With all the changes happening in the market today, we often get into the mindset that we need to completely change the game in order to compete. Much of this is rebellion against the traditional way of doing things. Much of this is a survival method for artists who feel they won’t get noticed unless they do something completely groundbreaking. And much of this is from people who just aren’t sure what the best way to market their work is. But we lose sight of the fact that in reality, often times you only have to change one little thing in order to change the game.
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Before I begin, I should acknowledge that “Whither the Music Video” is not a complete sentence, yet has come to gain legitimacy through years of misuse in cool titles for articles about the sorry state of [insert dying/in-transition art form].
Branching off of Dan’s recent entry re: Coldplay’s videos, it seems to me that this has been the sad standard for some time now. The more artists that leave record labels to galvanize their own fan bases however they see fit, the more that the task of the music video falls into the hands of a friend or assistant who records some blandly candid backstage footage, which more often than not winds up buried in the band’s MySpace page. And even when the suits do throw a little Thanks-For-Not-Doing-Heroin-This-Era money at their bands, the videos just look like the same low-budjy turds, only polished. Shake the camera a lot to cover up the lack of a set, overexpose to cover up the lack of a set, pack the thing with tight close-up shots of the singer’s face to cover up the…well, you get it.
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Gary Vaynerchuk may have proudly declared that you are your own brand, but it is important to realize this is a double-edged sword. Use your personal image for your brand, and you can get a lot of attention and be recognized personally for your business accomplishments. But if you find yourself sacrificing quality for money, as many companies need to do at one time or another, your own image and reputation could be at stake.
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Here in Hollywood, you can’t walk to any of the major shopping or entertainment areas without being bombarded by a handful of musicians attempting to sell you their burned CD’s. It has been this way for a while, but in this day and age, I have to wonder why they still exist… and why they haven’t figured out that spending an hour putting their stuff on the internet will reap more rewards than standing out on the street corner for a solid month.
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For a long time, advertising on television was a no-brainer. It was as if the technology was invented solely to plug the full, rich tobacco flavor of Winston cigarettes. Entire game shows were branded by coffeemakers. The good lord Kraft smiled and all was well.
I still think it’s a viable resource for advertisers, but some of them are starting to sweat the advent of DVR culture. To them, that’s thousands of potential consumers, breezing past entire pods, catching only a glimpse of the last spot before Heroes resumes. As usual, sea change in response to new tech is just not an option. Small, petulant resistances are the order of the day.
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Today, while at Hollywood & Highland, I stopped into the Green Earth Cafe to get a Caesar salad and noticed the plasma television mounted behind the counter. Powered by a company and service called Danoo, the television was performing a task that I’ve often predicted would be on the rise — showing activities and events within close proximity to the cafe, and outputting highly targeted advertising.
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In a totally predictable but vague article, Michael Stipe of R.E.M. says that the music video is dead, and that while he is not entirely certain what the future of music marketing is, he’s putting a lot of stock into the internet. This is hardly a surprise, given that Ethan (who is very close with the band) and the gang over at WBR have been working very hard over the past few years to increasingly market their artists on the internet, with R.E.M. often being the first out of the gate. But are music videos really dead?
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Everyone’s favorite1 burger joint is getting some interesting publicity today. First it was the guy who lost 80 pounds eating nothing but McDonald’s, but now it’s something a little more related to new media. McDonald’s is holding a public contest to write the jingle for their next television commercial. According to the website, there’s really no rules other than the inclusion of the following Grammy-winning lyrics: Two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun.
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Most people don’t give Starbucks enough credit for their entry into the music business. Well, most people don’t really give Starbucks enough credit for anything, but that’s another story. The truth is that when it comes to marketing music, Starbucks has the right idea… and others need to follow.
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I am in no way a fan of The Hills. I have many legitimate reasons for disliking that show. However, I do have to commend MTV for integrating a brilliant method of music marketing intoThe Hills, and possibly other shows as well.
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