exclusively the realm of the women in the UK these days. You can't get away from it, we have no Jay-Z's or Eminems over here (keep it up Plan-B), I suppose the nearest we have is Dizzy Rascal, but where is he on the list? Nowhere, someone call his manager and ask him for a loan. Jamie Callum is a footnote and Buble is nowhere to be seen!
No, the list clearly shows that being in classical music (Church and Jenkins) or reality TV (Leona Lewis, The Cole) is a pre-requisite to the big money, but most importantly, that you can grab both markets, male and female, and it appears that guys just don't manage this as well as the girls in the UK. My contention would be that the male consumer (a) has been known to concentrate on aesthetics before content at times, and (b) tend to look down upon the male solo singer in general unless they have a guitar in their hand. Unfortunately the guitar usually means that the money is split at least four ways, hence no inclusion on the list...
Have a look for yourself:
http://www.metro.co.uk/showbiz/823028-who-is-on-the-sunday-times-rich-list-2010-of-young-music-millionaires
The full list is of course out on Sunday so we can all be collectively jealous and bitter come Monday.
Happy St George's Day!
So the Sunday Times 2010 Rich List for Young icons in Music is already out... It would appear that the fellas need to up their game somewhat! With Craig David (?!) the first male name you see on the list, one has to wonder just where the lads are going wrong...
Now I know what you're thinking: 'How did Craig David get so far up that list?!' My guess is property development. And just how old IS Craig David?! The answer is 28... I guess we can't take this sort of thing too seriously...
But moving on from Craig David, it has to be said that the solo act is almost exclusively the realm of the women in the UK these days. You can't get away from it, we have no Jay-Z's or Eminems over here (keep it up Plan-B), I suppose the nearest we have is Dizzy Rascal, but where is he on the list? Nowhere, someone call his manager and ask him for a loan. Jamie Callum is a footnote and Buble is nowhere to be seen!
No, the list clearly shows that being in classical music (Church and Jenkins) or reality TV (Leona Lewis, The Cole) is a pre-requisite to the big money, but most importantly, that you can grab both markets, male and female, and it appears that guys just don't manage this as well as the girls in the UK. My contention would be that the male consumer (a) has been known to concentrate on aesthetics before content at times, and (b) tend to look down upon the male solo singer in general unless they have a guitar in their hand. Unfortunately the guitar usually means that the money is split at least four ways, hence no inclusion on the list...
Have a look for yourself:
http://www.metro.co.uk/showbiz/823028-who-is-on-the-sunday-times-rich-list-2010-of-young-music-millionaires
The full list is of course out on Sunday so we can all be collectively jealous and bitter come Monday.
Happy St George's Day!
Tuesday, 20 April 2010
The power of music advertising
Light And Day by The Polyphonic Spree has just been announced as the most performed song in advertising having appeared in Sainsbury’s Try Something New campaign.
The survey, which was carried out by PRS, revealed the most frequently used songs in adverts over the last five years. Nina Simone's I Got Life from the Muller yogurt commercials came in a close second to the classical piece Eliza's Aria by Elena Kats-Chernin, from the Lloyds TSB's advert in third.
It still truly amazes me how a song can have such strong ties and connotations to a specific brand and become so synonymous to the products they are used to sell. For instance I now find it impossible to listen to Take That’s Shine without thinking of dear Richard Hammond traipsing through the British countryside with his Morrison’s shopping trolley! Likewise, the image of bouncing balls and Sony Brava inevitably come into my head as soon as I hear Heartbeats by José Gonzalez.
Having done some research online I found an interview with Roger Greenaway, who co-wrote I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing, the tune used in the now iconic Coca-Cola campaign. He explains: "Music makes an emotional impact upon people and a well-crafted song can lock in the listeners' mind for life, making it the most powerful marketing tool in existence."
The fact that songs like Roger’s and Etta James, I Just Wanna Make Love To You (used in a similar Diet Coke Advert) stay in our minds many years after the adverts first aired, just goes to show that these songs will forever resonate the brands they represent. The power of music really is huge and can in no way be underestimated in terms of its selling capabilities.
