University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses

“Ocean fandom”: what the music industry should learn from Frank Ocean to keep the phenomenon and cultural experience called fandom alive

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“Ocean fandom”: what the music industry should learn from Frank Ocean to keep the phenomenon and cultural experience called fandom alive

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“OCEAN FANDOM”: WHAT THE MUSIC INDUSTRY SHOULD LEARN FROM FRANK
OCEAN TO KEEP THE PHENOMENON AND CULTURAL EXPERIENCE CALLED
FANDOM ALIVE

BY
AMBER TIDMORE

A THESIS PRESENTED TO THE FACULTY OF
THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA GRADUATE SCHOOL
ANNENBERG SCHOOL OF COMMUNICATION AND JOURNALISM

IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE
MASTER OF ARTS IN STRATEGIC PUBLIC RELATIONS

LOS ANGELES, CA
MAY 2019

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Table of Contents………………………………………………………………….………………1

Abstract………………………………………………………………….…………….…..............2

Introduction………………………………………………………………….…………….…....3-5

Background…………………………………………………………………………………….6-25

History of Commercial Music Technology and Fandom……………………………...9-22

Who is Frank Ocean? How he Sets Precedence with “Boys Don’t Cry” Pop-Up…...22-25

Experiential Marketing and Pop-Ups…….…………………………………………………..26-35

Defining Experiential Marketing and Pop-Ups……………………………………....26-29

Experiential Marketing: Understanding the Market………………………………….29-32

Defining Categories of Pop-Up Events………………………………………………32-35

Boys Don’t Cry: Content Analysis…………………………………………………………...36-41

Social Engagement & ROI: Addressing the Critics………………………………………….42-43

Boys Don’t Cry: What the Industry Should Learn from Frank Ocean………………………44-51

Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………………52-53

List of Appendices………………………………………………………….………………...54-72

Appendix A Kevin Lyman Interview Transcription……………………………….54-59

Appendix B Andrew Justice Interview Transcription……………………………...60-64

Appendix C Michael Kaminsky Interview Transcription………………………….65-68

Appendix D List of Illustrations…………………………………………………...69-72

Works Cited………………………………………………………….……………………….73-86

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ABSTRACT
“OCEAN FANDOM”: WHAT THE MUSIC INDUSTRY SHOULD LEARN FROM FRANK
OCEAN TO KEEP THE PHENOMENON AND CULTURAL EXPERIENCE CALLED
FANDOM ALIVE
By Amber Tidmore
Music since its inception has always been a social, emotional and cultural experience.
The introduction of technology has either advanced or disrupted that experience. Modern
technology such as streaming is something that grants artists more freedom, and it allows music
to be accessible like never before, but it poses a threat to fandom. Streaming is not a problem,
but its impact on fandom is an issue that the music industry is failing to make a priority. Fandom
is a phenomenon and cultural experience that drives people to music. Fandom is the experience
of a fan waiting in line at a record store to meet their favorite artists, wearing a band tee with
pride, or standing in line to be one of the first people to have access to a new album. Yes,
changes are inevitable but what remains at the core of any music is the necessity of social and
emotional connection. Fans may have greater accessibility, but they are losing the ability to
connect with musicians. Now, there is nothing wrong with advancing technology in music, but it
is problematic if the industry fails to recognize what it does to fandom. So without those
connections how can the music industry continue to influence people to click the play button?
This thesis examines the dwindling fandom experience, identifies what that experience looks like
today, and how the industry should take advantage of that by utilizing singer-songwriter Frank
Ocean as an example.

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Introduction
“You can watch it online but it is not the same thing. The thing with streaming at least we
are digesting more music but how much of it is sticking? And that is where we are having the
problem...Especially when you are a new artist you might be getting a lot of streams but are they
connecting it to your name, and who you are, and will it motivate them to go see you live?” -
Kevin Lyman, founder and CEO of Kevin Lyman Group and creator of Vans Warp Tour
This thesis begins with a discussion of history related to specific advancements in
commercial music technology. A detailed exploration of this aspect of history is crucial as it will
highlight the start of fandom and why fandom is so essential in the process of influencing people
to engage with music. This thesis also highlights how the fandom experience is dwindling
because without fandom, there is no community, and without community, there is no unifying
force that influences people to engage with music beyond the click of a button. Many record
labels failed to recognize and take advantage of the potential of streaming now tech companies
dominate the streaming market. The author believes that the industry is making the same
mistake by failing to acknowledge that the way that musicians build community and connect
with their fans is changing rapidly. Thus, fandom is dwindling because people are failing to
recognize that it is important or that is an issue that needs to address. However, there is still an
opportunity to reinvent fandom in a way that works for the music industry today. The author
believes that the solution is pop-up events.
Therefore the industry should look to Frank Ocean for the solution. Thus, the author will
explore Ocean's history in music, leading to his five-year hiatus from the public eye and how
Ocean was able to return to music and connect with his fans as if he never left. In August 2016
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Ocean returned to music by dropping two albums Blonde and Endless, which is a visual album.
To promote the album he hosted pop-ups on the same day in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago,
and London. Fans that were lucky enough to get to each event obtained a free printed copy of
the magazine Boys Don't Cry . What makes this so special is that Ocean returned to music not
just by dropping a new single or album he created an experience for his fans. In one day Ocean
illustrated what music fandom should be for today's society. The thesis highlights how Ocean
accomplished this through the use of experiential marketing, specifically the use of pop-up
events.
The author examines and defines experiential marketing and pop-up events as a whole
and offers insight into the market. Then, the author establishes the top categories of pop-ups by
highlighting different pop-up events hosted by other musicians. However, the author establishes
what sets Ocean apart and how he sets precedence in the music industry in terms of experiential
marketing. Then the thesis presents a content analysis of the Boys Don't Cry pop-up from the
year 2016 to today as the author analyzes the deliverables that Ocean created for the event.
The thesis then addresses two criticisms. One, critics disagree with the notion that
technology negatively impacts fandom. Secondly, other critics agree that fandom is dwindling
but disagree with the idea that pop-ups are the solution. After addressing the opposing
arguments, the author presents a list of the best practices that musicians and music industry
professionals should consider and can utilize to conduct pop-up events.
Ultimately the author utilized primary and secondary research by exploring a little over
one hundred sources. The vast amount of research include articles, books, short films and
interviews from leading music industry professionals and a music historian. The author hopes
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that her passion for music and experiential marketing, and the research inspires its readers to
consider the idea that fandom is at risk as technology continues to advance.

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Background

Before the introduction of technology, music was exclusively a live experience. Outside
of being a live form of entertainment it once served as a necessity to communicate, deliver
messages or tell stories. No matter the period, the fundamental factor that remains constant for
musicians is the need to express themselves, communicate and connect with their audiences.
Dating back as early as 1877, the introduction of technology propelled music into a for-profit
profession. Today, technology has allowed musicians to have greater autonomy over their
music. Hashtags, follows or posts allow musicians to connect with their fans instantly, while
digital services such as streaming increase accessibility of music with the click of a button.
1
Technology grants more accessibility between musicians and their fans but it threatens fandom.
2
What is fandom? In an interview with Kevin Lyman, founder and CEO of Kevin Lyman
Group and creator of Vans Warp Tour, he states there was a time when “someone would hear an
album would come out, someone would get a copy, you would play it in your room, then friends
would spread the word; it was very organic.” Fandom is the experience of going to the store and
buying an album. It is fans lining up at record stores to be the first to have a copy of their
favorite musician’s new music, or have the opportunity to meet them in person, or wear a band
tee with pride after attending a concert. There was also excitement surrounding the experience of
tearing off the cellophane of a new vinyl record or opening a CD case to find a new poster to
1
In this thesis, the author follows the definition of fan as defined by Mark Duffett in
Understanding Fandom: An Introduction to the Study of Media Fan Culture . Duffett defines fan
as “a self-identified enthusiast, devotee or follower of a particular media genre, text, person or
activity,” see Duffett.
2
In this thesis, the author draws upon Duffett’s definition of fandom : “a way of identifying
oneself on a deep level as being a fan and enacting that role…,” to define fandom in this thesis as
an action; a phenomenon; or a cultural experience that influences a fans’ need to connect and
build community with music, musicians or other fans.
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hang on their wall. Fandom is a motivating force that fans experience; it allows musicians to
connect with their fans and build community, all of which is crucial to an artists' commercial
success whether the goal is to encourage people to listen to their music, attend concerts, buy
merchandise, or to build a brand. According to Michael Kaminsky, founder, and president of the
management company KMGMT, Inc, fandom is a “shared cultural experience,” but today that
experience is different. For example, the act of standing in line at midnight with a group of
people to buy a new album in comparison to logging on Twitter to learn when an artist will drop
a new single are “two very different experiences” (Kaminsky). Technological advances have
impacted this experience so that today it is more challenging to capture the same drive, spirit,
and sense of community between the musician and their fans. As the music industry
understandably embraces streaming the service poses a threat to fandom. Streaming does not
push fans to engage in the same way, and Lyman further reiterates this assertion:
Now, it is a push of a button and that music goes out to 200 million people but is
there that personal connection of “Did you hear that song?” How do you build that
community? So there seems to be a disconnect in some ways for longevity in people’s
careers, that’s what I am more concerned about is how quickly a song could capture the
imagination but how long does it stick in society? Or does it become a thing where now
so often I see artists that constantly have to turn out singles to stay relevant, and if you
don’t put out that single, or don’t have something, it slips to the back of the mind, it slips
right out.
That personal interaction a lot of times started with a handshake and that is when a
band would sit and meet their fans and sign something for them. Now we have the
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problem that you have to pay for everything like the VIPs. Once you monetize a
handshake…and that can take in many forms, it becomes a whole different relationship.
Now, as the experience of purchasing and listening to an album is entirely online, more
people can instantly have access to content but this process takes away from the personal
connection. Specifically, fans lose the experience of physical interaction, thrill, and anticipation
surrounding fandom. Accessibility is not an issue, and according to Nancy Baym author of
Playing to the Crowd: Musicians, Audiences, and the Intimate Work of Connection states “Music
has always been about building, sustaining, and reworking social relationships and institutions.
No matter how commercialized it becomes, it can 'never be just a product.” Music fandom
highlights a particular spirit or excitement, so how can the music industry encourage fans to be
excited about music beyond the click of a button? Today that must come in the form of creating
experiences, specifically activations such as pop-up events.
Pop-up events are the contemporary form of fandom because they encourage fans and
listeners to engage with music beyond the click of a button. Pop-up events capture the same
drive, spirit, and sense of community that the music industry has lost because they create unique
experiences for musicians to connect with their fans. Many musicians are capitalizing on the
impact of pop-up events. For example, Pharos Concerts by Childish Gambino, The Life of Pablo
pop-up shop by Kanye West, and more recently, Beychella by Beyonce, Pink Trap House by 2
Chainz, and Sweetner the Experience by Ariana Grande hosted by Spotify. But, there is one
3
3
According to “Merch Wars: How The Music Industry has Infiltrated The World of Pop-up
Shops” published by pop-up shop creators Creative Control a number of other artists have
created pop-up events such as Cash Money at VFILES, Guns-N-Roses at John Varvatos Stores,
Roc-a-fella and Jay Z Resonable Doubt, YG Still Brazy Pop-Up, Justin Bieber Purpose at
VFILES Pop-Up, A$AP Rocky and A$AP Bari VLONE Pop-Up, see Creative Control.
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pop-up event that stands out and sets a precedent in the music industry: Boys Don’t Cry by Frank
Ocean. Boys Don’t Cry, a four-city pop-up shop, illustrates the positive impact of pop-up events
on fandom and the way fans engage with and experience music. Ocean’s event offers best
4
practices that industry leaders and musicians should follow when aspiring to conduct pop-up
events. To understand fandom in the music industry, the importance of pop up events, and why
Ocean sets a precedent, the author’s research begins with the history of commercial music
technology and fandom, and later examines the history of Ocean and Boys Don’t Cry.
History of Commercial Music Technology and Fandom:

