There seems to be some confusion about how The Double Nickel Vocal Band should market themselves Custom Essay

There are competing opinions in the group regarding the best way to market The Double Nickel Vocal Band. The band is still relatively new and money is tight. The bass player believes that the best way to reach out to their fans is through social networks, such as Facebook and MySpace. The lead guitarist disagrees, and insists that placing music videos on YouTube will help them make it to the big time. The drummer has reservations about using the Internet at all. His father was in a band and suggested “hitting” the road and playing live venues. The lead singer feels the best thing the band can do is to develop a website and continue promoting themselves to major record labels.

You are the band’s manager and its success is ultimately riding on your shoulders. You have managed several successful country and rock bands over the last 20 years. It has been your unique ability to embrace the marketing power of the Internet that has helped them achieve stellar star power. The band is now looking to you for guidance and hopefully a shot at the big time.

There seems to be some confusion about how The Double Nickel Vocal Band should market themselves. Briefly describe the pros and cons of implementing what each band member has recommended. Describe how you would unite the band by using a combination of their ideas.
Johnny Jay – Lead Singer
Everyone knows that having your own website is what puts bands on the map. Fans are always calling and asking for CD’s and t-shirts. How can we effectively market ourselves and our promotional items without a website? We look foolish always selling items out of our van. When a major record label gives us a shot we want to look like we are ready for the big time. We should have someone start designing it immediately.
Barry Lee – Lead Guitar
Why go to the expense of creating a website? One of the best ways to get noticed is by putting videos of us playing on YouTube for free. We could use Google Sites to build a makeshift website until we can afford to have one built. I want to make it to the top as much as anyone, but a website at this point in our careers is not the way to go. We need to start a viral marketing plan using YouTube immediately.
Betty Lou Bailey – Bass Guitar
Our fans are the key to making the big time. Focusing our marketing efforts on them is the most important thing we can do. We need a place where our fans can easily gather and create a buzz about us. FaceBook is the perfect place because we can post photos, tour dates, and even videos. I like the idea of having a makeshift site until we can afford to have one built, but Google Sites is not very fan friendly. I think we should use MySpace as a makeshift website since a lot of our fans are familiar with it. Plus it doubles as an additional social network. We need to start using FaceBook and MySpace right away.
Chris Peterson – Drummer
Technology can be helpful, but singing at live venues is what really creates a connection between us and our fans. We also need to book bigger and better venues that attract record label executives. Once we are signed with a major label, everything else will fall into place. Many great bands have been discovered this way, and I believe we should start the process of booking better quality venues tomorrow.