October is prime time for gigs and shows.
It’s why it’s been aptly referred to as Rocktober (by me [and at least other person, come on!]). If
you’ve ever been to a really memorable show, you’ve probably experienced
Post-Concert Depression, or PCD. PCD involves going home elated and then waking
up the next day sulking and listening to the band’s album on repeat for a week
(or six). I equate PCD to an extreme form of brand loyalty (and also
withdrawal).
Despite the masses of brooding fans, bands
get a lot out of PCD:
- Bands often see a growth in social media followers consisting of fans who just discovered them. This is especially true for new or smaller bands that open for headliners.
- A live event re/ignites a fan’s loyalty to the band. PCD may result in sharing (or spamming) one’s facebook/twitter page with videos, tracks, or recommending (or forcing) your friends to listen to the band’s music.
- Bands get a peak in their
social media engagement after every show. From people saying “Thanks for coming
to Vancouver! You guys killed it tonight!” to Instagram photos of their
performance, every show puts them in the social media spotlight.
- Posting customized content
about each city before and/or after a show is extremely powerful. We all know
the importance of customizing content to different social mediums and
audiences, but bands have been customizing their between-song banter to
different cities for years! “Hellllooooooooo WISCONSIN!” But now, with social
media, bands can further customize messages so that the PCD really hits home:
“That was fun Vancouver"
But the process of becoming a brand
advocate and being a fan of a band isn’t exactly the same. Finding a band and
listening to them is a more organic process. You fall into a soundcloud
discovery hole and then two years later the band finally makes it big enough to
go on tour and play your city. So how can brands generate something close to
PCD?
A recent study done by Momentum
Worldwide looked at the positive WOM generated from the most common types of
brand interactions, from simply visiting their Facebook page to going to a
branded event. What they found was that attending a live, branded event was the
most effective means of driving (65% of) people to recommend brands and driving (59% of) them to buy the
brand at a retail store. A branded live event even trumped a friend’s and a
trusted influencer’s recommendation – the traditional drivers of WOM.
A branded live event can be anything from a
concert, to a sports game, to a food festival. The more interactive and
memorable the brand experience, the more buzz the brand creates for itself. 93%
of people who attended branded events were likely to talk about the event.
Furthermore, a live music event resulted in more positive affect about the brand. What this means is that brands can leverage
the PCD or its sports- or (food- [I was like a Bieber fan at Eat! Vancouver
watching Chuck Hughes do a demo on cooking with kale. So yes, it’s possible.]) equivalent
by sponsoring live events.
Not only will their brand be attached to a memorable event, but they gain a host of other benefits (using a concert example):
Not only will their brand be attached to a memorable event, but they gain a host of other benefits (using a concert example):
- Musical tastes can be so subjective that
they in themselves are psychographic measure. This can allow brands to tune
into certain demographics and target these fans by attaching their brand image
to the music they love most.
Source: Forrester Research - Everybody likes music, and hosting free events can grow a brand’s target audience. I don’t drive, but a free You Say Party show hosted by Scion? Sure, why not.
- Your brand can become embedded in the band’s existing culture, or at least gain some residual cool. Assuming you’ve done your research and the band’s brand image aligns with yours (or your ideal), by being attached to the band, you’ll inevitably earn some cool points. In essence, you get to say, “I’m with the band.”