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Digital impact: the impact of mobile digital technology on live music events and its influence on marketing, branding and public relations professionals
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Content
Digital Impact
The Impact of Mobile Digital Technology on Live Music Events and Its Influence on
Marketing, Branding and Public Relations Professionals
By
Maritza C. Cabezas
______________________________________________________________________________
A Thesis Presented to the
THE FACULTY OF THE USC GRADUATE SCHOOL
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
MASTER OF ARTS
(STRATEGIC PUBLIC RELATIONS)
May 2014
Copyright 2014 Maritza C. Cabezas
DIGITAL IMPACT i
Dedication
The following would not have been possible without the love and support of my family
mom and dad, you are the greatest support that anyone could ask for. Mom you are a true
inspiration and I owe everything I am to you. Elyzza, you have been by my side since day one
and continuously support and encourage me through all of my goals and dreams I am so blessed
to have you as a sister. My friends, for their constant cheers, laughs and understanding during
this time, I could not have done this without all of you – thank you.
DIGITAL IMPACT ii
Acknowledgments
I would like to thank my thesis committee whom helped guide and support me through this entire
process. BT, you have such a way with words that I cannot explain, I am lucky to have had you
as a professor and a member of my committee. Matthew, thank you for your guidance, voice of
reason and calmness throughout the entire process especially on a topic that is constantly
evolving. Chimene, your patients, guidance and diligence during my initial research set such a
great foundation for everything that followed. Finally, a special thanks to my interviewees that
took the time out of their busy schedules to offer knowledge and insights in their field of
expertise.
DIGITAL IMPACT iii
List of Figures
Figure 1. Beyoncé – Mrs. Carter Show – ATL “Put that damn camera down”
(Zafar, 2013)………………………………………………………………………………………4
Figure 2. Drop in Music Sales Since 2003
(CNN Money, “How iTunes crushed music sales”, 2013)………………………………………11
Figure 3. Coachella Per-Day Attendance 1999-2012
(Firecloud, 2013)…………………………………………………………………………………12
Figure 4. E-marketer Smartphone Sales Worldwide, Q1 2011-Q3 2013
(“Smartphone Sales”, 2013)……………………………………………………………...............15
Figure 5. Smartphone Penetration By Age and Income in the U.S.
(Blodget, 2013)…………………………………………………………………………………..16
Figure 6. Smartphone Ownership by Demographic Group
(Smith, 2013)…………………………………………………………………………………….17
Figure 7. Nielsen: The Buyer and The Beats, Ranking of Smartphone Features
(Nielsen & SXSW, 2013)………………………………………………………………………..18
Figure 8. Infographic: Facebook Mobile Penetration as of May 2012
(Cohen, 2012)……………………………………………………………………………………23
Figure 9. Fans at Foals concert. Photograph courtesy of author………………………...............26
Figure 10. Lead singer walking through the crowd of concertgoers. Instagram [Video]. Screen
Shot………………………………………………………………………………………………27
Figure 11: Concertgoers capturing lead singer crowd surfing. Instagram [Photo]. Screen
Shot………………………………………………………………………………………………27
Figure 12. YouTube: Hours per Minute Uploaded Over the Years
(Ahmed, 2012)…………………………………………………………………………...............31
Figure 13. Yeah Yeah Yeahs ‘No Cameras’ Sign
(“Yeah Yeah Yeahs,” 2013)……………………………………………………………………..41
Figure 14. Rihanna Hits a Fan with Microphone at Concert
(Monde, 2013)……………………………………………………………………………………46
Figure 15. YouTube Search for “Rihanna hits fan with microphone”
(YouTube [Search],n.d.)…………………………………………………………………………46
DIGITAL IMPACT iv
List of Tables
Table 1. Monthly Active Users on Social Media Sites over a Three-Year Period
(Bullas, 2013ab; Elliot, 2011; Facebook, 2013;Nitogram, 2013). .................................................24
Table 2. Videos posted on YouTube of Foals live performance August 9, 2013
(YouTube, 2013). ...........................................................................................................................28
Table 3. Images and Videos Found on Instagram and Vine Using Key Hashtag Searches for the
August 9, 2013 Show
(Instagram & Vine, 2013) ..............................................................................................................28
DIGITAL IMPACT v
List of Graphs
Graph 1. Madonna’s Tour Related Videos on YouTube in Clicks Per Million
(YouTube, 2013). ...........................................................................................................................33
Graph 2. Lady Gaga’s Tour Related Videos on YouTube in Clicks Per Million
(YouTube, 2013). ...........................................................................................................................34
Graph 3. Taylor Swift Tour Related Videos on YouTube and Clicks Per Million
(YouTube, 2013). ...........................................................................................................................35
Graph 4. Clicks of Top Rated Tour Related Videos and Live Attendance Numbers for Madonna,
Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift Tours
(YouTube, 2013) ............................................................................................................................35
DIGITAL IMPACT vi
Table of Contents
DEDICATION ..................................................................................................................................... i
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ...................................................................................................................... ii
LIST OF FIGURES ............................................................................................................................. iii
LIST OF TABLES .............................................................................................................................. iv
LIST OF GRAPHS ................................................................................................................................v
INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................... 1-5
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY .......................................................................................................... 6-7
MOBILE DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIAL MEDIA .......................................................................8
SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS ...............................................................................................................9
CHAPTER ONE: LIVE MUSIC EVENTS AND MOBILE DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY .......
.................................................................................................................................................. 10-13
MIXED REVIEWS ....................................................................................................................... 13-14
CHAPTER TWO: TRENDS IN MOBILE DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY ......................... 15-20
CHAPTER THREE: DIGITAL ECOLOGY AND LIVE MUSIC EVENTS .................. 20-22
SOCIAL NETWORK ERA ............................................................................................................. 22-24
CHAPTER FOUR: A SEA OF SCREENS .......................................................................... 25-28
IMPLICATIONS ........................................................................................................................... 28-30
CHAPTER FIVE: A YOUTUBE EXPERIENCE ....................................................................31
YOUTUBE AND TOP SELLING ARTISTS ...........................................................................................32
MADONNA ................................................................................................................................ 32-33
LADY GAGA .............................................................................................................................. 33-34
TAYLOR SWIFT ......................................................................................................................... 34-35
IMPLICATIONS ........................................................................................................................... 36-38
CHAPTER SIX: A CHANGING LANDSCAPE FOR LIVE MUSIC EVENTS ............. 39-40
LIVING THE LIVE EVENT ........................................................................................................... 41-42
CHAPTER SEVEN: IMPACT OF DIGITAL MEDIA ON MARKETING, BRANDING
AND PUBLIC RELATIONS
......................................................................................................
43-‐45
CRISIS MANAGEMENT ............................................................................................................... 45-47
IMPLICATIONS ........................................................................................................................... 47-48
CHAPTER EIGHT: THE FUTURE OF LIVE EVENTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
.................................................................................................................................................. 49-51
DIGITAL IMPACT vii
STRATEGIC RECOMMENDATIONS .............................................................................................. 51-52
TACTICAL RECOMMENDATIONS ................................................................................................ 52-58
CHAPTER NINE: CONCLUSION ..................................................................................... 59-61
APPENDICES ..............................................................................................................................62
APPENDIX A: INDUSTRY INTERVIEWS ....................................................................................... 62-75
APPENDIX B: CONTENT ANALYSIS DATA ................................................................................. 76-78
REFERENCES ....................................................................................................................... 79-86
DIGITAL IMPACT 1
Introduction
We live in a constantly shifting digital age where technology has facilitated our ability to
communicate and stay connected 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The digital rise we are
experiencing today is the result of the Internet, advances in innovative technology, mobile
devices and the popularization of social media. Smart digital technology has helped mobile
technology to close the gap between rich and poor, educated and uneducated, making it easier for
friends, family and social networks to stay connected on a global level (Thomson, Purcell, &
Rainie, 2013). Mobile digital technology allows individuals to consume the majority of their
information instantly and not just through personal computers and laptops, but through
smartphones and tablets as well.
Over the years smartphone usage in the United States (U.S.) has continued to climb with
more than 61 percent of mobile subscribers in the U.S. owning a smartphone. This is up 10
percent since 2012 when smartphones became the majority (Nielsen, 2013, June 6). Mobile
digital devices have evolved into multi-media devices, a one-stop destination with Internet,
electronic mail, high pixel cameras and downloadable applications. People have become digitally
addicted to their mobile phones and tablets, as they allow people to stay connected and give
regular updates to family, friends and social networks in real time. The dependence and addiction
is so strong that smart devices have become a digital appendage (Pollack, 2013). Many smart
device owners including the author experience high levels of anxiety at the mere thought of
being without their smartphone or tablet.
Generations are now identified by their use and adoption of mobile digital technology. A
digital immigrant as defined by the Oxford Dictionary is a person born or brought up before the
widespread use of digital technology. These groups of people are most commonly identified as
DIGITAL IMPACT 2
Generation X. Generation Y, often referred, as Millennials are Digital Natives, born or brought
up during the age of digital technology. This group became familiar with computers and the
Internet from an early age. The iGen, a term coined by Stefan Pollack, President of the Pollack
PR Marketing Group and author of Disrupted, is the generation that follows X & Y (Pollack,
2013). This generation was born between 1994-2004, has grown up entirely in the new digital
age and knows nothing other than living in a world with smart devices. The iGen will spend a
large amount of their lifetime capturing and sharing content as they are permanently connected
and mobile (Pollack, 2013). The advances in mobile digital have changed the way generational
audiences communicate, listen and receive messages.
In less than a decade we have seen the birth of smartphones, tablets, iTunes and social
media. Popular platforms such as YouTube, Facebook and Instagram are the conduit for
originally created content to be shared easily and quickly. According to a Nielsen (2013, June
10) report on the mobile consumer, “In the spectrum of evolving media, nothing is growing
faster than the adoption of portable devices and the consumption of content on these devices”
(“The Fast and the Curious,” 2013, para 1).
The introduction of the iTunes Music Store in 2003 caused music sales to plummet in the
U.S. from $11.8 billion in 2003 to $7.1 billion in 2012 (Covert, 2013). Despite losses in record
sales live music performances have seen particularly dramatic growth over the years. Concert
ticket sales in the U.S have tripled from $1.5 billion to $4.6 billion from 1999-2009, which
exceeded the growth of inflation and population (Lee, 2013). Live music events have become
vital to an artists success, as they can no longer rely on music sales as a form of income or
revenue. The decrease in music sales over the years has shifted the revenue focus for artist, as
live music events are now vital to an artist’s success.
DIGITAL IMPACT 3
Internet advances have increased ownership and the popularization of social platforms-
have influenced the role of music industry professionals from artists to marketing, branding and
public relations professionals. Fans are eager to capture and record their experiences at live
events and share them in real time. It is no longer uncommon to see audience members viewing
and recording a live event through their mobile devices. This behavior has led to a loss in the
“live” experience. Attendees have become observational members of an audience instead of the
participatory audiences of the past.
The author has attended numerous live music events in the last five years and has
witnessed a steady increase in the use of mobile digital devices being used to capture and record
events. The author has also experienced the loss of the “live” event first hand as crowds have
progressively become a sea of screens. The use of mobile digital devices during live music
events have not only been adopted, they have become a part of life (Roberts, 2013). It has
become so common that it is now rare to attend an event and not see someone desperately trying
to capture what is taking place before their very eyes. The action of recording a live music event
not only takes the audience member recording the event away from the experience, it also
distracts others in the crowd and often times the artist/performer. Beyoncé said it best during her
July 2013 performance in Atlanta. During a sing-along portion of her Mrs. Carter tour, a fan was
so busy recording her that he was unable to sing along with the rest of the crowd. His actions
caught Beyoncé’s attention and prompted her to say, “See, you can’t sing because you’re too
busy taping. I’m right in your face, baby! You gotta seize this moment. Put the damn camera
down” (Zafar, 2013, para 2). Figure 1 is a snapshot from the video, which was captured by
another audience member, featured on Buzz Feed and available on YouTube.
DIGITAL IMPACT 4
Figure 1. Beyoncé – Mrs. Carter Show – ATL “Put that damn camera down” (Zafar, 2013).
Music industry professionals as well as marketing, branding and public relations
professionals now operate in a completely different environment than they did a decade ago. The
adoption and use of mobile digital technology and social media among concertgoers has taken
control away from marketing, branding and public relations professionals and their ability to
manage an artist, their brand, and reputation. The loss of control and shift may, in part, be
attributed to the fact that social media has created a sense of openness and transparency (Young,
2010). Images and video can be uploaded and shared on social media platforms through mobile
digital devices in real time. Images and video posted on the Internet of live events often consist
of unique moments in a performance, which can range from a special guest appearance to a
performance blunder. In the instance of Beyoncé, she was recorded scolding a fan for
interrupting the live show. Images and videos captured during live events can have a detrimental
impact on an artist’s image, reputation, and brand.
The evolution of mobile digital technology has impacted the music industry as more
people chose to view and share live events through the Internet and their mobile devices. Due to
this phenomenon the author decided to analyze the impact mobile digital technology has had on
DIGITAL IMPACT 5
marketing, branding and public relations professionals and offer recommendations for them to
stay connected to their various audiences through the use of mobile digital technology.
The following thesis will explore the impact of mobile digital technology and its
influence on live music events, more over the influence it has had on the marketing, branding
and public relations professional. The author will examine market trends in this constantly
evolving digital landscape and provide recommendations for live music events in order for
marketing, branding and public relations professionals to gain and maintain the attention of the
digital consumer.
DIGITAL IMPACT 6
Research Methodology
In order to gain a better understanding of the impact mobile digital technology and social
media have had on live music events and the influence on marketing, branding and public
relations professionals the author conducted various types of research. Qualitative research
consisted of in-depth interviews with marketing, branding and public relations professionals, all
with years of experience in the entertainment industry. Qualitative data herein is the result of
interviews with Tracy Kobzeff- Senior Manager of Digital Media at Anschutz Entertainment
Group (AEG), Stefan Pollack-President of The Pollack PR Marketing Group and author of
Disrupted, and a Los Angeles based entertainment publicist with over 15 years experience,
whom chose to remain anonymous. Interview questions were geared towards the individual’s
area of expertise to gather insights on the impact mobile digital technology has had on their
profession over the years.