Top 10 Most Performed Songs in Advertising
1 Light And Day by The Polyphonic Spree - Sainsbury's Try Something New Today
2 Ain't Go No/I Got Life by Nina Simone - Muller
3 Eliza's Aria by Elena Kats-Chernin - Lloyds TSB's For The Journey
4 Shine by Take That - Morrisons
5 Left Bank Two by The Noveltones - Waitrose Essentials
6 All Possibilities by Badly Drawn Boy - Comet
7 Knickknack by Bobby McFerrin - Bupa
8 Unwritten by Natasha Bedingfield - Pantene Pro-V
9 Send It On by Sean Paul - Vauxhall Corsa
10 Epoca by Gotan Project - Finish Dishwasher Tablets
Source: PRS for Music
Katie
Thursday, 15 April 2010
How Much Do Music Artists Earn Online?
The digital world has changed the music industry almost beyond recognition, and very much for the better if you ask me. TheUK government recently passed The Digital Economy Act which which aims to combat online music piracy and protect artist earnings. But one burning question remains, how much do music artists actually earn online? Well here is the answer.
To read the full article, and for futher information check out www.informationisbeautiful.net
M
To read the full article, and for futher information check out www.informationisbeautiful.net
M
The Mobile Phone’s next-of-Kin, and Syllabus’s very own ‘Pete and Carl’.
Yesterday saw the announcement of Microsoft’s new all-conquering mobile phone line entitled ‘Kin’ – a set of two handsets designed specifically towards focusing on social networking over pretty much anything else.
Anyone old enough to have witnessed the development of Mobile Phone technology over the past 15 years would probably agree that the option to actually make phone calls has become less and less important. From text messaging, to camera phones, past MMS and making a quick stop at mobile internet, the ability to speak to someone has been pushed to the back of the queue, and Microsoft’s Kin range appears to represent the final nail in the coffin. A (frankly, pretty messy) interface combining all of your various social networking presences seems set to keep you up to date with absolutely everything in your world without ever verifying the information through human contact. That aside, both phones look like Blackberrys, simple as that… But the focus on net-based communication is undeniably important as all European mobile phone networks are currently bidding on the up-and-coming 4G phones available in the near future. I’d love to see the figures on actual phone calls being made over the past 10 years on mobile networks, as I’d wager the rise in ownership of handsets hasn’t been matched by rise in phone calls made. Either way we’ll have to wait and see the overall effects of these new phones on the market - will it kill the phone call, just as Facebook killed the High School Reunion? Will I ever need to actually speak to a relative again? Man alive do I feel old and grumpy…
In other news, tensions ran high last night in the Syllabus office as our very own, in-house Rock Band had their first jam!
Spirited rock-chick Lauren and the 5th member of Coldplay, Leo set out to make sweet music on our newly purchased ‘Guitar Hero: World Tour’. The inspirational moment in music history however quickly turned into a battle of artistic integrity and petty fighting as Leo blamed his utter incompetence on the guitar and drum kit “not bloody working”. Lauren let her hands do the arguing by donning the guitar herself and making it sing like a North Wales kitsch sensation who’s actual age appears highly questionable. The pressure got too much for Leo and he eventually stormed out viciously defending his skills and blaming his tools – Super Hans style. He was quoted as stating an arranged meeting at a print shop as the reason for his fast exit – we all knew the real reason Leo…
Wednesday, 14 April 2010
Sixth Sense technology...
This really is unbelievably amazing. Pranav Mistry demonstrates the future - better get used it!
http://www.ted.com/talks/pranav_mistry_the_thrilling_potential_of_sixthsense_technology.html
http://www.ted.com/talks/pranav_mistry_the_thrilling_potential_of_sixthsense_technology.html
Tuesday, 13 April 2010
The gloves are off!
Spirits have definitely been high in the Syllabus office today. The catalyst was the great news that we’ve been nominated for a CIPR Speciality Award for all the hard work we put into last year’s Station Sessions at St Pancras International. The awards ceremony isn’t until June so we’ll have to wait with baited breath for a while but we’re certainly all very excited about it.
This sparked a day where creative juices were flowing and competitive behaviour was at an all time high! Joe’s infamous movie music quiz was hotly contested, but no matter how much I shrieked answers at a pitch only known to small dogs and dolphins, Jon still won hands down with a record 6 points to 2! Me... a bad loser... no!! Then at the end of the day came a seriously nail biting challenge between Gideon and Joe who battled it out in a ruthless game of Wii bowling.
All I can say is that judging by today’s performances, no one at Syllabus likes to lose so our fellow CIPR nominees better be ready for some seriously determined competition!
Katie
Monday, 12 April 2010
The Power of Social Media
During my usual surf of the internet, I stumbled upon this little nugget, I thought.... blog it!!
