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More Music Industry Hooey

For a second there I thought, ‘Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe the Music Industry is ok.’. Well, thank you Advertising Age for continuing to prove I’m not insane.

But, what really worries me is the Branding issue. Branding oneself alongside another brand. In my mind, music is meant to free a soul or shed some light. Not to get more people buying the BlackBerry Curve because John Mayer approves of it.

And, please, whats up with the free Dr. Pepper for All Guns N Rosesscam? Are you serious? If this were to happen when I was in sixth grade, and obsessed with Dr P and GNR, I’d still be like ‘What?!’.

I’m really starting to wonder about people’s motives and consumer’s brains.

Freedom of the Music

Recently I wrote a post about Radiohead and NIN among others generating buzz and I guess I should mention – sales – via interesting internet ploys. This latest release from Mashable only adds to my argument that the internet should be seen as a major help in the music industry, not the hindrance some chalk it up to be.

Fut her, I was entrenched in a heated debate recently with someone who said that the music industry is doing fine and quite well despite all of the hoopla surrounding piracy and other internet issues and the overall demise of it all. My stance is that who cares about the majors? The music industry needs to understand, and change, their business model. With all of the capabilities the internet, not to mention home computers, provide, its easy to see the rise of multiple soulja boys and the like through your own doing.

I cant fathom the life I would have lived had I continued into the music industry the way that I was thinking I would. Thats not what I’m about. I’m about the freedom to create and brand your own sound and passion and to share that with the world as freely – and in the manner – that you intend. It is not to swoop in and take away what you created and package it into ‘the next big thing’. Thats not what music is or should be and I’m glad to not have fallen into that world. So my question is – one that I’m still struggling with – do we need the music industry, or does the music industry need us?

That being said, how wonderful of a project would it be to sign artists who create their own empire digitally. To help them further their career, minus the costs of pressing albums and offer only digital. Knowing that most artists make more money touring than selling albums, and many dont think about the legalities of their contract, this seems like the better deal for the artists – and the start up.

Thats something, I can still dream of being a part of.

Millennial This.

Ugh. I’m soooooo sick of hearing about the Millennial. Are we done with this yet? Has it passed? Do we have to wait for the next generation to finally stop being lazy and over typecasting these kids?

I dont know why its been everywhere lately, from the business angle to the college angle. But I’m happy that someone is coming out against it.

It seems like we’re seeing more and more of both. Which may sound bad, but the rise of the anti is actually very welcome. How can we consider an entire generation of students across the globe as extremely well versed in everything digital? Sure they have the option, ones we never dreamed of and probably dont take advantage of. But, for many of them, they dont take the place of real communication: they only facilitate more of it.

I was recently converted to the anti movement when I asked a bunch of college students if they knew what Twitter was and most of them did not. Only 1 or 2 used it. On the flipside, think of how they use Facebook or other social networking sites: many times, they do not distinguish between what they read on Facebook, and what they are told directly. In conversations, they (and other digital natives), use the information to facilitate conversations in real life as if there is no divide or difference in how they learned what they know. These communication tools serve to provide them with a tether that usual means of contact have not allowed so that they are free to be more involved in each others lives. I say this, because I know its how some of us – non-millennials – live.

We need to remember what good marketing is. Its not the next best thing. Its the original thing: one on one communication. Web 2.0 can be used for this, but a generational blanket does nothing but leave out those who need contact and communication the most.

9/11: Remembering, not fearing.

No. I’m not from NYC, just Upstate NY. I did not lose anyone in the terrorist attacks that will forever mark that day in my mind. I am, however, American, and of the generation who will always wonder if it could ever happen again. Although it has changed the way we live forever in this country, the sadness is that it took something of this magnitude to wake us up. The greatest superpower in the world is not immortal.

Where many people may disdain the gory day long news coverage that will inevitably be constant on September 11th, I welcome it. How many other events in our history have been forgotten because time has put enough space between us? This one, affecting innumerable Americans, forcing them to live out their private, strong sadness in public once a year. Can you imagine?