With the aim of analyzing the rate that concertgoers capture and record a live music
event, the author conducted observational research by attending a live music event. Following
the live music event the author conducted a content analysis of social media sites to measure the
quantity of images and videos posted on sites such as YouTube, Instagram and Vine.
Recording and sharing videos of live music events has become so prominent that finding
tour related video of top selling artist can be easily found on YouTube. In order to examine the
level at which this is occurring the author conducted a content analysis of fan-produced videos
posted on YouTube of three of the top selling tours, of the year, as ranked by Billboard.
The overall goal of the research conducted was to grasp the changes in mobile digital
technology and the impact it has had on live music events and marketing, branding and public
relations professionals. Moreover, this research will be used to recommend strategies and tactics
DIGITAL IMPACT 7
for the use of mobile digital technology as an approach to marketing, branding, public relations,
and live entertainment events.
DIGITAL IMPACT 8
Mobile Digital Technology and Social Media
Before learning more about the impact of mobile digital technology and social media on
live entertainment events, it is important to first explore what these terms mean. According to the
Merriam-Webster dictionary, “digital technology” pertains to or noting a cell phone, usually one
with computing ability, or a portable, wireless computing device used while held in the hand, as
in mobile tablet; mobile PDA; mobile app” (“Mobile,” n.d. para 2).
A Digital Native and Digital Immigrant are terms coined by Marc Prensky and often used
in reference to digital technology. Digital Native, “A person who has been familiar with
computers, the Internet, and other digital technology from a young age” (Digital Native,” n.d.
para 1). Digital Immigrant, “A person who has become familiar with computers, the Internet, and
other digital technology as a young adult or later in life” (Digital Immigrant,” n.d. para 1).
A smartphone, “Combines a cell phone with a hand-held computer, typically offering
Internet access, data storage, email capabilities, etc” (“Smartphone,” n.d. para 1).
According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the term social media refers to, “Forms of
electronic communication (as Web sites for social networking and microblogging) through
which users create online communities to share information, ideas, personal messages, and other
content (as videos)” (“Social Media,” n.d. para 1).
A hashtag, “(On social networking websites) a word or phrase preceded by a hash mark
(#), used within a message to identify a keyword or topic of interest and facilitate a search for it:”
(“Hashtag,” n.d. para 1).
The above-mentioned terms will be used throughout and are the current definitions used
by credible sources.
DIGITAL IMPACT 9
Special Considerations
The digital environment is constantly changing making it difficult for consumers to keep
up. By the time this thesis is complete there are bound to be various new software updates, new
smartphones and tablet models along with hundreds if not thousands of new mobile applications.
Not to mention the launch of the latest Apple iPhone, which is slated to offer faster software and
better capabilities than its predecessors and competition.
Data presented comes from various third-party sources, many of which provided different
data on the same subject matter, which indicates that the mobile digital market is a difficult one
to measure due to its constant growth. Despite the fact that several sources publish yearly
market reports on mobile digital technology, the data from one year to the next varies greatly.
With that said consideration must be taken with data regarding mobile digital consumption and
the use of social media.
Additionally, the social media sites discussed were chosen due to their high visual
content and sharing capabilities. Analyses of social media sites were based solely on the
discoverability of images and or videos from users that did not have privacy settings on their
accounts.
DIGITAL IMPACT 10
Chapter One: Live Music Events and Mobile Digital Technology
Live music events have evolved dramatically over the decades, from music being played
in homes by royals and aristocrats, to today’s weekend festivals and world tours. The 20
th
century has seen a rise in concert-producing organizations. The three largest contributors to the
industry are Live Nation Entertainment (NASDAQ: LYV), a ticket seller and promoter of live
events, which had revenues of $5.82 billion as of December 2012 (Hoovers, 2013a). Anschutz
Entertainment Group (AEG) a concert and event promoter with revenues in excess of $300
million in 2012 (Ozanian, 2012). House of Blues Entertainment, Inc., a subsidiary of Live Nation
Entertainment that owns and operates dozens of House of Blues clubs across the United States,
that offer food, drink and live music with revenues totally $116 million in December of 2012
(Hoovers, 2013b).
Concert producing and promoting organizations such as Live Nation, AEG and House of
Blues have provided the financial prowess to create concerts with more elaborate staging,
pyrotechnics, large-screen video, and immensely amplified sound (Randall, 2003). They offer
event goers an experience that brings music to life.
According to reports by the Recording Industry of America, music sales in the United
States have dropped from $11.8 billion in 2003 to $7.1 billion in 2012 (Covert, 2013). Figure 2
shows the decrease in music sales in terms of dollars from 1975-2010, which shows the decline
and near disappearance of vinyl records, cassette tapes and dwindling numbers in the sale of
compact discs, all while digital downloads increase year in and year out.
DIGITAL IMPACT 11
Figure 2. Drop in Music Sales Since 2003 (CNN Money, “How iTunes crushed music sales”,
2013).
Despite continued declines in music sales many weekend festivals and world tours have
generated millions of dollars and had to add show dates in order to meet demand. For instance,
Coachella -an annual three-day music festival in Indio, California- added a second weekend to its
2012 lineup due to the increasing popularity and demand (Perpetua, 2011). The increasing appeal
to attend the three day festival could be in large part due to its diverse line up of artists as well as
the fact that it has become a music lovers mecca and an overall live music experience. The
festivals attendance reached an all time high in 2012 when an estimated 80,000-85,000 people
attended each day of the three-day festival (“Coachella Breaks Attendance Record,” 2012).
DIGITAL IMPACT 12
Figure 3. Coachella Per-Day Attendance 1999-2012 (Firecloud, 2013).
The increased attendance of the live music events has been driven by dramatic growth.
From 1999 to 2009, concert ticket sales in the U.S. tripled from $1.5 billion to $4.6 billion,
vastly exceeding the growth of inflation and population growth. Mobile digital technology has
become a considerable growth factor of live music event sales. Tracy Kobzeff, Senior Digital
Marketing Manager of AEG said,
“In the past year alone the ease of event discovery online has increased. In the
recent past discovering live events in your area was limited to seeking this
information out by visiting blogs, signing up for email newsletters etc., whereas
now this information is pushed to us through apps like Bandsintown and
Songkick,” (T. Kobzeff, personal communication, July 23, 2013).
The fact that people consume most of their information digitally and are often
overwhelmed by everything pushed to them means that those in the digital marketing space need
to make sure that their recommendations are relevant (T. Kobzeff, personal communication, July
23, 2013). The Internet and mobile digital technology have given consumers the ability to search
and find events instantly and that are inline with their personal interest. The relationship between
DIGITAL IMPACT 13
live events, concert sales and consumers will only further develop overtime as they have become
dependent on one another. As a result of this growth and dependability, marketing professionals
must find ways to connect with customers through these channels (T. Kobzeff, personal
communication, July 23, 2013).
Mixed Reviews
The use of mobile digital devices during live music events can be seen as a boon or a
vice, depending on who you ask. A concertgoer’s ability to create, capture or record a live music
event is relatively easy, as they no longer have to smuggle in bulky equipment. The advent of the
smartphone era is that now anyone with a smart device can be a bootlegger (Sawers, 2013).
Though the action of digitally recording a live event has become an issue for some, T.
Kobzeff of AEG says, “Its definitely a positive as digital engagements deepens the fan’s
relationship with the artist, the venue and/or the brand” (T. Kobzeff, personal communication,
July 23, 2013). Recording a live event allows fans to share the experience with their friends and
network as well as commemorate it afterward. Bands and performers are looking to regain the
full attention of their audience, while promoters, music industry professionals and others with a
vested interest in live music events are eager to profit from the desire to ‘relive’ an event once it
comes to a close (Sawers, 2013). The act of capturing an event through ‘smart’ devices has not
only become the norm, it has become a part of life. Concertgoers and performers can no longer
avoid the sea of screens that live music events have become as capturing life’s moments through
a mobile digital device is as easy as reaching in ones pocket or purse.
While opinions vary on whether the use of mobile digital technology has made a positive
or negative impact on the music industry, the steep declines prove that the Internet alone has had
a detrimental impact on the industry as a whole. The fact that mobile digital devices give
DIGITAL IMPACT 14
concertgoers the ability to capture and share live events instantly is likely to have a continued
impact on live music events. It is certain that mobile digital technology will continue to impact
the way live events are experienced and how professionals deal with the changes it has brought
to the way people experience live music events and their role as professionals. However, its
exact impact cannot yet be measured as the rate of attendance at live shows has increased over
the years. Only time will uncover the exact impact that mobile digital technology has had on the
rate of attendance of live events.
DIGITAL IMPACT 15
Chapter Two: Trends in Mobile Digital Technology
When mobile phones first hit the consumer market, features were minimal and it was rare
to encounter a commercial on television as the market was small and ownership was
predominately among business executives. Today, however, it is rare to encounter an individual
that does not own some form of mobile phone ‘smart’ or ‘dumb’. It is also uncommon to watch
an hour of television without seeing at least one mobile phone commercial. Mobile phones are
now a large part of the consumer market and generate billions of dollars in sales each year.
According to EMarketer’s report on “Smartphone Sales Worldwide” published on November 14,
2013 smartphones sold $250.2 million in 2013. Figure 4 shows the steady increase in units sold
over the years with substantial increases each quarter. In fact, sales have more than doubled from
Q1 2011 to Q1 2013.
Figure 4. E-marketer Smartphone Sales Worldwide, Q1 2011-Q3 2013 (“Smartphone Sales”,
2013).
Approximately 1.2 billion people use the Internet on their mobile phones (mobiThinking,
2013b), allowing them to access information instantly along with the ability to stay connected,
regardless of location. Smartphones have become multimedia devices, a one-stop shop for
DIGITAL IMPACT 16
accessing the Internet, capturing, editing, storing and sharing content. Smartphone cameras are
so advanced that they have auto focus, high pixel power and editing capabilities. This has led
consumers to demand more from their mobile devices and their desire to have optimum features
and advanced functionality. Mobile phones are no longer used solely for phone calls. According
to Duggan (2013), 91 percent of American adults own a cell phone and many use their device for
more than phone calls, and in many cases cellphones have become their primary point of Internet
access.
The rapid adoption and penetration of smartphones can be seen among people of all age
groups in Figure 5. Members of Generation Y, ages 18-24 and 25-34, own smartphones at
substantially higher rates than previous generations. Figure 5 shows high rates of smartphone
ownership across various age segments as well as income levels.
Figure 5. Smartphone Penetration By Age and Income in the U.S. (Blodget, 2013).
Smartphone ownership growth can be seen through various demographic segments as
seen in Figure 6. The smartphone industry continues to rise above expectations due in most part
to free, open source platforms and decreased manufacturing cost, making smartphones more
DIGITAL IMPACT 17
attainable (Ciol Bureau, 2013). The increasing rate of smartphone ownership could be attributed
to the fact that many households now rely on their mobile phones as their main phone line.
According to survey data released by the US National Health Information Survey (NHIS) in June
of 2013, findings showed that more and more people are forgoing landlines and living in
wireless-only households (Blumber & Luke, 2013). Data also showed that the rate of children
living in homes with only wireless telephone service surpassed that of adults.
Figure 6. Smartphone Ownership by Demographic Group (Smith, 2013).
The survey by the NHIS further supports the fact that people are relying more and more
on their wireless devices for more than just phone calls. Nielsen and SXSW (2013) recently
ranked smartphone features among smartphone users. Figure 7 shows that texting, email and
messaging was the top rated feature followed by talking. Taking photos and videos with the
built-in camera in smartphones ranked fourth among consumers while posting and reading
updates on social applications ranked sixth. Smartphone owners are using their smartphones for a
multitude of tasks most of which require the Internet.
DIGITAL IMPACT 18
Figure 7. Nielsen: The Buyer and The Beats, Ranking of Smartphone Features (Nielsen &
SXSW, 2013).
Product comparisons in the mobile phone industry are constant as manufacturers, carriers
and service providers are fighting to gain customers. Consumer reports released each year are
supposed to help in the decision making process by comparing features such as size, build,
weight, display, processor, ram, storage, cameras and battery. However, despite yearly consumer
reports it is nearly impossible for people to keep up with the latest phone launch. In fact, the
launch cycle of new phones is often times faster than a consumer’s ability to ‘upgrade’ their
phone plan with their service provider.
The fight for consumer dollars in the domestic smartphone market has made
manufacturers and service providers extremely competitive. The competition is so fierce that
commercials not only highlight unique features, they blatantly go after their competitors. For
instance, when the new Galaxy S4 launched, in the US, Samsung aired a commercial that went
directly after its competition, Apple’s iPhone. At one point during the commercial an actor says,
“Some smartphones are smarter than other smartphones” (“Samsung Galaxy S4 Commercial,”
2013), all while the person he was speaking to was holding an Apple iPhone.
DIGITAL IMPACT 19
The author recently saw a commercial for AT&T’s Nokia Lumia 1020. The commercial
showcased the smartphone’s brilliant zoom and 41-megapixel camera by showing its ability to
capture a clear image under less than normal circumstances. The commercial highlighted the fast
editing and sharing capabilities while recording a live concert. The commercial was a
proliferation of the problem being faced by live entertainment events and entertainment
professionals with the use of mobile digital devices- a concert goers need to capture and share
the live event in real time.
Mobile access shaped consumers into content creators, producers and distributors. The
technological advances available through their mobile digital devices has facilitated their desire
to capture moments as cameras are providing clearer images and better capabilities than ever
before. Mobile digital devices, such as smartphones are continually offering updates and
upgrades through new models. Mobile digital technology is continually advancing and
consumers are adopting it quickly. Smart device ownership and habits can no longer be ignored
as they have a massive effect on the digital world, as well as marketing, branding and public
relations professionals. Therefore, ignoring consumer habits would be detrimental to an industry
that has been so greatly impacted by the Internet as would be ignoring an ever-growing audience
with immense purchasing power.
