Snacking on music

“Ever wished that your favourite track would come out of your favourite chips?” asks The Smith’s Snackfood Company – part of PepsiCo International – in Australia. The snack brand has teamed up with Sony Music Entertainment Australia on a new large-scale on-pack download giveaway. Those purchasing packets of Smith’s Chips, Doritos, Twisties, Cheetos and Burger Rings will be able to go to Bandit.fm – the Australian music destination that houses 1M MP3 tracks – to download a free song. In addition to the download giveaway the brand is also giving away 200 full Band Hero Kits via an online competition.  Entry to the competition requires users to collect specially marked tokens from Smith’s 20’s Multipack or 6’s Multipacks.  The campaign is live now and runs until June.

Aside from the freebies and competitions visitors to the Smith’s website can also play around with Chip Sync, a web app which enables them to create music of their own.  Users simply select their choice of chip packet – Doritos representing Mexican samba, Smith’s snacks opting for Rock and Twisties some form of hip hop/rock crossover.  The player then lets users turn various instruments on and off and edit in lyrics of their choosing (certain words result in ‘bleeps’ – we know, we tested it). The results can then be shared via Facebook.

The title of the campaign ‘Track A Pack ‘ obviously plays on the ‘Track Pack’ moniker Guitar Hero utilises for additional downloadable content and seems like a good win for those who eat a lot of crisps down under. However, the argument always levelled against on-pack downloads is that in a world where most songs are freely available online anyway – albeit illegally – will a purchaser actually bother to download just one track from a new destination site? Amid a credit crunch freebies should be welcomed, however historically redemption on these types of offers are usually low.

However, Bandit.fm isn’t just a download destination. The site enables users to create playlists, stream audio and video plus gain access to a wealth of information on artists and music genres. Most importantly Bandit.fm has social functionality built in – letting users set up their own music channels to showcase their interests.

The Chip Sync app – although fairly minimal in its execution – is the more interesting side of the campaign and plays on social sharing.  Built into the Chip Sync part of the Bandit site is an email a friend mechanic (up to three) and integration into Facebook, which could provide increased traction for the brand.

Increasingly personalisation and bespoke experiences are becoming the driving force behind digital music campaigns in the snack food market – and Smith’s generosity on the download site could possibly have benefited from a more tailored music experience for its users.

A 2007 offering from Doritos saw Missy Elliot providing an online mash- up experience and the creation of an exclusive track for the brand. Tim McGraw also embarked on a different kind of on-pack promo in 2008 when he bundled a behind-the-scenes DVD from his tour with 500,000 limited edition McGraw tins of Spicy Jalapeño Fritos.

In addition a recent Brazilian campaign for Doritos offered up added innovation value by supplying on-pack Augmented Reality characters – which could be brought to life by placing a code in front of a webcam. These creatures – which were all individual – could then be utilised within Orkut, Brazil’s most popular social network. The Augmented Reality concept was also utilised by the brand in the US to put live bands such as Big Boi and Blink 182, literally, into the palms of music fans last year via an interactive on-pack code.

So what for the future of the on-pack download. Well a couple of start-ups (both in the US and Australia)  are attempting to roll out a new model with brands ‘gifting’ downloads which could hold the answer.  Both Free All Music (US) and Guvera (Australia) are beta testing free downland ventures whereby visitors select the particular brand that they would like to have purchase a song on their behalf. Once selected a short pre-roll ad runs and the download is theirs to keep. There is also social functionality built in to the Free All Music model whereby those who opt in will have their choices circulated via social media – for all to see.  Although this is currently a digital only concept , and somewhat removed from the on-pack premise, it does highlight a new trend for consumers pulling  content from brands as opposed to having tracks pushed via packaging. The addition Social Media traction offered also sees brands turning somewhat detached ‘downnload and go’ consumers into mini brand ambassadors.

Can social music transform Motorola

Motorola recently aired its first Super Bowl ad in four years for the Motorola ‘Devour’ handset with a high profile endorsement from actress Megan Fox. The clearly male-orientated ad depicted Megan Fox photographing herself in an outdoor bubble bath pondering what would happen if she shared the photo online. The result it seems would have caused power outages, make men fall off ladders and see boys lock themselves in their rooms.

