TASK 2 PRESENTATION

Plum OKeeffe, Olive Baynham, Siene Nelson-Jaja & Leah Chapman

How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary texts?
Our music video, CD digipak and website have worked together in order to form a promotional campaign.

The CD Digipack, music video and website are all promotional tools for the band. Each of these promotional products are part of a publicity campaign. They are all used to promote and help release the artist.

The music industry uses visual media as a key part of its marketing strategy.

Main product music video

Our band, The Obscure singing the song Running Up That Hill comes under the genre of alternative. The Obscure represent a gothic image and arent very well known so a minor record company would be most appropriate, targeting indie/alternative genre. We had to the find an appropriate target market. Our target market was aimed at a niche market, ranged from 18-28. Our market is niche as indie/alternative music isnt as popular as pop or rock music for example. Therefore targeting a niche market we are advertising the genre to an audience that we know will enjoy the music.

Below is a hyperlink to our final main product, our music viddeo. There was a lot of planning and preparation that went into this product, as well as after, post production. Such as editing and after We discovered an audience was already effects. present after Pete Doherty and Radiohead brought the alternative genre to the mainstream audience, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3p2jcjp therefore knowing an established qq8&playnext=1&list=PL_P5ZEHuHS2bG7ML audience was present. NkV9-AOmzqLrTnqq2&feature=results_main

Common generic conventions of videos

In our music video, we have used common generic conventions of indie/gothic music videos such as I Think You Freaky in order to portray our artist and particular features which would relate to our target audience. Firstly, we used a tactical approach through the use of their star image such as an organic image in order to represent them as a individual and niche. We will not attract the correct target audience if they were to be synthetic as they wont be indie or alterative anymore.

This therefore helps their image with USP, such as the lead singer who is individual looking and he explains his emotions through the lyrics of the song such as If only could, make a deal with god, and get him to swap our places which is quite sinister and dark which is what they represent as a band.

Secondly a wide and extensive use of shot types, camera angles and movement in order to incorporate variation creatively and meaningfully. It focuses attention on the artist/band itself, without expectation.

Cd Digipak covers are crucial artwork which markets the image of the artist or band before the music is purchased.

Performance element is vital as the video allows the audience more varied access to the performer than a stage performance can, and through the mise-en-scene helps establish relationships for example between the band and the girl.

Websites are a common part of any marketing stategy

I will be discussing in detail how our campaign was formed

Our digipack overall was made to fit the basic audience exepectations e.g. barcode & record company details.

However It subverts the conventions of a digi pack as it has unusual conventions such as the title right across the page. Also the girl in the video staring in the camera instead of the artist.

We made such unusual conventions to link it to our surreal music video and promotional posters.

I believe our CD digi pack subverts conventions but fits the need for an indie/alternatuve audience

I believe that our design has helped tearget the niche audience which is the 16-25 year olds that are into alternative music.

In order to fit in with the common conventions of a digi pak, the final panel displays usual conventions such as track listing and website this would might appeal to other similar audiences

It has also helped to market the music video as it incorporates 2 aspects that are straight of the video, this can bring about interest amongst the audience, luring them into watching the video which would promote our star image The first panel of our digi pack simply displays the Girl in the bathtub staring into the camera this goes against the conventions of a cd digi pak as it is unusual to have someone that features in the video as the front cover instead of the main artists

Promotional activities
In order to further promotion we developed our website to help appeal to our audience in more recent ways such as introducing new media technologies. E.g. our website has links to Obscure Facebook and twitter pages. This would in order audience to interact with the main artists and create interest and audience might begin to generate loyalty to obscure music
Insert website picture

Promotional activities
Our website differs from our surreal image we portrayed in our cd digi pack and music video. It is a simplistic black and white template that doesnt conform to the indie/alternative look. However similar colours were used in the digi pack. Our website portrays each of the artists in obscure carefully and describes our recent activities to keep audience up to date with the band and make them feel involved in order to keep the interest going.

Ancillary Text - Digipak

Our album title is Running Up That Hill which gives the audience the impression that its going to be quite a sinister artist. We are emerging gothic and indie together which gives us the genre of alternative. In order to promote the idea of Running Up That Hill we have used the girl in the bath and a pigs head on the back to generate this point of view. It ties in with the album appropriately which connects the album name to the band itself.

 Some audiences idolize bands and singers, and see them as sex symbols, fashion icons and celebrities. Placebo, the true artist of our music video, is a very popular celebrity in the alternative genre. We wanted to portray our main artist The Obscure in a similar way, through the use of his style and image. We do this by introducing props such as skulls.

What Music Channel/Online Magazines would it appear on?

NME This music magazine has an alternative aspect to it, therefore will be appropriate for our genre. Flavour Mag This allows fans to know about gigs and news about the artists themselves. Radio Row This is an alternative indie station which would be very appropriate for our band.

 Our band would also appear on Billboards around main towns, such as Camden, Clapham and Waterloo etc. Appear on fly posters either handing them out in person or in shop windows, train stations etc. This is a cheap and effective way of advertising. Would also appear on buses and tube stations such as Brixton and Brick Lane. We would also release posters for fans to display on their wall. This would be shared with friends, therefore passing on interests.

Merchandise
Merchandising is a powerful tool and to many is used to promote or sustain certain catagories of commercial activity, for example attract and promote The Obscure. We would create calanders, t-shirts, caps and bags. This would create a product portfolio, therefore having a selection of products to offer to customers and fans. We can promote the album Running Up That Hill in The Obscures live tours or live appearances, or even general fan posters.

How the three products work together?

All three products work well together, in the sense that they sell the artist to the specific audience we are targeting. I believe they all incorporate the artists style through the design (images/graphic/artwork) and the layout of the products. Due to our artist focusing on the genre of alternative, we have targeted a specific indie/alternative audience. The strengths of our three products would definitely be the visuals, the effect the music video gives off, and the creative and artistic designs on our website and digipak, in order to attract our target market. The record company we would like to sign to The Obscure to Domino records as it is a small independent company that has signed a lot of people from the same genre. Their connections to the distributer and marketers would allow our product to reach a national audience, minimizing a risk of failure. Throughout the three products there was definitely a link as we have shown photographs of the band and shots from the music video on all of our products. The band are wearing similar clothes, and the colour and styles are similar on each product. If we were to develop the campaign, I believe we could expand our range of artistic ideas, and create a more complex website and digipak that looks more sophisticated and professional, in order to attract the correct customer.

 Using the marketing mix, Philip Kotler defines the marketing as a human activity directed at satisfying needs and wants through exchange processes. Within the marketing mix, this process focuses on selling the products and services. This marketing approach consists of four ups. 1. Price- how much the product will cost. 2. Place- how is the product distributed and marketed to the audience. 3. Product- what is being branded the star image. 4. Promotion how is it advertised, where and publicized. I feel that The Obscure should start as being quite a hidden talent, but in time people will discover them as well as help from the record company Domino Records. Which has expertise and contacts in order to promote The Obscure and their music. Releasing this album online and in the shops would give it the best opportunity to become a success. As people have long summer holidays where they can save up and go to concerts, buy and download albums such as The Obscure. Music advertisements would also be released on MTV at the same period in time tying everything in one package.