DIGITAL IMPACT 20
Chapter Three: Digital Ecology and Live Music Events
Today’s online environment is vastly different than that of a decade ago. An immense
change as the result and development of Web 2.0 - a second generation in the World Wide Web
conceived as a combination of concepts, trends and technologies that focus on user collaboration,
sharing of user-generated content and social networking (“Web 2.0,” n.d., para 1). Web 2.0
allows for a more interactive interface with easy personalization and collaboration that is
distinctly different from Web 1.0 (Rouse, 2011). The use of mobile digital devices has become
so prevalent among individuals that they are now used to store and archive data digitally, which
includes images, video, e-mail and information of interest (Pollack, 2013). Mobile digital
technology has become a staple in many peoples lives, especially since they can access the
Internet through their mobile digital devices. Therefore, this makes mobile digital devices a pillar
of information for consumers as well as a new channel of communication for individuals,
businesses and brands.
Music events now more than ever are being pushed through digital channels, according
to T. Kobzeff of AEG. Live event recommendations are now being pushed to us more and more
through social media, email and mobile channels (T. Kobzeff, personal communication, July 23,
2013). The author can attest to this as she receives approximately fifteen emails every week with
recommendations of live music events occurring in the local area. Advances have made the
Internet extremely interactive, making it increasingly easier to find information as well as share
content with others through social media sites, such as Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
Mobile phones have evolved into multimedia devices facilitating an individual’s ability
to capture and share an event in real time. Ten to 15 years ago professionals looking to pirate live
events were not able to do so at a decent enough quality that would warrant their efforts. With
DIGITAL IMPACT 21
the advances in mobile digital technology, those looking to duplicate live events can do so
through high quality cameras that offer 1080P, zoom, sound and quality that is similar to that of
professional cameras. The act of recording and capturing a live music event has become a
common occurrence that can no longer be avoided. “Though a common gripe among
concertgoers, it is currently something that is difficult to control, as concertgoers are eager to
share events with friends, family and networks” (T. Kobzeff, personal communication, July 23,
2013).
There is very little in our everyday lives that cannot be managed by our mobile devices
(Pollack, 2013). An app is typically a small application, a specialized program downloaded onto
mobile devices such as laptops, smartphones and tablets (“App,” n.d.). In 2008, Apple launched
the App Store with 500 third-party apps. Half a decade later, consumers have downloaded more
than 900,000 apps (Newton, 2013). Apps are available to digital consumers in a wide range of
categories, all of which provide consumers with shortcuts to stay connected to their various
interests, hobbies, and needs like games, sports, health, education and social platforms. Free and
paid apps are available through iOS, Android and Microsoft systems, analysts estimate that app
revenues could reach between $20-25 billion respectively with 65 percent expected for
smartphones and 35 percent for tablets in 2013 and rates expected to triple by 2017
(mobiThinking, 2013a).
According to Nielsen research, the proliferation of mobile devices, coupled with the ease-
of-use of the in-app environment, has contributed to significant growth in video viewing on both
smartphones and tablets in recent years, which is possible through video viewing sites such as
YouTube and iTunes (“ABC Kick Off”, 2013). While apps are most commonly used on
smartphones, tablets are steadily gaining ground. The use of apps through mobile digital devices
DIGITAL IMPACT 22
and innovative mobile has and will continue to be the most important and impactful trend in the
Internet sector (Maheshwari, 2013).
Social Network Era
The new generation of the World Wide Web introduced to users through Web 2.0
allowed for the rise of social media through sites such as Myspace in 2003, Facebook in 2004
and YouTube in 2005. A few years later, sites such as Twitter, Vine, and Instagram launched
contributing to the astronomical growth of social media networks.
“Social media has grown exponentially with one out of every seven people
in the world has a Facebook page. Nearly four in five active Internet users
visit social networks and blogs. Accordingly, marketers are flocking to the
medium. Whereas their customers are adopting the medium with purpose,
marketers approach social media with caution” (“The Paid Social Media,”
2013, para. 1).
Social media has facilitated the ability of consumers to become digital storytellers
(Brenner, 2013). Thus, photos and video have become the new social currency while mobile
digital technology has become the conduit and increased their value. With sites such as Facebook
and Instagram paving the way for visual content, consumers are now active players in the digital
ecosystem as they can create web content and are the driving force behind the growth and
consumption of information on digital devices (“The Fast and The Curious,” 2013). A 2012
survey by Pew Research Center found that 67 percent of online adults use social networking
sites, 46 percent of users post original photos and videos online, while 41 percent curate photos
and videos and post on image-sharing sites
(Brenner, 2013). Figure 8 demonstrates that nearly
half of Facebook’s 901 million users use their site through their mobile devices.
DIGITAL IMPACT 23
Figure 8. Infographic: Facebook Mobile Penetration as of May 2012 (Cohen, 2012).
Facebook has prevailed as the social media site with the highest penetration among
mobile users. Advances in operating systems on mobile digital devices such as iOS and Android,
along with their inclusion of social media to their operating systems, has made accessing social
sites through mobile digital devices easy. Mergers and acquisitions amongst giants such as
Google, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Vine have also facilitated a users ability to
update and share content with larger audiences. The ease of sharing among platforms allows for
posts on multiple sites at once.
Mobile digital devices and interconnected sites and apps have facilitated the
concertgoer’s ability to capture a live music event, share it in real time, as well as relive it after
the fact. If by chance a moment is missed there is no need to worry, as a simple Internet or social
media search will provide images and video of the moments missed during the event. In many
cases others that were in attendance posted video and audio content.
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Social platforms have not only become a go to for information, they have become the
main platform for consumers to share content. The Internet and social platforms have changed
the digital environment, their presence in the digital space is prominent and their rate of use
among consumers is astonishing. Table 1 shows the increase in monthly active users among
some of the most popular social media sites over the past three years.
Monthly Active Users of Social Media Sites Across a Three Year Period
2011 2012 2013
Facebook 680 Million 955 Million 1.5 Billion
Instagram 1 Million 10 Million 100 Million
Twitter 58 Million 127 Million 210 Million
Vine N/A 13 Million 27 Million
YouTube 490 Million 800 Million 1 Billion
Table 1. Monthly Active Users on Social Media Sites over a Three-Year Period (Bullas, 2013ab;
Elliot, 2011; Facebook, 2013; Nirogram, 2013).
The figure shows sites growing in the tens of millions per year with sites such as Vine
nearly doubling in the span of a year. From Table 1, one can conclude that social media users
often use multiple sites to view, share, and post content.
Social platforms have become a channel
of communication for consumers and their networks. Ignoring their use and power would be
detrimental to not only entertainment professionals, but to live entertainment events. Social
platforms should be utilized to reach key audiences and optimize the delivery of key messages
amongst various demographic groups. If the music industry wants to recover from the damage
that was created by the development of the Internet it also needs to pay attention to the world of
apps. Consumers are digitally adept and constantly looking for new platforms of information.
Social sites and apps for the music industry and live events would serve as a conduit to further
engage music consumers and audiences- allowing bands, artists, and concert promoters to engage
with consumers and fans prior, during and, after an event.
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Chapter Four: A Sea of Screens
The days of seeing lighters held in the sky has become a tale of the past as they are long
gone and have been replaced my mobile digital screens. It is now common to attend a live event
and see people in the crowd capturing the live music event on their mobile digital device. In
order to gain a perspective of how often and at what rate fans capture a live event, the author
attended and observed fans at a live concert. The concert attended was at The Wiltern in Los
Angeles, California on August 9, 2013. The general admission floor capacity, where
observations were made, has a maximum capacity of 1,000 people, while the entire venue has a
maximum capacity of 2,300 (“The Wiltern,” 2013). The opening acts were Caycus and The
Drowners, both of which the author had never heard of. The main act was Foals, a band from the
United Kingdom and have received little to no radio time in the states. The event was present by
KROQ, a modern rock radio station that broadcast the Greater Los Angeles area, which could
have accounted for the large turn out.
Before the main act came on stage the author observed that a vast majority of attendees
were on their mobile digital devices and fully engaged in them. The opening act performed to a
group of people minimally engaged in their performance as concertgoers were continuously
engaged with their mobile devices. When the main act began their performance mobile phones
were immediately up, out and capturing every moment of the opening song as seen in Figure 9.
According to the author’s observation, approximately 70 percent of the audience in the general
admission area had their mobile devices out in efforts to record and capture the performance. The
presence of mobile phones was so prominent that sections of the crowd lit up from the use of
mobile devices.
DIGITAL IMPACT 26
Figure 9. Fans at Foals concert. Photograph courtesy of author.
Throughout the show fans continued to capture and record the live performance at
varying intervals while others watched through their small digital screens. The rate of mobile
phones in the air varied from set to set, but there was not one moment during the show when
everyone had their phones down. Towards the end of the performance the lead singer, Yannis
Philippakis, stepped into the crowd to perform. The commotion amongst the crowd at this
moment prompted fans in the general admission area to grab their mobile devices in order to try
and capture a photo. While many may not have known what was going on, it did not matter and
they were ready with the mobile digital devices to capture whatever came their way, as did
@Rebecca_Lau in figure 10 whom later posted a video on her Instagram account.
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Figure 10. Lead singer walking through the crowd of concertgoers. Instagram [Video]. Screen
Shot.
After the lead singer made his way through the venue he was lifted by fans and began to
crowd surf. Fans desperately tried to capture and record the unique moment. Figure 11 shows
the unique moment as captured and shared by @tonychones on his Instagram account. The
image also shows audience members around the artist with their mobile phones in the air as they
desperately try to capture their own photo.
Figure 11: Concertgoers capturing lead singer crowd surfing. Instagram [Photo]. Screen Shot
The moment when the lead singer was crowd surfing was by far the moment when the
author observed the highest rate of fans recording. Approximately 80 percent of those in
DIGITAL IMPACT 28
attendance were recording or taking photos with the mobile devices. This moment easily
surpassed the amount of fans that recorded the opening song. While the rate at which
concertgoers captured the live event varied throughout the concert, it was consistent and
extremely noticeable throughout the entire night.
On August 11, 2013, two days after the live concert, the author conducted an analysis of
photos and videos of the event that were posted on public social media sites. The sites audited
included YouTube, Instagram and Vine through accounts that did not have privacy settings and
allowed for hashtag searches, see table’s 1 and 2.
YouTube Number of Videos uploaded Average Clicks
Videos 10 297
Table 2. Videos posted on YouTube of Foals live performance August 9, 2013 (YouTube, 2013).
Instagram #Foals #TheFoals #Wiltern #TheWiltern
Image 213 5 82 58
Video 97 1 21 14
Vine #Foals #TheFoals #Wiltern #TheWiltern
Video 11 2 0 0
Table 3: Images and Videos Found on Instagram and Vine Using Key Hashtag Searches for the
August 9, 2013 Show (Instagram & Vine, 2013).
Implications
o Hashtags for artists are utilized more than for locations
o Hashtags are often used incorrectly or users create their own
o Fans do not always post all of the content they create on social media sites
The social media audit was conducted with hashtags pertaining to the artist as well as the
venue where the concert was held. Variations of the hashtags were used in order to account for
the possible misuse of the word “the” in the band and venue name.
The overall amount of images and videos pertaining to the artist were substantial.
However, the amount of images and videos found on social media sites pertaining to the August
DIGITAL IMPACT 29
9, 2013 concert were minimal in relation to the amount of fans actively recording during the live
event. The amount of content found was surprising as the author observed a large amount of fans
actively capturing and recording the event. The author concludes that fans must have shared their
images and videos through email, messaging, or on their social media accounts that have privacy
settings, kept content for personal use or posted their content at a later date. The minimal
discovery of images and video on social platforms could have also been the result of misused or
misspelled hashtags as well as the fact that it was conducted two days after the event.
Overall, YouTube had the most views with an average of 297 clicks per upload to its site
relating to the August 9
th
performance at The Wiltern as seen in table 2. Table 3 shows that
Instagram videos and images, on the other hand, were the most shared with the use of hashtags.
Despite the fact that there were not a lot of photos and videos shared two days following the
event. A substantial amount of live video with an average of seven minutes per video relating to
the event was available for viewing through YouTube.
The rate at which fans posted and viewed content relating to the live music event varied,
but was overall low, which could be in large part due to the fact that the audit was conducted two
days after the event. Individuals continue to actively capture, record and share live events and
this is proven through the hours of content uploaded to YouTube every minute. Fans show no
signs of slowing this habit especially with the rise in mobile digital adoption among consumers.
The live concerts attended by people today have become a sea of screens. This increasing
disruptive behavior during live events is not likely to decrease or go away overnight. Mobile
digital devices have taken some of the essence away from the live music experience and created
a layer of distraction. A distraction so common that the author has become accustomed to seeing
people with their mobile devices ready to record every moment. Until artists, venues, or concert
DIGITAL IMPACT 30
promoters restrict or control the use of mobile digital technology during live events little is likely
to change. Concertgoers will continue to record and share content they have recorded from live
events because they currently have no “authority” telling them that it should not be done. The
use of mobile digital technology should be either restricted or embraced in order to provide
concertgoers with the optimum concert experience as it has been dramatically changed due to the
use of mobile digital technology.
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Chapter Five: A YouTube Experience
YouTube has become the go to site when looking to discover, watch, and share originally
created video and audio content (“About YouTube,” n.d.). YouTube statistics show that
YouTube reaches more U.S. adults ages 18-34 than any cable network (“Statistics,” n.d.).
YouTube’s typical visitor spends an average of 15 minutes a day on the site and it was named the
top online destination for video in 2012 by Nielsen (“Nielsen Top of 2012,” 2012). Over 6
billion hours of video are watched each month and upwards of 100 hours of video are uploaded
to YouTube every minute (“About YouTube,” n.d.). Figure 12 shows the increased rate of hours
of video content uploaded to YouTube per year since 2005.
Figure 12. YouTube: Hours per Minute Uploaded Over the Years (Ahmed, 2012).
YouTube has become a rapidly growing social platform and the destination site when
looking for music videos. YouTube reports that mobile digital watch time has reached 25 percent
with more that one billion views per day coming from mobile devices (“About YouTube,” n.d.).
