Hey! Friday's back, and so are we.

This week, we're diving deeper into our 'Cub Sport' strategy series.

We've got Part 2 lined up with some fresh insights from William Tinkler, the Editorial, Marketing and Partnerships Manager at Believe Australia and New Zealand. Let's get into it!

Also, this week:

• Bad Bunny's WhatsApp Teaser.

• Matt Healy's Satirical Tour Promo.

• YouTube's AI Creator Tool Overhaul.

• Musicians' SMS Marketing Guide.

FEATURE

The Strategy Behind Cub Sport's ARIA #1 Record: Part 2

Last week, we had the pleasure of sharing our discussions on the “Jesus at the Gay Bar” release from Cub Sport with Mick Tarbuk - Head of Country at Believe Australia & New Zealand.

Now, we’re thrilled to share our catch up with William Tinkler - Editorial, Marketing and Partnerships Manager at Believe Australia and New Zealand, covering the DSP strategy, pitching timelines, and content that contributed to the campaign’s success. Album Announcement and Pre-Orders

DSP Strategy

“Jesus at the Gay Bar” saw Cub Sport receive significant support from DSPs, including a homepage takeover on Spotify plus a New Music Friday cover on release, as well as a cover of an Australian classic for Amazon Originals. Tinkler gave us some behind-the-scenes insight on the strategy that helped land these results.

“We were incredibly fortunate to receive strong support from Spotify, as well as other digital streaming platforms” he said.

“From the very beginning of the "Jesus at the Gay Bar" album campaign, we made it a priority to engage with DSPs and create a strategy that would not only showcase the album but also highlight the inspiring story behind it, particularly for Tim and Sam from Cub Sport.”

“We timed our campaign to align with periods when DSPs typically increase their visibility around LGBTQI+ artists, aiming to be at the forefront of their minds as a band that represented the LGBTQI+ community. Our goal was to effectively tell the story of the album, confident that fans would resonate with it. DSPs, including Spotify, played a pivotal role in helping us achieve this by providing consistent social support and featuring the album prominently.”

Tinkler explained that the team paid attention to the importance of being “good digital citizens” by super serving the specific needs of each DSP. To work towards their goal of maximum visibility, Believe and Cub Sport were proactive when it came to providing DSPs with assets such as press shots and concert tickets. They also ensured they were creating and sharing platform-specific content.

“It's not just about seeking support; it's also about actively engaging with new features and tools offered by DSPs,” Tinkler explained. “For instance, we encouraged Cub Sport to make use of features like Spotify Clips and YouTube Shorts, which not only enhanced our pitching efforts but also drove higher fan engagement. This engagement, in turn, made it easier for us to secure support from DSPs.”

Pitching Timelines

As part of their DSP strategy, Cub Sport and the Believe team focussed on advanced planning, and regular communication with DSPs.

“Pitching and securing editorial support from DSPs is a process that requires advanced planning.” Tinkler said. “Fortunately, for the "Jesus at the Gay Bar" album campaign, we had a well thought-out plan in place well before the release of the first single. This allowed us to provide DSPs with all marketing and content materials and information months in advance.”

“Our approach involved sharing detailed marketing plans, content strategies, long-term timelines, and, of course, the music itself. It was crucial to maintain open communication with DSPs, keeping them informed about any changes or developments. After each single release, we updated DSPs with the positive outcomes and achievements that the singles were attaining. This continuous engagement ensured that Cub Sport remained top-of-mind for DSPs throughout the campaign.”

“By providing DSPs with a consistent stream of information and achievements, we kept Cub Sport's presence fresh and relevant, increasing the likelihood of continued support and new opportunities emerging as the campaign progressed.”

Covering a Classic

On 9 February, Cub Sport shared their cover of Kylie Minogue’s "Can't Get You Out Of My Head”, in partnership with Amazon for Amazon Originals. Tinkler explained how this opportunity came about.

“The opportunity to participate in Amazon Originals covering Kylie Minogue came about through a timely and fortuitous connection with Amazon. I received a call from my representative at Amazon while I was on my way to Musica Copa. She mentioned that there was a potential opportunity in the works related to Amazon Original and World Pride. They were seeking a dance/electronica version of a favourite song by an LGBTQI+ act, and she immediately thought of Cub Sport.”

“One of the strengths of our approach was our ability to pitch well in advance, and Amazon recognized this. Despite the tight turnaround times for this project, Amazon had confidence in our ability to work swiftly and effectively due to how well Cub Sport worked in previous partnerships. This speaks to the professionalism and efficiency of Cub Sport” he said.

Tinkler explained that the team’s goals for the cover were twofold.

“Firstly, we wanted to create a cover that not only met the brief but also resonated deeply with Cub Sport's fan base both existing and potential. This ensured strong fan engagement and support for the project. The cover art, track selection, and overall execution were all carefully crafted to achieve this.” He said.

“Secondly, we aimed to leverage this opportunity for broader recognition and support. We understood that if the cover performed well, it could open doors to global support, including playlisting, content features, and out-of-home advertising. To maximize our chances of achieving these goals, we ensured that all aspects of the project were of the highest quality and aligned with the Amazon Original concept. Similarly we promoted the cover heavily on Cub Sport’s socials despite it being in the middle of an album campaign!”