The mobile brand says that this is “just the beginning” of a larger devices push, and that a series of new ads will play up different features, such as social networking and – more importantly – music, depending on the intended audiences. Whether the music ads will feature the Transformers actress (with or without her real thumb) or opt for a more direct music endorsement remains to be seen.

What is interesting though is that Motorola Ventures has just led a new investment round in social media music player TuneWiki. Although financial details were not disclosed it does see the brand making a concentrated move towards social music activity. “Music is rapidly emerging as a key feature for smart phones, and TuneWiki is changing the experience of listening to music from a solitary experience to a social one,” said Reese Schroeder, managing director of Motorola Ventures. Motorola believes the TuneWiki social media player will “dramatically change the way people will listen to and interact with music”.

As the company ponders spinning off its handset division from its other ventures and plans to launch around 20 Android handsets this year, will music now feature prominently in its turnaround endeavors? In 2009, Motorola’s mobile division generated $7.1B in sales, a considerable slump on the $12.1B seen in 2008.

The new Devour handset is targeted directly at 18 to 34-year-old males – hence the introduction of a near naked Megan Fox. If the actress is to appeal to this audience in a more musically inclined way perhaps she should move from the bath to singing in the shower – much like Burger King’s campaign from last year. The social element it used by teaming with Spotify would have been useful – had Spotify actually launched in the US as intended at the close of last year.

One of Motorola’s most successful attempts at music endorsement and social sharing can be seen in the 2008 tie up with Asian pop star Jay Chou. Part of the endorsement campaign, which ran in the Hong Kong International Airport, pushed the RAZR handset by inviting users (via a giant billboard) to say goodbye to their loved ones. It also offered personal messages from the singer.

Brands see the value of music

This week saw the 50th edition of the Brands Bands Fans newsletter. Since its inception in May 2007 – and the subsequent launch of our blog, Twitter feed, events and panels, we have covered a vast and ever expanding selection of brand and music partnerships and marketing activity. We hope you’ve found it as invaluable as we have and that it has opened your eyes to the full spectrum of opportunity available within music.

What our ongoing involvement in this space has consistently impressed upon us is the break neck speed of activation; it is relentless, ever-evolving, adapting and diversifying. However, in many ways it is hard to keep track with hundreds of branded music campaigns springing up each month. Many of these can fly under the radar in such a busy marketing environment, and we hope we’ve managed to capture the heart of the brands and music zeitgeist over the last few years. We’ve uncovered some marketing gems along the way, from innovative digital platforms harnessing the power of social media; right through to intimate gigs bringing fans closer to the music they love.

Despite a perceived lull in marketing spend, 2009 has been among the most creative and active years for music marketing, with brands recognising that music touch points offer a longevity of consumer traction that few other routes to market can match. With green shoots of economic revival sprouting as we approach the year’s end we envisage that this level of creativity will continue throughout into 2010. And, as ever, we’ll be there to capture the very best as it happens across the globe.

So What?: For all the campaigns that we cover are any of them cutting through? Do music fans even want brands involved with the music their hold so dear? The answer, it appears, is a resounding “yes”. Exclusive research from FRUKT Music Intelligence’s ‘Brands and Music Manifesto 2010’ (more details on back page) can reveal that consumers are increasingly more accepting of brand involvement in music. A nationally representative survey undertaken in the UK depicts a nation that has moved away from the old concept of seeing bands as “selling out” by aligning with brands. In excess of three quarters of consumers now believe music is an important factor in brand engagement, with 86% open to brands that enrich their experience of a product with music tie-ups such as downloads, festival sponsorships or live music events. The research also highlighted how 31% of 16-18 year-olds, and one in five adults, say music drives their choice of brand if the involvement adds value.

“Brands Bands Fans was created in order to highlight the myriad of music oriented marketing activity, innovations and trends across the globe. Over 100,000 words later, since our very first Pepsi story, we are still delivering a resource unmatched in the industry. A little light analysis shows interestingly, that we’ve covered significantly more activity from the US than anywhere else on the planet, and that MySpace, Sony, Nokia, Samsung and Coca-Cola rank as the most ‘busy’ brands in music according to their respective citations in BBF. It’s so positive that so many brands are now beginning to explore the potential of music – and to understand it’s not just a TV sync or an opportunity for a bit of ‘cool’ by hanging out with new bands… but that music is a vast cultural space.”
Jack Horner, Creative Director, FRUKT

FRUKT Brands and Music Manifesto 2010

97% of consumers like or love music*
…but how can brands harness this passion?