“As an art form, music's fundamental value to its creators and listeners is grounded in
emotional connection and fulfillment…” Technology, however, pushed music into a for-profit
5
industry and changed the way that people engaged and experienced music. Music has a vast and
rich history but the author will explore the history of music, and identify its impact on fandom,
by examining key advancements in commercial music technology that include the phonograph,
gramophone, radio leading to a major shift in formats, that include 8-tracks, cassette tapes and
streaming.
This journey begins with Thomas Edison’s invention of the phonograph in 1877. When
he demonstrated the device for the first time he recorded himself shouting “Mary had a Little
Lamb.” According to Greg Milner, author of Perfecting Sound Forever , “the sound was etched
into wax paper and played back…A few months later, he unveiled the first phonograph, which
he used to record a remake of the poem, this time into tinfoil” (Milner 4). Then in 1878,
4
Boys Don’t Cry is the name of the pop-up event as well as the printed magazine that was
handed out at the event.
5
According to Forbes contributor Cherie Hu in “How Technology Has Transformed, And
Complicated, Music Fandom: Interview With Nancy Baym,” see Hu.
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according to author Terry Burrows in The Art of Sound: A Visual History for Audiophiles Edison
established the Edison Speaking Phonograph Company to market the invention. Edison
suggested that potential uses for the device ranged from dictation to audiobooks, to toys and the
reproduction of music. Years later Edison referred to the phonograph as “nothing less than a
musical instrument" as he hated the idea of calling it a “talking machine” (Milner 4).
Despite Edison’s advancements in music technology, Emile Berliner invented the
gramophone in 1887. Initially, Edison had every to reason to not consider Berliner’s
gramophone a threat as The Berliner Gramophone Company was not as successful because the
phonograph became very popular as a music device. Within the next decade, the phonograph
6
began to make its way into homes. Then the “first commercially available recordings appeared
in 1901,” yet within that same year the Victor Talking Machine Company released a new version
of Berliner’s gramophone. The new version was a “more viable alternative to Edison’s
phonograph” as the device was more durable and user-friendly, cheaper and easier to
mass-produce, and it “could hold four minutes of music, twice as much as Edison cylinder”
(Milner 37). Eventually, Edison’s phonograph was no longer profitable, and instead, Berliner’s
gramophone established a format that went on to “dominate recording during the 20th century”
(Burrows 26).
Clearly, Edison’s invention jump-started the idea of commercial music technology.
During that time however the concept of music fandom was not an established phenomenon, and
according to Andrew Justice Head of the Music Library at the University of Southern California,
“fandom existed but not in the same way.” Timothy D. Taylor in Music, Sound, and Technology
6
Milner states, “total phonograph sales increased tenfold between 1890 and 1900, spurred by
rapidly growing urban population in the United states…,” see Milner 37.
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in America: A Documentary History of Early Phonograph, Cinema, and Radio notes a music
critic in 1923:
Such uses of the phonograph were uncommon, and in reality most listeners took a more
cautious approach to the technology. Consider the simple fact that with recordings one
hears music but does not see musicians. This was an unsettling experience for many early
listeners who, as a music critic explained in 1923, “cannot bear to hear a remarkably life-
like human voice issuing from a box. They desire the physical presence. For want of it,
the gramophone distresses them.
It was viewed as a strange experience but it also started establishing the need for people to
connect with the performers. To help connect fans with the musician, some producers would
advertise ghostly, miniature or life-size figures of customers’ favorite musicians standing next to
the device as the music played (Taylor 16). Another aspect of this experience is “solitary
listening” as before the invention of commercial music technology it was not “practical nor
desirable to hear music alone” and “music had always accompanied social and communal
events” as a result it “contradicted centuries of tradition and challenged long-held notions about
the function of music” (Taylor 16). Ultimately, there was a significant phenomenon that drove
listeners to connect with the musician.
Despite hesitancy from the public as illustrated the phonograph and gramophone were
still successful products but “the growing popularity of radio was proving to be a threat to the
entire phonograph industry” and it proved to be an even greater threat to way people experience
music (Milner 47). Many significant inventors contributed to the invention of the radio but
there are a few key figures that pioneered radio such as Guglielmo Marconi. Marconi could not
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get the Italian government interested in wireless telegraphy, so he traveled to London to pursue
his invention. By 1899 Marconi sent a wireless signal across the English Channel to France
( Radio: Out Of Thin Air ). Despite his success he felt that “privacy was the key to success in
communication” and later with the help of John Ambrose Fleming, he designed the transmitter
for the first “transatlantic transmission of radio waves.” The British Navy mainly used the radio
during the war to contact ships at sea (Burrows 132-133, Radio: Out Of Thin Air ). By the end of
World War I the “birth of the broadcasting industry” was taking shape in the U.S. and Europe
(Burrows 132).
Radios now were produced for commercial use. The Radio Corporation of America
(RCA) was founded in 1919, becoming the “world’s first national broadcaster.” The British
Broadcasting Company (BBC) was founded in 1922. Record sales began to decrease in the
United States as “radio [became] increasingly popular” (Burrows 26, 132). According to author
Michael J. Haupert in The Entertainment Industry , “In 1922 radio sales totaled $60 million. This
rose to $136 million the following year and $358 million in 1924. The Federal Trade
Commission (FTC) estimated about 75 percent of RCA’s total revenue during these years had
come from radio sales, none of which they manufactured” (139). What made radio in particular
so special was that “nationwide thousands, eventually millions, shared live musical or the
practical performances over the radio” and more than previous technologies the “radio imparted
a feeling of connectedness, since everyone listening in knew that others were hearing the same
programs at the same time” (Taylor 4). The success of the radio highlights the importance of
developing connections with an audience beyond mere accessibility as the radio allowed fans to
build community with the people that surround them, their favorite musicians on air, and every
Tidmore 13
other listener across the nation. The radio did not always have a positive impact. People
7
gathered in the homes of the people who did have radios to share the experience because like
many technological advances, only those with money could afford to place a radio in their
homes. Radio also had a major impact on Jazz and The Swing Era. According to Justice,
fandom, in this case, was “about the behavior, of Friday and Saturday night, going out to the
speakeasies and swing clubs.” It was the “behavior” to act on the “voracious appetite” for what
people enjoy and how people connected as a community. Ted Gioia, musician, jazz critic and
author of The History of Jazz discussed how the formation of radio impacted the way fans
experienced music during this era:
The end of Prohibition in 1933 transformed many speakeasies into legitimate nightclubs,
but the change was hardly a positive one for most jazz players. Not only alcohol but the
whole ethos and ambiance of jazz culture were demystified in the process. Both could
now be easily consumed at home: alcohol legally purchased at the liquor store, jazz
carried into the household over the airwaves. This was progress of sorts. Yet the harsh
math of this new equation did not bode well for musicians: a single band could now
entertain countless listeners through the magic of radio. By implication, a few
instrumentalists were doing the work that previously required hundreds, maybe
thousands, of bands. Thus, the same technology that brought unparalleled fame to a small
7
Additionally, Taylor attributes the success of radio due to the marketing tools utilized to
connect fans with musicians: “Along with the wide scale adoption of these new technologies in
the 1920s, this decade also witnessed the rise of new popular magazines for radio fans,
phonograph record buyers, and film buffs. This massive popular press, well represented in the
readings, gave listeners information about their favorite musicians and stars, sponsored contests
and conducted polls to survey the preferences of audiences, and printed fan letters about their
favorite stars, music, and films. These magazines helped create a star system that we now take
for granted but in fact was a historical construction of the early twentieth century,” see Taylor, 3.
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cadre did irreparable damage to most players, as supply and demand were brought further
out of alignment.
This era illustrates that due to the lack of technology, musicians connected with fans by
way of live performances. Then technological advances such as the radio granted accessibility,
but it is clear that access to the radio was not equal. At that time the radio negatively impacted
the careers of certain musicians, and to an extent it negatively impacted the way that fans
experienced and engaged with music. This shift in dynamics further highlights that the concept
of fandom began to take form during this era, but it was expressed differently (Justice).
Ultimately, this era set the foundation for further innovation in commercial music technology
and sparked the notion of fandom.
Up until this time the 10-inch (25-cm), 78-rpm ‘single’ dominated the market (Burrows
51). According to RCA, “In 1929 the company made its first moves into consumer electronics
8
products when RCA purchased the Victor Talking Machine Company.” According to RCA,
during the 1930s RCA Victor released the first “33 ⅓ rpm records to the public” but due to cost,
The Great Depression and poor audio performance the first vinyl records initially were not a
commercial success (RCA, Thill).
Later, according to Burrows Columbia Records became RCA Victor’s number one
competitor. In 1948 Columbia introduced the “12-inch (30 cm), 33 ⅓ rpm long-playing [(LP)]
microgroove album.” Slate Magazine provides an excerpt from 360 Sound: The Columbia
Records Story, by author and historian Sean Wilentz. Wilentz states in 1948 Columbia Records
announced that it designed a 33 ⅓ record, “manufactured on unbreakable Vinylite, which
8
RPM means the total revolutions per minute, see Merriam-Webster.
Tidmore 15
contained up to 22½ minutes of music per side—and the label was ready to release recordings in
the new formats right away.” The new format was not only “more durable,” but Wilentz also
indicates that the records cost less as one LP record “featuring an entire symphony would cost
$4.85” compared to “$7.25 for an album of five conventional 78s containing the same
symphony.” In response to Columbia, RCA Victor introduced a “45-rpm record” in 1949
(Burrows 210). Wilentz states the company also developed a “rapid record changer” which
allowed listeners to stack a large number of records, and listen to music uninterrupted, as the 45
rpm would quickly and automatically drop to the turntable. Both companies continued to battle
and improve vinyl records, which is a period referred to as “the battle of the speeds.”
Clearly, Columbia was major competition for RCA, but both companies went on to
impact the industry in its own way. Columbia continued to make significant achievements and
developments such as the company’s talent roster, being responsible for the “popularization of
high-fidelity, stereo recording—“360 Sound”—in the 1950s,” and most record buyers preferred
the 33 ⅓ LP (Wilentz). While RCA’s rapid record changer and the 45 rpm went on to be a
favorite format for pop, and rock and roll records especially amongst teen audiences. In the
article “45 45s That Changed The World” Martin Chilton, a former culture editor and music
critic of The Telegraph , and now a contributor to UDiscover Music , states:
It was soon clear that the public, especially the young, were willing to buy singles by
the millions. Within five years, more than 200 million 45s had been sold and the boom
made global superstars of people such as Elvis Presley and Chuck Berry, etching their
songs into the public consciousness.
Tidmore 16
The golden age of 45s came at a time when teenagers, in a less constricted post-war
world, found in record-buying something to bond over and identify with. Music became
the most popular form of entertainment and shaped teenage lifestyles...If a song was
about dancing, fun, cars and love, it hit the spot.
The popularity of 45 rpm record is a period where the concept of fandom begins to form within
the music industry. The idea of listening to a record on a jukebox or buying the record at a
record store was an entire experience that influenced young audiences, but it was their way of
connecting to their favorite musicians. Listening to music through the use of records was no
longer an odd experience, now it was a cultural experience.
The creation of vinyl records lead to the emergence of record stores. According to Tony
Renzoni author of Connecticut Rock ‘n’ Roll: A History record stores became a place where
people could purchase popular music that they would typically have listened to live or on the
radio. Record stores offered “recording booths” where customers could record vinyl records
(Renzoni 22). Renzoni also states that after business hours record stores would eventually begin
to host local bands to play live music, which grew to be extremely popular:
9
Every town and city in the United States had popular local record shops that were
customer favorites. Record stores were an integral part of the fabric of the music in these
towns and cities. They served as a place where people, especially teenagers, would
gather to casually browse through the store collection, compare notes on their favorite
records and eventually buy a record or two.
10
9
Later, “record stores began selling music in formats other than vinyl (e.g. compact discs),” see
Renzoni.
10
Patrick Burkart in “Trends in Digital Music Archiving” states that some record collectors
played a role in the formation of record stores. According to Burkart collectors turned their
Tidmore 17
Record stores appear to be the music industry’s introduction to music fandom. Although, many
people could experience music live or listen to it on the radio record stores play a significant role
in a fan’s deep appreciation for music and the act of wanting to experience that appreciation with
others. Now the public could share that same passion for music just like their favorite musicians.
The creation of vinyl and RCA’s rapid record changer set the tone for the creation of fandom, but
record stores provided a platform for fandom in the music industry to take form and to thrive.
Fast-forward to the 1960s, a period where fandom is now identifiable due to the
emergence of vinyl records, the radio and record stores. During this time radio is everywhere
and fans now have access to innovations in commercial music technology such as the transistor
radio, 8-track and the cassette tape. Stephen Becker of the National Public Radio (NPR)
conducted a podcast, “8-Track Tapes Belong in A Museum,” featuring collector Bucks Burnett,
who at the time of the interview was the owner of The Eight Track Museum. In a short video
11
The Eight Track Museum Guided Tour With Bucks Burnett , Burnett states that the 8-track started
as a car only format, as it was first introduced to the auto industry in 1965 and quickly gained
immense popularity. Cassettes although were introduced to the market in 1963 the device took
more time to gain popularity and become the standard in cars. 8-tracks were “marketed to play
passion into business as record stores “were places of music that provided outlets for record
collectors to exercise their right of first sale, in selling and purchasing used records.” Burkart
also states that record stores were places that "Record stores were places of music that
“reproduced the legal and material pre-conditions of music education, librarianship, and fan-dom
by putting ownership of recorded music into the hands of the public. Record stores also
facilitated the emergence of new music scenes, by releasing new records, many of which could
be from local artists. Moreover, record stores often traded with local radio stations, including
community and student radio stations,” see Burkart.
11
Becker described Burnett’s collection as a display of “between 500 and 1,000 tapes, as well as
an example of every type of physical recorded music from the wax cylinders of the 1800s to the
iPod,” see Becker.
Tidmore 18
music” while “cassettes were [initially] pitched as at-home recording devices” (Becker). The
12
podcast also features Howard Kramer, Cleveland, Ohio’s former Curatorial Director for the Rock
and Roll Hall of Fame. Kramer states that the 8-track tape made music mobile and it gave
listeners the option to listen to something other than the AM radio. According to Becker, the
8-tracks' mobility came with limitations:
8-track tapes typically divided up a two-sided LP into four programs. If the songs
could not be split up evenly, a song might be cut in two…First it would fade out; then
you'd hear a click that indicated the program change...By the late '70s, format wars were
being fought on multiple fronts. VHS tapes were taking over the home video market
from Betamax and the public began to buy more cassettes than 8-tracks.
Kramer says there were plenty of reasons. “The cassette surpassed the 8-track because
of its mobility and also its fidelity,” he says. “There was less cramming of music onto the
tape, and they were smaller and easier to carry.” That mobility was increased as
boomboxes and other portable cassette players like the Sony Walkman were
introduced…”We all have formats we like. We all have formats we hate,” he says. “But
the thing is, every single format was someone's format. That format is what connected
them with music.
Ultimately, 8-tracks further mobilized music, as radios were already in cars. The
difference is that 8-tracks were a format that gave fans the opportunity to choose what they
wanted to listen while traveling to their destinations. However, cassette tapes granted even
12
Becker states that when the “Ford Motor Company began to offer 8-track decks in its 1966
model cars, the format took off,” see Becker.
Tidmore 19
more mobility. Time’s Lily Rothman in “Rewound: On its 50th Birthday, The Cassette Tape is
Still Rolling” describes the cassette tape as “what now seems like a relic was a revolution in a
plastic case.” Lou Ottens debut the cassette at a radio exhibition in 1963 as he led product
development at Phillips. Now, it was easier for fans to experience music while on the go as the
13
cassette tape was smaller, cheaper and easier to handle compared to the “reel-to-reel recorders”
that dominated the market. Therefore, the technology spread rapidly and by the end of the
14
1960s fans were now able to play cassette tapes in their cars ( Time ).
Yet, the cassette tape served many purposes, it was one of the first tools that fans and
musicians could utilize to easily share music, especially during the 1970s and all the way into the
mid-1990s. The process of buying a cassette, making a mixtape, sharing music, buying new
music was an “organic” and a phenomenon filled with thrill and anticipation, which created an
experience that connected fans with their favorite musicians (Lyman). Later innovations such as
the Technics SL-1200 Turntables in 1972, The Walkman in 1979, and compact discs (CD) in
1982 all revolutionized the way in fans experienced and engaged with music ( RollingStone ). At
that time musicians followed a traditional “album cycle” where artists released an album, pushed
for radio stations to play their music, artists sold their music in record stores, then went on tour
for a year with the hope to rank high on the Billboard charts and to have their music recognized
at a gold or platinum status (Lyman).
13
Phillips is leader in electronic technology innovation. The radio exhibition that Rothman
refers to is Funkausstellung, which is a consumer electronics trade show held in Berlin,
Germany, see Rothman and “Our Heritage.”
14
RollingStone magazine in “24 Inventions That Changed Music: A brief timeline of key
breakthroughs in recorded sound” states in 1935: “German electronics-engineering company
AEG (Allgemeine Elektricitäts-Gesellschaft) unveiled the first reel-to-reel tape recorder for
everyday use.” see RollingStone .
Tidmore 20
Now, in a period where there are more products available for commercial use and places
such as major retail stores and record stores, fandom takes even an bigger form. During the
mid-1990s there was a significant movement of musicians beginning to associate with brands.
The business model changed as “there was always this kind of skepticism of artists getting
involved with the brand or aligning with the brand would hurt them,” but musicians had to find
more ways to connect with fans and build community within these changes (Lyman). In
“Merchants & Marketing: Merchandising Firm Finds Profit in Fandom” written in 1997 by
Billboard’s Frank Dicostanza, he discusses this topic and offers a glimpse into the later
20th-century version of pop-up events. Dicostanza interviewed Rick Smith and Shep Alster,
who joined forces in 1991 to form a merchandising firm called Limitdead Editions Inc. Alster, a
fan of the Grateful Dead, partnered with Smith and acquired the rights to use the band's name,
logo, and designs to “[sell] musically inspired” branded merchandise. In the article Alter
discusses how he and his partner take merchandise that is “historically sold at concerts, gift
shops, and head shops; brought them into the mainstream; and adapted them to fit the lifestyle of
today’s Baby Boomers” and placing the mix of high-end, standard and collectible merchandise in
sections of retails stores “dedicated to selling branded merchandise.” The displays also featured a
mix of different musicians as a part of firm’s sales strategy that includes switching up the
merchandise and offering different products, which became known as “the rock shop”
( Billboard ).
Record stores also provided a space for fans to connect with other fans and musicians
whether that came in the form of fans standing in line to buy the latest album, or fans having the
opportunity to meet their favorite artists, or buying the latest merchandise. Record stores were
Tidmore 21
an environment where fandom formed organically, whether the musician was present or not the
space provided experiences that allowed fans to connect and build community, which positively
impacted the relationship that musicians had with their fans. However, many major retail stores
and record stores of the 1970s and the mid-1990s no longer exist, but the experiences that those
places provided were significant.
So where is this rich fan experience in the 21 st Century? The author believes pop-up
events will restore this experience. In an interview, Vogue’s Steff Yotka discussed this concept
in relation to pop-up events with Mat Vlasic CEO of Bravado:
15
The thing is, how many record stores are there? There’s [sic]not many, and it’s
unfortunate, but what was a record store really? It was a place, obviously, that sold
music, but it was a place that people went and they started a conversation and they’d
learn something and they’d try something new. These temporary stores are really creating
a very similar thing, a place to come and listen to music.
As the music industry continues to embrace technology, the industry must continuously
look for solutions to maintain fandom. Looking back at music history through technology
illustrates that whether through the phonograph, gramophone, radio, record stores, 8-track, or
cassette tapes, there was a need to maintain fandom not only to make a profit but to build a
community between fans and musicians. The use of technology is not the issue, but its ability to
disrupt the fandom experience is problematic, but pop-up events are the best solution as these
15
According to Yotka in “How the Merch Gets Made—A Behind-the-Scenes Look at Kanye
West’s Pop-Up Shops:” “Bravado is the subsidiary of Universal Music Group that produces
merchandise and merchandise-related events for artists,” see Yotka.
Tidmore 22
events best capture a contemporary form of fandom. The industry can look to many musicians
that have successfully put on pop-up events, but Frank Ocean sets a precedent.
Who is Frank Ocean? How he Sets Precedence with Boys Don’t Cry Pop-Up:

