peter cauvel

How effective is music in ads?

Tue, 06 Sep 2011 11:41:00 -0400

Ever wonder why companies spend ridiculous amounts of money licensing popular songs for commercials? Brian Anthony Hernandez suggests on his Mashable article, “The Songs Behind Your Favorite Commercials,” that songs usually leave consumers with a positive impression of a brand.

Lately, commercials have featured many indie artists. Most likely, this is due to the increased popularity of the genre and the relatively cheap cost of licensing music from mostly unknown (but rising) artists.

Hernandez’s article included 15 ads with popular songs in them, including a few of my favorites: Kmart’s back to school ad with Janelle Monae’s “Tightrope” and Amazon’s Kindle ad with The New Pornographers’ “Sweet Talk, Sweet Talk.”

The Kindle ads recently switched to “Sweet Talk, Sweet Talk” from Bibio’s “Lovers’ Carvings,” a song I might always associate with delightedly reading a Kindle on a lazy summer day — not that I’ve ever even used a Kindle. But that proves that adding music to ads can really work. Every time I hear those sweet strums in the beginning of “Lovers’ Carvings,” I immediately long for a day off — and maybe a hammock — to spend reading.

It’s probably no coincidence that what might be my favorite commercial features indie music. The first time I saw the Subaru Outback “Honeymoon” commercial, I probably wasn’t even paying attention to what was on the TV. But then I heard M. Ward’s soft-but-rough voice and took notice. Since then, I’ve watched it countless times on TV and online. It has a cinematic quality to it, with a beautiful story line, but for me, it’s still the music that makes it all come together. Without M. Ward’s “Here Comes the Sun Again,” I might never have even noticed it.

Since that commercial aired, my family bought a Subaru Forester. I have to admit, before even seeing the car, I had a really positive brand perception (This wasn’t just from the “Honeymoon” ad, Subaru has had other really good campaigns and is known for its environmental consciousness). So even though I don’t immediately feel the need to run to Target when I hear Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin in the ad, the music can create powerful associations that can turn into brand loyalty.

Die-hard fans in the digital age

Mon, 16 May 2011 00:52:06 -0400

The definition of a “die-hard fan” has changed. People used to spend tons of money on albums, T-shirts and concert tickets to show their devotion to their favorite band. But now, “die-hards” are blogging, re-tweeting and sharing digital links.

So how does this translate into money? Well, according to an NPR article, “The Real Value of 7 Million Facebook Fans,” blog buzz can predict album sales, but crafting a digital brand that eventually results in money can take a long time for an artist.

Other people — like booking agents — are paying attention to buzz too. By staying on top of what bands people are blogging, tweeting, re-tweeting and sharing on Facebook, this side of the industry is making money — quickly.

Booking a concert is usually a risk. Even a well known artist doesn’t always bring a guaranteed success. Social media is making it easier to find out what people are talking about, and are more likely to spend money on, instantly.

Another interesting fact from the article: giving away songs to blogs for free (blogged songs) actually makes more money for the band and label.

Google's Latest Innovation - Less Face Time for Facebook?

Thu, 09 Dec 2010 01:57:00 -0500

Google and Facebook have been battling it out, with Google severely lacking on the social front. Their latest answer to this actually incorporates Facebook. It’s called Cortex.

Cortex is an app for Google Chrome. With a simple click and hold of a mouse button, Cortex pops up. It’s a little wheel that allows you to post content on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and Instapaper.

While it’s not a new platform, Cortex does change social media. It might free users from the tethers of the news feed. You don’t have to be on Facebook to post something to your friends anymore. Is Google trying to give Facebook less importance for the user?

I just downloaded Cortex. If you have Chrome, you should definitely check it out. This could be a really big innovation. But the question still remains:

Has Google given up on creating its own social media?

Here’s a video on how Cortex works:

Source: http://mashable.com/2010/12/08/cortex/

Edit: I was under the impression that Cortex was developed by Google. Turns out it was created by one of their former interns. So it looks like Google’s still looking for the answer to their social media predicament. Cortex is still great, though!

