A Walk on the Digital Wildside

There are so many avenues you can go to promote and market yourself. This is especially true in the digital realm. In another post, we talked about Product and Artist Management. The key is developing your identity and getting that across to your fans/consumers.

There is a band that takes digital marketing to the next level, and it makes for an interesting result. The England native alternative band Gorillaz has almost eliminated the physical presence of humans by itself being a virtual band. Gorillaz has made itself known to the world with its four band members, Stu “2D” Pot, Murdoc Niccals, Russel Hobbs, and Japanese guitarist, Noodle.

The band, which was created by Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett, is tangibly made up of the music and various contributions from different musicians over the years. The main contributor has been Albarn, the voice of 2D in the band, and Hewlett, who is the illustrator. The outlandish cartoon band members have been perfect for digital marketing as it is easy to feature them almost anywhere in visual media, and the music speaks for itself.

In promoting their 3^rd album, Plastic Beach, Gorillaz released several cartoon shorts as well as playing out the story in their music videos about Murdoc kidnapping 2D and taking him to this island called Plastic Beach, to record for this new album. The story continues to play out piquing fans’ interest in what is going on with the band members. The way Gorillaz tells their story has led to them gain fans and album sales.

Gorillaz has since put out iTunes exclusive music, iPad apps, had their songs featured in commercials (Icebreakers) and video games (Guitar Hero 5, Rock Band). The Gorillaz website features a game based around the Plastic Beach album called “Escape to Plastic Beach”, which was also the name of their first world tour. Gorillaz is also working with a new technology for their tour using holograms, giving them a realistic and life-like appearance while on stage. This technology was used at the 2005 MTV Europe Music Awards and also at the 2006 Grammy Awards, featuring Madonna.

Gorillaz has used digital marketing to their advantage by making themselves a virtual band. This is digital marketing at its finest. What will you use to brand yourself and put yourself out to the masses? In marketing there are four people: Creators, Innovators, Imitators, and Spectators. Creators use their own ideas to their advantage. Innovators take someone else's idea and build on it, or make it special in their own way. Imitators obviously take a proven formula someone else created and stick to it. Spectators take it all in, yet put nothing out.

Which “-ator” are you? Stay Tuned.

For more on Gorillaz, check out their Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Wiki, or their own website.

the Digital Divide

With so many innovations like iPads and eReaders, it is obvious we are embracing a digital format. The best way for entertainers like musicians to succeed in this new technological atmosphere, they have to adapt their marketing efforts to include digital media. This is the major record labels are having troubles with P2P sites and other forms of digital media.

The advancement of technology and the internet have giving record label another problem: independent musicians don’t need them. There are now sites and software that give the power to the artist and cut out the “middle-man” of the label. An artist can easily promote their product(s) through social media like Twitter, Facebook, or MySpace and sell it through sites like iTunes, Amazon, or CDBaby. Therefore keeping them in touch with the most important people of all: consumers.

For those that are still vying for that coveted recording contract, there are plenty of stories where someone has gotten signed from current social media. Hip Hop artist Soulja Boy Tell ‘Em gained his fame and contract from exposing people to his music through P2P sites. Current Bad Boy Entertainment artist Cassie found herself a contract by being discovered by writer/producer Ryan Leslie from MySpace. And let’s not forget pop star Justin Bieber, whose YouTube videos were viewed by the right people and provided him with a contract.

Digital marketing has changed the landscape of the music industry. Besides taking the D-I-Y approach, or attempting to get heard/seen by the right key people, there are many major signed recording artists who are taking it upon themselves to still use social media and other sites to promote and keep in touch with fans. In older days, the best way for fan interaction was at official autograph sessions or backstage after a concert. Now artists can interact from their cell phones with a tweet or status post.

An artist or record label would be silly not to take advantage of popular trends. If it is popular, this is where most of your fans and consumers will come from. Right now, things like Twitter, YouTube, UStream, Facebook, and Skype are popular among the people. In order to put yourself at the best advantage, you have to put yourself on the same level as the audience you want. Sales 101 has always been “the customer is always right.”

As you think about marketing your music and media, remember to take advantage of trends and fads as much as you can. The internet is an unlimited resource for digital marketing and getting the exposure you desire. Also consider internet radio sites like Jango who put your music out alongside the major artist. This is much easier than getting your music on a terrestrial radio station. Learn to use your resources to get you where you need.

Stay Tuned.