In 2005 Frank Ocean moved to Los Angeles to record music after leaving New Orleans
due to Hurricane Katrina. In an interview with Complex’s Ernest Baker, Ocean discussed
signing to Island Def Jam Recordings at the end of 2009, and the deal became official in early
2010. Ocean noted a strained relationship with the record label from the start, stating: “Outside
of the contract and the paperwork, there was no relationship. I never walked through the
building. I never had an opportunity to build with them, because of some other s—t within the
company. All I knew was that I was an artist, and I didn’t have a relationship with my label.”
However, the singer, songwriter and producer gained the label’s attention when he released his
mixtape nostalgia, ULTRA in 2011. He went on to write for artists such as Beyonce, James
Blake, Justin Bieber, Brandy and other musicians. Frank Ocean released his first studio album
channel Orange in 2012. According to Billboard , the album “sold 131,000 copies in its first
week” and “debuted and peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 chart.” Despite channel Orange’s
success, Ocean found himself in a place where he considered retiring from music. In “Frank
Ocean is Finally Free, Mystery Intact” an interview with New York Times’ Jon Caramanica,
Ocean discussed many of the struggles he faced in 2013. Ocean had concerns about the
management of his business affairs, concerns about stolen money, and concerns about other
industry conflicts. Ocean noted, “It started to weigh on me that I was responsible for the moves
that had made me successful, but I wasn’t reaping the lion’s share of the profits, and that was
Tidmore 23
problematic for me.” Ocean expressed feelings of “isolation” as he felt that he no longer had
anyone he could turn to for help.
Then in 2013, he fled to London where he began recording his second album at the
Abbey Road Studios. During this time he maintained a low profile and occasionally posted
glimpses of his new music on his Tumblr page, while fans and the industry speculated about the
release date of his next album. In the New York Times interview with Caramanica, Ocean also
16
discusses how during this period he began to perfect his sound and gain control over his business
as a musician:
He replaced his team — new management, new lawyer, new publicist. And he began
negotiations to free himself from his contract with Island Def Jam, the label that had
signed him in 2009 and effectively shelved him until his self-released debut mixtape
“Nostalgia, Ultra” caused a stir online in 2011. “A seven-year chess game” is how he
described the process of buying himself out of his contract and purchasing back all of his
master recordings — using his own money, he said.
In 2016, Ocean fulfilled his contractual obligations with the Def Jam when the record
label took on the distribution of his next project, Endless . Then, in the same week, Ocean
17
released his second studio album, Blonde , independently. According to Billboard, Blonde was
the third-largest debut behind Beyonce’s Lemonade and Drake’s Views . Billboard also reported
that Blonde was “ the third independently distributed No. 1 album in 2016” following “Blink
182’s California and The Lumineers’ Cleopatra ,” yet the biggest difference between the release
16
see Inside Frank Ocean’s Blonde, Pitchfork.
17
Inside Frank Ocean’s Blonde states: “ Endless [is] a 45 minute video album in which multiple
Franks slowly completed the stairway edited down from a 140 hours of streaming footage.” see
Pitchfork.
Tidmore 24
of the two albums is that Ocean released Blonde “ directly to Apple and iTunes -- bypassing a
traditional distribution company” (Caulfield).
Ocean did play with fan's emotions as he initially announced on his website that his next
album would arrive in 2015, but even after arriving a year late, Endless and Blonde were still a
massive success. What contributed to Ocean’s success, outside of having a strong fan base, was
that he created an experience around the release of each project. Beginning on August 1, 2016
and over the next few weeks a live video began streaming on Ocean’s official website. The
video featured Ocean building a staircase while his new music played in the background. On
August 19, 2016, the video officially became known as Endless , which lead up to the release of
Blonde on August 20, 2016. Ocean not only created a digital experience for his fans but he
18
brought fans together by utilizing pop-up shops to distribute free copies of the 368 page print
magazine called Boys Don’t Cry .
During that time no other artists compare to what Ocean was able to accomplish in a
digital landscape. He hosted four separate pop-up events in Los Angeles, Chicago, New York,
and London. He embraced streaming but most importantly was still able to capture the spirit of
fandom and excitement surrounding the release of an album by encouraging fans to experience
the release of new music beyond the click of a button. Thus, through the use of a pop-up event,
Ocean successfully reignited the way fans used to experience music. What makes Boys Don’t
Cry so special? Ocean was able to provide an experience for his fans simultaneously in three
different locations across America and one in London. Despite Ocean’s five-year absence from
music, he was still able to maintain the same momentum and connection with his fans as if he
18
Both Endless and Blonde were only available to stream on Apple Music.
Tidmore 25
never left. To truly understand the significance of pop-ups, and why Ocean’s event sets
precedence, the author will further discuss experiential marketing.