Even More Issues Surrounding WikiLeaks

Thu, 09 Dec 2010 01:36:32 -0500

Unless you’ve been in a coma, you’ve probably heard about the controversies surrounding WikiLeaks. Here’s a new one:

According to an article on Mashable, “Facebook and Twitter Slam the Door on Would-Be WikiLeaks Avengers,” a group of hackers calling themselves Anonymous have been organizing DDos (Distributed Denial of Services) attacks on companies that have refused to do business with WikiLeaks. So far they’ve brought down all or part of sites of MasterCard, Visa, PayPal and PostFinance. This is all what they’ve been calling “Operation Payback.”

They set up a Facebook account - which was promptly removed, and then were supposedly leaking MasterCard credit card numbers via Twitter. That account has since been shut down. Both social media sites took immediate action, but Anonymous will probably continue making accounts.

In case you were wondering, DDoS attacks are definitely not legal. What’s your take on the WikiLeaks controversy?

The Social Media Explosion

Tue, 30 Nov 2010 14:16:25 -0500

Social media is an incredibly fast-growing phenomenon. I’ve been practically inundated with talk of social media in my graduate classes, but it seriously is an incredible transformation of business and culture.

Erik Qualman’s Socialnomics discusses just how widespread the social media revolution is. Here are three of the main points Qualman raises:

“It’s not marketing, it’s trying to engage on a level other than mass broadcast.”
Traditional marketing was a one-way street - from company to consumer. Social media has practically destroyed this way of thinking, though. Now, everything has to be interactive and communicative. Companies can’t simply use Twitter as free, 140-character advertising. They have to use it as a new way of customer service, taking feedback and responding to the customers.

Every post contributes to your individual brand.
Like it or not, every single person on the Internet has their own brand. Whether it’s under an alias or that your real name, every time you interact online, you’re making a statement about yourself. The sum of these actions is your brand - how people perceive you.
Recently, I’ve been working on creating and fine-tuning my personal brand. I created a website, kindofbleu.com, that combines my love of music and cheese to create a unique brand for myself. I also use my Twitter account to contribute to this.

Word of mouth is now “world of mouth.”
Everything we do online is instant and global. The best example I can think of to illustrate this is WSBU, the college radio station I work for at St. Bonaventure University. WSBU created a music blog on it’s website a few years ago. It got updated a few times a semester, and a few people on campus read it. But a lot of potential was lost on it. For my senior project, I updated the blog five days a week and began using social media to advertise it.
As a result, WSBU’s music blog went way beyond campus and the small city of Olean, N.Y. Bands and record labels began retweeting and replying to our posts, adding credibility to the blog.

Social media isn’t just a trend. It’s definitely a cultural transformation.

Converse's strategy: a mix of tradition and innovation

Tue, 23 Nov 2010 00:53:00 -0500

Converse shoes have been associated with popular music for the past three or four decades. The company is continuing to expand on this relationship in its integrated marketing campaign.

Recently, Converse has been pairing artists to create original tracks to promote the brand. The first was “My Drive Thru” in 2008, which featured rapper Pharrell Williams of N.E.R.D., producer and singer Santigold and The Strokes’ frontman Julian Casablancas (all three pictured on the right). This year brought, “All Summer,” a collaboration between Vampire Weekend’s Rostam Batmanglij, indie beach-pop artist Best Coast and rapper Kid Cudi. The latest of these original songs to come out, “Didn’t Know What Love Was,” features indie dance artist Hot Chip and New Order’s Bernard Sumner.

“All Summer” has over 870,000 views on YouTube, and “My Drive Thru” has over 3 million.

Now, in addition to the songs and Converse’s string of free concerts in New York this summer, the company is building its own studio, Rubber Tracks, which will offer artists the chance to record for free. Converse is taking applications for time in the Brooklyn studio on its website. The site will also feature clips and tracks from the sessions.

But Converse isn’t neglecting social media. The company’s YouTube account has been posting tons of Rubber Tracks videos. As the project progresses, it looks like social media will also be a huge part of promotion for the artists involved in the process.

Converse is already listed as one of the top 20 growing Facebook pages. This could push them to the top.

