Smart Tour Sponsorship Gives You Wings: Mazda, Converse, Redbull and You
posted in: Features • Music News
A-list artists have always gotten sponsorships and probably always will, because something about human nature makes us want to give money to people who don’t need it.
That’s Josh Levine retelling every starving artist’s nightmare, the one where the evil Bieber gets all the spoils. But there’s a trickle-down effect on corporate/pop economics. As consumers become more savvy, those big deals mean less and less, says Levine, who’s the CEO of experiential marketing agency Rebel Industries. A banner on stage or tour website just becomes part of the clutter.
Levine’s clients, which include Microsoft, Reebok, T-Mobile, Warner Bros., Absolut and Mazda, realize that most Americans are sick of advertising. That’s why they come to him: He knows how to put them face-to-face with the people they want to speak to when they are enjoying themselves. Such as when they listen to music.
The good news for bands: Levine is seeing more deals that support emerging artists, and he’s optimistic that better ones are on the horizon for indie acts [If you’ve been to CMJ or SXSW in the last few years, you may have noticed the large contingent of creative directors and brand managers scouting for, well, you].
Music labels no longer have the ability to fund artist development, and in many ways have lost the vision, Levine reminds. But artists still need to be developed and corporate brands have both the resources and the incentive to facilitate that process. He believes there’s still a lot more ground to be covered and that it’s possible for bands to get financial aid and promotion without having to hit the stage wearing the equivalent of a brand sandwich board.
Mazda wanted to reach creative, independent thinkers with the launch of its 2010 Mazda2, the type of folks who didn’t take their style cues from mainstream music artists. Rebel Industries found a match for the sub-compact car among Generation Y fans of emerging soul singer Mayer Hawthorne. The sub-compact car is now sponsoring Mayer Hawthorne & The County’s nationwide tour, which has 32 stops and a heavily trafficked social media program. Further validation arrived later when the companies learned that Mayer himself was a Mazda driver.
It brings a brand that has tremendous strength within its core fanbase into an area in which it has had very little exposure: music, Levine said. We’re trying to do it in a way that’s true to both brands. We’re not asking Mazda to change who it is or the artist to change who he is.
The brand’s proposition went a little like this: “What things have you been wanting to do for your fans that you couldn’t? How can we help facilitate those?” The result? Mayer vs. Food, a web series that’s being filmed on tour and aired on the Mazda site as content. The exercise also led to a Jazzy Jeff / Mayer Hawthorne remix, which is being given away to fans as a free download [Note: you go to the site, give your email address and they email you a link to the track. Give a little. Get a little].
Levine cites Converse’s new Rubber Tracks recording studio in Williamsburg (bands earn free hours by applying online, begging) and Red Bull (various DJ projects, the annual Red Bull Music Academy) as credible brands that have the right ideas about investing in, associating with and developing talent.
Of course, brands want something for their patronage, but deals are not always as Faustian as a Queeny 1970s rock opera. Basically, partners share each others equities in hopes that they will transfer: Bands get funding, promotion, distribution and publicity resources from brands, which get some coolness cred in return.
Look at the big picture of what a brand deal can bring you, Levine suggested. Those are things that you’ll have to pay for otherwise and maybe can’t even buy.
AVOIDING PITFALLS
Tour sponsorships can fly like a magic carpet ride or stall like a busted flat in Baton Rouge. Levine offered bands on the verge a few tips for avoiding pitfalls.
– Have a plan and know what you’re willing to sign on for in advance. Be upfront with the brand about letting partners know where you will and won’t compromise.
– Don’t play with cheesy brands: You don’t have to love your partner, but out-and-out hate is hard to hide, so don’t go along for the ride. Every task will seem like an outright chore if you do, and your tour will appear to stretch into infinity.
– Avoid one night stands: Building a long-term mutual relationship with a brand is the best-case scenario. Do everything you can to deliver value so they’ll want to come back and re-up.
– Don’t make it all about the money. Yes, the band needs to get paid and sure, The Brand may have millions or billions of dollars. Still, the employees working on your project probably don’t. Neither do the fans that the brand is trying to win over by friending you. Take advantage of your partner’s promotion, distribution and publicity resources, which are equally valuable assets. And remember why you’re on stage in the first place. Hint: It’s not to sell soda or software.
The relationship between musician and fan is where all the value is, Levine explained. The opportunity to interject a company into the fabric of that relationship is priceless and needs to be treated with great care and subtlety.
Becky Ebenkamp is a Pop Cultural anthropologist and former West Coast Bureau Chief for Adweek Media. Becky has a radio show called Bubblegum & Other Delights that airs 7 to 9 p.m. PST every other Tuesday on www.killradio.org