#10 EMI shows the last 10% is so important for Generation C
May 7, 2009 by Jake Pearce
And that 10% is articulated by Matt Headland, CEO of EMI NZ, a company that is looking at a new way of engaging with its ‘people’…..
I was reading a Seth Godin epistle, called “Meat Ball Sunday” and he made another of his excellent insights.
He explains that one of the most frustrating things about marketing is that the concepts are so easy to explain but are so hard to do. His book in essence says that most companies are using the new ‘tools’ of marketing in an old way.
So what does that mean? Have a look at Matt’s video and then read on….
The Music industry has been railed against for being slow to adapt to a changing digital world. In general I agree but…. let’s face it, so are most of us. What’s really interesting is this – 90 % of what they did was ‘right’ according to the laws of ‘modern marketing’….these are some of the things that Matt Headland talks about:
- constant innovation (new artists, new music content)
- risk taking
- market research is a state of being for this industry as they are surrounded by ‘their market’
- album launches are always with fans
- building relationships with your fan base
- the industry sponsors loads of events where their ‘consumers’ meet
If you look at this list – that’s an awful lot of the key points that most new marketing gurus bang on about.
So if the music industry got it 90% right -why is it struggling and how can you learn from their mistakes?
I believe that they failed where most companies are struggling in this area:
- they didn’t listen to the early adopters who said change is coming
- they didn’t treat those early adopters as ‘team players’ ie engage them in a way that made them receptive (see – www.thevillagesq.com)
- they tried (a little) to use their old distribution in a new way – Godin’s point ( in a few record stores they tried burning CDs to provide customised content to order e.g. Virgin)
- ultimately they wanted to produce product for sale
- as opposed to working with their customers to create new products that are better than the company, itself could do (NB Research for NPD is usually – testing ‘our’ ie the companies new ideas
Are you treating Generation C as part of your team – or are they your consumers?
It’s so easy to point at other industries and see things clearly and it’s much harder when it’s your own – but I dare you to do it.
It’s all about this – to engage Generation C you need to learn to give up some control – you need to give Generation C a sense of choice.
Globally people are increasingly growing ‘younger’ ie they have access to the same ‘young’ material without trying that hard. So in a real sense this is a challenge that is relevant to all demographics and all Western markets.
I’m not saying lose all control – though some companies do that very successfully around the co-creation of products and services e.g. www.fiskars.com or www.fiskateers.com
But ask yourself honestly, what are you doing to give up some control? Anything? Or are you still being controlling while using new found marketing toys in an old way, as Godin says?
I dare you to loosen up a bit – just have a glass of wine with your ‘people’ (consumers) face to face and let me know what happens!
#6 Gen C and the future of music – podcast
March 31, 2009 by Jake Pearce
Simon Young and I discuss Generation C and how this group of influential people will impact that notoriously changeable arena – the music industry.
Enjoy 