The Big Red Fez - 2001's most relevant web advice

Mon, 15 Nov 2010 19:38:04 -0500

Seth Godin’s The Big Red Fez is more like an instruction manual for building a website than a book. It’s formatted with an example picture on the left and a few concise paragraphs on the right. I got through the book, required reading for my Integrated Marketing Communications class, in one sitting. Despite the brevity, there’s a ton of great information. Here are ten of my favorite points Godin raises:

1. Start a conversation - Consumers are always much more likely to trust their peers than an advertisement. While The Big Red Fez predates it, this is where social media is really coming into play. Getting people to talk about your product or service is the key to success.

2. Make it easy to spread the news - Godin’s example of an e-mail recommendation form is a little out of date, but the idea still holds true. Don’t make people search for your Facebook account; most of them won’t. Make it easy - direct them there.

3. Measure everything

4. Test the most important pages - Error pages are annoying. Make sure the most important pages - most likely the ones where people are spending money - work properly.

5. Have a safety net if something goes wrong

6. Offer alternatives - Even sites like Amazon.com don’t have everything. But if they don’t, they make suggestions for alternatives. Don’t let people lose interest in your site.

7. Keep your promises

8. Proofread and edit

9. When you do screw up, have a sense of humor about it

10. It’s not always about you

"Ain't No Grave" for the music video

Thu, 04 Nov 2010 16:34:28 -0400

I mentioned Chris Milk’s Arcade Fire project, The Wilderness Downtown, in my last post. The director’s latest project features an even bigger artist: Johnny Cash. Milk’s new video of the late Man in Black is actually a venture into crowd sourcing.

The Johnny Cash Project is a music video for “Ain’t No Grave,” Cash’s final studio recording. The site features a drawing tool, allowing fans to add a frame to the music video. According to a YouTube video about the project, over 250,000 people have already participated.

Traditional music videos might be on the way out. Watching isn’t enough anymore. Milk’s last two projects have capitalized on personalization and participation. It won’t be long before others follow suit. There’s a reason why MTV gave up music videos - it’s a dying medium, but innovators like Milk are changing the game to keep it alive.

Musicians must be creative outside the studio

Thu, 04 Nov 2010 16:23:27 -0400

Arcade Fire are a true indie success story. Their latest album, The Suburbs, will be on quite a few critics’ top ten lists for this year. But what’s more incredible than the music is the way the band and its independent label, Merge Records, have marketed the album.

The band’s online video for “We Used to Wait,” directed by Chris Milk, is a completely unique experience. The project, The Wilderness Downtown, uses Google Maps and HTML5 to create an innovative, interactive video that’s personalized for each viewer. (It works best on Google Chrome, if you haven’t seen it.) Even people who have never head Arcade Fire are suddenly watching their music video.

Arcade Fire also opted to work with YouTube, Vevo and American Express tostream its sold-out Madison Square Garden show online. The stream, directed by Terry Gilliam, also had innovative features like “Choose Your Cam” - a controllable viewing experience. To coincide with the stream, Merge teamed up with Twitter’s @EarlyBird promotion, which offers special deals from advertisers. The record label offered The Suburbs for $7.99.

Arcade Fire still aren’t The Beatles, but The Suburbs debuted at no. 1 on the Billboard Top 200. Innovation and creativity can go a long way in the music industry.

Source: http://mashable.com/2010/08/30/arcade-fires-chrome-video/

College Radio Events

Thu, 28 Oct 2010 02:03:30 -0400

As music director at WSBU, one of my responsibilities is to book concerts. While researching the Montreal station CJLO for my Digital Media and Advertising/PR posts, I read about a concert they presented in September: Superchunk and Kurt Vile at Le National. Superchunk is one of my all-time favorite bands, but realistically, we could never afford them. Even beyond the budget concerns, we’d have other problems.

We’ve never been able to present a concert outside of campus. First, Olean, NY isn’t exactly a cultural hot spot. Second, it’s hard enough to get students to go to our free shows right on campus. The general apathy (toward music, at least) at St. Bonaventure won’t allow us to charge money for our shows. I love being able to offer free shows, but without money coming in, we have to book significantly cheaper acts. Cheaper acts almost always translates to more or less unknown bands, which people don’t make the effort to come see. As a result, there’s a stigma around the bands we book, even though most of them are great. It’s a bit of a conundrum.