Videos from around the world on almost any topic can be recorded, uploaded and seen from
home or anywhere in the world that viewers be.
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YouTube and Top Selling Artist
YouTube has catapulted music singles and launched careers of artists whom otherwise
might not have been discovered. For instance, artist videos that receive millions of clicks on
YouTube commonly hold top spots on Billboard charts. In the case of Justin Bieber, the site
helped launch his career, as Usher discovered him after watching his homemade videos on the
site (Adib, 2009). YouTube has become so integral to the success of artists that Billboard now
publishes a list of the Most Popular Songs on YouTube. Artist videos and live performances,
whether professionally produced or uploaded by fans, help expand an artist’s reach into new
markets and often help capture new fans.
In order to get a better perspective on the amount of tour related videos created, uploaded
and clicked on through YouTube, the author compared three top selling tours to gather insights
on the relationship between consumer created content and top selling artists. According to
Billboard’s Top 25 Tours of 2012, Madonna was the top ranked tour of the year. The total
amount of fans in attendance for her tour was well over 1.6 million people. On YouTube a full-
length recording of her tour generated nearly 200,000 clicks, while shorter videos of her tour
generated millions of clicks. The two other artists compared and included in the Top 25 Tours of
2012 as ranked by Billboard Box Scores were Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift (“Top 25 Tours,”
2012). From an initial search the author found that all three artists garnered millions of clicks on
YouTube at a substantially higher rate than the amount of fans that attended their tour.
Madonna
Madonna’s “MDNA” tour had a total of 72 sell out shows with attendance totaling 1.6
million fans and grossing over $228 million (“Top 25 Tours,” 2012). Graph 1 shows the top
DIGITAL IMPACT 33
rated fan produced videos that were uploaded and clicked on YouTube. Her highest rated video
garnered 2,163,377 clicks.
Graph 1. Madonna’s Tour Related Videos on YouTube in Clicks Per Million (YouTube, 2013).
Lady Gaga
Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way Ball” tour grossed almost $125 million with 65 sell out
shows and nearly 1.1 million fans in attendance (“Top 25 Tours,” 2012). Graph 2 shows Lady
Gaga’s top rated fan produced videos, which were later uploaded onto YouTube. Her highest
rated video garnered 3,790,380 clicks.
DIGITAL IMPACT 34
Graph 2. Lady Gaga’s Tour Related Videos on YouTube in Clicks Per Million (YouTube, 2013).
Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift’s “RED” tour had 21 sell out shows, grossed $26.3 million with a total
attendance of 285,715 (“Top 25 Tours,” 2012). Graph 3 shows Taylor Swift’s top rated fan
produced videos, as found on YouTube. Her highest rated video on YouTube, a duo with fellow
singer Cher Lloyd, garnered 1.7 million clicks. The remaining top rated, fan produced and tour
related videos received hundreds of thousands of clicks.
DIGITAL IMPACT 35
Graph 3. Taylor Swift Tour Related Videos on YouTube and Clicks Per Million (YouTube,
2013).
The number of video clicks compared to the number of fans in attendance for all three
artists Madonna, Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift can be seen in Graph 4. It shows that live
attendance was minimal compared to those that clicked tour related content online.
Graph 4. Clicks of Top Rated Tour Related Videos and Live Attendance Numbers for Madonna,
Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift Tours (YouTube, 2013).
DIGITAL IMPACT 36
Implications
o An artists rating on Billboard’s Top Rated Tour List is not reflective of their overall
popularity on YouTube
o Video titles have an impact on the amount of clicks received
In spite of the millions of dollars generated by Madonna, Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift
and the millions of people in attendance; there were millions upon millions that were able to
watch the tour and tour related content through fan-produced videos uploaded to YouTube. A
click factor was calculated, for each artist, in order to compare the number of fans in attendance
with those clicking to watch through YouTube. The click factor was derived from the total clicks
of the top twenty tour related videos divided by the number of fans that attended the tours.
Videos relating to the tour of both Madonna and Lady Gaga had click factors of nine. In
the case of Madonna and Lady Gaga there were nine fans at home that clicked to watch tour
related videos for every one fan in attendance. Madonna, a global icon, and the top rated tour of
2012 had the same click factor as Lady Gaga. Despite having over 31 million followers on
Twitter and a cult following of “Little Monster’s” (Honigman, 2012), Lady Gaga did not have
the highest click factor of the three artists. Analyses show that the artist with the lowest
attendance, Taylor Swift, had the highest rate of fans clicking to view her tour through fan-
produced videos on YouTube. Taylor Swift had a click factor of twenty-eight, despite being
ranked 24
th
on the Top 25 Tours of 2012 by Billboard. While the videos were fan-produced and
lacked quality, Taylor Swift’s click factor proves that there is immense interest in her live tour
performances and while her following on Facebook and Twitter do not compare to that of Lady
Gaga she garnered the highest interest on YouTube. Her high click factor could be the result of
her fan demographic and the fact that many of her fans fall into the Millennial or iGen
DIGITAL IMPACT 37
generations, which consists of Digital Natives that are extremely interested in finding content on
subjects of interest online.
The rising amount of video hours uploaded to YouTube throughout the years proves that
music fans are seeking to watch live content at an increasing rate. Fans are particularly interested
in watching live performances and unique moments that have occurred at a live event. This can
be seen through the video titles in Graph 1, 2 and 3.
Consumers search and click through videos on YouTube at such a high rate that YouTube
has now placed advertisements on its highest rated and most watched videos as a means to
generate profits. While fan produced videos do not directly generate money for artists, they do
offer a platform for people to watch, listen and discover artists and view performances. The
videos uploaded, which are recorded through mobile digital devices are of high enough quality
that they bring real value to those watching online (Sawers, 2013).
While artist, venues and concert promoters might not currently embrace the fact that
footage from their live event is posted online, the fact that Billboard publishes a list of the most
popular songs on YouTube shows that there is a correlation between YouTube and popular
artists. The music industry needs to be cognizant that though the use of mobile digital technology
can be viewed as a threat, it has also become a channel by which to reach a new audience where
YouTube is the conduit. Viewers at home have the opportunity to discover new artists and
watch performances that they otherwise might not have seen. The high click factors prove that
YouTube has the potential to expose artists through videos produced by fans. Video and audio
posted on social media sites can be shared an endless amount of times among viewers through e-
mail, messaging and social networks. The ease of discovery through the Internet with social
media sites could potentially encourage viewers to purchase songs, albums or tickets to live
DIGITAL IMPACT 38
show and tours that they otherwise would have not seen or even considered purchasing.
Therefore, the Internet and social media sites gives artist, venues, and concert promoters access
and reach to a new audience and potential fans.
DIGITAL IMPACT 39
Chapter Six: A Changing Landscape for Live Entertainment Events
Live music events are no longer what they were less than a decade ago. They have
become more intricate in terms of staging and lighting and attract anywhere from tens of
thousands to hundreds of thousands of attendees. Those in attendance are often capturing and
recording the live event through their mobile digital device. The changes in mobile digital
technology have not gone unnoticed. In fact, some artists have taken a proactive and innovative
approach to the growing consumption of digital media by consumers with a, ‘if you can’t beat
them, join them,’ type of strategy. In March the author attended a concert at the Los Angeles
Historic Park. The concert was a series of farewell concerts “One Last Tour” by the disc jockey
trio Swedish House Mafia. At the concert a first-of-its-kind interactive live show application that
connected fans to the performance was announced (“Swedish House Mafia,” 2013). The
interactive application allowed fans to use their mobile digital devices as a means to connect and
become a part of the live show. Before the announcement of the application the author witnessed
thousands of audience members capturing the show on their mobile digital devices. At one point
the author witnessed a fan conducting a live Skype call through a tablet during one of the sets.
Throughout the show and amongst tens of thousands of fans in attendance the digital
capturing continued. The author thought the application was a great way to connect fans with the
performers and an opportunity for audience members to become a part of the performance.
Despite the bad weather and poor connection fans desperately tried to download the app in order
to be a part of the show.
While there has not been a large amount of apps being utilized during live shows there
are still efforts to do so. Vevo for instance, which launched in December of 2009 identifies itself
as the all-premium music video and entertainment platform (“Company Profile,” n.d.). The
DIGITAL IMPACT 40
application has partnerships with competing record companies such as Sony Music
Entertainment and Universal Music Group, as well as Google’s YouTube (Shields, 2010). The
app’s most notable features include free high-quality videos, exclusive live performances, and
social media connectivity. Its partnership with YouTube has increased its visibility as Vevo
videos are optimized within YouTube, making them the top featured videos on the site. Its
partnership with record labels offers record companies an opportunity to gain revenue.
Another app offering to provide live event footage is Lively, which allows fans to
purchase the performance that was attended immediately after the event (“Lively Captures,”
2013). The app is free and promises to deliver high quality video and audio of the concert
immediately following the event. However, the app only includes footage of artists and venues
that have agreed to partner with them. While it does not include small show venues or lesser-
known artists, the Lively app could potentially eliminate the amount of audience members
desperately trying to capture and record live music events. Having launched in May of 2013,
Lively is still very new but has the potential to grow and become a go to app for fans, musicians
and industry professionals looking to gain the attention of their audience as well as gain revenue
for the music industry.
Nielsen, in collaboration with South by Southwest, report that 40 percent of music
consumers that are “fans” account for 75 percent of all music spending (“The Buyer and The
Beats,” 2013). Utilizing apps can be a means for musicians and music industry professionals to
regain control of their audiences and increase revenues. Though not yet highly adopted by
consumers, the use of apps offers fans an opportunity to be a part of the show as well as put their
mobile digital devices away.
DIGITAL IMPACT 41
Living the Live Event
Live events are no longer the experience they were ten years ago; as technology changes
so does the way people experience live events. A Los Angeles based public relations
professional said, “One thing that you can’t steal is the experience of the live show. Nothing else
replicates it. You have to be there and feel that energy. If you are watching it through your phone
it takes away from it” (Los Angeles based public relations professional, personal communication,
September 12, 2013). Live events have taken on a more artificial feel, the live show is the only
thing left that should not be artificial, yet it is increasingly becoming more artificial (Los Angeles
based public relations professional, personal communication, September 12, 2013).
Fans are continually attending events and recording performances, which creates a
distraction for fans as well as artist. Artists that are looking to decrease the amount of fans with
their phones out have had to take matters into their own hands. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs recently
posted a sign as seen in Figure 13 on the door of Webster Hall in New York in April of 2013
(“Yeah Yeah Yeahs,” 2013). The sign was delivered as a personal message from the band to all
of those in attendance in order to remind them to enjoy the show.
Figure 13. Yeah Yeah Yeahs ‘No Cameras’ Sign (“Yeah Yeah Yeahs,” 2013).
DIGITAL IMPACT 42
Lead singer Karen O, also had to remind the crowd to, “Put those mother fuckers away.”
The majority of fans complied with the wishes of the band with the exception of a few violators
(Yeah Yeah Yeahs, 2013). This is just a mere glimpse of what artists are facing in a world of
mobile digital technology. Live music events have been so impacted by mobile digital
technology that artists find it necessary to remind fans to be respectful to them as well as fellow
concertgoers. In the end artists perform for their fans and if their fans are not active participants
during their show then the live event loses some of its essence. After all, people go to shows to
‘feel’ the music and the excitement that is emitted from the stage because a live performance
brings music to life.
The fact that the Yeah Yeah Yeahs found it necessary to post a sign and remind fans
during their performance to put their phones away proves that the use of mobile digital devices
during live shows is a continuous problem. While some fans value the live events they attend by
not recording through their mobile digital devices there are still numerous fans capturing and
recording every moment.
As software developers create new apps with the music industry in efforts generate
profits and perhaps diminish the ongoing issue, the future is still unknown. If changes do not
occur in the way mobile digital technology is utilized during live events the live concert
experience is likely to become a mobile experience. A loss in the essence of the live music event
could then lead to a decrease in attendance of live events and possibly lead to the end of live
music entertainment and further financial losses for the music industry. An industry that has
been left in peril since the use of the Internet.
DIGITAL IMPACT 43
Chapter Seven: Impact of Digital Media on Marketing, Branding and Public Relations
The consumption of digital content through mobile digital devices has impacted the role
of marketing, branding, and public relations professionals. There are so many industries
competing for the entertainment dollar that artists have to be something special in order to
generate profits (Los Angeles based public relations professional, personal communication
September 12, 2013). Therefore, music industry professionals must work hard in order to earn
consumer dollars. Live music events have become increasingly important as performers and
music industry professionals are now relying on live events and tours to sustain the loss of profits
from album and CD sales (Los Angeles based public relations professional, personal
communication September 12, 2013).
Increasing rates of smartphone and mobile technology among consumers has caused
professionals in the music industry to utilize mobile digital technology as a means to reach
consumers and increase sales, promote and grow their business. Before the increased use of
smartphones, tablets, and social platforms, entertainment professionals in charge of branding,
marketing, and public relations operated in a very different environment. When the author asked
marketing, branding, and public relations professionals, “What is the most notable change you
have experienced professionally over the years?” Tracy Kobzeff, Stefan Pollack and a Los
Angeles based music publicist responded the following:
“One trend I’ve seen grow in the past year alone is the ease of event
discovery online. In the recent past discovering live events in your area
was limited to seeking this information out by visiting blogs, signing up
for email newsletters, etc., whereas now this information is pushed to us
through apps like Bandsintown and Songkick. Spotify has even integrated
live event recommendations into their Discovery feature” (T. Kobzeff,
personal communication, July 23, 2013).
“Despite the changes the goals and objectives have remained the same.
What does change, however, are the tools necessary to accomplish
DIGITAL IMPACT 44
communication goals and the strategy in which to do so. In the “old
world” we were focused on getting third party endorsements for our
clients from established and credible traditional media, now we are
focused on getting buy-in from those individuals or groups that include
our target audience. Whether or not they are traditional media” (S.
Pollack, personal communication, August 29, 2013).
