Agency sees opportunity for brand and music tie-ups
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Brand New Music (BNM), a new marketing company specialising in music strategy for global brands, has launched headed by former Island Records director Nick McEwan.
BNM logo
Positioned under the line ’Amplify Your Brand’, BNM intends to work with bands and brands to create unique partnerships.
The six founding partners have music, marketing and digital backgrounds. Managing director McEwan was recently head of Island Records imprint Fallout Recordings and has worked with Santander on its ’Inspired Choice’ campaign.
Agencies and music companies have seen the opportunities for brands to develop a focus on music strategy accelerate in recent years. GroupM, the media investment arm of WPP, and Universal Music Group, the world’s leading music company, formed a joint venture in 2006 called BrandAmp while TBWA has its Stream division.
The BNM team includes Rob Gotlieb, former marketing manager for Napster, and Gareth Carter, previously Sony Ericsson’s global partner manager for music. alongside packaging and branding expert Adam Butler.
Between them, the team has worked with brands including Santander, MTV, NME, Samsung, Nokia, Sony Ericsson and Shell.
McEwen says: “People have become wise to existing advertising channels and brand messages are no longer being amplified. Music has a real resonance with the consumer - it is part of everyone’s life. Aligning brands with music is the most potent way of tapping into their consciousness - maximising brand awareness.”
The company intends to work on campaigns across all media channels and has extensive experience of 4G mobile, social media, SEO and digital marketing, as well as events marketing, gig promotions, artist sponsorship, festivals, tours, white label record labels and digital music stores.
Readers' comments (5)
David Keogh | Tue, 11 May 2010 0:44 am
I'd like to know if BNM operates in Australia.
Perfect Pitch is a music marketing company and we're currently conducting a brand partner acquisition campaign for one of our clients - a legend within the industry but not widely known by music fans at large. Please contact me to discuss.
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Nick McEwen | Tue, 11 May 2010 11:09 am
Brand New Music operates in the UK and has a office in Scandanavia. We're hoping to open another European office in France within the year.
Nick McEwen
www.wearebrandnewmusic.co.uk
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Ruth Simmons | Wed, 12 May 2010 7:44 pm
There may be a space for band-brand alliances, but I still have doubts about their effectiveness. Have started the debate here: http://www.soundlounge.co.uk/blog/2010/05/an-open-letter-to-marketing-week-re-brand-and-music-tie-ups/
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Nick McEwen | Fri, 14 May 2010 6:03 pm
Hi Ruth,
Thanks for your comment. I agree that partnerships vary in quality and roi for both parties.
From the artist's perspective, with record companies signing fewer acts and backing even less, we provide the financial backing for them to fund releases/tours/merch etc.
for example, i recently worked on a project with Elliot Minor, who were at the time unsigned. The money they received helped fund a single release and tour.
For the brands, we've 20 years experience in the music industry, finding the right artist at the right time in their career is I agree a skill in itself. We believe in long term, forward thinking campaigns that give the listener/consumer something unique. In our experience these are the sort of projects which work hard for both the brand and the artist involved.
Nick
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David Wille | Fri, 14 May 2010 8:13 pm
BNM has a wide network of music and marketing friends in Australia. We are more than happy to get in touch David.
Do you want to book a call to see if we can work together in some way ?
It would be good to chat either way.
Best Regards
David
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