I realize that Olean is a far cry from Montreal, but I’d love the chance to show WSBU as a community radio station. I doubt we’ll ever really get the chance to move our events off campus, but maybe that’s the wrong direction for us. Maybe with some good advertising, we can bring the community here. It won’t be Superchunk, but it’ll still be good.

Can Twitter really make money?

Thu, 28 Oct 2010 01:23:12 -0400

Everyone’s been talking about Twitter’s monetization. But the social media site is taking such baby steps that it’s hard to find much to talk about. Sure, they’ve got Promoted Tweets, Promoted Accounts and Promoted Trends, but what else?

CEO Dick Costolo announced that they “cracked the code” on advertising. It sounds like he has a good idea too: all ads are going to start out as organic Twitter content. But they haven’t really told us how that’s going to happen.

It sounds like Twitter is trying to take a page from Facebook (See my post, “Three Lessons from The Social Network”): Ads aren’t cool. Nobody wants intrusive ads all over their screen. MySpace fell into that trap, and people went elsewhere. Twitter recognizes the problems that come with ads and are being careful not to let that happen. In the age of the Internet, execution wins over innovation. If Twitter falls apart, someone will just make a better one. Companies can’t afford to slip anymore. So while we’re all dying to hear how Twitter’s going to make their money, it’s better that they take it slow and do it right.

Social Commerce: Moving Beyond FarmVille

Thu, 28 Oct 2010 01:04:11 -0400

Facebook Credits are now available in Target, WalMart and Best Buy. If you haven’t heard, it’s basically a gift card redeemable for points or “credits” on the social network site. It’s a big story, but the credits are far from a fully realized venture yet. Right now, you’re pretty much limited to buying things for FarmVille.

But Facebook has big plans and big potential. Before long, Facebook will be selling tangible goods with credits. They already are in the U.K. And it looks like they’ll be teaming up with Amazon, which will probably make Facebook commerce practically unstoppable.

But why bother with Facebook Credits?

Remember the first time you could shop online? My guess is that they’ll be targeting a young demographic, one who doesn’t have credit cards yet. Facebook is expanding the online market. Online shoppers will be younger, and more importantly, they’ll be social! You’ll be able to show off what you buy. Those word-of-mouth recommendations are gold for marketers, and Facebook commerce will be full of them.

College Radio Advertising/PR

Mon, 25 Oct 2010 22:24:00 -0400

In addition to its use of digital media, CJLO, Concordia University’s college radio station, also seems to have a handle on advertising and public relations. I haven’t been to Montreal recently, so I’m not entirely sure how the station does with advertising around its own city, but I have seen them market themselves.

CMJ gives each station that attends the unique opportunity to market itself to the music industry and other stations. Most college students who go, myself included, take the opportunity to show off their station’s T-shirts while they mingle with promoters, label reps or their peers.

Some stations do more, and CJLO is definitely one of those stations. For one thing, they travel in packs. They send around 20 representatives from the station to CMJ every year, and they’re almost always together. You never see less than three CJLO members at an event, and it seems like they’re always wearing their station’s shirts. No other stations bring that many, so CJLO definitely stands out at CMJ.

The Montreal college station also gives out promotional items. Last year, every complimentary tote bag given to every CMJ badge holder came with a CJLO button. This year, they covered the tables at the college radio mixer. Something as inexpensive as a one inch button with their logo really sets them apart. Very few stations bother marketing themselves to their peers, but it might actually be effective. I know if I’m ever in Montreal, I’ll probably tune into CJLO. Also, it builds top-of-mind awareness. When I’m asked about good college stations, CJLO is usually one of the first I come up with.

A few stations go even further with self-promotion. This year, KXSC (USC), KVRX (University of Texas at Austin) and CHUO (University of Ottawa) sponsored a free showcase at Bruar Falls in Brooklyn. They booked nine bands, including Magic Bullets (who were awesome!), to play their event. College radio is all about the cool factor, just like Facebook (see my post “Three Lessons from The Social Network”). The most well known stations are the ones who do the coolest things, and what’s cooler than free music or free stuff?