“I can tell you that as a publicist one thing that has quickly changed is, if I
have a band or an artist putting out a new album you usually start
promoting 3-5 months in advance. In the old days advanced copies would
be sent out weeks in advance to editors or freelance writers. However,
with online piracy a lot of managers are afraid of sending out an advanced
copy of an album, as they are afraid it is going to leak online and affect
album sales” (Los Angeles based public relations professional, personal
communication, September 12, 2013).
Their responses were illuminating to the fact that marketing, branding, and public
relations professionals have seen considerable changes in their roles over the years. The
manner in which they perform their roles has changed dramatically. In most part, due to
the use of the Internet and the adoption of mobile digital technology, professionals now
communicate with a bit of caution as information released can travel quickly in digital
space and potentially put them or their client(s) in a vulnerable position.
Live music events have seen a massive transformation as fans attend live events and
capture and record the experience, good or bad, in order to share it on the Internet through their
social networks. This new behavior has lead to a shift in power moving from the marketing,
branding, and public relations professional to the consumer. The content fans create and share
has influenced entertainment professionals as it has made their ability to manage branding and
reputation far more complex than it was less than a decade ago. They must now take special
interest in the Internet, mobile platforms and social sites in order to manage their client(s).
Every move an individual makes can easily be captured, recorded and spread through the
Internet faster than people can react. The Internet along with mobile digital technology has made
DIGITAL IMPACT 45
it nearly impossible for marketing, branding, and public relations professionals to manage
information. Marketing, branding, and public relations professionals have evolved into shepherds
of information working diligently to watch, guide, and protect their client’s image, messaging
and branding.
In decades past marketing, branding and public relations professionals held the power, as
they were the gatekeepers and purveyors of information for their clients. In years before the use
of mobile digital devices, crisis prevention and preparation had clear warning signs, which
allowed for more time to prepare. Today, a crisis can hit and make national news in a matter of
hours. A single misstep can quickly be shared through consumer-generated media. The
popularity and increased use of the Internet and social platforms have created yet another
obstacle for crisis managers as their use makes it easier for crisis to spread quickly. The Internet
fuels crises by making them immediate and giving them longevity, as they can live well beyond
the crisis life cycle, as information can live for years in the digital landscape.
Crisis Management
Crisis management has become a more prevalent aspect in this digital ecosystem. The
fact that images and video can be captured and shared in real time makes the role of the
marketing, branding, and public relations professional extremely complicated. Unapproved
content can be uploaded to the Internet and spread through social media and make its way to
national news in a matter of hours or even minutes.
On June 17, 2013 in Birmingham, England, Rihanna was caught off guard when a fan
refused to let go of her arm after she made her way off the stage in order to sing to the audience.
When the fan would not let go, Rihanna hit the fan in the head with her microphone, despite
having security with her to assist (Monde, 2013).
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Figure 14. Rihanna Hits a Fan with Microphone at Concert (Monde, 2013).
Images of the incident as seen in Figure 14 were found in daily news posts and a 23
second video was posted on YouTube three days after the incident. To date the video has
received over four million clicks. Not only was this video posted on YouTube, it became the
topic of conversation on national news outlets. When the author conducted a search on YouTube
regarding the incident she discovered that the query pertaining to the incident had been
optimized. The entire search did not need to be entered in order for YouTube to provide a list of
possible searches as seen in Figure 15.
Figure 15. YouTube Search for “Rihanna hits fan with microphone” (YouTube [Search], n.d.).
The YouTube search proves that an off moment can live beyond the crisis life cycle and
be ranked higher than an artist’s accomplishments. In years past, if a live telecast or news recap
was missed it was extremely difficult to see or find video relating to what had occurred. Today,
nearly everything has a digital footprint and content can be found online and live a lifetime in
digital space.
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Digital technology and social media have forced brands, artists and those that represent
them to take a more honest approach to messaging. S. Pollack stated, “It is no longer possible to
pull the wool over the eyes of consumers, or trick them into believing something that may not be
true, as the truth is in their hands by the way of mobile digital technology and their ability to
discover on their own” (S. Pollack, personal communication, August 29, 2013).
The moment when Rihanna hit a fan with her microphone is just one of hundreds of
examples faced by artists and performers during their live events. Their are situations that before
mobile digital technology could have gone undiscovered. The fact that fans can record an off
moment or share a highlight of a live show demonstrates a shift in power. The power of
capturing, recording and sharing in real time provides a new sense of transparency that has been
created by consumers.
Implications
o Crisis plans are needed for live entertainment events
o Crisis plans should be re-addressed when new issues develop
o Music industry professionals need to stay on top of consumer generated media
through social monitoring
Marketing, branding, and public relations professionals must now approach every
opportunity for their client(s) with caution. They must also monitor their online presence and
behavior as any misstep could lead to a crisis and have a devastating influence on their career.
This shift requires that marketing, branding, and public relations professionals to become more
tactical in their approach to their client(s) and social media.
With the advent of being able to capture and record live events in real time there is now a
need for crisis plans that relate directly to live events. Those plans should include situations that
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artists, crew or fans could face before, during or after an event. Entertainment professionals need
to be prepared to deal with content that is recorded during a live event in order to manage the
situation quickly and effectively.
Professionals should use past incidents, such as that of Rihanna, as a training opportunity
as well as a chance to re-asses their current crisis management plan. Fan produced content can
and will make its way to the Internet, especially if it is controversial. Therefore, getting ahead of
an issue before it gets out of hand or works it way up the media ladder is key. These types of
crises can be combatted through social media audits conducted after the event and paying close
attention to any possible situation that might arise during the event. These steps are essential as
content can be easily discovered, shared and remain in the digital landscape for a very long time
and have a detrimental impact on an event, artist or venue.
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Chapter 8: The Future of Live Events and Recommendations
In order for the music industry to preserve the way consumers experience a live music
event and continue to draw in concertgoers and earn profits, changes need to be made in efforts
to keep fans engaged and integrated. When the author asked all three professionals about digital
integration and how they see their role changing with the use of mobile digital technology, they
responded with the following:
S. Pollack said, “Hosting or sponsoring live entertainment events is a great way to
make a brand statement to a target audience, however slapping a brand name on
an event is not enough for modern audiences. Brands will need to find a way to
integrate themselves authentically with these events and discover ways to become
meaningfully relevant to audiences through messaging, advocacy and
philanthropy, and simply by being a good representative of target audience’s
lifestyles. So, in short, brands will need to move past ‘sponsorship’ mode and
become truly visible partners of events in order to gain the trust of consumers that
participate in them” (personal communication, August, 29, 2013).
T. Kobzeff stated that, “Ticket buying and fulfillment is heading towards an
entirely mobile experience. Receiving e-tickets via email, printing them out and
physically carrying them to the event is clunky and quickly becoming antiquated.
The ease of purchasing tickets on your mobile phone, sharing tickets with your
friends though SMS or a mobile app and scanning mobile tickets at the event door
is more desirable for the customer and a direction that most ticketing companies
are heading toward” (personal communication, July 23, 2013).
A Los Angeles based Public Relations professional believes that, “At the end of
the day the concert industry wants to make money and if fans are going to
continue to record events then it is something they are just going to have to live
with. There are so many things competing for the entertainment dollar, live
concert events are going to need to be something really special that way
consumers will want to pay top dollar to attend” (personal communication,
September 12, 2013).
Despite the fact that all three professionals agreed that mobile digital technology had
greatly impacted the music industry and live events, their responses were far more specific as to
how mobile digital technology will impact their role and live events in the future. The three
professionals believe that their role, as well as those of professionals in the music industry, will
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continue to be impacted by the advances and adoption of mobile digital technology. Overall, they
believe that more changes are coming and while they cannot predict what will happen for their
profession, the reality is that a lot is still unknown as technology is continuously changing and
consumers are quickly adopting.
Digital communication is the new way of life and digital messaging is the new way of
communicating and securing that messages are heard. According to S. Pollack, while platforms,
technologies, and websites will change, the ultimate direction is here to stay: we see the real
world with digital eyes and interact in it with digital hands” (personal communication, August
29, 2013). This digital shift presents a huge opportunity for the music industry and entertainment
professionals to integrate mobile digital technology into their strategy for live events as key
audiences have an enormous digital presence.
New strategies that integrate mobile digital technology and social media into live events
could catapult profits by increasing consumption. Integration could help build and/or create
digital relationships with key audiences. Nurturing a relationship between mobile digital
technology and live events would offer some control over the digital space while fostering a
relationship with fans.
Consumers are continuing to adopt smart technology at increasing rates with Millennials
paving the way. A generation defined by Pew Research Center as individuals born after 1980
that have come of age in the new millennium, the fastest growing cohort and the largest in
American history, which represent $200 billion in spending power (“Millenials,” 2010).
Generation Y/Millennials are followed by iGen, a generation born into a fully developed digital
world. Millennials in particular have fused their social lives into their gadgets and new
generations embrace everything digital. These generations are extremely important as they
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represent billions of dollars in consumer power and are paving the way in terms of digital
adoption. Moreover, an astonishing amount of consumers are adopting mobile digital technology
and smart devices. According to Nielsen the use of smartphones remains lowest among
Americans aged 55+ (42%), however, the rate has nearly doubled over the past year (The Fast
and The Curious,” 2013).
Digital habits have and will continue to evolve and become the model by which
industries operate. We live in a technologically advanced and social media savvy world where
our mobile devices have become our digital appendage. They have become a platform for
consumers to find, buy tickets, record and share live events. Mobile digital technology has and
will continue to change the way professionals in the entertainment industry perform their job.
Adapting to consumer habits will help secure spending dollars. The music industry has suffered
great financial loses since the birth of the Internet and it needs to adapt and become a driver in
the digital world in order to stay relevant and profitable, as album sales drop and the value of the
live music event continues to rise.
The following are recommendations that the music industry along with marketing,
branding, and public relations professionals should consider in their efforts to reach new
audiences, keep them engaged, and optimize their experience at live music events.
Strategic Recommendations
The growing majority of the U.S. population owns a smartphone and those that do not are
quickly adopting as the sale of smartphones rises quarter after quarter and show no signs of
slowing. Ignoring the digital shift and habits of consumer groups such as Millennials, which
make up the largest consumer group, could lead to large revenue losses and perhaps the death of
an industry.
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Integration. The integration of mobile digital technology will allow marketing, branding, and
public relations professionals to use digital media as their conduit of information. It allows them
to create segments within the market and deliver messages through the most effective channel for
said audience. Digital integration secures messaging amongst the digital consumer and creates
new opportunities and effective communication.
Adaptation. Consumers are continuing to adopt mobile digital technology. As they adopt new
behavior so should those trying to reach them. Their behavior can no longer be ignored and
neither can their purchasing power. They have developed a fully digital relationships and its
time for the music industry to join them and give back. Adapting to their digital habits and
consumption will help build genuine and long lasting relationships with the Digital Native as
well as Digital Immigrants.
Tactical Recommendations
Mobile device guidelines. Venues should establish guidelines for the use of mobile
digital devices during live music events. While not all fans are likely to abide by the guidelines
put in place, they could serve as a reminder for their digital behavior during the live event. A
friendly reminder approach similar to that used by the movie industry could be the most
effective. Movie theaters nationwide remind moviegoers before every film to kindly turn off
their cellphones in order to enjoy the movie and respect those around them. While mobile phones
are not prohibited at movie theaters, people generally respect the request to turn off or silence
their phones. Although the use of mobile devices is not strictly enforced, audiences are reminded
of the distraction their mobile device can create. The reminder offers consumers a choice, which
is often the best approach when trying to restrict the use of an electronic device. Setting venue
guidelines to remind concertgoers about the distraction their mobile digital devices creates for
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others in attendance could potentially decrease the use of mobile digital devices during live
events and help preserve and control the overall experience.
Digital toolbox. Venues, festivals, and artists could develop a digital toolbox for their
upcoming events. The digital toolbox would provide those that purchased a ticket for an
upcoming event a code to access an app. The toolbox would provide concertgoers with
information and updates leading up to the event such as artist information, behind the scene
clips, interviews and footage of the live performance. It would allow fans to build excitement
before, during, and after the event. It would also further integrate fans during the live
performance by allowing them to vote for the closing or encore song. Such a digital toolbox
would give fans so much access and footage to the artist that they are less likely to use their
mobile phones during the live event. The exclusive access to the artist/band through a digital
toolbox would allow them to further integrate themselves to the live event. Giving fans access to
the artist prior to an event could help decrease the use of mobile digital technology during live
shows and helping heighten the experience for all of those in attendance.
Artist request. Mobile digital devices distract fans as well as artist and take away from
the essence of live performances. It is not uncommon for some artist to request that fans please
put their phones away. While artists have seen some success in asking their fans to put their
phones away, making this request before the event could be more effective. If artists kindly
requested that attendees not use their mobile digital devices during the live events there is a
chance that fans would listen. Using social platforms to spread the request and remind attendees
would expand the artist’s reach and encourage them to abide by said request. Even though there
is a chance that fans will not adhere to the request there is a chance that some fans would abide
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by the request. Consequently, leading to positive results in the effort to diminish the amount of
screens in the crowd.
Discount codes. In efforts to integrate fans into to overall event and to optimize the
overall experience, artists and venues could offer fans discount codes via their mobile digital
device. The codes could be redeemed for merchandise, beverages, and future events. The codes
would be offered either at the time of ticket purchase or through registration. The codes would be
activated when tickets were scanned upon arrival. Upon redemption of any of the codes a virtual
raffle could be created where fans could be selected at random by the venue or artist and win the
opportunity to have their tickets upgraded or win backstage access passes. Offering these types
of codes would encourage purchases as well as build excitement among fans as they have the
opportunity to earn discounts, enjoy the venue, and most importantly win upgrades and offers
from the venue and artist. This type of interaction creates excitement for both the artist and
venue and creates a sense of value for the consumer as they can purchase items at the venue with
discount codes provided by simply attending the event.