Tidmore 26
Experiential Marketing and Pop-Ups
Defining Experiential Marketing and Pop-Ups:

What is experiential marketing? It is a form of a marketing strategy that utilizes
activations to engage consumers through branded experiences that are both memorable and
immersive. Activations are typically pop-ups, which are temporary events or shops created by
19
a business, brand, or individual with the goal of connecting with customers, or consumers,
through an experience. Event planners can create pop-ups at any location from retail spaces to
unused properties, or the pop-up space is built from the ground up at a particular location. The
event can last for one day, for a week, or months but the experience is never permanent.
In “How to Host a Pop-Up Event and Keep Them Guessing,” Marcia L. Callaghan of
Media and Events Media Group states that pop-ups began showing up in the market during the
late 90s and the early 2000s, since then these events have continued to gain momentum. In 2016
companies in the pop-up industry such as Creative Control recognized that these types of events
are here to stay and are an asset to the music industry:
20
As 2016 nears its last quarter, we see that pop-up shops have fully infiltrated the music
industry, and vice versa. Artists have been using pop-ups as a venues for creative album
launches, tour merchandise stores, and clothing line releases. This is a truly exciting time
for both industries, and we expect to see more artists implement pop-ups into their
strategy in order to reach their listeners beyond just selling them tour merch and album
paraphernalia. As the sector of the industry grows, we expect artists and producers will be
19
see Eventbrite .
20
see “Merch Wars: How The Music Industry has Infiltrated The World of Pop-up Shops.”
Tidmore 27
pushing the boundaries to create multisensory environments that reach consumers on
every emotional level...
Pop-ups are a massive opportunity for musicians, industry leaders, and executives;
therefore, as pop-up events are a form of experiential marketing, the music industry needs to
have a clear understanding of the market. In “The Magic of Pop-Up Shop Marketing” Sarah
Steimer of the American Marketing Association states that pop-ups introduce consumers to
brands or “provide a format for direct interaction with consumers.” According to Ayni
Raimondi, who is now Head of Brand Marketing at Everlane, believes that in general
experiential marketing will typically show up in three different ways:
21
1. Brands will connect with its consumers either on a one-to-one basis or brands will
connect with a small population of its consumer. Therefore, the event focuses on
engaging with people offline “in the real world” but on a more intimate level.
2. Brands will utilize logo placements and sponsorships to “earn attribution but generate
less of an actual interaction with consumers.”
3. Brands will “leverage a crafted experience” for a population of its consumers “with the
goal of creating content that scales engagement by sharing via advertising or social
distribution.” As a result, the “intimate experience becomes above-the-line advertising
that engages the masses” (Raimondi).
Raimondi highlights that experiential marketing is an opportunity for brands to connect
with its consumer in a real-world setting through a personal or crafted experience and as a result,
21
Raimondi was the Global Brand Relationship Lead when she completed the interview with the
event platform Eventbrite . The full interview can be found in the article “Experiential Marketing
Series: Q&A with Ayni Raimondi of Airbnb,” see Eventbrite .
Tidmore 28
these events can have a significant impact on a brand’s exposure and its ability to build
community with its consumers. Steimer illustrates that pop-ups are the best platform to create
these opportunities.

Fig. 1. Chart: Created by the author utilizing “Experiential Marketing Series: Q&A with
Ayni Raimondi of Airbnb” and “Why The Music Industry Loves Pop-ups.” The chart
represents Raimondi’s general approaches to experiential marketing (pop-ups), and
examples of those approaches in the music industry.

So where do artists and industry leaders even begin? How do they utilize these general
approaches? The blog “Why The Music Industry Loves Pop-Ups” highlights the representation
of these approaches in the music industry. One depiction of this is “[connecting] with a key
moment.” From an album launch to an upcoming tour the blog highlights “by attaching yourself
to a big moment you can capitalize on the hype that’s already built up around it and create a
bigger experience as a result.” Another example is giving musicians the opportunity to
“collaborate with like-minded brands.” Lastly, pop-ups are temporary, so the event does not
Tidmore 29
have to last for a long time, and as a result, “a shorter pop-up creates more hype and uses the idea
of scarcity to encourage people to come into the shop before it’s gone.” (see fig. 1). Ultimately,
these are the most typical approaches to experiential marketing. Pop-ups are the best way for
marketers, music industry leaders and artists to implement these strategies and tactics while
keeping in mind that the possibilities are endless.
Experiential Marketing: Understanding the Market

Despite the uniqueness and numerous opportunities that experiential marketing has to
offer, it is not surprising that whether an individual is a small musician or a music industry
executive what is most important is the bottom line. Therefore, having an understanding of
experiential marketing is essential, but individuals interested in planning pop-ups not only need
to be strategic, but they must educate themselves about the value of the industry. The total value
of the pop-up industry is actually difficult to quantify as there are various types of pop-up events,
which can be conducted across every industry. Despite the total value being hard to quantify
there is absolutely no doubt that pop-up events are big business. The global brand experience
agency EA in its “2018 State of Experiential Research Study: The Value of Experiential
Marketing” states “the power of traditional marketing channels is waning, while experiential
marketing continues to gain prevalence and deliver results.” The study also highlights that
22
“Growth of Spending on Brand Activation Marketing in the U.S.” was $562 billion in 2015, in
2019 it will be an estimated $600 billion, and an estimated $743 billion by 2020. The agency
expanded their research in its latest report “2019 State of Experiential Research Study.”
22
The 2018 report also highlights that after an experience: “93 percent of consumers feel more
connected to a brand,” “94 percent of consumers are more likely to remember the brand.” Also,
“Experiential and events was rated [number one] most successful tactic.”
Tidmore 30
According to EA the “report analyzes survey data from over 700 industry professionals who
work directly with their organization’s events and experiential programs”:
23
Integrating experiential into the greater marketing funnel is now imperative to a
brand’s success. Experiential is helping brands reach their goals — of lead generation,
audience engagement, brand awareness and more — like never before. This explains why
experiential budgets have been growing for the last three years with no signs of
stopping…
Experiential budgets are increasing and will keep growing as brands recognize the
value of human-to-human interactions in our digital world — and the ability of these
interactions to help brands connect with audiences, differentiate themselves from
competitors, and retain audience attention.
The idea that "human-to-human interactions in our digital world" are key to a brand's success is
so important.
23
According to the report the 700 industry professionals include brand-side respondents, which
represent 52 percent of the survey population while agency and vendor respondents make up 48
percent of the survey population. The survey respondents represent some of the largest brands,
industries, and corporations working directly in the experiential marketing industry. The survey
demographics also include business to business and business to consumer respondents ranging
less than one year, ten years or more, to CEO level of experience.
Tidmore 31

Fig. 2. Research report key findings: “2019 State of Experiential Research Study.” 2019.
Courtesy of Agency EA.

The research report highlights a growing awareness regarding the value of experiential
marketing that the music industry should be aware of. For example, figure 2 highlights that
92.31 percent of survey respondents agreed that integrating event and experiential marketing into
a brand’s “sales and marketing funnel” would lead to “imperative success.” Over 60 percent of
the respondents believe that “event sponsorship” plays a major role in the success of a “brand's
events/experiential marketing.” The research also found that 40 percent agreed and 50 percent
somewhat agreed that “extending an event’s reach beyond the live experience is imperative to
the success of experiential strategy.” Although, this data does not target the music industry;
specifically, the data illustrates that the use of and the value of experiential marketing is on the
rise for all industries. The report also presented many key insights, but the music industry must
be aware of the insight that experiential accomplishing more than traditional marketing channels
Tidmore 32
by helping brands connecting with their target audience and differentiate themselves from their
competitors (EA). This study illustrates there is no doubt that consumers still crave physical
interaction and the need to connect within a unique experience; unfortunately, this aspect of the
music industry is dwindling. As streaming continues to dominate the market, the music industry
has to wake up and start paying more attention to the evolution of fandom. The industry also
needs to recognize the value of experiential marketing, and how pop-up events specifically, will
combat the disconnect between the musicians and their fans. The data presented by EA is
tremendously valuable, and anyone that ignores the value of experiential marketing will be left
behind as many other musicians, and industry leaders are beginning to take advantage of the
types of opportunities. But more musicians and leaders in the industry must begin to recognize
the power of this form of marketing, how to do it right and identify the number of ways to
conduct pop-up events.
Defining Categories of Pop-Up Events

The idea of what a pop-up can be is limitless, yet there are a few standard categories.
Typical pop-up categories can include intimate concerts, Instagram-worthy or interactive
exhibits, mini-festivals, and fashion. Now, there is no debate, Ocean’s pop-up shop is the best
example to follow, but the author’s research briefly explores other pop-up events in the music
industry only to illustrate the various types of pop-ups.
Instagram Worthy and Interactive Exhibits:
Ariana Grande’ s Sweetener Pop-Up and T.I. co-curator of the Trap Music Museum

Matt Meon of Paper magazine, states that the Ariana Grande pop-up allowed visitors to
“experience the album track-by-track as they walk through a series of exhibits meant to reflect
the vibe of the album.” This type of event is an opportunity to have fans generate shareable
Tidmore 33
content regarding the release of her album, and it is an opportunity for like-minded fans to
engage in a community. However, these types of exhibits can serve a higher purpose beyond just
sharing content, such as the Trap Music Museum, which explores the history of Trap Music.
According to the official website, the museum is “a hybrid art gallery and [an] interactive exhibit
displaying realistic scenes that are symbolic of the sound and lifestyle, that originated in the
ATL.” The purpose of the museum is to educate people about the history of Trap and how it has
transcended its genre. Ultimately, not only is the space Instagram worthy, but the exhibit is
interactive and provides an opportunity for visitors to learn about the culture and history of
Atlanta.
Intimate Concerts:
Sofar Sounds

In 2017, Airbnb announced that the company would be creating a music experience
division. The company would host a variety of music-related events such as pop-up concerts.
However, Sofar Sounds have built an entire business surrounding this pop-up format. With the
company tagline “Secret gigs and intimate concerts,” Sofar puts on private concerts in secret and
unique locations. Prospective attendees must complete an application for tickets and details
about the concert location are not revealed until the day before the show and guests have no idea
who will be performing. According to Tonya McBride Robles, vice president, and general
manager at the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Sofar Sounds is an “authentic and organic way
for people to connect to musicians without the high price points for tickets and in a setting
“that’s not the Meyerhoff or the Strathmore.” For fans, this format is a refreshing take on the
24
24
Quote can be found in the article “Sofar Sounds Combines Music, Mystery in Pop-up Concerts
Around the City,” by Brittany Britto of The Baltimore Sun , see Britto.
Tidmore 34
concert experience, and it provides emerging artists an opportunity to perform and get their
music out to the public.
Exclusive Festivals:
Childish Gambino’s PHAROS

Childish Gambino launched the PHAROS pop-up festival. He held the first festival in
Joshua Tree in September 2016. Then he held the second festival in New Zealand in November
2018. In an article H.W. Vail of Vanity Fair states “Pharos aimed for a focus on the artist and
the fan, not the ticketing giant and record labels that dominate the music industry.” To sign up
25
for the festival potential, concert attendees were required to download an app called “PHAROS
Earth,” but attendees were not allowed to have their phones during the event. Gambino told
Vail “We’re selling real intimacy. We protect the experience and it becomes something you
genuinely share with the people around you and you take away something special.” Ultimately,
the events were a testing ground for Gambino to release new music and other content while
providing a private and exclusive experience for his fans.
Fashion and Retail:
Kanye West’s Life of Pablo and Rihanna’s Savage X Fenty

In 2018 Rihanna hosted a pop-up shop in Brooklyn. According to Tom Coleman of
Storefront in “How the Music Industry is Making the Most of Pop-Up Stores,” customers
experienced the brand by exploring a showroom designed as an art exhibition. Then at the back
of the pop-up was a retail space where attendees could purchase products. Coleman also
highlighted that there was no mention of Rihanna's music; instead, the event focused strictly on
the brand:
25
see article “Donald Glover Will Bring His Pharos Experience to New Zealand in November.”
Tidmore 35
Rihanna is an artist who knows that people are drawn to her identity first, which then
attracts people towards her music. By creating a pop-up shop that reinforces the idea that
she is an authentic, groundbreaking pioneer, she generated plenty of goodwill for when
her next musical release drops.
She continues to create immersive experiences as she hosted pop-up shops for her other retail
brands such as Fenty Beauty and Puma x Fenty. Essentially, these events allow her fans to
connect with her brands, while at the same time her fans are subconsciously drawn back to her
music.
In 2016 Kanye West launched the Life of Pablo pop-up shops in honor of the release of
his seventh studio album. In “How the Merch Gets Made—A Behind-the-Scenes Look at Kanye
West’s Pop-Up Shops,” Steff Yotka of Vogue magazine and Bravado’s CEO Mat Vlasic
discussed the timing of the event. Vlasic stated that launching the event right before the tour was
a great marketing opportunity that allowed fans of Kanye West to experience his music, style,
and creative energy, thus granting fans the “ability to buy into his world." Coincidentally,
Ocean's Boys Don't Cry pop-up launched down the street, on the same day, and around the same
time as the Life of Pablo pop-up shop. Once the news dropped fans flocked from West’s event
with the hope to gain a copy of the Boys Don’t Cry magazine.

Tidmore 36
Boys Don’t Cry: Content Analysis
The Boys Don’t Cry pop-up generated thousands of fans to various locations within Los
Angeles, Chicago, New York, and London. Even though Ocean dropped subtle hints about his
return to music his fans and the music industry did not know what to expect. He returned to
music with two albums Endless and Blonde and of those two albums he created multiple
versions. The products that Ocean utilized to present his music to the public plays a significant
role in the success of the pop-up event and album sales. Therefore, the author’s content analysis
focuses on the products and deliverables that Ocean either gave away for free or sold to his fans.