The collaboration achieved some fantastic results. Cub Sport’s cover was featured on a Times Square billboard, and mid-album cycle, there was a remarkable 7-day period where the Amazon Original cover accounted for approximately 50% of Cub Sport's royalties.

“This demonstrated the power of strategic collaboration and the band's ability to seize opportunities to their fullest potential.” Tinkler said.

The Takeaway

Reflecting on the “Jesus at the Gay Bar” campaign, Mick Turbuk shared the following takeaways:

“To be fearless regarding release dates, to trust in fanbases and to not adhere to the usual music industry timelines. From a DSP point of view – if in doubt say yes to the opportunities placed in front of you. Amazon Originals, YouTube Shorts Funds, Apple Home Sessions etc.”

^{Written by Olivia Gliku}

NEWS

The Headlines

Bad Bunny's WhatsApp Teaser

Bad Bunny has utilised his recently-established WhatsApp channel to preview an imminent song release.

Boasting over 12 million followers on the messaging platform, he unveiled a 17-second snippet on 24th September, signalling its debut the subsequent day at 8 p.m. Puerto Rico time.

Bad Bunny announced his new WhatsApp channel to his 46 million Instagram followers through a Story, shortly after the platform rolled out its one-way communication feature for celebrities and brands across more than 150 markets.

💡Insight - I've always said artists should really prioritise growing owned channels, like email. But I totally get the draw of trying out new platforms and would encourage it. I'm not sure if Bad Bunny's teamed up with Meta or not, but he's definitely dived deep into this new feature on launch.

The tricky bit? Keeping those posts coming and making sure fans stay interested. He's got a whopping 12 million subscribers, but his new music post only got a 3% engagement. Seems a bit on the low side, doesn't it? Makes me wonder if a lot of those 12 million have already hit the 'mute' button on notifications. - NL

Matt Healy's Satirical Tour Promo

The 1975's lead singer, Matty Healy, has taken an unconventional approach to promote the band's US tour, 'Still… At Their Very Best'.

Using a satirical political ad, Healy dons the persona of a politician, visiting locations such as construction sites and hospitals.

The ad's narration touches on themes of redemption, community, and the aspiration for a brighter future.

However, the timing of the campaign's release, coming just days after Healy faced criticism for a tweet directed at musician Lucy Dacus and subsequently deactivated his Twitter account, has cast a shadow over its unveiling.

💡Insight - A lot of effort has gone into creating this somewhat bizarre tour promo video. It has certainly gained a lot of press for the tour, which actually seems to be selling extremely well. - NL

YouTube's AI Creator Tool Overhaul

YouTube has unveiled an array of innovative AI tools designed to enhance the creator experience.

Among the highlights is 'Dream Screen', a feature for YouTube Shorts creators that crafts video backgrounds from text prompts.

The platform also introduced 'YouTube Create', a mobile app in beta testing, which offers a suite of video editing tools reminiscent of TikTok’s CapCut.

Additionally, 'Aloud', an AI-driven dubbing tool, is set to offer multilingual video versions.

Creators can also anticipate an AI assistant for music suggestions and generative AI in YouTube Studio for video brainstorming.

💡Insight - YouTube Shorts continue to surge in daily views. If you are not focusing on it then the time to start is now. - NL

LEARN

Musicians' SMS Marketing Guide

In today's digital age, musicians have a golden opportunity to connect directly with their fans.

This article delves into the power of text marketing, an underutilised tool that not only offers a personal touch but also boasts the highest open rate amongst all marketing channels.

From this article you'll gain insights into the benefits of text marketing, from nurturing fan relationships to promoting new tracks and merchandise.

The article also provides a curated list of top SMS marketing services tailored for musicians and essential features to consider.

Plus, there are actionable tips to grow your SMS audience and best practices to ensure your messages hit the right note.

Dive in to unlock these valuable insights.

FAST FACTS

Impress Your Boss with This Fast Fact

👉 $0.00 – that's the sum "non-artist noise" will earn in royalties under the fresh agreement between Deezer and Universal Music Group. (Link)

What exactly is "non-artist noise"? It refers to ambient content on streaming platforms, including white noise, rain sounds, bird chirps, sleep ambience, and the like.

Remarkably, such content currently rakes in millions in revenue.

KEY FINDINGS

Our Top Picks This Week

• NIVA Criticises Live Nation's Tour Plan (Link)

• Travis Scott's Eight-Hour Astroworld Deposition (Link)

• Zuckerberg's Metaverse: What Happened? (Link)

• Reddit Pays for Popular Posts (Link)

• '23 Festival Season's Gender Split Report (Link)

• Meta's AI Chatbots Expansion (Link)

• Google Map’s Route Leads to Collapsed Bridge (Link)

• Implementing Next-Gen AI in Publishing (Link)

ICYMI

Catch Up on Our Recent Stories

• Behind Arlo Parks’ ‘My Soft Machine’ Release (Link)

• Music Catalogue Marketing in 2023 (Link)

• Inside DMA'S Winning UK Album Strategy (Link)