Cellphone free sections. Venues could prohibit cellphone use during live music events
by pre-selecting “cellphone free” sections. These cellphone free areas would need to be pre-
selected by the venue. Tickets sold in this area would require a disclaimer informing attendees
that by purchasing these tickets they agree to abide by the rules. These sections would be those
closest to the stage as that is where mobile devices are the most distracting to artists. Banning
cellphones in pre-selected areas would keep fans engaged and integrated in the live performance
and diminish the level of distraction for artists and fans. Eliminating a portion of fans with
mobile digital devices helps optimize the overall live experience and could influence those in
surrounding areas to also put their devices away and enjoy the live show.
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Event hashtags. Concertgoers are continuing to record and share live music events
through their mobile digital devices and posting them on various social media sites, many of
which utilize hashtags to categorize content. Hashtags are often misused, misspelled or not used
at all. A simple misspelling means content could be lost in digital space and lose shareability.
Creating and utilizing a hashtag that is unique to the event allows those that are capturing and
recording the live event to have their content optimized by using the proper hashtag. A unique
hashtag or event specific hashtag creates a sense of community among fans, as they are able to
share their content with other in attendance. The hashtag would allow images to live beyond the
event as fans would have the opportunity to view and share content through virtual albums.
Artists and venues should create, encourage, and remind fans to utilize event specific hashtags in
order to optimize visibility and shareability among fans in attendance. Event specific hashtags
would allow those looking for event specific content to find it easily and possibly encourage
their efforts to curate, and share the content on their social media accounts.
In venue targeting. iBeacons a feature for iOS7 utilizes Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE)
technology for micro-locations (Dilger, 2013). The Apple technology is currently in a
partnership with Major League Baseball in efforts to make games completely interactive and
create a unique experience for fans (Kelly, 2013). Apple’s iBeacons is becoming increasingly
popular due to its ease of use and interactive capabilities (Dilger, 2013).The use of iBeacons
would be extremely beneficial for live music events held at large arenas or music festivals.
Utilizing in-venue targeting through Bluetooth or other technologies imbedded in smartphones
could help keep fans engaged throughout large concert venues or festival. The use of in-venue
targeting could serve as a guide for fans to create the optimum music experience and create a
digital map of the experience. The concert venue or festival could also offer coupons or
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discounts for all of those in attendance that are willing to be “tracked”. Selecting the opt-in
option would give attendees access to coupons, exclusive mixes, digital downloads, and sneak
previews to the artists or venues upcoming events. It could also give concertgoers the power to
pick and chose what they want to participate in and customize their interests. The venue or
festival could offer popular locations or points of interest as well as the ability to create their own
venue map. This type of individualized experience would allow fans to have a different
experience every time. The free in-venue app would add a new dimension to the music
experience and keep fans interacted in the overall experience with not just the artist, but the
venue as well. The app would not only change the way fans attend and experience live music
events it could increase the popularity and attendance of large scale music events. It would also
offer iBeacons, app developers or venues to gather data and learn consumer habits and work to
further improve future events and optimize the user experience.
App partnerships. Vevo and Lively currently partner with large record labels and artists.
However, these types of apps do not currently partner with small venues or lesser known artist.
Developing a partnership among venues and artists that are lesser known would be a great
opportunity, as it would offer exposure and attract new fans. A partnership with existing apps
would present an opportunity for the music industry as a whole. The partnerships could begin as
a one-year pilot program to see how the partnership pans out and grows. The app could launch
by featuring the opening acts of some of their well-known partners and informing users of their
upcoming shows and location. The app could also feature small local venues in the vicinity and
either feature their artist or provide users with an event calendar. If the partnership sees success
after a one-year trial period then both parties could renegotiate to continue their partnership.
While this may seem miniscule in the spectrum of large events it could positively impact live
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events as a whole. The live music event industry as a whole could benefit greatly from said
partnership by exposing and popularizing smaller venues and exposing users to artists or bands
that they may have otherwise not explored.
App development. Live Nation currently has an app that provides venue information,
upcoming events and even set lists. Further developing the apps to provide fan access and event
details would be extremely beneficial to all of those in attendance. Listing show information
such as the opening act, show time and performance biographies along with their tour schedule
would be of interest. This type of information would give fans access to commonly asked
information that is specific to the event they are attending. The concert promoting company
could provide information on commonly requested information or answers. The app could also
partner with artists to provide one night exclusive access to performers. The venue would need to
grant access to fans that have already purchased a ticket, as it would offer exclusive content to
those that have purchased a ticket.
Connect programs. Large music festivals such as Coachella and Outside Lands are
increasingly gaining popularity, and while they are experiences in themselves, they can be
difficult to navigate. Creating a guide, be it a blog, microsite or person-to-person contact for
events would offer detailed information, insights, and answer regarding questions that attendees
might have before or during an event. Connect programs would help connect festival veterans
with the event by offering detailed event information and pairing event veterans with first time
attendees. First time festival attendees often miss out on some of the best aspects of a festival or
large event due to a lack of knowledge. Many large festivals often attract attendees from out of
state as well as out of the country. Person-to-person guides similar to tourist guides could help
optimize the overall experience for first time attendees and offer a positive experience, which in
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turn could potentially increase future attendance rates through positive reviews and word of
mouth.
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Chapter Nine: Conclusion
Mobile digital technology is increasingly becoming an integral part of peoples daily lives.
It has helped close the gaps between generations, demographic groups, and also changed
consumer habits. While the Internet and the adoption of mobile digital technology have impacted
various industries, the music industry has been immensely impacted as it has seen substantial
financial losses over the years with little to no gains. The digitization of the music industry has
left it wounded, weak and facing financial loses as consumers are now spending less money on
CD’s and albums. In the last few years, consumers have shifted their focus and moved their
dollars over to live music events. While live events are increasing in popularity year in and year
out, the live music event has evolved. It has gone from being a fully integrated and participatory
experience to an observational experience as fans now spend a large amount of time capturing,
recording, and sharing the experience through their mobile digital devices with their virtual
networks via social media sites.
The use of social media platforms through mobile digital technology has facilitated a
consumer’s need to document life’s moments with a network of people. The need to share has
become so common that fans now record, capture and share information at astonishing rates.
This newly developed behavior has allowed those not in attendance to view concerts and tour
related videos on sites such as YouTube that has thousands of hours uploaded to its site on an
hourly basis.
Generations at varying income levels have adopted and are continuing to adopt mobile
digital technology at continuously increasing rates with younger generations leading the way.
Generation Y and iGen, whom represent billions of dollars in consumer power, are the
generational groups that live digital lives. They function in a highly evolved and interactive
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digital environment where everything they want or need can be accessed through their mobile
device. These Digital Natives will expect much more from their organizations than Digital
Immigrants as they have a need for constant connectivity and yearn for information. Their need
to live digital lives has trickled over into live music events and subsequently made them less
‘live’ as they have become observatory audiences.
Some professionals would see the use of mobile digital technology as a negative, while
others see it as a positive. The truth of the matter is that mobile digital technology will take a
more integral role in all aspects of life. Trying to fight the surge of technology is a losing battle.
In order to reach key audiences and gain the upper hand in the digital landscape, it is now time
for the music industry to embrace the behavior of consumers and their need to constantly stay
connected through mobile digital technology. The speed and volume of information flow created
by the use of mobile digital technology has impacted the role of marketing, branding and public
relations professionals. It has created the need for said professionals to react quickly in this
digital age as crises loom at every corner.
Live music events need to adapt to consumer behavior in order to keep fans engaged and
to earn their entertainment dollar. Those that embrace digital changes and utilize digital
platforms to communicate and reach key audiences will be in a better position in the future. Live
music events need to align with consumer habits and technological changes in our digital world.
The integration of mobile digital technology with live music events can help marketing,
branding, and public relations professionals build a sense of connection key audiences. We are in
an era of constant connectivity; integration offers a sense of connection to not only the event, but
the artist as well. Marketing, branding and public relations professionals need to disrupt the
current behavior of Digital Natives and Digital Immigrants in order to gain their attention and
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utilize their digital habits to their benefit. Live music events have become one of the last places
where the music industry and its artists can make money. Therefore, adapting to the digital
consumer and integrating their digital habits will help optimize the live music experience and
breathe new life into an industry that was so greatly impacted by the Internet.
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Appendix A: Industry Interviews
Industry Interview: Tracy Kobzeff, Senior Manager, Digital Marketing at AEG
Tracy Kobzeff is a Senior Manager at AEG, the second largest concert and event promoter, she
has over 7 years experience in digital marketing strategy.
Interview questions and answers:
1. What noticeable difference have you seen in live entertainment events over the years?
One trend I’ve seen grow in the past year alone is the ease of event discovery online. In the
recent past discovering live events in your area was limited to seeking this information out by
visiting blogs, signing up for email newsletters, etc., whereas now this information is pushed to
us through apps like Bandsintown and Songkick. Spotify has even integrated live event
recommendations into their Discovery feature.
2. What are the biggest trends you are seeing for live events in terms of digital technology
and social media?
Similar to my response above, live event recommendations are being pushed to us more and
more through social media, email and mobile channels. Not a week goes by that I don’t receive
at least 3-4 emails and an occasional SMS message letting me know that an artist I may like, and
often the same artist, has a show going on sale in my area.
3. What impact will it have on your role with future advancements and the way in which
you do your job?
The key for those of us in the digital marketing space is to ensure these recommendations are
relevant. Customers are inundated constantly with marketing messages across the web, mobile,
social and email, and if the live event recommendations we push to them aren’t relevant to their
taste we risk our integrity and we risk alienating the customer.
4. How do digital advances such as smartphones and social media platforms affect the
current live entertainment environment?
Attending a concert event or sporting event today is a totally different experience than 5-10 years
ago since everyone is on their mobile phone – taking video, posting to Instagram, checking in.
As marketers we can capitalize on those advances by providing customers with ways to interact
with our brand while at the event. For example, encouraging fans to hashtag our brand name,
sending in a street team to take fan photos and post to our brand’s Facebook page or offering
deals on concessions to the customer through our mobile app.
5. Do you see the advances as helping or hurting the relationship between performers and
their audience?
While for very rare, special shows taking photos or video is prohibited, I think many performers
appreciate the virality of their fans’ photos, videos and posts as it helps grows the artists’
audience. The fan is the curator of the performers’ content and the influencer for his/her friends
in this case.
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6. Have their been complaints from fans, management or talent about the use of smart
technology during live events?
I can’t really speak to management or talent, but as a fan it’s a common gripe that everyone is on
their phone during events, although we all participate in it.
7. Are their policies in place to prevent capturing?
As I mentioned in #5 you do come across this occasionally for special performances. I attended a
limited-engagement play this weekend in which photography was prohibited so as not to disrupt
the show, but besides making the request at the beginning of the performance the venue/artist
really doesn’t have much control over the audience’s behavior (as long as it’s discreet).
8. Do you find that event capturing, through mobile devices, as an advantage of
disadvantage for live events
See #11
9. What level of influence do performers or managers or event promoters have on the use
of mobile devices during their live events?
Prohibiting the use of mobile devices can certainly be stated to an audience at the request of an
artist or manager, but very rarely is a discreet mobile phone photo going to be detected or
confiscated.
10. How do you see mobile technology and social media platforms impacting the future of
live performances?
Mobile technology and social media are only going to continue growing, and the live events &
entertainment vertical is going to continue to find ways to connect with the customer through
these channels. Deepening the relationship with the fan across a variety of channels helps to
create a loyal customer who is more likely to return to your venue/show/etc.
11. Do you see the idea of digital integration being a positive or negative notion for live
entertainment events?
Definitely a positive. Digital engagement deepens the fan’s relationship with the artist, the venue
and/or the brand. Fans today have more ways to discover events, to share events with their
friends, to purchase tickets, to evangelize the event during the event and to commemorate it
afterward.
12. Would you prefer or encourage smartphone free events or designated areas for events
in order to ensure audience attention?
It entirely depends on the type of event and the artist’s preference. While smart phone use can be
distracting at an intimate or rare performance, capturing and sharing event photos and video on
your phone does evangelize the event – it’s free marketing for the performer and the venue.
13. How do you see the model for live events and the integration of digital technology
changing?
Ticket buying and fulfillment is heading towards an entirely mobile experience. Receiving e-
tickets via email, printing them out and physically carrying them to the event is clunky and
quickly becoming antiquated. The ease of purchasing tickets on your mobile phone, sharing
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tickets with your friends though SMS or a mobile app and scanning mobile tickets at the event
door is more desirable for the customer and a direction that most ticketing companies are
heading toward.
14. What trends in digital technology or social media has become the main focus for future
live events?
Personalized recommendations (“You liked x, so you may also like y”), social recommendations
(“Your friends are listening to/attending x”), venue and festival mobile apps that help create an
integrated digital experience at the event
15. Before mobile devices and social media platforms what was the biggest threat to live
events?
Probably scalpers and ticket brokers buying up tickets before fans have the opportunity to
purchase them. While technology and digital ticket sales have exacerbated this problem, there
have also been technologies developed to combat bots and prevent them from penetrating the
ticket purchase flow
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Industry Interview: Stefan Pollack, President, The Pollack PR Marketing Group
Stefan Pollack is the President of The Pollack PR Marketing Group, he has over twenty years
experience in branding, communications and public relations.
Interview questions and answers:
1. If “Disrupted” were published today what digital and/or social media developments
would you have included as being important in trying to reach iGen?’
The communications landscape is in such a dramatic and persistent flux it is difficult for
something like print media to adequately keep up. There were many developments that would
have been included in iGen since it has been published. The rising need and scope of brand
journalism, for instance, is a much bigger deal than it was a year ago and would certainly get its
own chapter; the decreasing role of Facebook in younger audiences in favor of rapid-fire visual
networks such as Instagram and Vine; the increasing role of big data to better target and
understand audiences; just to name a few.
2. Before “smart” technology and social media platforms what was the biggest concern for
you as a PR, Marketing and Communication professional?
Public relations and marketing have always been focused on the same concern: meaningfully
reaching the right audience in order to influence a desired behavior/outcome. Whether or not
digital technology is a factor, the goals and objectives remain the same. What does change,
however, are the tools necessary to accomplish communication goals and the strategy in which to
do so. In the “old world” we were focused on getting third party endorsements for our clients
from established and credible traditional media, now we are focused on getting buy-in from
those individuals or groups that influence our target audience, whether or not they are traditional
media.
