Jay-Z, Viral Marketing and Local Bands

This is part 2 from Wednesday’s post on Jay-Z and his newest release, American Gangster. After thinking about what Jay did in efforts to market his release with that of the movie of the same name I thought about how local and indie bands could jump on this promotional strategy.

1.Use local events as selling points. Quick example: Release a short EP loosely based around the Florida Music Festival and use Axis Magazine to ride the coattails of this festival. Everytime someone searches for FMF, use some creative search marketing to get your new album to rank high in the Search Engines. Create a new Myspace page with keywords in the title and URL, create short commercials on YouTube, have Craigslist postings selling the CD and even asking for volunteers to help sell it or pass it out at the Festival. Create events for its release on every platform there is. Then, once you have dominated the search rankings, you will leave Axis no other choice but to throw an article your way about the album, its marketing, hopefully your showcase in the festival and even an album review. Now you are getting the exposure of playing in a great festival, the press that goes with the mad being distributed to everyone in attendance, and everyone online who wants more info on the festival.

2.Use holidays to your advantage. Create events around holidays and make them an event instead of just another show. Halloween is obviously easy as costume parties are great. Make it memorable so the casual bar hopper remembers your band and what you did on that holiday. Having an Easter Bunny mascot hanging out chocolates with your band’s name on the wrapper, Special Green CD’s on St Patty’s Day, having a retirement group do a dance video of one of your songs to promote on YouTube for Veteran’s Day. Get creative and create something with a lasting impression.

3.Incorporate local business. Writing a song about a favorite hang out, bar, restaurant or store can get the establishment involved in the promotion of your band. The local store may play the song on loop all day and sell your CD’s at the counter. Give away free stickers, buttons, CD’s; give away their stickers, coupons or promo material at your shows. Not only will customers be exposed to your music but you are creating free advertising for the business and may just convert some employees into fans and better yet street team/salespeople for your music.

4. Use the movie effect. Rappers have used these to generate interest in mixtapes for years. Try having parodies of titles, goofy bonus songs and even viral videos that compliment the latest blockbuster movie.

5. Controversy sells. When a new law is passed, many people research it online. Having a song, video, concept that goes along with this law will get your ban extra exposure and may even make you an authority on the law in question.

There are countless other ways to cross promote your product with that of other products. The key is to react fast. With a movie release you can find the release date, weeks if not months in advance. You want your product’s marketing to launch before or at the same time as the product you are trying to promote off of. Being ahead of the curve gets the early adopters to site you as an authority on the subject and can get press involved if they find your work good and buzzworthy. Be fast, be creative and be heard.

If your band wants to get heard louder, faster and with more impact, email me to schedule a consultation.

-g-ro

Jay-Z, Smart Move With American Gangster

Jay-Z is back, oh, but you already knew that. Man, I’m late on this breaking news thing. American Gangster came out 2 weeks ago and landed Hov with his 10^th number 1 album, tying Elvis for 2^nd all time number one albums. Not bad for a trapper turned rapper.

Jay is a marketing genius; there is no doubt about it. He has a plan before it becomes a plan and sometimes the public doesn’t even notice it. Shawn Corey Carter’s last album, Kingdom Come was released with a video paid for by Budweiser. Remember the car chase with Dale Jr? Yea, Jay didn’t cough up a penny for that. He got sponsors, big ones.

New album, American Gangster. Do you think it is any coincidence that it dropped only a week 3-4 days after the movie of the same name dropped and landed at number 1 in the box office? I think not. Yea, Jay says it is loosely based around the movie, the movie inspired him, blah, blah. Jay worked around a deadline made by himself to get the album shelved at the height of marketing paid for by the major movie studios. Everytime the film was mentioned, a tag line about the unofficial soundtrack was mentioned. Jay was everywhere the movie was. Every interview with Denzel had a question about the Jay-Z album and their thoughts on it. More free press.

This is the ultimate hustler. He not only runs the baddest label in town, Def Jam, but has refueled Roc-A-Fella with a position to succeed just in time to make the 4^th quarter king a few bucks and keep his name in that elite John Elway staple. Freeway just dropped Tuesday. Beanie Siegel is next. Kanye is still the king and making headlines through tragedy and triumph.

You want to know what is even funnier from a new media standpoint? This was all done without a Myspace or Facebook campaign. No YouTube battles. No Twittering necessary. It was done through old media and the big corporations pulling the big bucks. Late night TV shows, TRL, MTV and BET. Movie studios, XXL, Rolling Stone.

I don't surf the net
No i never been on myspace
Too busy letting my voice vibrate
Carving out my space

-Jay-Z “Beach Chair” from ‘Kingdom Come’