There are those in my life who have lost things that are the most meaningful in a way that none of us can ever fathom on that day. Many also have lost things of similar value overseas, and with many members of my family in the military, this I can also feel for.

But, if we let these things not be remembered, in all of their detail, how can we live alongside the people who have had to endure without loved ones? Although they do not need these reminders and can never escape them, I think it behooves the rest of us to be a little more sensitive on this day, and in everyday when we decide to open our mouths to voice our opinion – political or not. About the memorials, about the war, about veterans, and about those who persevere.

Lets not assume we understand or invade their private mourning. Lets do all that we can: be proud of our brothers and sisters who still stand more patriotic than the rest of us, with much less reason to do so.

Lets be a little more American in the original sense of the word.

Automate.

How many more offers would you take your electric company/cable company/cellular company up on if they only automated your log in from offers they emailed you? I can’t count the numerous times I’ve been sent an email offering something great (today, paperless billing and paying) – something I’ve been waiting for – only to click the link and be taken to the generic home page. If you had the decency to personalize my email greeting, and know that I currently did not partake of this service, couldn’t you have taken it one step further and taken me directly to my account information? I would have loved to sign up for the service, and many like it, but in this day and age I’m not the only one who cant be bothered to remember my account number or another password.

If this had been automated, I’d not only be happy, I’d be a positive evangelist for this brand. How many offers have you passed up because you just didn’t have the time to tell them who you were, even after they emailed you?

Ok. Here it goes.

I’ve never been political. I just never had the time to read about someone’s voting record, their background, and anything negative Google could find for me. But, due to all the hype surrounding Barack’s speech at the DNC the other night, and because nothing else was on, I decided to see what all the fuss was about.

Wow.

Let’s just say this hard candy coated girl broke down crying like a kid in a candy store who’s just been refused some Fun Dip. The video preceding the speech was perfect: it broke down the stereotypes and anti-speak that make most mope towards McCain. The family history piece was priceless. The Kennedy/King additions were monumental.

Moving into the speech, I was spellbound. I kept thinking ‘maybe I’m just pretending to care’, but I kept getting sucked back in. After thinking about it last night and today I’ve finally found out what it is: transparency and ease of conversation. I understood the issues. I wasn’t made promises. I felt like I was hearing what it must have sounded like pre 1964 in American politics.

You see – if you don’t know me – I have a JFK obsession. I never explain this, but what it is happens to be a combination of my love of television (and JFK using pictures and TV to his benefit better than any other president in our history) and my old school WW2 era patriotism (read: non egotistical, hard working, American idealism). I believe that this country hasn’t been on the same track it jumped since Kennedy was shot. And how could it be? Who would believe in a government that allowed that to happen. On US soil? In front of people? Live? Since then, everythings been a sham.

I see this as pulling the wool off of American eyes, this Obama idealism. People may call him a messiah. They may call him the anti-Christ. Hell, they may call me a fool, a follower. But, I can tell you what, from someone who’s only voted one time in her 30 years, he’s engaged me. I’ve sat up and taken notice. I research candidates. I wonder if my America could be what it was for my immigrant and non-immigrant grand parents. Shouldn’t that be what matters?

All this, primarily, because he communicates well. Jargonless. Transparant. Believable. Truthful. This is what government truely needs – no matter which party it comes from.

That’s also effective marketing. Who knew?

Swimming: The New Football

As a swimmer and lover of the sport, Phelps simply amazes me. To be engineered to do something so well that no one can do it better, that’s just fate. Whats even more amazing is what he’s single-handedly doing for the Olympics and for Swimming alone.