3. Do you find advances in digital technology and social media as an advantage or
disadvantage to PR and marketing professionals?
The communications disruption of the past decade has given PR and marketing professionals
unprecedented opportunities to authentically connect with target audiences. Those that can
maneuver in this new landscape and create authentic brand relationships with consumers will
achieve tremendous advocacy from those consumers and with that advocacy comes influence
over audiences.
4. What development in digital technology or social media has become the most important,
in your opinion, for brand building?
Brand building has always been about creating awareness of a particular position, message, or
point of differentiation and while that hasn’t changed the mechanism for building awareness has.
Digital technology and social media have forced brands to be more authentic about their position
and messaging, because it is no longer possible to pull the wool over the eyes of consumers, or
trick them into believing something that may not be true. Brands have to be honest, genuine,
authentic and relevant to their audiences.
5. In terms of live entertainment music events what notable difference have you seen over
the years?
DIGITAL IMPACT 66
The biggest development music events have witnessed is undoubtedly live streaming. Large-
scale events can now be shared globally, in real time, along with those that are attending the
event opening up the gates for online engagement and interaction. Some services, such as Pheed
and Livestream, have found ways to monetize this and produce a platform that can host live
events online. Additionally, due to the dramatic increase in digital singles (via iTunes and
Amazon), performers and music industry professionals have been increasingly relying on live
events and tours to sustain the loss of album sales as well as CD sales in brick and mortar retail
outlets. The net result is more real-time events, and exponentially larger audiences through
streaming and social media.
6. Do you find the idea of mobile-digital integration as being a positive or negative for live
entertainment events?
Depending upon which side of the fence one is on, mobile technology and digital platforms can
be a boon or a vice. For record companies and traditional industry professionals, the sales of
digital singles over albums have created an enormous decline in revenue, however for the
independent music industry and the fans, there is far more access to music and audiences than
ever before. Like all traditional industries, the legacy organizations will need to adapt to stay
relevant and profitable.
7. With the constant changes in mobile-digital technology how do you see the model for live
entertainment events changing in the future?
The live streaming trend is here to stay and as large-scale media companies get the hang of how
to handle streaming services, such as through Netflix, Amazon and Hulu, it will be monetized on
a much larger scale. Companies will be able to sell live packages much like cable use to, but
through various online channels and through strategic partnerships with large media distributors
(e.g. Time Warner). There is a challenge in getting to that place, however, as streaming services
are very competitive and segmented at the moment. After the industry settles down, the major
players will be able to benefit from large-scale real-time events in the digital space.
8. What changes in live entertainment events do you think would optimize brand building?
Hosting or sponsoring live entertainment events is a great way to make a brand statement to a
target audience, however slapping a brand name on an event is not enough for modern audiences.
Brands will need to find a way to integrate themselves authentically with these events and
discover ways to become meaningfully relevant to audiences through messaging, advocacy and
philanthropy, and simply by being a good representative of target audience’s lifestyles. So, in
short, brands will need to move past “sponsorship” mode and become truly visible partners of
events in order to gain the trust of consumers that participate in them.
DIGITAL IMPACT 67
Industry Interview: Public Relations Professional
A Los Angeles based Entertainment Publicist with over 15 years experience in the entertainment
industry.
Transcription
Interview Conducted on September 5, 2013 at 5:00pm
Interviewer: Hi, this is Maritza
Interviewee: Hey Maritza, how are you?
Interviewer: Good, thank you, how are you?
Interviewee: oh, fine.
Interviewer: Thank you for taking the time to answer a few of my questions I really
appreciate it.
Interviewee: It’s totally fine, so this is being used for what for your thesis? This isn’t showing up
in print or anywhere else?
Interviewer: No this is for my thesis only and if you want to be anonymous you can?
Interviewee: Lets be anonymous
Interviewer: I’m sorry?
Interviewee: Let be anonymous, you can call me a PR executive or professional however, you
want to describe it.
Interviewer: Okay Perfect
Interviewee: I mean some of your questions honestly I can’t answer, but I can answer ones that I
think will give you a good overall idea.
Interviewer: Yes, if I could get some quotes it would help support some of the research that
I have been doing.
Interviewee: Sure, I am going to pull up your questions you sent me.
Interviewer: I actually edited down my interview so that I wouldn’t take much of your
time. If there are any questions you think you can't answer then we can skip them.
Interviewer: How do digital advances such as smartphones and social media platforms
affect your current role current?
DIGITAL IMPACT 68
Interviewee: Well, I am going to give you a little bit of background first I tend to be a little long
winded so bare with me if I sound a little scattered. I used to be a journalist before I became a
publicist. I can tell you that as a publicist for example one thing that has quickly changed is -- if I
have a band or an artist is putting out a new album you usually start promoting that 3-5 months
in advance and in the old days, the old days before Napster you would get an advanced copy of a
record. Lets say you were putting out an album, I would take your album and I would send out
200 or 300 copies advanced copies to the press, editors, freelance writers, television bookers in
order to build enough interest before the album comes out.
Online piracy has changed that, a lot of managers are afraid of sending out an advanced copy of
an album they are afraid it is going to leak online and affect album sales. Some managers don’t
care, it depends on the artist and where they are on their career; if they are established artist they
are afraid it is going to leak. If it’s a new artist -- sometimes you can’t afford to be too cautious
with their music but you need to get it out.
If its an established artist they are less likely to send out music as they are afraid it is going to
leak, new tech has greatly affected it that way, it has made others more cautious.
-- So in one respect new technology has greatly affected it that way. It forces you to be a little
more cautious especially with new media. There are bloggers that call me and want an advanced
copy of an album of an artist and I can’t send that to them a week in advance, but not a month in
advance because everyone is so concerned with leaking. That’s one example of how it has
affected my role and how I work.
Interviewer: So, with the artist you work with do you deal with their touring, them making
appearances and live performances as well?
Interviewee: My job is to do as much as I can to promote that project, so again your album if an
album is coming out I am going to start promoting that a month in advance, um if you have a
tour I am going to go to each market that you are going to hit, I am going to go to each market
about five weeks before you get there and when I say go there I don’t mean physically I am
going to reach out to that market and get them a preview and features and get live tickets or
depending on the artist I will try to book them on local morning shows. Established artist don’t
like doing those.
Interviewee: You are here in LA right?
Interviewer: Yes
Interviewee: Okay, well Good Day LA, there are some artist that just don’t want to do those
types of shows. Um, just because they reach a certain point in their career where they aren’t
going to do them, but uh if the artist doesn’t want to go on show you still contact the show and
see if they still want to talk about it with their viewers. Um, you also want to get people to come
view the artists shows so that you can get coverage before and after the show and I do it all if
DIGITAL IMPACT 69
that means national T.V. like Saturday Night Live to Ellen to newspaper print coverage to online
to monthly magazines its pretty much all encompassing.
Interviewer: So I am sure you are aware of fans tending to use their cell phones to record
live events, do artists/performers have any complaints towards that or has that become a
concern for them?
Interviewee: Absolutely, I have two artists that I don’t want to mention by name, they are both
well established and a little older and have been around for a while and they are “old school”.
They don’t want to look out to the audience and have a bunch of screens looking back at them.
Um, we were just at a show this week and its really funny because I guess he hadn’t noticed
because the lights were in his eyes, but he said to the crowd, and everyone had their phones out, I
want to thank everyone for not having cell phones out and said this is an experience and I want
to look out into the crowd and see your faces and want to have you all look up at me as it’s a
communal experience and when I have to look out and see phones it becomes a little less
artificial. The thing is that he hadn’t realized just how many people had their phones out and as
soon as he said it everyone started to put their phones down. It was really, really funny.
But I’ve seen --I could be wrong, but I saw a photo somewhere of ( . . . ) you know who the
Yeah Yeah Yeahs are?
Interviewer: Yes
Interviewee: There was a photo somewhere I don’t know where I saw it, but you might want to
look that up and see if it helps with your thesis at all. It was something that mentioned a note that
had been posted somewhere in the venue saying something like we thank you in advance for
shutting off your phones. I know that I have one artist that always complains about it. You are
there to experience a live show; a live show is one of the things that you cant -- you can illegally
download music or you can steal this or you can steal that, but one thing that you cant steal is the
experience of the live show, nothing else replicates it and you have to be their and feel that
energy, and if you are watching it through the screen of your Samsung or iPhone or whatever
you are doing it does take away from it a little bit. You know you have all this going on in front
of you that you can see and try and make contact with the performer, which is what some people
do, but instead you are watching it through this very small screen, It’s a very strange thing, I
think it’s a generational thing.
Interviewer: Well yeah, that’s the basis for my thesis, I am an avid music follower and
concertgoer and I have noticed that more and more over the years.
Interviewee: I mean yeah, I’m 47 and have been going to shows since I was a kid and I played in
bands, I’m from New York originally and I played in bands, nothing close to professional just
bands and you know its an experience and their was no cell phone recording, if you wanted to
see an artist you had to go see a show and you wait for that moment, it’s a fantasy. Bruce
Springsteen had this great quote saying the best thing is seeing the audience and having them
look up at you wishing they could trade places with you because everyone wants that rock star
fantasy life. You know as the years go on and as technology changes and how people are
DIGITAL IMPACT 70
experiencing these live events it has taken on a more artificial type of feel when really the live
show is the only thing left that shouldn’t be artificial.
Interviewer: Right
Interviewee: Cause it’s live and it’s right there for you to see it and you know its kind of a
bummer.
Interviewer: So with that complaint you have from some of your more established artist
that you represent do they have any influence in terms of telling an audience don’t record
us or you can come to the show as long as you aren’t recording? I mean do they have any
type of say in terms of restricting it?
Interviewee: Well you know you can try, but at the same time you also don’t want to piss people
off. I mean it is the way it is; um you know if -- while I am talking here I am going to see if I can
find that article I mentioned. The first thing I pull up and you might want to go online later as I
am doing a Yahoo search for the Yeah Yeah Yeahs notes no cameras and this Spin article is the
first thing that comes up. I love that I think that’s important -- you run the risk of pissing off fans
because this is the only way they live since they are younger, but more bands are asking that
people please not watch the show through the lens of their camera.
Interviewer: So in your opinion then would you prefer that crowds not use them just so
that they don’t lose the live event experience?
Interviewee: Yeah I mean look people can do whatever they want. I think that, well I don’t know
that they are hurting themselves, but they are lessening the experience by viewing it that way. It
could be so much of a richer experience if they would just put their phones away and enjoy the
show. There is also a whole other argument that if I’m in a band and I want to sell a concert
DVD it probably hurts my sales if there are 9,000 versions badly recorded and posted on
YouTube of the same show that people have shot with their camera phone. If you’re a fan of the
Yeah Yeah Yeahs and they put out a concert DVD I am sure you are going to get it even though
you can watch a YouTube version because it wont have the backstage access that you cant get on
YouTube but this all leads to a bigger conversation of how people think it is okay to steal music
because its online so it makes it okay to steal it and they don’t realize the amount of money that
is put into the art and the blood and the tears that go into writing songs and recording and then
people just taking it.
You know Larry teaches that PR class and I have spoken in it a couple of times to talk about
music and one of the things I ask the class is how many of you get your music online? Then how
many of you pay for it? Very few raise their hands so I then tell them lets go to CVS across the
street, there is a CVS across the street, and lets go in and take whatever we want and walk out,
it’s the same thing. They say no its not and I say it absolutely is you are taking something that
someone else created and this is how they make a living they are artists sure its not a corporation,
but now you are hurting the artist and unfortunately it is never going to back to the way it was.
The cat is out of the bag and people are never going to change. You would literally have to shut
down the Internet and that is never going to happen.
DIGITAL IMPACT 71
Interviewer: I agree there are so many ways of getting it.
Interviewee: It’s really a shame. The example I used at the time is that I was working with an
artist she was a singer songwriter that had lost her deal with a major label. She didn’t have a lot
of money and was going to produce her own music ( . . . ). Someone leaked the music online and
she was so hurt and heartbroken and it hurt that fans didn’t realize that this was coming out of
her own pocket. It had leaked and she thought she would at least break even with sales and she
didn’t. The thing is that people think they are hurting a big corporation by stealing music and
there are other people involved that are suffering because of it like small artist. Well just look at
the large record stores like Tower Records that went out of business. I think the music industry
did a really bad job of trying to fight the problem. Am I going off on a tangent here? I’m sorry.
Interviewer: No, it’s all good information
Interviewee: You have to keep me on track here Maritza.
Interviewer: You had mentioned that you have your more mature artist that don’t always
like it, but what about younger artist. You know some artist have come up through social
media like Justin Bieber or other artist have become known because of the spread of their
music through social media.
Interviewee: Yes, Of Course
Interviewer: So, some smaller artist or artist that have been in the industry for a while
support the use of it?
Interviewee: Yeah, if you are a newer artist it is tough these days to be noticed so you do
whatever you can to get noticed, so if that’s giving your music away on line then they do it. They
are trying to sell their brand. They are grateful that people go to their shows. So if you want to
come there, they are like, oh my god, please.
A million years ago I am sure you heard of it, but the Grateful Dead and Pearl Jam encouraged
people to record them and they traded them and their was a whole underground community of
people that trade Pearl Jam concert recordings I think it really depends on the artist. But when it
comes to newer artist they need to do what they can to make themselves stand out.
Interviewer: Okay, so its possible that more artists will start to adopt it and start to
embrace it, don’t you think?
Interviewee: Possible, but it will be interesting to see how that attitude changes, as they get
bigger.
Interviewer: Exactly, because it could possibly cut into their profits like you had
mentioned.
DIGITAL IMPACT 72
Interviewee: It could, I’m not saying it wont. They could just decide they don’t like the
experience of looking out into the crowd and seeing a crowd of devices. You want to see
people’s faces they feed off of that. They are artist they have egos they love being on stage, they
want people to enjoy the show and they want that feeling that they used to have back then.
The performer feeds off of the energy of the crowd and if you are going to show and instead of
jumping around and having fun you are more concerned with capturing the perfect still image,
you know what I mean you may be more subdued in the audiences. So the audience and
performer cant really feed off each other. If you are going to be subdued in taking your picture
then that’s not going to make the artist happy. They want to see people go crazy over the music.
