Experiences are more important than ever when it comes to brand awareness in this digital era. Online advertising and social in particular have caused live event FOMO! This FOMO drives consumers to want to have and share the most epic experiences possible thus causing people to attend more festivals, shows, and events than ever.In the early days of the social media boom, musicians were at the forefront of utilizing digital media to amplify their appearances and build awareness around their shows. Now as the quest for likes becomes a way of life, more and more companies are getting in on the act by creating equally enticing standalone events that attract attendees and are stimulating for the gram.A couple of close colleagues and I want to kill the term experiential as we believe it doesn’t truly encompass the digital aspects of the physical event and not to mention, it feels dated. Instead, we propose, Phygital Marketing, defined as when the physical world integrates with the digital and bridges the gap between offline users and online consumers. In other words, a unique event that drives a sense of urgency for attendance, harmoniously engages consumers with the presenting brand, is an immersive experience for the senses, provides a real-life value-add to the attendees and creates real-time moments & memories.Phygital focuses on making the "three I's" a reality: immediacy, immersion, and interaction. Here's what each entails: Immediacy: works to ensure things happen at an exact moment in time Immersion: the user is part of the experience. Interaction: generation of communication to activate the more physical and emotional part of the purchasing process.We have a few exciting campaigns coming soon that we believe exemplify this approach and look forward to sharing them with you soon. In the interim, fellow brand marketers, let us know as soon as Phygital makes it onto your conference call bingo boards!
P.S. Speaking of phygitally focused events, tune in to our hit web series today at Noon on Tidal with J.Lo & Elliott Wilson. Watch with your lunch or breakfast coffee (what’s up West Coast) and a link to where to watch
BEATS
‘Old Town Road’ Proves TikTok Can Launch a Hit SongMontero “Lil Nas X” Hill’s parents were concerned when their son dropped out of college eight months ago to pursue a career in rap; as the country trap star told Time Magazine, his parents succinctly pointed out there are millions of rappers already crowding the scene. (The Verge)
Have Songwriters Turned the Tide Against Big Tech?It’s no secret that the songwriting and music-publishing communities feel they have been short-changed by the streaming revolution. (Variety)
Songs in the Key of Life - Hitting Fast Forward To Discover the Future of Playlists A music industry panel in Amsterdam earlier this year was told “playlists are the new albums.” What happens next in this increasingly important area of the music business? Ben Gilbert speaks to three influential figures to find out. (Synchtank)
Digital Music Consumption Has Led to Increase in Greenhouse Gas Emissions, New Study FindsDigital consumption of music has led to "unintended" environmental and economic impacts, a new study has found. (Billboard)
Troy Carter Launches New Music Company, Q&AFor the new venture, Carter, who previously served as both Lady Gaga’s manager and as Spotify’s global head of creator services, has teamed up with business partner J Erving on what is being described as a “modern music and technology company”. (Encore)
What Does Red Bull's Corporate Exit Means For Underground Music? Red Bull have announced the end of their well-loved music platform RBMA, after over 20 years of operation. Ed Gillett looks at how this decision fits into a wider pattern of narrowing, frailty and loss across digital music communities. (The Quietus)
Hedge Fund's Route to 30% Fees: Cash Advances to Hip-Hop Artists Stephen Marley comes from music royalty. Sean Garrett has written and produced smash hits for Beyoncé, Usher and Ciara. (Bloomberg)
Tales from WaleMania V: Samoa Joe Rocked the House, Kofi Took the Mic, and Enzo Was There Too Here’s the brief bit about the show’s namesake. If you’re unfamiliar, Wale (pronounced “WAH-lay”) is an award-winning rapper, singer and songwriter who’s a giant wrestling fan. His desire for a big party that merged his worlds resulted in WaleMania. (SB Nation)
Where to Buy Vans’ Glammed-Up David Bowie Sneakers TodayComprising some of the California brand’s most popular models, the Slip-On, Era, Old Skool, and Sk8-Hi, each sneaker references a different record or character from Bowie’s career. (High Snobiety)
How Dreamville's First Festival Came to LifeSascha Stone Guttfreund, co-founder of the music promotion company ScoreMore, laughingly recalls the beginnings of his relationship with J. Cole—a bond that culminates on April 6 with the first Dreamville Fest. (Complex)
BYTES
Throwback or nostalgia concerts — where bands reunite or singers come out of semi-retirement — are not new. But the latest iteration includes acts from the 90s. Think Vanilla Ice and En Vogue.
This intimate, in-depth look at Beyoncé's celebrated 2018 Coachella performance reveals the emotional road from creative concept to cultural movement. Premiering April 17. Only on Netflix.
Share graphics of the song you're currently listening to directly to Instagram Stories or Twitter.
Grammy winning artist Anderson .Paak just released a new single from his upcoming album Ventura. The track, “Make It Better,” premiered and features Motown legend Smokey Robinson.
This week's newsletter was carefully curated by the Nue Agency staff and our editor Rachel Meisner If you think we missed something this week or have any suggestions/comments for next week's newsletter, let us know!