Its no secret that Phelps has always wanted to elevate swimming in the minds of the public. A sport often overlooked, now it seems to be the reason people are tuning in to the summer games, and tuning in, in greater numbers. Something that used to be seen as secondary to the excitement of diving, gymnastics, track and field or volleyball at the summer games has now been pushed into the forefront as we watch with bated breath to see our American hopefuls pull off yet another astonishing win that we were told we could not do. It was not possible. But, its just like an American to say ‘I wont quit. I’ll find a way.’ Phelps has created such an image and Americanized dream of success around the sport that we can only be that much more excited when Lezak pulled off the impossible.

We may all be in awe at how amazingly talented he is in the pool, but we should also be amazed at the well oiled PR machine that he has been groomed into. He’s humble. He’s team oriented. He’s polite and gracious. All this from a 23 year old Superman who has every right to pull a ‘tude about his greatness. He’s become one of the greatest brands in athletic history, American, or otherwise. Something solid for companies to hang their identity on, not only in competition, but in his poise with the public as well. And in the biggest international event in the world, he’ll become the biggest of all time in front of billions. It doesn’t get any better than that.

Who better to elevate our awareness of swimming as a great American sport? Something to look for in the TV listings. Something to be proud of, be it Torres or Coughlin, Piersol or Hansen. I think after these two weeks, none of us will ever dismiss swimming again. Or the fact that the impossible really isn’t after all. The biggest of all athletic spokespeople embodying the American dream, internationally.

Creativity II

I loved The Dark Knight. I made sure to see it opening weekend so that no one spoiled it for me. I also wanted to be sure it blew away Spider Man 2’s reigning box office record (which, it did). With several sequel’s coming out of our favorite movies, along with remakes of old classics, it begs the question: is there any real creativity out there anymore?

Yes. It does take a lot of talent to recreate the Joker post Jack Nicholson’s performance, but Heath did it. And did it very well. But, how many Spidermans/Indiana Jones’ does it take for the crowd to say enough all ready?

I loved the original Hairspray, and the sequel wasn’t too shabby either. But now, there’s talk of a sequel. Add to this MTV’s remake of Rocky Horror Picture Show– really?! MTV?! The same MTV that’s changed from being anti-everything to all inclusive materialistic sellouts?

Its days like this when you really appreciate a new idea. What’s yours?

Reason #148 Why Trent Reznor is God, or How the Music Industry Can Revive

Notice, I did not give an end number to the ways in which Trent rules or use the word ‘Survive’. In order for the music industry to stay relevant, it needs to morph. And morph fast.

I recently received an email from NIN letting me know that their previously free release via the web ‘The Slip’will be available not only in special CD format but in vinyl. This following the same stint done by Radiohead with ‘In Rainbows’. (Which, FYI, is no longer available for free DL.) NIN also did this with Ghosts – a series of instrumental Trent specialties.

With The Slip, Trent even went so far as to ask people to remix and share it through any means possible, and it is even licensed under creative commons. This type of open use is what music should be all about. It not only builds NIN’s cred, but it allows users to interact with the music, make it their own, and take part in the creative process. We’ve also witnessed that recently with McDonalds asking people to submit their own version of their Big Mac jingle.

What if everyone exercised this type of interactivity with their products? What a great way to identify and celebrate brand loyalty and highlight new talent. Not to mention the PR.

What if…

What if your boss told you it like it is? How about if your opinion was rewarded internally? It always makes me angry to see good talent wasted in small non-profits just to keep the status quo. For every employee who thinks they are in charge and has no real clue, there are those who know they are not in charge and have big ideas and the drive to carry them out. Problem is: are you keeping them around or are they carrying them out elsewhere?

Many times younger employees are stifling their passion or special skill sets because they are not shown that they are wanted. For those of us who are passionate and driven, many internal proposals are written. They may not start off as the most popular ideas, but the more they float to the top – literally – in the organization, the more experience and clout you may be building for yourself and your skills.

Just because you are the low man on the totem pole does not mean you should hide your light under a basket. Shine on. It can only help you grow personally. That’s what jobs should be all about.