Interviewer: A clip that I am going to be using is when Beyoncé told a fan during a sing
along portion of one of her most recent tours to put the phone down so he could experience
the moment because she was right in his face and he was too busy trying to record. He
wasn’t living the live event, as he should have been.
Interviewee: Right, that is exactly what I am saying.
Interviewer: So some artist, I don’t know if you have heard of Swedish House Mafia did an
App back in March to get fans more involved during the show. There are also other types
of smart phone applications that are coming out that claim to stitch together fan recorded
video to help people relive the moment afterwards.
Interviewee: The difference is that Swedish House Mafia consists of three guys standing behind
a stage, they aren’t moving around or doing anything unique, they aren’t doing much to make
live interaction, so of course they don’t care if they are being recorded.
Interviewer: But do you see the idea of digitally integrating mobile technology into live
events as a positive or a negative for the future?
Interviewee: If its something that is going to make the show, you need to realize that artist make
more money on the road than they do album sales these days, there are very few people that have
huge album sales so they make it from touring and merchandise on the road. So many things are
competing for our dollar so an artist is going to tell you come to our show it is going to be the
most unbelievable thing you have ever seen where we are going to do all kinds of things and if
that’s going to help convince you to buy a ticket then I’m all for it. Their are artists doing all
kinds of things to draw in fans. For instance, Likin Park offered fans a link to the live
performance they had just attended, that’s a great marketing idea. So that’s something, you are
going to have that concert forever and its professional done by the bands own people so they
don’t have to worry about the quality. That’s the other thing to you know, when you are taking
photos or shooting things on your phone the quality is never as good as what they could provide
to you. So, if they can create some sort of quality control with that then great, but yeah anything
you can do to attract people to the shows I’m all for it.
Interviewer: You had mentioned artist making their money from touring and the road
because they are losing album sales, which could explain some of the anger, but is that
DIGITAL IMPACT 73
because they want the event to be as special as possible especially because it is what is
generating money for them?
Interviewee: Well lets go back to the performer aspect, they start practicing in the garage and
then go play at small local clubs and start to build a name in their towns and as you get bigger
and bigger playing in front of people is what drives them. I think that is where some of the
concern not anger come from, they want to enjoy the show too and it’s not enjoyable for them to
be out there and not have that feeling that they used to have when they played smaller venues.
Interviewer: Yeah I feel that fans are more observing than participatory than they used to
be.
Interviewee: Right, which then becomes a separate conversation of society as a whole. They are
much more observing and not playing into it. They are not living life anymore they are just
watching life.
Interviewer: Would you encourage your artist or yourself to have communication with the
venue to establish cell phone free areas just as restaurants have smoke free sections? What
do you think of the idea of artist asking venues that cell phone free areas be established?
Lets say the pit is the cell phone free area.
Interviewee: I think that would be very tough, just think about how important our phones have
become. Think about going on a plane, people are eager to put in that last email or message, it’s
like a drug, its almost funny. To tell people they cant use them, I don’t know its possible, but
who knows.
A few years back Alice and Chains did a big comeback show in LA and they played the whole
album and the video the record company was so concerned with the album being heard two
months in advance that they invited people to the event, but they told people you can come, but
you have to check your phone at the door. People did it, but they were not happy about it. You
have to sit one hour without your phone and some people simply can’t do that so that was
interesting but people did it because they were very interested to hear the new album. That is one
of the things that I experienced first hand. People complained, they really did, but the only way
they were going to hear the music was to do this. We gave everyone a card and it was like
checking their coat, they picked up their phone at the end of the night. Going back to your
questions I don’t know that people would be willing to go without their phones, it’s almost like a
drug.
I went somewhere the other day and I left my phone at home and went into panic mode and
thought what am I going to do. I’m on call 24 hours a day so what’s going to happen I thought
about turning around and thought I will never make it in time to where I needed to go. I honestly
thought about it the whole time and I couldn’t relax I kept thinking what if something has gone
wrong, what if someone needs me, I hope my clients are okay. It’s very tough to be without your
device so to ask people to come to a show and not bring it could be fatal.
DIGITAL IMPACT 74
Interviewer: You had mentioned leaking, was that the biggest threat to you and your role
as well as your clients? Before digital devices and everything become more of an issue what
was the biggest threat to artist and live events?
Interviewee: Without a doubt yeah music leaking, when you think about years ago you can debut
number one at the billboard charts and going by the week or time of year or whatever I have seen
people come in at number one with sales of maybe 50,000 or less than 50,000 which is insane, its
simply crazy and I think back to years ago when their were weekly sales that would be a million
or two million. Now when someone can sell that much it’s shocking.
Well look at Samsung and Jay Z -- popular music there are fewer labels and less music stores
there is only one in LA Amoeba and its really sad you now you talk to someone that’s younger
and they think you are older and don’t understand, but a lot of people suffer and to me the
leaking has really hurt and as a result music now is more popular than ever. For instance,
Samsung used Jay Z to sell phones or companies use artists to help sell cars. Music is now being
used to help sell stuff, but on its own as something you can go out and buy it has less value than
it ever did, which is so ironic.
Music has become a loss leader. People call me all the time wanting to use my clients to help
them sell something, for instance, a few weeks ago I got a call to have an artists music be used to
help sell a crappy car and I thought why would I want my artist affiliated with that and what they
were offering was insulting, but they do it because the music industry is in so much trouble that
they know that someone else will take it and its sad. The music industry is in trouble and I don’t
know how it will recover from this, they have a lot of problems.
Interviewer: I think most of the problems are due to digital media.
Interviewee: Oh yeah, I read an article where I knew the writer and he said that the Internet is
helping the music industry and I thought of it as a person being taken hostage and then thanking
their kidnapper for not killing you. You can’t say that the Internet has help the music industry if
anything it’s desperately trying to survive after what has been done to it by the Internet. One of
the biggest things was when Metallica took on Napster and that was a big mistake. It was a PR
nightmare the drummer, Lars Ulrich, took a wheel barrel full of names of people that had pirated
their music and he wheeled it up to the courthouse and said something like, this isn’t about
money, I have enough money to retire ten times over. As a publicist I cringe why would you say
you have enough money to retire ten times over. That is not going to make other sympathetic, he
should have said its not about me its about everyone involved from the janitors to receptionist
and it’s a trickle down effect that hurts people and you know the music industry was suing
students and housewives and it’s not the way to fix the problem. People don’t realize how many
people are truly affected and unfortunately the music industry has not done anything to educate
people.
Interviewer: Where do you see live events going from here for artist in terms of the whole
digital uproar that we have had?
DIGITAL IMPACT 75
Interviewee: Well, I don’t know that I would call it an uproar -- you know again like people
holding up cameras it’s annoying, but it’s not something we can avoid. In terms of live concert
industry its something they are going to deal with if they want to keep doing shows and making
money if that’s what its going to be they have to live with it. Because we are in a recession and
there are so many things fighting for our entertainment dollar that shows are going to need to be
special stuff so that people will come see you. If you are a band or an artist and people love you
so much that they want to come see you and they don’t care about the bells and whistles then you
are okay, but otherwise they want to see a show and uh performers like Pink, Beyoncé and Gaga
that spend a lot of money on shows and all the people it takes its really expensive, which is why
tickets are really expensive and there are a lot of people on the payroll making it all happen. So,
again if you want to get people to come see you, you are going to have to give them something
special that they are going to want to pay top dollar for.
Interviewee: I hope some or any of this is useful.
Interviewer: Absolutely, Thank you so much for your time.
Interviewee: If you have any follow up questions. Call me or email me.
Interviewer: Great thank you.
DIGITAL IMPACT 76
Appendix B: Content Analysis Data
Madonna
Top 20 most viewed videos and clips Number of Clicks
Madonna MDNA Tour Istanbul Front View Human Nature Like a
Virgin Full Nipple 2012
2,163,377
Madonna – 2
nd
Night Speech –MDNA Tour-Washington DC 9/24/12 2,084,963
Madonna Live at Paris Olympia 2012 OFFICIAL HD Director’s Cut
Full Show
1,356,610
Madonna-Vogue (MDNA World Tour) 951,880
Madonna ‘Vogue’ Live at Paris Olympia 2012 Official HD Video 993, 287
Madonna MDNA Tour at Istanbul 2012 Showing her… 878,062
Madonna-The Confessions Tour 786,380
Madonna-MDNA Tour Full Show HD Live Tel Aviv, Israel 779,651
Madonna- Girl Gone Wile – MDNA/ 2012 World Tour / St.
Petersburg, Russia / August 9, 2012
625,313
Madonna – Intro/Girl Gone Wild (Philly) 8-28-12 Opening Night
MDNA Tour
563,159
Madonna Remix: Madonna muestra su trasero en Roma MDNA Tour 542,191
Madonna- MDNA Tour Abu dhabi – Open Part + Girl Gone Wild HD 520,810
Madonna Celebration (MDNA tour Tel Aviv 31.05.2012 486,995
Madonna – girl gone wild MDNA tour opening first act 31.5.12 Israel 485,019
MADONNA “Girl Gone Wild” MDNA Tour 2012 - Berlin 454,638
Madonna MDNA Tour – Istanbul (Human Nature) Madonna shows
her tit and tattoo (Full HD)
406,682
Madonna-Sticky & Sweat Tour HD 403,100
“The Corset Incident” at the MDNA Tour show in Oslo 384,083
Madonna – Opening = Girl Gone Wild – Live in Istanbul- MDNA
Tour
361,135
The MDNA Tour – Live in Hyde Park London Full Concert HD 303, 496
Total Video Clicks –MDNA Tour: 15,530,831
DIGITAL IMPACT 77
Lady Gaga
Top 20 most viewed videos and clips Number of Clicks
Born This Way- Lady Gag duet with Maria Aragon Live Toronto 3,790,380
Lady Gaga Born This Way Ball 2012 Best Views Full HD 24/6/12
ARTPOP 2013
1,190, 803
Lady Gaga-Born This Way Ball (full concert) Live in Paris, Stade de
France – 22 Sept. 2012
616,936
Born This Way Ball Full Version 432,918
Lady Gaga live on iHeartRadio Music Fest (full show) 417,548
Princess Die – Lady Gaga, Born This Way Ball – Melbourne,
Australia (June 28
th
2012)
410,265
Lady Gaga- THE BORN THIS WAY BALL Singapore 2012-Born
This Way
387,076
Lady Gaga –Intro, Highway Unicorn & Born this way (HD)
Auckland, New Zealand. 7
th
June 2012
375,405
Lady Gaga- The Born This Way Ball at Montreal 346,250
Lady Gaga BTWB at Tokyo (2012/5/12) Schele 300,904
Lady Gaga-Hair (RESPONDS TO MADONNA) (HD) Auckland,
New Zealand. 7
th
June 2012
295,876
LADY GAGA THE BORN THIS WAY BALL LIVE IN BANGKOK
2012: Hair
281,449
The Born This Way Ball Tour DVD 1080p HD 257,163
Lady Gaga Manicure Music Video Official Ft. Beyoncé 256,074
Lady GAGA- Born this Way Atlantic city 2/19 252,293
Lady Gaga-Born This Way-Washington DC 2/24/11 [HD] 251,040
Lady Gaga-Marry The Night-Live in Vilnius, Lithuania 21.08.2012
HD
227,405
Lady Gaga in Poland ergo arena, MONSTER BALL TOUR 217,630
Lady Gaga HIT IN THE HEAD DURING Judas – BTW Ball
(Auckland, New Zealand) 10/06/2012 Gaga Fail
212,122
Lady Gaga-The Born This Way Ball (full concert) 205,552
Total Video Clicks- Born This Way Ball: 10,725,089
DIGITAL IMPACT 78
Taylor Swift
Top 20 most viewed videos and clips Number of Clicks
Taylor Swift and Cher Lloyd – “Want U Back” at Staples Center –
Red Tour [HD]
1,724,663
Taylor Swift & Ellie Goulding "Anything could happen" at Staples
Center
834,095
Taylor Swift – Red (Live from New York City) 790,217
Taylor Swift- Taylor’s Best Performances From Red 506,164
Taylor Swift & Sara Bareilles – “Brave” at Staples Center [HD] 476,899
Taylor Swift & Jennifer Lopez –Jenny from the Block Red Tour –
L.A. Staples Center 8/24/2013
474,759
Luke Bryan and Taylor Swift Nashville I Don’t Want This Night To
End Red Tour September 19 2013 HD
381,586
Behind the Scenes of Taylor Swift’s week at Staples Center 379,649
You’re So Vain Taylor Swift and Carly Simon – Gillette Stadium 293,759
“Sparks Fly” acoustic Live on the Red Tour
279,895
Taylor Swift Stay Stay Stay/Ho Hey – 7
th
Song On RED Tour 270,666
Taylor Swift – Everything Has Changed with Ed Sheeran The Red
Concert Tour 2013
239,285
Taylor Swift- All Too Well- 14
th
Song on Red Tour 220,058
Taylor Swift Red Tour 215,215
“Holy Ground” Live on the Red Tour 212,229
“Red” Guitar Solo from Red Tour Opening Night 194,868
All Too Well (LIVE) – Taylor Swift 161,307
Taylor Swift Sparks Fly 161,148
Taylor Swift: The Lucky One – 5
th
Song on Red Tour 146,072
Jennifer Lopez & Taylor Swift – Jenny From the Block Red Tour 138,509
Total Video Clicks- Red Tour: 8,101,043
DIGITAL IMPACT 79
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DIGITAL IMPACT 82
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article-1.1376602
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Asset Metadata
Creator
Cabezas, Maritza C.
(author)
Core Title
Digital impact: the impact of mobile digital technology on live music events and its influence on marketing, branding and public relations professionals
School
Annenberg School for Communication
Degree
Master of Arts
Degree Program
Strategic Public Relations
Publication Date
03/05/2014
Defense Date
03/05/2014
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Tag
branding,digital technology,live events,Marketing,mobile digital,OAI-PMH Harvest,Public Relations
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Tags
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