Packed with insight including:
• FRUKT’s vision for 2010
• Building relevant artist endorsements
• Maximizing live music’s potential
• Delivering successful campaigns
• Differentiating music activity
• New research, essays & case studies

* FRUKT Research, as featured in the special report

Download the sampler here

Only £150 or get it for free when you subscribe to FRUKT Music Intelligence (£400pa).

To subscribe, or to order your copy, contact Dudley Ashton:
+44 (0)20 7017 8146 / sales@fruktmusic.com

Valley of the dancing dolls

The Dolly Rockers – the outspoken Girl Band with a penchant for large headphones and short skirts billowing with netting – have entered into a new brand partnership with KangaROOS footwear in order to promote their latest single ‘Gold Digger’.

The ‘How do you rock your Roos?’ competition asks visitors to a dedicated Bebo page to record their own dance routine to the new Dolly Rockers single.

The girls – Sophie, Lucy and Brooke – will then pick through the video entries to select their favourites to see which will go through to the final.

The ultimate winner will get to spend a day with the Dolly Rockers and their choreographer recording at a central London studio, plus a behind-the-scenes experience during the filming of the Dolly Rockers’ third music video. They will also net themselves a Dolly Rockers makeover  – which bearing in mind their own ‘covered-in-doubled-sided-tape-and-rolled-through-Primark’ look, is not one for the faint hearted. Plus to round it off they’ll also pick up a whole bunch of KangaROOS and Dolly Rockers goodies.

The Dolly Rockers quirky attire is ripe for clothing and footwear brands that want to associate with a young, empowered and rebellious female audience. Something that is currently lacking on the well-groomed, all too polite, girl band endorsement remit at present.

The campaign runs from the 1st September to 22nd October.

In a separate promotion the Dollys are asking their fans to spread the word about their new single to their closest friends, in a pay-it-forward style email gathering campaign. The fan who supplies the most email addresses will win a private performance from the group in their own living room. Ok, its blatant email harvesting, but it doesn’t attempt to hide it, which is very much in its favour, as is the fact there is a genuine VIP prize for promoting the single.

The gig race is on

Ted Baker’s new Born menswear range has launched a new campaign which will require dedication, stamina, and quite possibly ear plugs. In order to promote its new Born clothing range of shirts, polo shirts, T-shirts, and hoodies  – all aimed at a younger 18-24-year-old audience than its mainline brand – Born is setting a ‘Gig Race’ challenge.  Contestants involved will have two weeks to attend as many gigs as they can, whilst blogging and twittering their exploits as they go. The eventual winner will walk away with £1,000 of Born by Ted Baker clothing and possibly a Guinness World Record for the most gigs attended in one week. As well as that Born has two tickets for his year’s sold out Bestival music event, featuring Kraftwerk, Lily Allen, Fleet Foxes and Massive Attack, to give away.

If you think you have what it takes to tackle this musical triathlon, then you can sign up via the link below.

www.bornbytedbaker.com

http://twitter.com/bornbytedbaker

Samsung looks to new music TV generation

Bebo and Samsung are teaming up on a new online TV initiative in order to promote Samsungs new Beat DJ Handset. As with previous tried and tested Bebo webisode models – Kate Modern, Sofia’s Diary, and The Secret World of Sam King -  the Beat series will follow a fully interactive pathway. Viewers will be given the chance to interact through blogs, upload track reviews, share music news and also be offered the chance to appear in the show itself. In addition Samsung and Bebo will also be running a nationwide promotion to find a co-presenter for the show. The deal will see Samsung promoting its new live venture, Samsung Bebo Nights, with an inaugural performance by White Lies and The Maccabees on 1st June.