Fig. 3. Images: Photographs of the author’s copy of Boys Don’t Cry . The image on the top left
corner is a photograph of the magazine packaging next to the front cover of Boys Don’t Cry .
The lower left corner and right side are photographs that can be found inside of the magazine.
Tidmore 37

Fig. 4. Images: Photographs of the author’s copy of Boys Don’t Cry . The image on the top is
photograph from inside the magazine with a CD version of Blonde attached. The bottom image
is a shot of the packaging and the binding of the magazine, which reads “Boys Don’t Cry.”

The various products that Ocean sells to his fans are all related to the release of his album
and the Boys Don't Cry pop-up event. It is essential to analyze his products because Ocean has
yet to release new music or go on tour but fans continue to maintain interest as they continue to
purchase products related to the pop-up event, which occurred in August 2016. Fans purchase
products on Ocean’s website. The products are sold in limited quantities and are always put on
sale without any advertising. When the products are released, there are no official
announcements or posts on social media. Essentially everything spreads by word of mouth, then
the media publishes articles.
Tidmore 38

Fig. 5. List comparing the differences between the streaming version
and the physical version of Endless .

The Boys Don’t Cry magazine is a high quality, 368-page magazine (11 inches by 15
inches), covered in a metallic case, filled with various photographs, poems, raps, including other
visual and written content (see fig. 3 and 4). Then later that week on his official website he sold
the magazine, so fans still had the opportunity to own a copy of the magazine. The only
difference was that the magazines contained three different covers. At the center of each
magazine is the CD version of Blonde . The CD tracklist is slightly different in comparison to the
online version of the album (see fig. 5).
During the week of the pop-up event Ocean not only resold the Boys Don’t Cry magazine
but he also sold other products ranging from posters to vinyl records. Since the event Ocean
continues to release various products for sale. According to Blonded.blog , in November 2017
Tidmore 39
Endless , the visual album that freed Ocean from his contract with Def Jam, was sold in three
formats: vinyl ($35), VHS ($17.99), CD/DVD ($25), including Endless double sided posters
($30). Ocean sold the three formats and the posters on his official website, Blonded.co , for a
limited time.
In February 2019 Ocean sold a limited edition Boys Don’t Cry magazine reissue ($80) as
well as a Blonded Radio Double Sided Poster ($30). According to Blonded.blog “the magazine
stock started around 5500, supplemented by an estimated additional 5100 after the sale began.”
The blog also states that the magazines sold out twice within 24 hours.

Fig. 6. Resale price ranges for products associated with the Boys Don’t Cry pop-up.

The products are in such a high demand they increase in value. Not many artists can
claim that the products that they sell (or give away for free) have a monetary value beyond the
original price. Therefore, the author analyzed the price of the products that are currently being
resold on Ebay. Figure six list the items and its resale price ranging from least to greatest. This
illustrates that fandom surrounding Ocean’s 2016 pop-ups still remains strong. Ocean preserves
Tidmore 40
both a cultural experience and his community by continuing to release products related to the
Boys Don’t Cry pop-up.
26
Despite the success of each artists' pop-up, there is no argument against the fact that Boys
Don't Cry is the best example of how to successfully conduct a pop-up event. Ocean
successfully put on multiple pop-ups after a five-year musical hiatus from the industry. Not
many artists can pick up where they left off and still maintain their fan base without putting out
any music or going on tour. Although fans spent years speculating about the release of his next
album and the release of Blonde was delayed, no one leaked information about the event; as a
result, every step of the process was a surprise for fans and industry leaders. What also
contributed to his success is that since the release of nostalgia, ULTRA to the release of his most
recent album Blonde he has consistently been himself. In 2012 Amy Wallace of GQ magazine
interviewed Ocean and stated that “It's important to Ocean to be the master of his own identity.”
Every step of the way Ocean has a deep understanding of who he is as a person and as a
musician, which influences the music he creates and the relationship that he shares with his fans.
Understanding Frank Ocean, a short video created by Volksgeist discusses Ocean’s
authenticity and his elusiveness following the 2012 interview with GQ . The narrator states that
27
a few months following the interview Ocean began to remove himself from social media by
deleting his twitter account, he defied the traditional artist routes, and left his fans waiting for his
next album. Ocean did not “endlessly drop singles, tease fans online, and stir up drama to build
26
It is important to note that although the prices illustrate the demand and monetary value of the
product Ocean does not support or encourage people to resale the magazine especially at such a
high price. In fact his mother released an official statement encouraging people not to buy the
books on eBay due to the cost of the magazines, see Claire McCartney.
27
Volksgeist is a YouTube channel that focuses on “examining important works of music,” see
Volksgeist .
Tidmore 41
hype” (Volksgeist). Blonde and the Boys Don’t Cry pop-up were extremely successful but
Ocean went back to being elusive:
Frank once again disappeared after releasing [ Blonde ,] choosing not to tour the album or
take interviews. He even neglected to submit it for consideration at the Grammys telling
the New York Times in his only interview of that year that he felt the award system was
dated. The long and frustrating wait for Frank's next project is now under way. He
dropped a number of singles throughout 2017 and early 2018, most of them unrelated to
each other, or any sort of future release. He hinted on tumblr late last year that his next
project was complete but no news has come out since...He continues to produce
thoughtful introspective masterpieces that have quickly become considered some of the
best ever made. And so even if it takes another two years for him to resurface I won't
mind. The central point of Frank's creative spirit tells us exactly that he lives his life, and
we live our lives. When he's come to a point where there's something more to say, he
says it, and we listen, and what else can we really ask for?
There are no antics or frills Ocean is who he is, and he uses that to his advantage. He is someone
that is genuine, breaks boundaries and does not follow the traditional practices of a musician and
through this, he has developed a persona or brand that his fans respect. So it appears that every
step of his career he remained true to himself. As a result of that reputation, his fans would
probably be willing to wait five more years for his next album. Despite their impatience Ocean
appreciates his audience, and as a result, he knows not only how to connect with them as a
community, but how to maintain that community even in his absence from music.

Tidmore 42
Social Engagement & ROI: Addressing the Critics
Despite Ocean’s success, the data and real-world examples, there are still critics who
disagree with the notion that technology negatively impacts fandom, while other critics agree
with the idea that fandom is dwindling due to technology, but they disagree with the notion that
pop-ups are the solution.
Some critics believe that fandom is not dwindling; instead, it is evolving. They believe
technology enhances fandom. Fandom may be evolving, but it is changing into a phenomenon
that moves away from connecting with a community. Also, technology can provide a platform
for like-minded individuals to connect anywhere at any time, which grants more accessibility and
encourages social engagement but it does not encourage emotional engagement. Fandom needs
both emotional and social engagement to survive.
According to Bronwyn Morgan, CEO of Subkulture Innovation, as music is becoming
“increasingly digital” artists are relying on pop-ups “as a way to control the experience with their
fans and recapture some of the lost intimacy of music.” Morgan also states that selling
merchandise and touring will continue to be profitable sources of revenue for musicians but she
adds “pop-up shops offer a level of intimacy and social engagement that artists are desperately
seeking in a rapidly changing industry.” Morgan recognizes that advances in technology are
inevitable, but these changes negatively impact the social and emotional engagement
surrounding fandom. Moreover, again, Mat Vlasic CEO of Bravado furthers this assertion:
The more and more music moves to a digital platform, I think it’s things like these
experiences, experiential, location-based—whether it’s a temporary store, whatever it
manifests itself in, but a place where the fan can come and have this experience and be
Tidmore 43
with other fans and listen to the music—are kind of where this is going. . . . You can see
pictures online, you can see pictures of the product; everyone talks about the product.
Part of it is the experience. . . . It’s kind of like the record store of the ’70s and the ’80s,
but it provides that vibe.”
Music industry professionals recognize that there is a shift in the way fans experience
music. Morgan and Vlasic both highlight that technology will continue to have an impact on
music. There is nothing wrong with embracing technological advances as certain aspects of the
music industry would not exist without technology, but musicians, industry leaders, and
executives cannot ignore its impact on fandom.
However, the music industry is not entirely oblivious to these changes as many would
agree that fandom is dwindling, but critics would argue that pop-up events are not the best
solution because marketing professionals find it challenging to measure a return on investment
(ROI). Although it is true that marketers may struggle to measure or quantify an ROI, but that
does not mean that there is not a significant return on investment, or that the return is too
difficult to determine. Marketing professionals are getting better at demonstrating a return year
by year and brands are increasing their experiential budgets because they can prove the ROI.
28
Music industry professional need do the research, know their audience, establish goals,
strategies, and tactics to take full advantage of the experiential market. They must continue to
improve and craft different methods to measure the success of an experiential event because
establishing the best practices can lead to the desired ROI.
28
The research to support the author statements can be found in the “2019 State of Experiential
Research Study” under key insights, see Agency EA.

Tidmore 44
Boys Don’t Cry: What the Industry Should Learn from Frank Ocean
The music industry has seen many musicians and brands take advantage of experiential
marketing. Pop-ups are not new concepts, but these types of events have gained popularity over
the years. The author’s research illustrates that there are so many musicians and brands who
have successfully conducted these types of events and received positive results. Public relations
and marketing professionals are learning more about the value of the experiential event market
and many big musicians are putting on pop-up events. Musicians and music industry
professionals still need a list of best practices for this type of event as it pertains to the music
industry specifically. Having this list is necessary as technology will continue to impact music in
so many ways. Technology grants accessibility and opens doors for so many artists, but industry
leaders need to focus on reinventing fandom because that is what drives people to click the play
button. Pop-ups encourage social engagement and are experiences that help build community,
which is why the author is certain that pop-ups are the modern form of fandom for the music
industry.
Frank Ocean provides the best model for planning pop-ups. Despite his elusiveness,
Ocean has built a solid community between him and his fans. There are very few artists that
exist today who can even take a five-year gap from sharing music with their audiences, then
return to the public eye and provide an experience like Boys Don’t Cry. Critics of the author’s
statement should keep in mind that in the year of 2019 Ocean is still profiting from a pop-up
event that occurred in 2016. However, his approach is not traditional, so the music industry must
stop being set in its ways and learn from what he was able to accomplish.

Tidmore 45
Essentially, Ocean has figured out a formula that works for him and his particular
audience, but that formula can still help individuals that are attempting to plan successful pop-up
events. The author discovered through research that although there are many articles that
provide “how to” guides for experiential marketing the articles focus on the market as whole.
Many of the articles do not provide a list of best practices specifically for the music industry
until now. To equip musicians and music industry professionals with what they should keep in
mind when planning pop-up events the author prepared a list that identifies the top categories
and uses Boys Don’t Cry as an example of those categories. The following list will also utilize
key principles stated by experiential marketing professionals to set a foundation for the
categories.
1. Establishing Clear Objectives and Spending Based on a Realistic Budget
“So in the real world, be it on the front of a car, be it at an event—make an ordinary experience
extraordinary by creating something truly unexpected.”
- Ethan Eyler, Head Of Brand, Lyft Bikes and Scooters
Planning Boys Don't Cry clearly was not a simple task. Therefore, when planning a
pop-up event, it is crucial to do research, establish the mission, goal, and objectives. Yet, the
research aspect is vital because Boys Don't Cry involved so many elements from finding
locations, securing actual places to host the event and securing printing service(s) who can
produce high-quality prints in large volumes is a significant undertaking. Therefore, not having
a clear understanding of goals, expectations and results could lead to a disaster. Ocean clearly
had a decent budget and most likely hired other people or agencies to help him plan and execute
Tidmore 46
the event but if a significant amount of funding cannot be secured make the event great with the
existing budget, this, of course, requires strategy and proper planning.
Main Takeaway
The difference between a successful event versus an event that is a disaster is proper planning.
Do not skip any steps in the planning process. Start with a good foundation and be realistic
about the budget.
2. Products, Deliverables, Merchandise & Exclusivity
“...Keep it fresh, useful, and on brand [and free].”
- Ronnie Higgins, Content Marketing Manager at Eventbrite
Ocean may have had a significant budget to produce the Boys Don’t Cry magazine
because he provided fans with a free product that was not cheap. He provided a product that fans
can cherish for a very long time as every page of the 368-page book contained both meaningful
and creative content. Although, not every fan got the opportunity to get a free copy of the
magazine, thus making it exclusive. So Ocean waited sometime after the events to sell a larger
version of the magazine as well as other products. So not only was he able to extend the
experience to fans that may not have had the opportunity to get a copy of the magazine but the
response he received from fans illustrated a demand for the product.
As a result, Ocean is still able to sell products related to the 2016 pop-ups event in 2019.
The author is aware that a lot of artists and music industry professionals do not have access to
similar budgets. What this highlights is not what money can buy but how choosing the right
product can lead to an increased demand for that product and the possibility of creating more
opportunities to generate revenue once the event is over.
Tidmore 47
Main Takeaway:
Think about what fans will appreciate the most and create something that is considered so
valuable (and exclusive) to the fans that they would be willing to pay for it at a later time.
3. Audience & Community
“Know your audience, know yourself...”
- Melissa Gonzalez, CEO & Founder of The Lionesque Group

“What makes or breaks an event experience is having a deep understanding of the community
you’re creating — and being intentional about it. Because you are creating a community.”
- Tommy Goodwin , Director of Global Field Services at Eventbrite

In terms of the music industry, the audience is the community, and this idea is what
contributes to Ocean’s strong fan base. Boys Don’t Cry is a product of Ocean’s creativity, but it
was also an opportunity to give back to his fans after a long break from music. Ocean’s ability to
maintain a connection with his fans should remind the music industry that when attempting to
connect with an audience, they have to be viewed as a community as well. Then that community
will form organically within the fan base.
Main Takeaway:
The audience is the community. Stop viewing fans as just people that buy will whatever. Get to
know the audience and put effort into creating something for them that is within the means of
capability.

