Street marketing on the web
Companies use the virtual sales platform to collect data about their fans
Companies use the virtual sales platform to collect data about their fansBy Thérèse Balduzzi Street marketing on the internet has become established for subcultural music genres. In terms of films, the marketing success of the low-budget film "The Blair Witch Project" made a name for itself. In America, however, the Internet version of street marketing is now also being used for major entertainment productions such as the new episode of Eddie Murphy's "Nutty Professor".
Street marketing has a long tradition in the music industry. Record labels stock up music fans at concerts with T-shirts, free CDs and other promotional material to encourage word-of-mouth advertising. In the internet version of the strategy, marketing companies recruit groups of fans to promote new CDs or completely unknown musicians on websites of certain music genres. The pop singer Christine Aguilera, who has since become a star, is a prime example of this strategy.
With the help of Internet marketing company Electric Artists from New York, the RCA label orchestrated a storm on websites popular with teenagers. "The trick is not to give teenagers the feeling that it's a marketing campaign," says Ken Krasner, president and co-founder of the company, which has only been in existence for three years.
Since college students often react negatively to marketing that is too obvious, the companies don't even try to pretend to be fans, but place their information in a targeted manner and leave everything else to the fans. In Aguilera's case, Electric Artists first searched the web for sites where Aguilera had already been discussed. Aguilera had sung in the Disney film "Mulan" and released a single on the market.
The company then supplied music fans with CDs, photos, background information and banner ads, which they distributed in chat rooms. Thanks to the pre-plowed paths, Christine Aguilera's first CD reached the top of the hit parade in America last August.
The fans involved are not paid, as otherwise they would become employees and would no longer be pure music fans. They are satisfied with the "freebies" and the feeling of being at the source of the information. "They want these musicians to be successful. They do it out of passion," says Mark Schiller, CEO and partner of Electric Artists.
Internet marketing is also used for mainstream films
In turn, their audience is open to information because it has become impossible for individuals to keep track of the sprawling entertainment industry and the oversupply of websites. In addition, the opportunity to buy concert tickets or CDs on the Internet before they hit the market is tempting.
Recently, these internet marketing companies have also been used for the marketing of mainstream films: M80 marketed the film "Black & White" for Sony Pictures Entertainment and is currently handling the internet presence for the Miramax film "Human Traffic". Electric Artists handled the internet marketing for the film "American Psycho" and is currently working on the film "The Nutty Professor 2: The Klumps" with Eddie Murphy. The idea is to use either the soundtracks or other aspects of the films to highlight "cool" aspects in order to appeal to ethnic groups and subcultures such as African-Americans in the USA.
Film is not the only new medium to be marketed in this way. Electric Artist's client list also includes the Tommy stores of clothing designer Tommy Hilfiger, mobile phone company Air Touch, Rolling Stone magazine and a human rights organization. The companies promote the exchange of information about the products, realize sales and collect data about their fans. However, the effect of this strategy on offline sales is difficult to measure.
Street marketing has a long tradition in the music industry. Record labels stock up music fans at concerts with T-shirts, free CDs and other promotional material to encourage word-of-mouth advertising. In the internet version of the strategy, marketing companies recruit groups of fans to promote new CDs or completely unknown musicians on websites of certain music genres. The pop singer Christine Aguilera, who has since become a star, is a prime example of this strategy.
With the help of Internet marketing company Electric Artists from New York, the RCA label orchestrated a storm on websites popular with teenagers. "The trick is not to give teenagers the feeling that it's a marketing campaign," says Ken Krasner, president and co-founder of the company, which has only been in existence for three years.
Since college students often react negatively to marketing that is too obvious, the companies don't even try to pretend to be fans, but place their information in a targeted manner and leave everything else to the fans. In Aguilera's case, Electric Artists first searched the web for sites where Aguilera had already been discussed. Aguilera had sung in the Disney film "Mulan" and released a single on the market.
The company then supplied music fans with CDs, photos, background information and banner ads, which they distributed in chat rooms. Thanks to the pre-plowed paths, Christine Aguilera's first CD reached the top of the hit parade in America last August.
The fans involved are not paid, as otherwise they would become employees and would no longer be pure music fans. They are satisfied with the "freebies" and the feeling of being at the source of the information. "They want these musicians to be successful. They do it out of passion," says Mark Schiller, CEO and partner of Electric Artists.
Internet marketing is also used for mainstream films
In turn, their audience is open to information because it has become impossible for individuals to keep track of the sprawling entertainment industry and the oversupply of websites. In addition, the opportunity to buy concert tickets or CDs on the Internet before they hit the market is tempting.
Recently, these internet marketing companies have also been used for the marketing of mainstream films: M80 marketed the film "Black & White" for Sony Pictures Entertainment and is currently handling the internet presence for the Miramax film "Human Traffic". Electric Artists handled the internet marketing for the film "American Psycho" and is currently working on the film "The Nutty Professor 2: The Klumps" with Eddie Murphy. The idea is to use either the soundtracks or other aspects of the films to highlight "cool" aspects in order to appeal to ethnic groups and subcultures such as African-Americans in the USA.
Film is not the only new medium to be marketed in this way. Electric Artist's client list also includes the Tommy stores of clothing designer Tommy Hilfiger, mobile phone company Air Touch, Rolling Stone magazine and a human rights organization. The companies promote the exchange of information about the products, realize sales and collect data about their fans. However, the effect of this strategy on offline sales is difficult to measure.
