It is with gratitude and excitement that I announce that the "business" I will be working with for the remainder of this class is my good friends' band, "The Blue Moonies". As a fan of their music and a supporter of their cause, I hope that we can benefit from each other. I think that it's important to believe in whatever it is that you are promoting and I can honestly say that some of the happiest moments of my life the past couple of years have been at their shows. I only hope that my efforts to coordinate their social media and promote their band will be successful and a positive learning experience for all of us!
It's a little bit different trying to identify a target market for a music group, because as we all know, artists don't make the bulk of their money off of album sales anymore. More important is publicity, recognition, and paying gigs. Therefore, I think that The Blue Moonies' target market should be focused on promoters, production companies, and event planners. However, I think that it's more important that the band establish an image for itself and its fans than try to target promoter directly, because it is the fans and attendees of their concerts that actually bring in revenue. Currently, The Blue Moonies have a strong base of core fans who come to their shows, but these people are somewhat limited to those who know the band personally and who live locally (North County San Diego... specifically Encinitas). These people are what I have learned are their "brand ambassadors"and I think that there is a lot to be gained by engaging these core fans online and tapping into their extended networks.
I've been thinking a lot about the kind of people who listen to or would enjoy listening to The Blue Moonies' music as well as what kind of niche markets are available to them. The Blue Moonies' music is a mix of reggae, funk, rock, and soul... the kind of music that appeals to a wide age range (with several classic covers) and encourages audience participation. It's the kind of music that makes you smile, get up and move, and boogie. Something somewhat unique about their music is its appropriateness for any age range. Their songs don't include profanities and their shows are often frequented by their music students who range in age from 12-18. That being said, I think that their most lucrative market would come from targeting young adults, ages 21-35 who enjoy live music and frequent festivals, bars, and clubs. Since their music is more classic than trendy, I think that appealing to the "anything goes" lifestyle of their local North County and beach community for following is smarter than trying to directly target radio stations and recording companies.
So who are these 21-35 year old and what do they do/enjoy? These individuals enjoy local music and have at least some disposable time and income for live events. They are equally men and women, and they are located in the North County San Diego area... specifically Encinitas, Solana Beach, Cardiff, Leucadia, Oceanside, San Marcos, Vista, Carlsbad, and Vista. They spend their time frequenting bars, the beach, shows, microbreweries, and outdoor events like street fairs, farmer's markets, artwalks and festivals. Most of them are probably single or not too settled and in a phase of life where socializing and going out is still a frequent activity. Since 21-35 year olds are well within the digital era, these people are probably active or at least familiar with social media. They are likely to have Facebook pages, Twitter accounts, and Pinterest accounts as well as other various social networking tools. They are used to being able to access music for free and finding information digitally.
Earlier I mentioned that the true gatekeepers to The Blue Moonies' success lies in the hands of event organizers and promoters who will book the band for events. Therefore, I think that some of their marketing needs to be aimed at local bars, city event planners, concert halls (i.e. The Belly Up Tavern), and any other business that has a cabaret license and host live music. Most of these people/places have private promoters who recruit for them and they spend their time looking for local talent on social media sites and at other live events.
As I continue to talk with the band, I am sure that our target market will become more clear, but for now, this should give an outline of where to get started. Still, I welcome any input or suggestion so post a comment!
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