Tidmore 48
4. Location & Placemaking
29
“A space is just a space until people create memories or experiences around it … and then it
goes from being a space to a place.”
- Tristan Hummel, Art Director at Social Entertainment Ventures

As a Los Angeles native, the author understands why Ocean chose to host his Los
Angeles pop-up shop at an old newsstand on Fairfax Avenue. Fairfax is known as the home for
the many streetwear brands. Also, this area was and continues to be a frequent hangout spot for
many teenagers interested in the culture. Ocean is a former member of the group Odd Future and
this was one of their frequent places to hang out and connect with Los Angeles culture.
One would suggest that Ocean chose these areas due to them being popular cities yet the
author believes that his choice to host the pop-ups in these cities were intentional. Due to
hurricane Katrina Ocean left college and moved to Los Angeles. The trip was supposed to be
temporary, but he ended up staying and launched his career as a singer-songwriter. When Ocean
was at a crossroads and was facing many battles with the industry and his team he moved to
London, which started his five-year hiatus from the industry. Ultimately, Ocean shares a
connection to the cities and possibly the spaces where he chose to host the pop-ups. What people
29
According to the Project for Public Spaces “as both an overarching idea and a hands-on
approach for improving a neighborhood, city, or region, placemaking inspires people to
collectively reimagine and reinvent public spaces as the heart of every community.
Strengthening the connection between people and the places they share, placemaking refers to a
collaborative process by which we can shape our public realm in order to maximize shared value.
More than just promoting better urban design, placemaking facilitates creative patterns of use,
paying particular attention to the physical, cultural, and social identities that define a place and
support its ongoing evolution.” Essentially, the term derives from the concept of building
communities around places. Hummel refers to this term in the article. In this thesis, the author
utilizes the word to emphasize that the location and space can have a greater meaning, or serve a
greater purpose thus adding to the experience, see PPS.org.

Tidmore 49
can learn from Ocean is that when picking a location for a pop-up event first ask why that
location. Then, if the answer is because the city is popular, then stop and think about what the
event is and who is attending the event because what if a large majority of the fan base is not
located near or in the area?
To the prospective attendees, the location may be just a “space.” If musicians let this
happen it is a wasted opportunity to enhance the pop-up experience. Ocean made calculated
decisions when choosing the locations to host his pop-up events. Now his fans are connected to
places that he has a deep connection to; thus, the location becomes an extension of the
experience.
Main Takeaway:
Gives fans the opportunity to be apart of the musician's world. If artists share the spaces that are
memorable to them with their fans, that further enhances the experience and builds the
relationship, so remember a “space” can become a “place.”
5. Social Media Extending the Experience
“Give attendees something unique to share on social media. So make it easy for attendees to
share their experience...Make it easy for them to show off where they are in photos by creating a
Snapchat geofilter that is reflective of the event experience…”
- Eventbrite, Director’s Guide: Event Experience
Tidmore 50

Fig. 7. Left image is a screenshot of the official announcement for the Boys Don’t Cry pop-up.
The right image is from the author’s Snapchat at the Los Angeles pop-up.

Ocean announced the event in the simplest way possible. He merely posted the event
date and location on his official website (see fig. 7). However, how did each location attract so
many attendees if people are not frequently checking his site? The answer is shareable content.
Once the news broke about the pop-up shops, the media begin to share the news while fans
began to share content. Fans then wasted no time to get to the closest location. The author
recalls attending the event and hearing people discuss how they found out about the pop-up shop.
Many individuals found out on social media, or their friends contacted them. This scenario
highlights the power of shareable content and even the power of word of mouth. Integrating
something as simple as a Snapchat geotag or creating a unique hashtag makes it easy for
attendees to “show off where they are in photos” and allows the brand, or the individual, hosting
Tidmore 51
the event to possibly save money on advertising as the attendees will end up doing it for them
(Eventbrite).
Main Takeaway:
Include something as simple as a geotag that alerts people about the event and draws attention to
the content that people share.
6. Measure the Results
“The easiest way to measure and show off a number is through the social expressions you earn.
What are people sharing from the event itself...surveying people...created shareable content
capturing someone’s experience, we look across engagement metrics.”
- Ayni Raimondi of Airbnb
It is simple, establish goals at the start of planning any event. However, goals are not just
to-do list as each objective establishes a scale of success. Then, each event should have an
established system that collects data so at the end it is easy to determine whether the event was
successful or not. Without establishing what success means could potentially lead to a waste of
money and time. Measure positive and negative impressions on social media, establish an ROI
or conduct surveys following the event. The goal is to surpass expectations and learn what
worked and what did not work.
Main Takeaway:
Set clear goals and objectives and a system to measure them because with that information
determining what works and what does not will be impossible

Tidmore 52
Conclusion
The music industry is concerned with the impact of technology but not from the angle of
considering how it impacts music fandom. Technology’s impact on fandom should be one of the
main topics of discussion when addressing the issues that are affecting the music industry.
Fandom is what pushed people to buy an album, to hang a poster on their wall, wait hours in line
at a record store to spend only a few minutes to meet their favorite artists. Fandom is how a song
made you feel, and the act of connecting memories to a song. Fandom pushes generations of
people to collect vinyl, CDs, 8-tracks and many other musical relics. Great music will live on for
ages but do industry professionals ever wonder will that be the same for music created in the age
streaming? What about the people who never had to go to a record store or pay $9.99 at Target
or Best Buy during the first week an album drops? What about the people born into Apple
Music, Spotify, SoundCloud or Tidal? How will they build communities within music? How
will they engage beyond the click of a button?
The author would like to clarify that although she remembers what it is like to buy a CD,
use a CD player, or listen to music on a cassette tape she is not against streaming. Streaming
makes music accessible, and technology has provided platforms for people to launch their
careers without a dreaded 360 deal but what frustrates the author is that as the industry moves
forward, there is a lack of conversation about how this impacts the way fans engage with music.
In theory, streaming is creating a problem, but there is a solution that allows fandom and
streaming to coexist.
Fandom during the ‘70s, ‘80s, and ‘90s is much different than the fandom experience
today. But there are so many opportunities to reinvent fandom, and pop-ups are the perfect
Tidmore 53
solution for this generation of listeners as these types of events capture the past spirit of fandom
but from a more modern approach. Thus, why the author considers Frank Ocean such an
important figure because he recognized the importance of fandom and was able to create an
event that fans are still excited about in 2019.
All in all, the idea of creating experiences is a new take on fandom, and it grants more
opportunities for the industry to have greater control over the way fans engage with music and
how musicians build a community with their fans. So if fans are losing out on the fandom
experience, why not just create the experiences?

Tidmore 54
Appendix A: Kevin Lyman Interview Transcription

Interviewer: Amber Tidmore
Interviewee: Kevin Lyman
Location: Pasadena, CA
In person interview

Interviewer: When thinking about the process of how fans experience or engage with music in
the past how is that different today?

Kevin: Well I think it’s the way brands were kind of like at a long point, there was no
interaction really or very little with brands and bands and artists. Then it started
to transfer over because there was always this kind of skepticism of artists getting
involved with the brand or aligning with the brand would hurt them. And as the
industry changed and artists needed support for exposure and finances the model
changed, at a younger and younger age artists are more than willing to associate
with brands. And that was always a big part of our business model how do we get
brands to support artists at a younger age.

Interviewer: An extension to that question, in terms of streaming today in relation to physically
going into the store to buy an album, outside of the disconnect between the artists
and the brand in the past, in terms of the action taken to engage with the music
what are the big differences?

Kevin: It use to be word mouth, music was such a word of mouth. Someone would hear
an album would come out someone would get a copy, you would play it in your
room, then friends would spread the word; it was very organic much more
organic. Now, it is a push of a button and that music goes out to 200 million
people but is there that personal connection of “Did you hear that song?” How do
you build that community? So there seems to be a disconnect in some ways for
longevity in people’s careers that’s what I am more concerned about is how
quickly a song could capture the imagination but how long does it stick in
society? Or does it become a thing where now so often I see artists that
constantly have to turn out singles to stay relevant, and if you don’t put out that
single, or don’t have something, it slips to the back of the mind, it slips right out.
That personal interaction a lot of times started with a handshake and that is when
a band would sit and meet their fans and sign something for them. Now we have
the problem that you have to pay for everything like the VIPs. Once you
monetize handshake, that’s what I always like to say, once the handshake is
monetized, and that can take in many forms it becomes a whole different
relationship.

Interviewer: I think you made two good points. One, the comment about longevity and two
about the idea that it was more personable and almost in a sense exclusive like
Tidmore 55
being word of mouth. I hear about this the first time. I’m sharing this with
different people. I can’t wait to get access to it. Now it’s a press of a button its
shared with 200 hundred something million people but its like these events bring
back that community and exclusivity because it is like oh I got to go doto this or I
got to share this experience.

Kevin: And that’s why I think we are going to a society of experiences. I think we are
having to be smarter and smarter with it. I was talking to a company yesterday,
it’s a merchandise company but they are trying to stand out so they are trying to
create unique events now where people feel special. It’s similar to what they do
with the sneakers. That’s still kind of word of mouth because you want to be
there because its exclusivity and limited.

Interviewer: Even when I attended the Childish Gambino concert you go in to see the show,
you are just so excited to be there then you experience it then you leave out and
you’re like I have to get the t-shirt and sometimes it is not even about the quality
of the t-shirt it’s just the fact that I was here. I experienced this and I developed
this connection to it so it drives you back to the product and the music.

Kevin: Yea, because you feel like you are apart of a special club because if you see
someone with a Childish Gambino shirt from that show its like yea you went, you
hope that the connection could be [inaudible]. And similar with how it use to be
with the surf brands like Hurley clothing or Volcom clothing or now Supreme I
guess. When Supreme first came out if you had a Supreme shirt and someone else
had it you were kind of like in my club. Now it’s like more mass marketed and it
just becomes a flood. I do not know if Supreme carries the cache but that cycle
goes very quickly now and then everyone will be into another kind of brand.

Interviewer: In what ways has streaming both positively and negatively impacted the festival
and live events industry? In terms of streaming I mean whether that is streaming
of music or live performances. Have you noticed any unique trends?

Kevin: I think streaming live events if we do it correctly can motivate people to come out
and see future events, that is what we would always do is stream the first show
and we would cut that into about 100 clips that we would use for marketing for
the rest of the summer. So it was immediate, we would stream it, and within 72
hours we would have 100 little clips going out to all the fingers that we had to
motivate people to come to a live show because we were trying to motivate them
that you were missing out by not coming out to watch the live show. You can
watch it online but it is not the same thing. The thing with streaming at least we
are digesting more music but how much of it is sticking? And that is where we are
having the problem. When you are booking a lineup and they say we’ve been
streamed a million times or twenty million times but does the person listening
actually connect you to the song? I see so often recently, there was a band that I
really thought was great called Night Riots. Their songs were everywhere, their
Tidmore 56
songs were on XM Radio, on Spotify but then no one put the connection to the
song to the artist. Especially when you are a new artist you might be getting a lot
of streams but are they connecting it to your name, and who you are, and will it
motivate them to go see you live? I think that’s a challenge we face.

Interviewer: You’ve already answered this question but since it connects to some more
questions that I have I will repeat it so how big of a role does experiential
marketing, whether that is pop-up events or activations play in connecting fans
with the artist? So I will move on to the next question connected to that. Do you
think that these types of events help push fans to attend live events such as
festivals or concerts?

Kevin: For brands to be there?