Digital Marketing for College Radio

Mon, 25 Oct 2010 21:05:20 -0400

Every year, WSBU, the campus radio station at St. Bonaventure University, sends a few people to the annual CMJ (short for College Music Journal) Music Marathon. I’ve been fortunate enough to have the opportunity to go for the past three years. This year and last year, the station has been nominated for a CMJ Award for “Best Group/Team Effort.” Both years, though, we’ve lost to the same station: CJLO in Montreal. It’s disappointing, but there must be good reasons why they win. After a bit of research into the station’s use of digital media, it looks like I’m pushing WSBU in the right direction. CJLO is just a few steps ahead though.

CJLO has done an exceptional job of making themselves available on the Internet. The station has accounts on MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and YouTube. There’s a convenient little menu that includes them all at the top right of their website. But even better, they incorporate the content into their webpages. The left-hand column features a sample from Flickr and the station’s latest Tweets.

This integration is one thing that’s been missing from my efforts to strengthen WSBU’s web presence. We’re on Facebook and Twitter - with regular updates at least once every week day. These updates usually drive traffic to the blog portion of our own website, which seems very similar to CJLO’s Magazine section. But once you’re on WSBU’s site, there’s no mention of Facebook or Twitter. This doesn’t seem like a huge problem, but unless you’re already following @wsbu or are friends with Wsbu Fm, you won’t get the regular updates. Someone who stumbles upon the blog through another avenue (perhaps a friend posted a link) would have no way of getting regular updates except RSS, which many people are unfamiliar with.

As far as digital media, WSBU is well on its way to being where it should. The regular updates of Facebook and Twitter are crucial to maintaining a web presence. But even after seeing CJLO’s other digital and social media sites, I’m not rushing out to make WSBU a Flickr or a MySpace. A broader web presence doesn’t necessarily mean a stronger one. Instead, I’d rather focus on the ones the station has already established and work on making them consistent sources of information for WSBU’s target audience.

Y Connect, Y Bother?

Wed, 20 Oct 2010 01:48:27 -0400

No, seriously, why should we bother with another social media platform? Yahoo’s upcoming Y Connect is said to work just like Facebook’s Like button. Yahoo is looking to add the Y Connect ability to websites much like Facebook’s endeavor with Pandora and other sites. It seems that Yahoo is trying to broaden the scope, but brings nothing else to the table.

From the sound of it, Yahoo’s new platform will be a hard sell. Facebook has over 500 million users already, with tons of business on board. With no differentiation or innovation factors, Yahoo probably won’t be in the game long.

Also, Yahoo will probably run into the same privacy problems as Facebook. The overall purpose of Y Connect is to specifically target ads, much like Facebook’s current ad platform. If Y Connect works out, they’ll be looking at increased ad revenues, but it seems like Yahoo’s a bit desperate in its competition with Google and Bing.

Is it really worth the lawsuits for Yahoo to pursue this? And is it really worth it for us to join Y Connect to receive targeted ads?

If Y Connect is just as it sounds, no. But maybe Yahoo has a few tricks up its sleeve.

Facebook Not So Private? Not Surprised.

Wed, 20 Oct 2010 00:49:24 -0400

Recently, the Wall Street Journal did an investigation that found that some of the most popular apps on Facebook have been sharing user information with advertising and Internet tracking companies.

Is anyone really surprised?

Facebook’s been trying for years to sell our information to outside companies. All that personal information - location, interests, etc. - makes us easily targeted. It’s worth a lot of money to advertisers and tracking companies, and Facebook’s been dying to cash in. The social networking site’s Beacon platform - which broadcast much of what you did on the Internet even after you’d signed out of Facebook - was too obvious and ended up costing the company $9.5 million.

Facebook isn’t directly responsible for this latest exposure of personal information, but they are responsible for making sure companies adhere to their privacy policy - which forbids applications from transmitting user data to outside ad and data companies. With over 550,000 on the site, this is no easy task, but some of the most well known apps are the culprits in this case. Even Causes, co-founded by former Facebook president Sean Parker, has been cited transferring private data.