Music TV has been dead in the water for some time now as the digital music realm superseded that of the MTV generation and pushed numerous shows, from Top of the Pops to MTV’s TRL  into the analogue dumper. However, a generation is now growing up who haven’t experienced music TV, they are used to ‘search’ rather than ‘push’ when it comes to selecting music and increasingly self-powered taste making is becoming unsatisfying. The Bebo concept of broadcasting takes the ‘choose-your-own-adventure’ route  (like the popular Fighting Fantasy novels that appeared in the 1980s) and applies it to the formerly passive role of TV, giving it a much needed digital spin.  “Music shows in the most traditional sense do not talk to an online audience. Those on the web now that might once have tuned into a CD:UK or Top of the Pops are not really looked after,” said Peter Cowley, global head of original digital programming at Endemol.

So what?: Samsung have a long history dabbling with music – traditionally working with artists to endorse and support new product launches. In the past year or so they have used Girls Aloud, The Presets, Ozzy and Gabriella Cilmi. Not to mention signing up Lebanese singer Elissa as a brand ambassador and Korean singer Rain as their Olympic ambassador in China.  This new approach to supporting a series of live music initiatives such as Samung Bebo Nights is the first time they’ve branched out into what could be described as a marketing platform.

Coincidently, Sony Ericsson is also launching its music-entertainment show Pocket TV on YouTube and mobile handsets on 4th June. The free shows will consist of five weekly 90-second segments featuring interviews with artists and bands, live sessions and behind the scenes features. “Youth audiences may be watching less television – but they are online and using their mobile handsets, and they are more passionate about music and entertainment than they have ever been,” says Dave Hilton, Sony Ericsson head of marketing.

Coming back to Samsung‘s tie up with Bebo: this is a positive activity, using multiple channels, a strong social networking partner and the creation of some exclusive content at the heart of it. The big challenge will be taking it from a sponsorship into a partnership, resulting in a platform that is credible with their target audience:

“Our belief is that credibility through association is tough to achieve, brands need to do something genuinely useful and interesting for the audience or they risk joining a long list of brands trying to absorb some ‘cool’. This new activity is a great starting point for Samsung, with appropriate partnerships in place, relevant products and creation of content at the heart of it all. It will be interesting to see how this unfolds”
Jack Horner, Creative Director, FRUKT

The green, green music grassroots of home

Coca-Cola is embarking on an innovative new interactive YouTube webisode reality series to promote its Sprite soft drink brand. The ‘Green Eyed World: Reality Remixed’ series offers up a window into the life and times, and up and downs of a number of musicians on the road to stardom. The first artist to benefit from this new format is 23-year old singer Katie Vogel from London. Visitors will be able to follow her as she follows her dream plus vote, comment and shape her story along the way. The promotion will run as five seasons of four episodes (of around 5 mins long) with a grand finale in December 2009.

“There is so much great music that is out there – amazing, beautiful artists who don’t get heard because of all the madness that is happening with record labels and publishers,” states Stafford Green, Coca-Cola’s head of digital marketing in Europe.

The brand seeks to be forefront of mind with consumers by taking a back seat and seeding itself gently as a provider of original emerging content. The project is clearly “powered by Sprite” – as stated at the end of each video (to the sound of a Sprite can opening) – but is ultimately centred on the artist above the brand itself.

On-pack promotions will run on Sprite cans in selected European countries, the YouTube site will run in five languages (English, Spanish, French, Italian and German), with potential television broadcasts & related TV commercials also rolling out. Katie Vogel also sports a Sprite-green-coloured Gibson guitar, naturally.

So what?: Sprite is Coke’s emerging markets brand and the fit with emerging artists therefore seem a natural one, with Katie Vogel set to benefit greatly from Sprite’s patronage.

Increasingly emerging artists – which suffer from a lack of any real backstory – need to harness a narrative that they can interweave music around. The issue here for brands is that the artist not only needs to sound good, they also need to be engaging presenters capable of holding an audience’s attention. When a reality TV programme, which this is in micro from, doesn’t have an obvious shock value USP to engage the audience you really have to harness likable down to earth artists that visitors can emphasis with. Katie Vogel appears to fit this bill well and the unique interactivity element could prove to be the most beneficial for the brand. Portals such as this often struggle as destination sites, however the integrated use of Facebook and YouTube together – which is apparently a first for this “hybrid technology” from the two social networks – should help seed the campaign where it matters most.

The only slight problem the campaign may face is the confusion over the artists name, as Katie Vogel is remarkable similar sounding to the established US actress/singer Kate Voegele.