Interviewer: So if you look at it from an actual artist perspective, so for example I am going
to utilize Frank Ocean as an overarching example as someone who has really
capitalized on pop-up events, being someone who has been gone from the
industry so long and still maintains that momentum and whether he goes on tour
or not people are still interested and wondering so where’s your music? So how
can artist effectively utilize activations, specifically pop-up events to [inaudible
interviewer interrupted].

Kevin: If you are talking about the way artists can use that to stay in the public
conscience and the public awareness between those singles and tours because we
do have a short attention span. So it use to be you put out an album, tour for a
year, go away for a year or two, and then come back for another album and this
album cycle we use to call it but there is no album cycle anymore. It’s basically
you put out content constantly and if you just depended on putting out singles or
songs it would be really hard to keep that momentum. So otherwise you create
yourself by creating your own events, pop-up events where your in the public eye,
there press worthy you can get people to notice for a minute between those
singles, you engage. I think you are going to see more engagement and social
responsibility you see that right now with Kendrick Lamar what he did yesterday
you are seeing these artist with their own curated festivals. I think Tyler the
Creator and what he’s done with Camp Flog Gnaw and things like that you are
constantly on the hustle these days to stay relevant.

Interviewer: Do you think that the music industry specifically recognizes the importance of
these type of events or do you think that the industry is behind or just catching up
to this phenomenon?

Kevin: I think we are catching up with it and the importance of it so I think that there will
be more and more of these things and they have to get more and more creative.
[Inaudible] merchandising company who represents a lot of artists is going to
create their own special pop-up event with just special merchandise for the artists
Tidmore 57
that they represent. And maybe have a few bands play and signings like a fan
fest, which is important because it will create a buzz that you have to be there
because of limited supply and demand. It’s like why you see the t-shirts at
concerts now have the date of the show it’s like a special shirt for that show
because everyone has to have that, they want a special item.

Interviewer: Do you think that it is more so the artist pushing to have these types of events or
is it more so the brands? For example I have this product or like you said I’m the
label lets get your merch out and connect it, who do you see pushing it more?

Kevin: I think it’s a more overall strategy now, so that would probably dictate from the
artist to the management and their ideas its going from them. The brands are
going through a reconfiguring how they want to be involved in the music
industry. I think them sponsoring these very large festivals is tough to make those
deals right now because they are not getting the ROI they want to have on it so
now they are going to have to reconfigure how they want to be involved in music
festivals.

Interviewer: Despite the effectiveness and popularity of these events today do you see them as
a trend or fad? Will audiences grow tired of them? Are these types of events here
to stay? Essentially do you think that we will see more and more of these types of
events in the future and will these events become the norm?

Kevin: I think the public will get tired of them before the artists get tired of them because
if they are successful for the artists all of a sudden there will be more and more
then everyone will have one and then the public will get tired and they won’t have
the effect anymore. Similar to we were finding with these stunts for releasing
singles people were like it will be there forever, now well it’s streamed so I don’t
need to do [inaudible] you know. It will get to a point where there will be so many
of them I will go to the next one. And we saw that with festivals, we saw that in
my world and fans will be like oh next year I’ll go. When the market becomes
saturated people become more choosey.

Interviewer: You make a good point since the market has the potential to become
oversaturated since you are coming from the festival perspective what are some
ways that you all combat that in terms of dealing with the oversaturated market?

Kevin: I think we are getting more and more shotgun festivals that were trying to appeal
to everyone but now they are really trying to build a community. I think people
long for community. So if you can create that sense of community a reason why
we are all here in this spot other than then bands the rest of festival becomes as
important, the rest of the event, the rest of the concert becomes just that much
more important.

Tidmore 58
Interviewer: That makes a lot of sense because each time I have gone to a pop-up event
whether it is outside a festival or within the fact that you are there I have actually
made friends just by going to these events I don’t know these people.

Kevin: That’s the letters I still get everyday from kids going “Warps not here. But that’s
where I met my friends. That’s where I was able to go and find like minded
people what am I going to do Kevin?” Hopefully people will step up and fill that,
I will fill it in other ways. I am doing a lot of other work right now creating
unique identities within festival so maybe people will gravitate to those things.

Interviewer: That is apart of my next question pop-up event activations typically happen
outside of the live concert experience compared to the festival experience. In
what ways or is it feasible for artists to integrate experiential marketing into the
concert experience? To clarify I feel like festivals have more of a platform and
feasibility to do that.

Kevin: And concerts they can to you know if they were trying to identify a unique part of
their population or concert. They can create social impact so if they believe in a
cause they go can out to their community if its organizing a can food drive they
can reach out to their fans that gravitate to wanting to do good for their
community. And that community is those people wanting to go to their concerts
they could do that if they take the time to do that.

Interviewer: If you could create a blueprint for pop event activations, as I know you have
Kevin Lyman Group and you don’t just do festivals you do a lot of other things,
what are the most important factors or elements that musicians should take into
consideration when creating these types of events? From marketing to product to
the actual event set up?

Kevin: Limited, unique and something that stands for something. Does that make sense?
Yea those three words so you want to have something limited if you are only
there you are only going to get. Unique which is special and the then to stand for
something.

Interviewer: When you say limited to clarify do you mean in terms of size, or in terms
availability or how often?

Kevin: Limited their going to end up with a limited something to show that they were
apart of there, that could be simple as simple as a poster or a photo or a unique
piece of merchandise that will only be available that day. I mean I had a
discussion yesterday we’re involved with new a festival that has been around for
20 years and they are trying to revamp it and he says I want to do some things that
is really great for the people to remember while they are backstage. He was
talking about having a chef cook food. And I said all that’s kind of been done but

Tidmore 59
I think it’s something as simple as do something backstage that everyone can
participate in sponsors the artists a competition or something where the winners
get money donated in their name to a charity, people will remember that versus
another nice dinner backstage. We’ve all done that and that really is self-
serving actually, more than like this is great I can compete against an agent have
my name on the tote board then at the end awards are given and it could be like
those electronic basketball games Something different and fun like that and
when you have it, it stirs some excitement backstage.

Interviewer: I have one last question if I am a artists and this depends on the amount of singles
or albums I may drop do you think there should be a limitation of that or should it
be only be surrounded by the releases of an album or single?

Kevin: No I don’t think its limited if you are unique there are a whole lot of cities out
there you can go to do these things. I like doing things in secondary and tertiary
cities that always don’t get things. Everyone always says that you know have to
do things in New York or Chicago but no go to Fayetteville or go to Modesto and
make something really special for that community because you can get just as
much press out of it.

Interviewer: Especially if you are a big artist no matter what the press is going to follow and
the people are going to share.

Kevin: Yes, it’s a sharing society you show up here but it’s the same people versus out
there who never get that chance it may last longer, the tail may get longer because
it’s a special experience for them creating special experiences for people that
don’t get special experience [inaudible].

Interviewer: That is a good point because I am born and raised in Los Angeles but if my
favorite artist did something in completely random city that I have never heard of
I would think it would be pretty cool and for the people within that city they do
not always get to experience those things they are being recognized for having a
strong fan base within that city.

Kevin: Yea, I am putting something together today we did the opioid initiative that we
had. We promised the city that signed up the most kids a concert. So Crown
Point, Indiana won 100 miles south of Chicago middle of nowhere so I am like
awesome so this is going to be a big event for that city. So I am working right
now I found the artists that’s coming through to put on a concert I am going to
pay them some money to stop and do a acoustic show now I am trying to find the
kids who helped sign this up to engage them to find a location.

Tidmore 60
Appendix B: Andrew Justice Interview Transcription

Interviewer: Amber Tidmore
Interviewee: Andrew Justice
Location: Los Angeles, CA
In person Interview

Interviewer: How would you define fandom in relation to music?

Andrew: I will use my personal experience as a fan of the band Fish, which is a jam band
in the vain of The Grateful Dead. So they don’t really release a lot of albums but
they define themselves as a band through live performances. And it it is an
interesting context to answer your question, so as a fan of Fish I have been known
to travel some considerable distances to see them. Probably the longest I have
traveled to see them was a couple years ago when my wife and I traveled from
Los Angeles to Denver. Other fans have been known to go on tour, which is
basically they follow the band city to city and show to show for three to four
months at a time. So there’s that buying tickets but also taking part in the live
experience because that is what it is all about for that particular context. But it
can also include consuming other things like all of the bands solo projects and
then also shirts, fashion, books, pictures. Then there have been podcasts
generated about the band that I listen to so then that becomes kind of an
interesting feedback loop because I do keep up with the news but basically I don’t
have to now because I have connections and social networking so if they
announce a show in Los Angeles I know about it pretty early on. I consider that
level of literacy about the band, the artist or whoever much in the same way that
someone who really likes the movie The Big Lebowski knows when the annual
festivals happen where everybody dresses up that’s probably another way of
expressing ones fanaticism, you know I think about being a Dodger’s fan, I am
going to where a Dodgers shirt to a Dodger’s game and so how you present
yourself when you are amongst other fans is another way that I would think about
it.

But you ask a very interesting question about the going to the store behavior and
your are right when you compare the difference between what it was like when a
new album came out to either line up or time your visit to the store because you
knew when it was going to be in stock or even a little bit later on monitoring the
on sale date on Amazon and pre-ordering it so that it would be shipped to you and
the thing would come to you on the day of those things bring us a deeper level of
anticipation. And I think that, that anticipation is not necessarily reflected in
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purchasing mp3s but especially relying on streaming services like Spotify to
eventually provide you with what you like even after you have given it your taste
and it is analyzing your behavior as far what your are choosing. I think that there
is something palpably different and it is not just the anticipation it is the physical
thing of holding the item in your hands and then when you are dealing with a CD
the visual content is one thing and when you are dealing with an LP album
artwork looks even better in 12 inches then it does for 4 inches for a CD and if
you even consider what an album looks like for a streaming file that may or may
not have the album cover connected to it. The definition of fandom is incredibly
broad and it can apply to various different environments I would say that my own
personal definition of fandom incorporates as many of those that I naturally
participate in.

Interviewer: In terms of music technology (making music a for profit profession) the
author, identifies five key advances that have had a major impact on fandom,
which include the phonograph, gramophone, radio, cassette tapes and streaming.
Do you believe that fandom existed in anyway during the period when these
forms of technology were invented?

Andrew: Not in the same way. There is a bunch of different things here. There is the
ability of the individual to record on the format themselves and the thing about
cylinders, Shellac 78 Discs and then also vinyl LP’s later is outside of some very
specific weird outcrops basically you couldn’t record your own content so it
wasn’t until tape came along especially cassette tapes that the ability to not only
make mixtapes essentially but then also record your voice it got really
democratized.

What your are asking about is did fandom exist pre audio technology and the
answer is it did but I do not think it was the same. What you are talking about is a
few different things such as the consumption of printed music and you are talking
about concert attendance. Yes there were popular printed music publications that
sold really well and that you could assume in a certain country and a certain
wealth zone, a layer of society that you would be able to see Mozart’s String
Quartets, or Beethoven piano music when you went to someone’s house and you
saw that music on someone’s table. In music history we called that house
musique and not house music in the dance form just in the idea that your are
consuming these high art creations at home and so it was an ability for you as a
non professional musician to appear cultured and it reflected the fact that you
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could afford to buy these things it was both a statement about your status and also
an attempt to raise your status as higher if you could.

So there was that aspect then there was the consumption of live music
performance and in the 19th century. We have a very noticable change essentially
the development of the concert becomes known virtuoso the notion of somebody
walking out on stage to a massive hall of people who may be very big fans of
their performance style but make alot of noise when they come out and make a lot
of noise afterwards. So I think human beings have always been really good at
obsessing over things it is just the format and the volume to which they obsess
and the thing about technology it starts to do things for you. So instead of having
to sit down at a piano to play a piece we can stick it on a record and listen to it
and that’s great and when you start talking about disks, tapes and digital
technology every single time we have this discussion even though we are talking
about automation in the U.S. the concern is human beings have to do one thing
less. Does it mean that we can’t enjoy it? No it does not mean that all it just
means that your experience changes and the difference between buying some
sheet music and sitting it down on your piano and learning how to play it and
having that be your expression of fandom versus downloading an mp3 when
something new comes out having be your expression of fandom the core of those
things is the same it is just the extent and the vehicle that you use for them is
radically different.

Interviewer: What is your perspective on 8 tracks in terms of commercial music
technology and fandom?