Social media has transformed advertising and has given the consumer complete control of how they interact/embrace brands. Brands need to tread carefully when interacting with consumers in their own space. Coca-Cola is a great example of a brand that has embraced the limitations of communicating with consumers on a social media platform such as Facebook.
Coca-Cola found a popular fan page on facebook that had been created by a couple of 29 year old Coca-Cola fans. Rather than sue them, they flew the two fans out to Atlanta to continue working on the page for the company. The creators became an intimate part of the continued development of the page. Coca-Cola had the savvy to grasp the benefits of a Facebook group, and understood that Facebook was a site created and used by customers, a valuable lesson to be learnt for social media success!
http://www.facebook.com/cocacola?v=app_161193133389
Milton
Social media has transformed advertising and has given the consumer complete control of how they interact/embrace brands. Brands need to tread carefully when interacting with consumers in their own space. Coca-Cola is a great example of a brand that has embraced the limitations of communicating with consumers on a social media platform such as Facebook.
Coca-Cola found a popular fan page on facebook that had been created by a couple of 29 year old Coca-Cola fans. Rather than sue them, they flew the two fans out to Atlanta to continue working on the page for the company. The creators became an intimate part of the continued development of the page. Coca-Cola had the savvy to grasp the benefits of a Facebook group, and understood that Facebook was a site created and used by customers, a valuable lesson to be learnt for social media success!
http://www.facebook.com/cocacola?v=app_161193133389
Milton
Thursday, 8 April 2010
Parachute into Glade and get in Free!
Everyone here is very much looking forward to the Glade Festival in July this year and they have recently confirmed that they will be allowing festival goers in for free to the event if they parachute in, provided they are dressed as Elvis wearing a sound system strapped to their back and hit the ground dancing! http://www.gladefestival.com/news/?p=35 - if your feeling brave.
On a side note, 90% of the much anticipated line-up has now been released... follow the link for full details http://www.gladefestival.com/music/ looking good!
Not sure I'll be taking them up on the parachuting but it could be interesting none the less!
On a side note, 90% of the much anticipated line-up has now been released... follow the link for full details http://www.gladefestival.com/music/ looking good!
Not sure I'll be taking them up on the parachuting but it could be interesting none the less!
Wednesday, 7 April 2010
Music from the masses
I’ve come across a pretty cool and initiative website today that caught my eye. It’s a bit quirky and I’m not 100% sure how accurate it is but I still think it’s a pretty original and fun way for people to share and interact with music.
It’s essentially a Google map with locations you click on to discover what genres of music people are listening to all over the world. Just click on a certain location, anywhere, from Kent to Kazakhstan, and you can instantly play tracks that people are listening to. It basically works through a download site called SoundCloud, so let’s say when Boris from Bulgaria downloads Britney’s greatest hits, it shows up on the map and you, the user, get to have a listen. Ok so it’s a bit gimmicky and there might not be much point to it, but I still think it’s a clever way to expand people’s music taste to a whole load of random world music that they’re unlikely to be exposed to elsewhere. So far my favourite has to be from Hamburg, where they’re currently rockin’ out to Alain Monnet - Und Endlich (Hochzeitslied). Very bizarre indeed!
Have a look by going to www.tracksonamap.com
Katie
Tuesday, 6 April 2010
NME Relaunch
So our 'beloved' or not so 'beloved' as it would seem with its drastic declining weekly circulation NME Magazine has had a major facelift with a new design, logo and editorial content.
NME is to now display ten different covers featuring stars Jack White, Rihanna, Kasabian, Foals, MIA, Magnetic Man, Florence + the Machine, LCD Soundsystem, Laura Marling and Biffy Clyro.
New regular features “First Night, On The Road” and “In The Studio” are designed to demonstrate NME’s “unrivalled access” to bands,
It has also overhauled its “Radar” section with more new band news, live reports and regular columns from Tim Westwood, Simian Mobile Disco and Mary-Anne Hobbs.
The overhaul is the first major change NME under its first female editor Krissi Murison, the Magazine has suffered large circulation falls, dropping 20.6% year on year, and this is an attempt to regain it's kudos among music lovers.
Krissi Murison said: "When I took this role I had very clear ideas about what I wanted to do with the magazine. The new NME is significantly different, with a much more mature and aspirational design, and content which focuses on being in-depth, opinionated and above all knowledgeable."
So what do we think? - Are we really going to start picking up more NME Magazines because of the more 'Mature and aspirational design'? - It looks more like a magazine supplement to me!
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Sunday, 4 April 2010
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