“Very slick production on this web-soap series from Sprite, feels a bit like MTV ‘My Sweet 16’ so should resonate with this younger audience. The ‘buzzword bingo’ script and slightly staged feel of the story need to develop more, but subtle brand presence and a fun show result in a good start for Sprite”
Jack Horner, Creative Director, FRUKT

http://www.youtube.com/greeneyedworld

http://www.myspace.com/thatvogel

All you need is love and MySpace

What?: Luxury jewelry brand Cartier is to promote its latest Love – By Cartier collection with a major music focus.

Cartier has set up both a microsite and a MySpace site to promote the new range with the help from 12 international artists. The multi-territory deal, brokered with MySpace France, spans eight separate languages. In the first few days, the profile logged 100,000 views.

Artists featured in the campaign include Lou Reed, Sol Seppy, Little Dragon, and Grand National. Songs from all artists are available as free downloads.

In addition to this, Janet Jackson, Fergie, Good Charlotte, Eve, Common, Hilary Duff, and Ashanti have all been named as ambassadors for Cartier’s LOVECHARITY bracelet. Rihanna performed at the annual LOVEDAY on 19th June, with 10% of bracelet sales gong to charity.

So what?: Has Cartier taken its high-end product to the wrong audience on MySpace? Anyone who has had to endure the heavily-laden, slow-loading pages of some MySpace destinations will be familiar with bling-encrusted sites from wannabe R&B artists. Cartier gets its
fair share of hip-hop name-checking, so maybe the fit is right. The problem here is the choice of artists; Lou Reed, for example, just doesn’t reflect this audience or age group.

“When an iconic luxury brand not only embraces social media, but also includes artists that are distinct within their campaign, this is an indicator that traditional bricks and mortar retailers consider these concepts as a viable promotional outlet and others will follow suit.”
Kimmie Smith, Editor, The Kitten Lounge

www.myspace.com

Let me tell you a secret

What?: Bebo, the AOL-owned social network, is to launch an ambitious and multifaceted new online drama ‘hot on the heels’ of its successful soaps KateModern and Sofia’s Diary. The new online drama will be based in the London offices of Universal (and made by Globe Productions, a subsidiary of Universal). The Secret World Of Sam King will focus on an employee who secretly sets up a label, from his lowly postroom status, within the major. As with previous dramas on the social networking site, Bebo users will be able to interactively influence the storyline of the show as well as Sam’s fictional music label.

Sam’s love interest, Katie, is set to feature in a spin-off online music TV show, called Katie’s Love In. Plus Johnny (Sam’s friend) will also appear in a spin-off radio Podcast. Financing for the show comes via brand integration, with Sony Ericsson entering into a sponsorship deal that sees the mobile company committing to the first three months of the show. Plotlines are also set to feature cameos from actual Universal artists.

So what?: When I think of this campaign I can’t help imagining Amy Winehouse and Johnny Borrell bounding from room to room to the sound of Yello’s ‘Oh Yeah’ – like Michael J Fox in the ‘80s film, The Secret Of My Success – as Sam King (like Simon Cowell, if his autobiography is to be believed) rises from the postroom to the big time. The big question here is whether Sam King’s journey will relive the same hedonistic ‘80s excess or follow the more realistic struggles of setting up a label? It’s all Universal-led, so it will be interesting to see just how ‘secret’ the world’s largest label remains.

“Ah, the enduring myth of the glamorous record label world. It’s amazing that in a time of commercial tumult, the industry is still perceived as the home of sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll. But it will probably cut it with ‘the kids’, and roping artists in will certainly help lend it some authenticity.”
Dom Hodge, Strategist, FRUKT

“For Bebo this is yet another example of how the social network is actively and repeatedly engaging with its core 16-24-year-old audience. That Facebook Funwall suddenly just looks like a wall.”
Giles Fitzgerald, Editor, BBF

www.youtube.com
www.bebo.com
www.bebo.com

What?: Rock act Disturbed and Jessica Simpson will perform for US troops on the 10th March in conjunction with MySpace. “Through Operation MySpace, I get to serve my country by doing what I love to do in front of thousands of brave men in uniform. It’s every girl’s dream!” said Simpson whilst attempting to locate Kuwait and her musical career on an atlas.

www.myspace.com