My perspective on 8 tracks is this no one released material only on 8 track.
Everybody at that time were recording to magnetic tape on big reals and then
those recordings were getting edited and put on disks, LPs of 12 in or 7 inch
variety depending on the full album or the single, cassette or 8 tracks and much in
a sam way that DADS digital audio tapes they just offered another version to do
something. From a fandom standpoint 8 tracks were very popular but they were
awful from the standpoint of reliability due to the way that the mechanism
worked. I know of 10 different stories of my parents mentioning the places where
they were when they brought 8 tracks. And the big band phenomenon jazz did not
become jazz without big bands it is less about the things themselves it is about the
behavior, of Friday and Saturday night, going out to the speakeasies and swing
clubs we may be breaking prohibition but we do not care but at the same time
music was happening and that was the only time you could get live music. You
Tidmore 63
could not get recordings of it you could not see it on TV and because of the racial
barriers you had to cross that line yourself it was not out there waiting to be
consumed. I think what you are talking about here is that people will always have
a voracious appetite for what they like regardless of whatever they like stands the
test of time, is of any quality which is itself is a subject statement. The desire to
do that has always been there it has just been expressed differently. The people
that went out to consume Big Band music in the 20s, 30s and 40s that is a
different thing then going to see the greatful dead or the fish or a Kanye Pop Up
or going to Coachella all of these things are vastly different. Even if the girls
were screaming their heads off for the Beatles, to 40 years previous you had
people going to see big bands, fast forward to today you have people spending
ridiculous amount of money to attend the Frye festival all because of that desire is
there. Everyone’ definition of what drives them is so different and you have these
major sign posts throughout history but it is totally different because of the
internet. I hate to stay that blanket statement but it is true we would not have this
digital music thing without the internet.

The drive is the same the way that it is manifested is different. There is
something also about having the physical item that may it drive it differently. So
if you see something at Target buy it and put it on your turntable are you
interacting with that artist differently if you went ahead and put that artist on
spotify and waited for it to come up? I would argue that that is a different
experience but there is something that we tie to physical objects. I think that is
evidence for the things that own, touch see and experience from a tactile
standpoint mean more to us so it is possible that someone who only consumes the
digital content from artist x you may not be able to measure fandom without
something permanent to leave behind and revisit and it is possible that, that
experience is a demonstrous difference.

For the most part every step in audio technology can be seen as making profit but
when you it is not just the technology getting better, and the quality getting better
and the process getting easier but it is also how can we make this easier and better
but more profitable at the same time? Thomas edison created a music industry and
he did not mean to. Here’s this guy who basically stumbles on this thing and
realizes that it can be an amazing business.

I think you make a good point because when thinking about Frank Ocean
Boys Don’t Cry offered something tangible that fans could take away from the
event.
Tidmore 64

I think the whole visual album is a another example of what we are talking about.
I will use Solange as an example, I would argue that Solange would not have the
career that she has now without those visual examples. Solange is able to find her
own niche and this album is about Houston and she hosted different screenings of
the album at different businesses within the community. It is an extra experience
to getting access to the album. It is having that extra aspect it is not just that I put
out a new album it is the visual component to go along with it to really understand
that content. Or maybe you are on the side of live performance.

I think the pop-up is an example of that community and I think when you get
people physically in a space that is a community a digital community I understand
that people on Reddit think they are a community. I understand that people that
comment on YouTube think they are on a community and on other social
networks but I think there is difference in where you see these people face to face
and when your dancing with people that is even better. I think it is to feel like
you are socially connected to someone and keep your all walls up and you are at
home on your laptop but when you are standing on a space and new music is
playing and it is moving you it is hard to keep those walls up and you shouldn’t. I
think that that tearing down of the walls and being comfortable enough to dance
in front of someone who you have never been around before that creates a
community.

Tidmore 65

Appendix C: Michael Kaminsky Interview Transcription

Interviewer: Amber Tidmore
Interviewee: Michael Kaminsky
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Phone interview

Interviewer: In relation to music, whether you are a musician or selling a product, how
important is it to build community?

Michael: For me as a manager community is the number one most important thing you can
do. I think if you look at almost any other thing people associate--- in their life -
Nike sells sneakers because they are apart of a community of people who really
understand what they are doing and who want to be included in that and music I
feel like is very similar. You’re really selling a lifestyle, and you are trying to
indeer people----especially now more than ever that’s not just about a song
anymore. Videos are so important the reason why people believe social media is
so important there are so many factors including things like fashion. Grunge was a
big movement not just because of the songs but because of everything
surrounding it and the culture and society and the fashion and lifestyle that was
included with that, all of that combined to really have this impact on people so
yea it is probably the most important thing you could focus on.

Interviewer: My definition of fandom describes how fans experience and engage with
music. It is the act of going to the store to buy and album, hanging posters
on your wall etc, so how would you define fandom in terms of music?

Michael: It’s a great question because it is so hard now people are increasingly becoming
more fans of certain playlists and fans of certain festivals sometimes more than
they are fans of the artists. I think one of the biggest drawbacks of something like
Spotify is it is just this big unemotional black box where you can type in literally
anything and just get a result from whereas when I had to line up at midnight with
a group of thirty of people to buy the new Radiohead album that was a shared
cultural experience for me. Maybe now you are lining up on Twitter with other
people and when Ariana Grande puts out her new single everyone goes on Twitter
and freaks out about it. But I do feel like those are two very different experiences.
I think it is very hard to build an attachment to people especially with the overall
volume of things that are happening and artists who are clever about it are the
ones who are able to build that emotional bond. And really that is what we are
Tidmore 66
doing as musicians, we are not just writing a song. Pop music especially hard
because you are trying to write a song that is relatable to a billion people, that is a
very difficult thing to do and a lot of people write off pop music because it is so
simple but that is the complexity of it, its being able to take a feeling or emotion
and make that record relatable to all different sorts of people. So I think when we
are talking about these shared experiences for a lot of people Coachella is their
shared experience. RapCaviar is their shared experience and it may not
necessarily even be an artists anymore.

Interviewer: Do you think the fandom phenomenon is dwindling or do you think that it
takes on a different shape or form?

That is actually a much more difficult question to answer then I think people
would think. Through all of human history people have yearned and longed for
some type of relatability and emotional connection and if you go all the way back
to people just sitting around telling stories with each other there is reason why
certain stories are told and why people continue to past them on and have that
kind of experience. When that turned into the written word and you had these
very classic famous novels that were able to tell some kind of emotional speech
and be able to spread that and share that with other people is very important and
holy to their culture. We now have movies that are such important statements to
society that really (inaudible) people. Of course music is always apart of that, it is
the way it has happened, it is the way that we tell stories to relate to one another
will continue to evolve? Yea, it will always evolve but at its core they are almost
the same stories told in different ways but they are still relatable and I think that is
what makes them important.

Interviewer: One thing you brought up in your presentation is do not judge something
because it is something that you do not understand and I think the point you made
is that it may not necessarily be dwindling but it is just coming in a new shape and
different form but at the same time we still have to be conscious of how those new
forms move us further away from community or bring us back to community. I
think that is the bigger issue at hand.

Michael: Yes I agree with that.

Interviewer: Do you think that this is a major concern that needs to be addressed? Or as
it evolves just evolve with it but be conscious of how far and how close we move
away from community.
Tidmore 67

Michael: I think the only time we need to be concerned if people no longer want to be
emotionally engaged, which I don’t really see that. I think people always want to
be emotionally engaged if anything social media pushes people further apart but it
makes people want to be socially engaged even more. I don’t think we need to be
concerned about our relevance but what we do need to be concerned about in this
industry is accepting that this does change and evolve and that different is okay.
And if people are starting to enjoy these experiences and starting to enjoy
storytelling in a different format and they are able to relate to people in a different
format then that’s okay too.

Interviewer: Which is why in my thesis I am emphasizing the importance of pop-ups but
do you think that these events are a fad or are they here to stay?

Michael: That’s a really good question. It may be fad that’s around for ten years, maybe
the
pop-up store could be fad but who knows? What I do think that we will start to
see a lot of is people testing out ways for people to start experiencing music and
that will be here to stay and is only growing. Whether that is people doing pop-up
stores, or whether that is people testing things out in virtual reality, or doing mini
concerts, or having digital streaming parties online whatever that form takes that
we don’t know about I think that will be increasing and I definitely don’t think
that’s a fad. Maybe what we need to do as individuals is try to figure out what is
the most efficient format to do this? And you know these pop-up rooms I love
them but they are also very very very expensive and you can only get a few
people in a room at a time right so they implicitly inefficient as far as reaching
people and letting them have that experience and if you want a proper return on
investment you have to charge a lot of money for a special experience like that
but maybe that is just not practical. So I think who knows these types of rooms
themselves may be a fad but the idea of exploring new formats I think that, that’s
is just the tip of the iceberg.

Interviewer: When you speak of formats, what formats do you see developing outside of
pop-ups?

The one thing I do feel pretty strongly about is the idea of paying and x amount of
dollars and going to a large box that you stand inside and someone stands and
plays music in front of someone for 30 minutes. Then, theres is a 20 min break
then there is another 30 minute performance then there is another 20 minute break
then they play music for an hour, we have been doing that for decades and that
itself will never go away but that will be seen as old fashion for the next
Tidmore 68
generation so the idea is that how can you have concert? What does the live
music experience look like? Is it being combined with other mediums? Are you
merging it with film? Are your merging it with video games? Is a symphony
playing live while you watch a movie? I think those things are showing immense
popularity and we have only just started to see people take an interest in stuff like
that. I do not think that there is necessarily one format that we know is going to
dominate per say but I do think that we are going to rethink what it means to
experience music.

Interviewer: I think the biggest thing about that is how can you elevate the experience?
The core will remain the same but how can you elevate it.

We see so many people who are doing like the biggest video game last year was
The Red Redemption video game and they’ve been doing just sold music from the
game performed by an orchestra. I don’t think anyone would have tried to play an
action video game music before, maybe there was one for nintendo a long time
ago but the idea that not only can they do that but they can do that for a week and
there is such a demand for it is just really showing how genres and mediums are
starting to cross and the more times people look and say wow they just sold out a
week of that then maybe we can try something else that's a little different that
maybe people would be nervous about before so what does that look like? We are
just going to see that happening more and more because I feel like those events
are going to be successes so what does that mean? What kind of doors open? We
probably can’t predict what the winning format is going to be but we can predict
that is is certainly going to change.

Tidmore 69

Appendix D: List of Illustration

Fig. 1. Chart: Created by the author utilizing “Experiential Marketing Series: Q&A with Ayni
Raimondi of Airbnb” and “Why The Music Industry Loves Pop-ups.” The chart represents
Raimondi’s general approaches to experiential marketing (pop-ups), and examples of those
approaches in the music industry.

Fig. 2. Research report key findings: “2019 State of Experiential Research Study.” 2019.
Courtesy of Agency EA.

Tidmore 70

Fig. 3. Images: Photographs of the author’s copy of Boys Don’t Cry . The image on the top left
corner is a photograph of the magazine packaging next to the front cover of Boys Don’t Cry .
The lower left corner and right side are photographs that can be found inside of the magazine.

Fig. 4. Images: Photographs of the author’s copy of Boys Don’t Cry . The image on the top is
photograph from inside the magazine with a CD version of Blonde attached. The bottom image
is a shot of the packaging and the binding of the magazine, which reads “Boys Don’t Cry.”

Tidmore 71

Fig. 5. List comparing the differences between the streaming version and the physical version of
Endless .

Fig. 6. Resale price ranges for products associated with the Boys Don’t Cry pop-up.

Tidmore 72

Fig. 7. Left image is a screenshot of the official announcement for the Boys Don’t Cry pop-up.
The right image is from the author’s Snapchat at the Los Angeles pop-up.

Tidmore 73
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Creator Tidmore, Amber Lauren (author)

Core Title “Ocean fandom”: what the music industry should learn from Frank Ocean to keep the phenomenon and cultural experience called fandom alive

School Annenberg School for Communication

Degree Master of Arts

Degree Program Strategic Public Relations

Publication Date 05/06/2019

Defense Date 05/04/2019

Publisher University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag Artists,dwindling fandom experience,experiential,experiential marketing,fandom,fandom experience,Marketing,music,Music Industry,Musicians,OAI-PMH Harvest,phenomenon and cultural experience,pop-up events,Public Relations,white paper

Format application/pdf (imt)

Language English

Contributor Electronically uploaded by the author (provenance)

Advisor Floto, Jennifer (committee chair), Cook, Fred (committee member), Turner, Myra (committee member)

Creator Email a_tidmore15@yahoo.com,tidmore@usc.edu

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-c89-166674

Unique identifier UC11660989

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Legacy Identifier etd-TidmoreAmb-7404.pdf

Dmrecord 166674

Document Type Thesis

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Source University of Southern California (contributing entity), University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses (collection)

Access Conditions The author retains rights to his/her dissertation, thesis or other graduate work according to U.S. copyright law. Electronic access is being provided by the USC Libraries in agreement with the a...

Repository Name University of Southern California Digital Library

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