In June, the well known Vermont band Phish announced Festival 8 to be held over Halloween Weekend October 30th through November 1st. If you aren’t familiar with Phish, many compare their loyal fan following to the Grateful Dead and their music to (it is dangerous to compare Phish’ music to any other band without fear of retribution from their loyal fans…but here goes) a mix Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Zappa and a Barbershop Quartet (due to their many a capella songs performed). Their Festivals can be described as weekend long “Grown up Playgrounds” with multiple sets of music and a Carnival like atmosphere everywhere.
What I found intriguing about this concert announcement was the brilliant use of social media tools, viral marketing and suspense, suspense, suspense. When the band announced the show, they didn’t tell where the concert would be held. They utilized a flash driven map of the United States with each State in play until it was removed by either forces of nature, alien spacecraft, even a bulldozer, just to name a few.
These “removals” occurred at random times over a three week period. Speculations from fans were posted on message boards, followers posted their thoughts on twitter, facebook, etc. The band had their entire fan base on edge speculating about the location of Festival 8! In a strange twist, and much to the chagrin of many fans, Phish removed favored frontrunner California only to bring it back at the last minute announcing the event would be held at the Indio Polo Fields in Indio. Several fans complained that they had purchased flights based on speculation only to have to cancel then rebook once the actual site was confirmed. It was quite the roller coaster ride!
If the location announcement wasn’t enough to keep fans hooked, the band created a second “Campaign” announcing a special Halloween “Costume” album at Festival 8. On past Halloween performances, Phish has chosen to cover another outfit’s album to showcase their talent and love of other music. Past “Costume” albums include Quadrphenia by The Who, The White Album by The Beatles, Loaded by The Velvet Underground and Remain in Light by The Talking Heads. To announce this years Halloween album, Phish started with a list of 99 album covers on their website. Each day a few more were removed from the list by being “killed off”. This created more speculation and chatter than the location and even today, fans are checking back frequently to see which of the final 19 albums (as of 10/26/09) will be chosen for this special occasion. With thousands of visits and posts, Todd Levy’s Blog on Jamtopia has been information and speculation central for fans to voice their opinion as to which album should be played.
What does this have to do with Marketers? This rock and roll band is an example of a great show organizer just like many of our clients. They have a purpose – their music, an event – their concerts and an audience – their fans. They must find creative ways to engage this fan base to keep them tuned in and wanting more.
How can event organizers learn from Phish? Take a look at your own event and identify ways to keep your audience engaged and always checking back for more info.
A few examples:
1. Have a countdown to announce your celebrity keynote. Create clues and encourage your audience to participate by making their own speculations. Promote this countdown on social media platforms so the message is delivered via multiple mediums.
2. Ask your audience to submit ideas that will make your event better. Give away a “Rock Star” package as incentive with First Class flights, Hotel Suite and star treatment.
3. Send out Voice Mail reminders with clues about a major giveaway on the show floor. Those who gather clues from these reminders and submit them onsite and are entered to win a valuable prize.
Finally, I’ll be tweeting this weekend from Festival 8 (@expocall) so stay tuned and I’ll keep everyone updated. Direct Message me your selection for the Halloween Cover Album and I’ll post the results here!
