“Community Sites” is now used to describe websites where the primary function is to allow people with shared interests to communicate and socialise. People have a deep desire to be part of a community, even if they don’t recognise it as such. Supporting a football team, going to a gig by their favourite artist, going on holiday each year to their favourtite resort. Ultimately, each one of these brings them into contact, even if only for 90 minutes each week, with others who share that interest. The growth and interest in Community is phenomenal, especially amongst the 15-35yr group. This should not be a surprise. The term ‘Internet’ is derived from “Interconnected Networks”. Of course, originally this was describing computer networks. However, substitute the word 'network' for 'community' and you can understand why sites focusing on “Interconnected Communities” are becoming the most popular on the web.
What does this mean for artistes?
Music is one of the main ways people identify themselves. When filling out profiles about themselves, ‘Music Tastes’ are often the first things they're asked to specify. Artistes, record labels and managers must now place ‘Community’ at the top of their promotion and marketing strategies. However, this should not be difficult – for community, simply substitute ‘Fan base’. Artistes have been doing it for years. But now, for the first time, the fan base is not a list of names subscribing to your fan club, or people who turn up to your gigs. They are a community, using your music as a means to identify themselves and reach out to others.
4 comments:
Agreed, the best way for artists to connect with their fan base is via services such as that Million Media offers.. However, belittling or discounting an artists fan base is not a way to conduct business! I recently won a Jamiroquai competition to see them play at Lovebox. I thanked Margaret Buckley from Million and as an aside joke I added "soooo can I meet Jay". I was shocked to receive her degrading and very serious reply:
"One thing I can tell you with absolute confidence is that if you approach anyone at the backstage area demanding to meet Jay "because we won the competition tickets" you'll automatically dash any chances of meeting them. All crew will have been notified well in advance if there was a "meet the band" opportunity included in the prize, so, for your own sake, don't bother, they'll just send you away with the scores of other blaggers who claim to be "friends of the band" etc. It'll add stress to their job and waste your valuable time that would be better spent gettin' down to some serious music & enjoying the fact that you didn't have to pay a penny for the opportunity!"
As much as it would be an experience to meet Jamiroquai, it was never a serious request. EVEN if it was, does it deserve such a response?
Is this how artists wish to connect to their audience, via a company that belittles the artists most important commodity - the community?
I can see that Million can create the infrastructure but their connection with the community has a lot left to be desired! I suggest you remove yourself from the Sony-style 'untouchable' management and try connecting with the community.
Thank you for your comments and we are sorry to hear you were upset by this.
In Margaret's defense, she had worked extremely hard to put this competition together, and it takes a lot of time to admin. The response she gave may have been judged by yourself as 'degrading' but I sincerely believe she was simply trying to make her point under pressure to get all the winners sorted out. If your comment was meant as a joke, then perhaps there was misunderstanding on both sides?
This aside, I hope you had a great time at the gig, and thanks for all your support.
Neil
Thank you for your comments and we are sorry to hear you were upset by this.
In Margaret's defense, she had worked extremely hard to put this competition together, and it takes a lot of time to admin. The response she gave may have been judged by yourself as 'degrading' but I sincerely believe she was simply trying to make her point under pressure to get all the winners sorted out. If your comment was meant as a joke, then perhaps there was misunderstanding on both sides?
This aside, I hope you had a great time at the gig, and thanks for all your support.
Neil
Hmm I love the idea behind this website, very unique.
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