Marketing Case Study: Nature Sounds (indie record label)

Some of our clients and prospects have recently asked for more details on some of our previous promotional efforts, and as always, ALMG makes a point to always show & prove.  We figured it would be helpful and informative to post a case study here on our site for those who are interested in our services or marketing in general.  The below report details a campaign that we conducted for Nature Sounds, a independent hip-hop record label based out of Brooklyn, NY.

This case study highlights our challenges, goals, and the specific channels/media outlets through which we promoted the DVD release of “Beat Kings” as well as a summary of our achievements throughout the campaign.  Please take a minute to check it out and feel free to contact us if you have any questions or would like to inquire about our full range of services.

If you would like this case study in .doc format, click here.

Nature Sounds - Beat Kings DVD Release

Nature Sounds is an independent record label based out of Brooklyn, New York whose name is synonymous with quality hip-hop, reggae and beyond. Preceding the national release of its first DVD, Beat Kings, Nature Sounds selected ALMG to offer an array of services to increase awareness as well as build momentum for its anticipated release. ALMG is a full-service marketing, promotions and management company that builds brands and influences consumers. We believe that no two clients or campaigns are alike, so each project receives meticulous attention to generate considerable brand exposure that exceeds the desires of our clients. Our creative edge has allowed us to successfully promote and endorse companies such as Def Jam, Sony, and Rockstar Games, among others.

Challenge:
Beat Kings is the first documentary exploring the original architects of hip-hop that have created the culture’s foundation. With over 20 producers including Marley Marl, Pete Rock, DJ Premier, The Rza, Kanye West, Just Blaze, and Ski Beatz, Beat Kings is an integration of old, new, mainstream and obscure. As a result, it was imperative to Nature Sounds that a detailed and exhaustive marketing structure was applied to address all components of the DVD’s audience, especially when considering the cluttered media environment. Nature Sounds’ inherent underground audience and reputation expelled them from having the necessary resources to reach the maximum level of exposure from both mainstream grassroots media outlets.

Solution:
ALMG and Nature Sounds Records formulated a number of successful marketing initiatives to increase awareness of the Beat Kings DVD. We focused our energy in three areas: online, television and radio. Our promotions ranged from synchronizing television and radio appearances with DJ Mathematics, who did the interviews and original score for the DVD, to coordinating promotions and interviews with popular websites.

Online
ALMG provided a range of online promotions and support for Beat Kings. Our initiatives generated millions of impressions among hip-hop fans and potential consumers. We teamed up with DJ Statik Selektah to compile a unique promotional MP3 mixtape for the Beat Kings project.  The 60-minute mixtape featured songs created by various producers featured in Beat Kings. DJ Statik Selektah mixed their most critically acclaimed songs in juxtaposition with the original samples that were sampled to create the instrumental, in one continuous mix. It was then blasted to all of our online contacts and was made available for download on numerous sites. To date, the mixtape has had an estimated 35,000+ listens/downloads.

Highlights:

• Download.com feature-20,000+ listens
• Email blast to contacts with Yousenditlink-5,000+ downloads
• Download link on Smokingsection.com
• Download link on Nature Sounds website

We also arranged online contests (giveaways), interviews and features on popular hip-hop and music related sites. Press releases and project-related information was sent to over 80 popular websites. Among these sites were SOHH.com, Pitchfork Media, Okayplayer and Allhiphop.com

Highlights:

• SOHH.com, rated the #1 hip-hop site on Alexa.com, ran a front page feature, accompanied with a news story and hosted the movie trailer on its site. A dedicated email blast was also sent to their mailing list. SOHH.com reaches an estimated 4mm visitors per month.
• Spine Magazine held a 4-week contest/promotion to win a copy of Beat Kings. The online promotion was complete with site banner and a dedicated page that ran two weeks prior and two weeks after the DVD’s release date.
• 1 in 4 music related websites contacted committed to an interview with DJ Mathematics or featured a mention or entry about the DVD.

We also utilized social networking sites to increase awareness of DVD.

Highlights:

• A QuickTime video clip was made available on the Nature Sounds Press Page (hosted on ALMG’s site). Video clips were uploaded to YouTube as well as sent to media outlets to host on their sites. To date, the distributed clips have seen a combined 106,000+ video views.
• We provided our consultation services and made suggestions to help optimize and maximize the potential of the Beat Kings Myspace page. Prior to our involvement, the page had only 300 friends and featured minimal product info. In just a matter of days, we were able to increase the friend count by 500% by selectively adding “friends” that would likely be interested in the product. Additional product information, screenshots, mixtape download links etc., were added to the page to make it a resource for fans. The page’s “top friends” section was also customized to attract the desired audience.
• Scratch Magazine, the authority on hip-hop production, posted several bulletins regarding the release of the Beat Kings mixtape and DVD on their Myspace page. The DVD’s artwork is featured in the “Heroes” section of their page, which links directly to the DJ Statik Selektah mixtape. Scratch Magazine has over 18,000 friends on Myspace.

Television

New York is the home of several of the producers featured in Beat Kings. As a result, ALMG sought to heavily brand the DVD in local programming as well as make a significant impact with national music stations. ALMG coordinated several television appearances for DJ Mathematics, which allowed him to speak directly to the viewers and tell them more about himself and the Beat Kings DVD. We secured appearances on key nationwide outlets as well as nearly 20 local video programs in the tri-state area.

Highlights:

• One week following the official release date of Beat Kings, DJ Mathematics made an appearance on MTV’s Sucker Free program.
• Two weeks following the official release of Beat Kings, Mathematics made an appearance as a guest DJ and was briefly interviewed on BET’s Rap City.
• 17 local video & television programs aired Beat Kings/Mathematics appearances on their show the day prior to the DVD release.

Radio
ALMG arranged interviews/station visits for DJ Mathematics with several radio outlets. Our efforts were directed toward local radio shows as well as notable XM and Sirius satellite radio programs. XM radio has a subscriber base of 7.5 million and Sirius has an estimated 5 million subscribers. Nine radio dates were synchronized with the release of the documentary.  In a little over a week, Mathematics had appeared on 9 radio stations with local, national and international audiences.  A final radio appearance was made a week after the release of the DVD to rekindle interest after its release date. This appearance was accompanied by an On-Air giveaway to promote the DVD.

Results:
ALMG’s marketing professionals and expansive resources resulted in the successful branding and promotion of Nature Sounds Beat Kings DVD.  ALMG was able to generate millions of impressions amongst consumers and tastemakers as well as establish the brand on a local, national and international level. This impact was made with little to no extra cost to Nature Sounds, by exploiting the internet and other communication technologies. Our marketing plans extended beyond our intended target and were able to influence reputable print outlets as well. By adapting to the project’s grassroots and mainstream nature, ALMG customized a thorough marketing strategy that inundated all relevant facets of the internet, television and radio.