The Musings Of An Opinionated Sod [Help Me Grow!]

This is interesting and ties into something I read this morning. The fifth season of the German Pop idol is running at the minute and we’re down to the final three. They are all actually quite good, which has surprised everyone a little. One of them is called Max. Max is a young bloke who has his own band and only took part in “Pop Idol” as part of a bet. He’s a rocker, has his own identity, doesn’t take any crap, chucked in school for music and is really rather good.

They threw him off the show yesterday.

Not the viewing public, oh no, he got through on Saturday night, but the TV station and the record company.

Max, you see, wanted a contract for his band if he won and he constantly told the record label and the TV station what he thought about pop music and the show format as a whole. He refused the play the clown, cancelled press meetings and would only sing what he wanted and not what they wanted. That’s not the package that the record company wanted so he had to go.

I don’t think Max was thinking about being a brand, but he was being authentic and sticking up for what he believed in; which in turn gives him a tone of voice that is instantly recognisable, honest and angry.

Well the guy who criticised that piece you wrote is clearly a bit of a tit.

Brands as bands is a particularly good way (if not the best way) of how brands should be thinking of how to connect with their customers. I’ve been listening to hours of new media marketing podcast sessions recently and it struck me that the idea of ‘marketing in social media’ is the equivalent of a marketing executive interrupting a conversation between two people on the net to give them a commercial message. Doesn’t sound right does it?

The old interruptive model is on the wane and the kids don’t trust it. Furthermore just reverse the situation and imagine joe public socialising in marketing media get togethers. Picture if you will, a few Persil customers tipping up at the Ivy and sitting down to ‘have a chat’ with industry honchos, just as they are tucking into the Ivy’s famous Shepherds Pie? How welcome would that be?

Fake smiles anyone?

So here’s my main point. Traditional marketing in social(ist) media is out of place but the one home grown success story doing it well are the bands. In places like myspace, music is the first sector to work out how to do it properly. I was tipped off the other day about a band on myspace that I added to my circle and within hours, the female vocalist had sent me a personal message but, she had taken the time out to read my profile, look at some of the videos I’d put up and had an ‘opinion’ about me as an individual. I wasn’t spammed they wanted to know me as a person. I was genuinely flattered that someone had taken the time out to win me over, not just with their music but with their ability to connect.

So, brands as bands? Well if a few more brands started to hang out with their customers rather than just campaign, target, segment and all that other war-talk that the dinosaurs use, they might start to make some friends instead.

I see that Epic records have a bit of a reputation for not understanding digital:

http://www.gbrulte.com/blog/epic-guts-west-coast-ar/

http://www.mikebogo.com/epic-records-atrocious-use-of-adsense.php

Oh, and for those that can tell the difference between pants and pukka. Here’s the group on myspace.

http://www.myspace.com/hushthemany

That’s the thing with all these music shows – you don’t become a popstar, you become a salaried puppet. Funny how winning those things tends to make you worse off than finishing 3rd or something. On

..and Gareth Gates is back.

Smash Hits … does anyone remember the mag that competed with it called ‘No 1’?

Thanks … now I feel even bloody older than I already am!

Mind you, I remember when I was at HHCL, I’d ‘pretend’ to go on an insight exploration every Wednesday morning when in reality, I went to a greasy spoon [where none of the ‘cool ad types would be seen dead in] and read the latest copy of Kerrang magazine.

Never did get caught …

Till now.

My band once got the highest ‘gig’ review of the week … and we were up against the Chili Peppers, Def Leppard and Aerosmith.

Proud moment – except years later, the members of those bands are still all multi-millionaire rock stars whereas the guys in Bangkok Shakes [don’t ask] are an Adman, a builder, a carpenter and an electrician. [spot the odd one out there, ha!]

I’ll dig some out … but I warn you, we got called a ‘small town’ Mr Big crossed with the Chili’s. [At least not Queen eh, NP!]

No bloody Queen. Now that’s a band who were hard to like – music and image.

I’m one of the few people around who still likes listening to Prince. That’s certainly in spite of the image.

And I bet no one remembers look.

Look In, sorry.

Look In … wasn’t there a kids magazine in the 70’s called that?

Poor bastard leaving just before they got famous. Abit like my mates Dad who left a slot machine in Las Vegas only to see another guy get on it and win – literally with his first pull of the ‘arm’ -a million bucks.

He still beats himself up over that – but not as much as his son does, ha!

Hey Charles … I love your comment, it got held up because this mental system thought it might be spam. Love it … and would love to hear more as you develop what you’re thinking …

What I didn’t know is this… regardless where you come in “pop idol” the record company own the rights the every piece of music you do after the show; for the period of 12 months.