Behind The Scenes of Bulldog DM - November 2020

If October brought with it the busiest month in company history, November was an opportunity to take a step back and think about where livestreaming is headed next year (for more on this, check out my podcast on The Future of Livestreaming). It has been 8 months since the start of the pandemic, during which we have seen brands shift from treating livestreaming as an experimental ‘one-off’ to a medium to invest in long-term. Bulldog DM continued our ongoing work with important organizations such as National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) and Kenny ‘The Jet’ Smith’s Jet Academy. Both are fulfilling an important void in the live music and sports communities respectively. As the pandemic ravages live gatherings, the effects on our peers in the independent music industry is not lost upon us at Bulldog DM. We continue to explore new ways to harness the power of livestreaming to ensure the lights will continue to shine at these iconic venues. 

Bulldog DM has always believed in the power of information sharing. In the spirit of giving, we share with you what November has taught us -

Livestreaming demands a global perspective 

Bulldog DM powered Kai Media’s MonstaX and AB6IX’s livestreams, building out their custom hello82 platform that housed all the action. Kai Media is building the next generation entertainment company for global KPop fandoms, blurring the geographic borders between artists and their fans - especially challenging during a global pandemic. Whether it was powering Joji’s Extravanagza livestream in October through 88rising or Kai Media’s in November, it’s clear that in order to succeed as a livestream company, a truly global perspective needs to be adopted. International acts have hosted some of the most watched livestreams this year (just take a look at BTS), and in order to succeed in this space, we must be fully aware of global artists and where their audiences are. 

Don’t forget about your local independent venue

Unfortunately, the effects of the pandemic on independent music venues continues to be one of the biggest stories in the music industry this year. Bulldog powered DCapella’s Music Nights livestream, part of an ongoing series powered by YouTube and NIVA. As livestream companies, it’s imperative we continue to support our peers on the venue side. The SOSFest, done in collaboration with Bulldog DM, NIVA and YouTube, for example, raised over $2M. As Billboard said, “It is perhaps an early sign of live-streaming not acting as a replacement or stop-gap for in-person concerts, but as a value-add to the overall landscape of live performance.” 

While some venues in Europe have been able to receive government aid, in the US, they are still awaiting legislation to be passed. This requires time that these places simply can’t afford. Organizations such as NIVA were founded to combat this very issue, and as we head into 2020, Bulldog continues to prioritize this. 

Smart brands are pivoting to long-term livestream strategies 

It’s not just consumers who are foraying into livestreaming for the first time this year - brands are doing the same. One of the most exciting parts of our job is shaping the way these companies think about their livestream strategy. Smart brands know - the days of one-off events have now evolved into fully fleshed out, long-term, livestream strategies. Done right, long term investment in livestreaming provides a unique way to continue building brand equity with consumers in a way that one-off events simply can’t. 

The power of the medium is clear; just ask Dua Lipa, Lil Nas X and Travis Scott. It’s up to us to harness it.