After the constant concerns and privacy policy shifts, none of this should be a shock. Facebook doesn’t care about its users privacy. Sometimes it seems quite the opposite. Whose side are they on anyway?

All Marketers Are Liars?

Fri, 15 Oct 2010 16:36:00 -0400

Seth Godin’s All Marketers Are Liars features a lot of great marketing information. His basic premise is that marketers tell stories and consumers tell lies to themselves to believe them. I’m still not sold on his generalization that all marketing works the same way every single time, though. I might be more inclined to believe a shorter, more concise argument but within the book, Godin’s argument loses steam. In the section “Amazon has the best customer service,” Godin claims that Amazon’s customer service is rated so highly only because there’s a perception of good service there. When Amazon first started, they prided themselves on having exceptional customer service. Godin seems to believe that after experiencing this good service once, people will always believe that Amazon has the best service. He says, “Good outcomes are remembered because they support the customers’ worldview. Bad outcomes are forgotten, written off as random events.” With a company like Amazon, where good service is the norm, good outcomes are more likely to be forgotten. Having a good experience is nothing out of the ordinary. A bad experience, though, is unexpected. That’s what is more likely to stick in a customer’s mind the next time they shop online. Also, in the age of the Internet, almost nothing is written off. Every bad experience seems to merit a short tweet or even a blog post. It’s far too easy to complain to a global audience.

What's more important: execution or vision?

Wed, 13 Oct 2010 16:26:02 -0400

Reading Sarah Lacy’s article “Is Execution More Important Than Vision?” (http://techcrunch.com/2009/06/26/is-execution-more-important-than-vision/) prompted me to consider the question the title asks. After seeing The Social Network, I have to answer that execution usually wins. There are two perfect examples within the movie: Facebook and Napster.

Napster, as Justin Timberlake’s portrayal of founder Sean Parker isn’t afraid to say, changed music. It revolutionized the music industry and basically created the digital music market. But even after Napster returned as a paying music service, it couldn’t compete with its successor iTunes. Even if there hadn’t been court battles, someone would’ve tweaked Parker’s idea and made it better.

Facebook, the social media company of which Parker is a part owner, is the best example of this. Mark Zuckerberg’s website wasn’t the first social network. MySpace and Friendster had done it before, but Facebook was better. While the other two are in the social media graveyard, Facebook has over 500 million users. That number alone shows that Zuckerberg’s execution far outweighs the importance of vision.

Three Lessons from The Social Network

Wed, 13 Oct 2010 15:58:08 -0400

Even before its release, people have been debating how accurately The Social Network tells the facts. Even taken as a work of fiction, though, the movie has some very valuable lessons for marketing professionals.

1. The Internet is instant and permanent.
Mark Zuckerberg, played by Jesse Eisenberg, could’ve been ruined before Facebook even started. Early in the film, he drunkenly blogs about his ex-girlfriend and his intentions for his first website - FaceMash. He makes some off-color jokes which could’ve permanently damaged his credibility and made Facebook (or The Facebook) a total flop. A simple mistake like writing a blog could have long-lasting repercussions.

2. The “cool factor” can eventually pay the bills.
Zuckerberg’s partner in the movie, Eduardo Saverin, wants to monetize immediately. He made all the initial investments and is eager to earn his money back. Much to the dismay and protest of Zuckerberg and Napster founder Sean Parker, he starts looking to shop Facebook to advertisers. Zuckerberg and Parker insist on holding out. “You don’t want to ruin it with ads, because ads aren’t cool,” says Parker. To paraphrase one of Parker’s analogies, if Zuckerberg had given in, he would be a 14-pound trout. Instead, because he held out, he is a 3,000-pound marlin of a billionaire.

3. Word of mouth is the best kind of marketing.
The movie also shows just how effective word of mouth can be. Zuckerberg’s first website, FaceMash, was so popular that it crashed the Harvard server at 4 a.m. Facebook used the same method of growth. People invited their friends, who invited their friends, etc. Now, thanks to word of mouth, Facebook has over 500 million users. Consumers are more likely to trust their peers than an ad. Facebook didn’t have to advertise itself. Its users did it on their own.

If you haven’t seen it, check out the trailer: