 We recently received an emergency phone call from a company that was running a music download promotion with another digital music provider. With the promotion in full swing, the company discovered that 16% of the music codes didn’t work because they were being distributed in Canada.
The music provider handling the promotion didn’t mention that the music downloads they offered were only good in the U.S.; and the company purchasing the music promotion didn’t realize that licensing issues could limit music distribution to the United States.
Fortunately, we were able to provide a Canadian music solution for the company, saving their promotion. But the incident is a prime example of what can go wrong, and why it is so critical to work with a provider who is knowledgeable and experienced in digital entertainment promotions.
When it comes to digital entertainment promotions, there are numerous issues to take into account – such as whether the music provider offers music in both MP3 and WMA formats, and whether the ringtone and mobile game provider can actually deliver to all of the major carriers. But at the very core, there are three other critical questions that have to be answered – regardless of the type of digital entertainment promotion being offered.
- Where is the promotion going to run?
- How is the promotion going to be distributed?
- Who is the target audience?
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In FOCUS:
Weakening Dollar, High Import Costs Make Digital Promotions Attractive Alternative
The weakening U.S. dollar and soaring oil costs have sent import costs from China skyrocketing – and like every other industry, the promotions sector is taking a hit.
According to Bloomberg.com, the United States imported $321.5 billion worth of goods from China in 2007, making China the largest exporter to the U.S. Many of these exports fall into the trinkets category that are used for promotions.
With no end in sight for high fuel prices, businesses looking to stretch their promotional dollars are searching for other ways to motivate consumers to act – and with their low price point and universal appeal, digital incentives are emerging as an ideal alternative.
While music downloads and ringtones make up the vast majority of today’s digital incentive promotions, this category is rapidly expanding to include movies, concert tickets, video games, video clips and other media that can be delivered virtually. And with consumers’ appetite for digital media just beginning to scratch the surface, the promotional opportunities are endless.
MUSIC NEWS:
Puretracks Latin Music Store Launched
 The Puretracks Latin Music Store has officially launched, offering a powerful marketing tool for businesses interested in tapping into the $900 billion U.S. Latino market.
The new Latin music store is bilingual and features more than 100,000 top Latin tracks in genres ranging from Reggaeton to Cristiana. Like
puretracks.com , the mainstream music store,
puretrackslatin.com was designed with promotions in mind. Because the store is web-based, there are no time-consuming applications to download. The music is available in both MP3 and WMA formats, making it easy for promotion recipients to download songs to PCs, iPods, MP3-enabled phones and other portable music players. The music store can be customized to reflect the look and feel of the brand sponsor; and it features a parental control option that enables brands to restrict the music they deliver promotionally to ensure they are COPA compliant.
Check out the new store at
www.puretrackslatin.com . To obtain a free Latin music download code, call
888-701-3873.
PROMOTION
SPOTLIGHT:
Orthodontists Use Music to Connect with Patients
To build rapport with existing patients and drive word of mouth referrals, several orthodontist groups throughout the country are launching music download promotions. The promotions, which are being facilitated by Camelot Marketing Services, are also designed to drive web traffic to the orthodontists’ web sites.
 “An orthodontist’s audience tends to be teens and young adults who are getting braces and we were looking for something that would really connect with them,” notes Joe Lancellotti, president of Camelot Marketing Services. “ At the same time, we wanted to be able to drive patients to the orthodontist’s web site and needed a low-cost, turnkey solution that would require little work for the practice. Music downloads were a perfect fit.”
The music downloads are being distributed to patients via custom-branded cards for each specific orthodontist group. Each card contains a promo code good for two songs. To download the songs, patients are first routed to their orthodontist’s web site, where they can learn more about the services their orthodontist provides and can take advantage of other entertainment in the games and fun section featured on the sites.
“For us, this promotion is all about good feelings,” says Lancellotti. “It is a way to connect with patients and reaffirm that they made the right decision. And when the patients feel good about it, they go out and tell their friends.”
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