Over at Threeminds, Bryan Fuhr makes a very astute observation about Radiohead. Their launch of In Rainbows has been a master class in how to create buzz and engage an audience, using a single (if very good) piece of content as the basis:
- Surprise album release. This alone would’ve been enough to get everyone buzzing.
- But that’s just an appetite whetter. The real news…you can pay whatever you want. It’s a revolution! Frenzy ensues.
- Stem song components are released for a fee-based download, with a remix contest driving further interest and uptake
- They chart on the Billboard Hot 100 for the first time since 1996 helped along by remixes of Nude
- They hold an animated music video contest
- And now, cause marketing. Great video and a good cause.
It’s a really nice campaign by any standard, and it’s been done without label support.
I also like how they’ve smartly leveraged partnerships rather than trying to go it on their own. The stem downloads was conducted in partnership with iTunes, the animation contest with Aniboom, and the music video in collaboration with MTV.
The exception to the partnership approach was the initial launch of the album itself, but I think having that homegrown-looking site could’ve easily been part of the initial strategy and positioning of Radiohead as putting their middle finger up to the music industry.
And they are bucking the system, but not in quite as radical a way as it initially seemed. It’s more an evolution, and it seems much more grounded in PR and marketing than a deep anti-corporate reaction. But it’s been a great strategy and execution so far, and looking forward to see what comes next.
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