DragonForce in GameStop

With over 3800 locations in the US and monthly traffic of 70 million, GameStop is the world's largest video game and entertainment software retailer.

GameStop DOES NOT carry music products, but their customers are our fans. There are several effective instore advertising vehicles to reach GameStop's core audience of 18-34 year old males, most of which are beyond cost prohibitive for normal record companies, but Roadrunner is NOT normal!

With the excitement surrounding Dragonforce in Guitar Hero III, GameStop's instore TV network has agreed to feature the band in their one-hour program that continually repeats for the entire month of March.

As a rule, Channel M only airs game-related programming (no music video or performance), but as Dragonforce is one of the stand-out artists in GameStop's top selling guitar game, they will feature a :60 clip of the "Through The Fire And Flames" video, plus a short clip of guitarist Herman Li discussing Guitar Hero III with comedian Brian Posehn. Also, the program's hosts will mention the band and album once an hour. (I will circulate the clip once it's edited and approved).

Channel M's research indicates average instore TV program awareness is 90%. Average unaided commercial recall is 48%, aided is 64%. We have found a great non-traditional way to identify our Guitar Hero enthusiasts and make them aware of Dragonforce.

This of course paves the way for other Roadrunner artists. Artists that are featured in a video game who deliver us game-related content (i.e. Airbourne talking about their favorite games, or comparing Guitar Hero to Rock Band, etc.) can be featured on Channel M in the future.

Our next step will be exploring video game-related music products or gifts-with-purchase that could possibly be carried in GameStop locations. However, the stores are currently video game purists, so this is a work in progress.

Power of Lists....The Mystery of Dec 6th, 2007

Checking Google Analytics the other day, I noticed that traffic to our RR website enjoyed a MASSIVE spike on Dec 2007 (click here to see PDF report). So big that it required further explanation. So Jeremy hunted around and determined that that was the day we sent out the Roadrunner ‘Top 10s for 2007’.

Why this filled my heart with joy is that it vindicates something I have been saying for ages…and still believe is paramount to all of our web content efforts: THE POWER OF LISTS. People gravitate to them like programmed drones. But for our purposes it means that we need to hunt down, create and purely invent lists pertaining to our artists….ESPECIALLY once we start with the fullscale e-mail blasting. What better subject line to get attention and drive traffic than: “Top 10 onstage disasters by Roadrunner Artists” or something of that ilk….

It would be great if people could help us come up with ideas for such lists, and also work with us to make them a reality. If possible, I would love to have a list go out with every bi-weekly E-Blast. I am also thinking about promoting such lists on the front page of RR's website....but they need to be compelling and inspire people to make the elusive 'click' through to the content......

All Points Bulletin: E-Mail Marketing Incentives

In concert with Jon's previous post asking you what you'd like to know about our subscribers, I am looking for suggestions on incentives to offer our subscribers in exchange for their giving us that extra information.

When we launch our new email program, fans will still go to our site or artist sites to sign up for the email list. The fan then receives an email asking them to confirm that they wished to subscribe. At some point from here we will ask them to enter additional info.

We would like to offer the incentive(s) to do so at that time.

I thought we could offer a 15-25% discount at a retail partner for filling in the extra information. We're already working on that idea with the Sales department, but I would welcome additional incentive ideas from everyone.

It could be physical or digital product, exclusive content, tchotchkes, or anything else that comes to mind.

Fire Away!

Super duper marketing info - need your help!

As part of our new, e-marketing planning we are scoping out the kinds of user profile details we would like to collect using the self-serve system that will soon be in place. That is, people on our database can shortly come to a page at our website and see their personal details (name, age, cell number, email address etc).

In the 'Round 1' database 'clean up' sweep we are only going after the basics. But in 'Round 2' we are going to make it attractive to our direct marketing user base to offer up far more detailed/insightful information about themselves. Stuff that we are thinkinbg would be useful to know include:

• Favourite radio station
• Favourite TV show(s)
• Movies
• Video games
• Music retail store
• Sodas/Beers/Food

We can come up with almost anything we like, but I am hoping the various departments can offer up some suggestions for us as to what you would like to know. Remember, this info can be fed back to you and might provide powerful leverage next time you (for instance) present a record to a radio station (ie. "We have 4,650 hardcore RR fans who listen to WKRP that we are going to e-blast next week to request the song!!"

So please have a think through this stuff, ask any relevant questions, and offer up some suggestions in the comments section below.

Airbourne Featured on QuickTime Guide

Apple's QuickTime guide is now featuring Airbourne's video for "Too Much, Too Young, Too Fast." Click here to check it out.

De Novo Dahl Live at Woxy.com

Check out De Novo Dahl performing live in the studio at WOXY.com in Ohio today at 3:30pm EASTERN.
You can stream the performance live, online, at http://www.woxy.com

Chris

Within Temptation Featured on imeem

Within Temptation's profile is among those featured in imeem's music section this week. Check it out at http://www.imeem.com.