"We want to figure out new ways to do new things, not new ways to do old things." - Jason Feinberg, Concord Music
Welcome to the "Tune In" blog. The majority of the content posted here will focus on music marketing and related topics such as sponsorships, conferences, events, etc. I also feel that there should be a platform beyond the popular websites that amalgamate content to provide an outlet and landing strip for artists across the globe from a wide range of genres. This blog will showcases artists and musicians who are breaking boundaries and ancient music industry notions.
People in the industry often debate the tired rhetoric that the music industry is shifting to a new model. Don't get me wrong - it is, but the debate is getting old. I used to attend music conferences on a regular basis, but seeing the same speakers share their same spills over and over again and the same conversation being re-hatched a million times is monotonous. Let's learn to accept change, innovation and evolution within the music industry. Only then can companies, record labels and music industry folks begin to move forward and look beyond current platforms and methods of monetizing the end product.
Here is a great post from IEG that was posted late last year...
VTech’s Sports, Music Ties Help Keep Cordless Phones Relevant
Properties shouldn’t concentrate solely on “hot” products for prospecting.11/8/10: In a world seemingly obsessed with iPhones, Androids and all manner of smart, wireless communications devices, what is a marketer of cordless phones to do to break through the noise and maintain relevancy?
In addition to introducing upgraded products and features—including technologies that allow home phone users to merge landline and wireless capabilities—sponsorship has been the answer for the leading cordless phone brand in the U.S.
VTech Communications, Inc.—a wholly owned subsidiary of Hong Kong-based VTech Holdings Ltd., the world’s largest cordless phone manufacturer—has embraced sponsorship as a go-to platform to promote its phones as lifestyle products that connect people to each other.
Its effort concentrates on two vastly different property types: women’s pro golf and underground music.
VTech activates its golf and music involvements in part by offering exclusive content through two blogs:Inside the Ropes and The Sounds of VTech.
IEG SR recently spoke with Tom Bacon, VTech’s vice president of marketing, about the company’s incongruously two-pronged approach to sponsorship. Below are edited excerpts from the conversation.
IEG SR: Can you give a quick background on VTech?
Bacon: We are sold through major big box retailers like Wal-Mart, Best Buy and Sam’s Club. Our target audience is between the ages of 25 to 45, primarily female.
IEG SR: What role does sponsorship play in VTech’s marketing mix?
Bacon: It goes back to our decision about seven years ago to reposition as a lifestyle brand. When you look at our target demographic, it’s important to get phones beyond the pages of a magazine.
We are in our sixth season sponsoring the LPGA. It is a very cost effective property, and a very safe property. Not a lot goes wrong with the LPGA, as opposed to other types of pro sports.
We have endorsement deals with six athletes, and they are great ambassadors for the brand. They touch people on a weekly basis and the LPGA is a marketing platform that spans 45 weeks of the year. It’s a cost effective way to build brand recognition.
We started with one LPGA player, and we have added a player each year.
We also sponsor four LPGA tournaments: the Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic presented by Kroger in Sylvania, Ohio; the Kraft Nabisco Championship in Rancho Mirage, Calif.; the ShopRite LPGA Classic in Galloway, N.J.; and the State Farm Classic in Springfield, Ill. We try to sponsor one event each quarter to stretch our presence throughout the year.
We activate the tournament ties through branding on apparel worn by caddies and a branded lounge that features live music and players who pull pints. We also have product displays and distribute product cards.
IEG SR: Do you activate with retailers?
Bacon: We invite retail buyers to play in foursomes with our sales staff and LPGA players.
IEG SR: On the other side of the coin is VTech’s music program.
Bacon: We started to look at music when we rebranded our products. Everyone loves music, as well as sports.
We first got involved with record labels, as well as some sponsorships of events and concerts. It’s all about credibility by association. We work with people who we identify as good artists. You won’t see us with the Jonas Brothers. We look for quality over quantity.
We also create our own events. For example, last year we teamed with Mochilla, a production company, to create a composer-arranger music series in Southern California. We took composers that are very influential in hip-hop, and we partnered them with DJs. We used the content to create a DVD box set. It was a cutting edge, different kind of program.
We leverage those partnerships to gain content; it’s all about offering free, exclusive content to connect consumers with VTech. Two years ago we launched our music blog as a platform to support the artists we are involved with. The music world has changed over the past four or five years, and artists are looking for new ways to have their music distributed.
We support the music movement, and we want to give people something they can’t get anywhere else.
IEG SR: VTech also is involved with music festivals. How do you leverage those events?
Bacon: We focus on three events: South by Southwest, Lollapalooza and the Voodoo Music Festival.
At South by Southwest we sponsor artist showcases, and at Lollapalooza we sponsor an after-party withFilter magazine.
For The Sounds of VTech, at South by Southwest we capture video content that features interviews with artists. At Voodoo, we will host an after-party with close to 1,000 people; we will bring in bands and capture content there.
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