Should Brands Have Tickets to Music Festivals?
Just last weekend, fans, influencers, and industry folk descended on Indio Valley to experience the 25th anniversary of a festival that, in large part, has earned its title as the?popular culture Olympics. But this year, something seemed different. While there was a familiar set of?great acts, some surprise guests, and a fleet of brand partners, the festival seemed to lack the spark that had ignited it into the most important cultural playground in festival season.?
What's happening?
While there’s no clear answer as to what’s caused the slump, Coachella's wavering is not unique. Similar festivals in the US have seen a decline in ticket sales. Major festivals like Governor's Ball and Lollapalooza also have tickets left. Firefly is taking a year off and set to return “when the time is right.”
Critics offer several explanations, including rising ticket costs, incohesive lineups due to the "slow decentralization of music," and the inability to attract true headliners.?
The infamous Daily Mail, quite eloquently, offered another?explanation:? "Once the hottest ticket in town, how Coachella is being shunned by music lovers after becoming overrun by influencers flown out by brands to take selfies in the desert".?
Okay, so that article might not pinpoint the problem to a science, but something is clear: There's an absence of magic, or at the very least, burnout amongst organizers, fans, and brands.
Brand Activations at Coachella 2024
Coachella saw no shortage of brand partners this year. Soda brand Poppi renamed the “Coachearlea” music festival after its guest of honor, Alix Earle. American Express hosted a pop-up experience with spiritual readings from Reneé Rapp. Pinterest marked its first year at Coachella with “Manifest-Station,” which allowed attendees to explore festival fashion and beauty trends - think ribbons for Olivia Rodrigo or anything Lana has ever stepped out in.
Some brands tried a different approach than in years past. REVOLVE Festival, once its own cultural moment, slimmed down its party this year.?Guess Jeans, opting?out of a one-off party, sponsored a fleet of top-tier influencers to simply live in a villa for the whole weekend, churning out content.
The Brand Challenge
While Coachella has never solely been about the music, it was harder to understand the role of brand partners in the experience this year.? Sure, these activations are an effective means of drumming up eyeballs for brands.?But when the heart and soul of a festival are in question, we must rethink what, if anything, the role?a brand activation plays in the music experience.
What Coachella's Past Can Teach Us?
Coachella’s roots as an indie and alternative music-focused, community-driven crowd that embraced creativity are what allowed the festival to develop its iconic ethos. Music and art installations were a significant aspect of Coachella's identity, designed to be interactive and often incorporating technology.
As Coachella’s popularity grew, so did its community. The formerly one-day festival moved to two days, and its attendance boomed. It welcomed new genres, new musicians, and immersive experiences. It grew into a cultural icon. Frank’s set and Snoop Dogg’s Tupac introduction are etched into our collective consciousness.
Yet, as we examine the brand experiences we see today, the effect of the festival's commercialization and the rise of creators shows that something has been lost.?
So what role does a brand play at a music festival?
It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what a brand activation's role is in any experience. Yes, they allow brands to drive exposure. But?if you ask more scholarly marketers*, it’s an opportunity to drive an emotional connection with their audience in a way that content can't.??
Brand Activation definition: “A brand engagement which focuses on building a longer-term emotional connection between the brand and the customer.”
While it's clear that the cultural convergence of different areas of culture, such as art, design, fashion, and technology, is deeply connected to the music world, it’s become too easy for brands from any category to show up and expect attention.
?Bring Emotion Back into Brand Activations
The power of music is clear; that’s why music festivals have become the cultural forces they are today. Brand activations need to consider the following: What are they doing to connect back to the music experience?
It also allows us to match the criteria outlined in our earlier definition – brands should lean into music to create an emotional connection at music festivals. As humans, our bodies and minds subconsciously react to the music we listen to. Music's effects influence our day-to-day behavior – even if it’s playing in the background. The ability to show up at a space where patrons are expecting to be moved provides a massive canvas for developing deeper bonds with your consumer. As such, lean in! As much as influencer content may produce exposure and awareness for your brand, it can’t prevent consumer indifference. Emotional experiences can.
How to Drive Success Through Music Brand Activations?
Here are a few key tips on how to bring music, and deeper connections, into your brand activations:
1. Add a Deeper Layer:?Music provides an opportunity to create an experience that tells a deeper narrative and provides something that amplifies, rather than co-opts, the experience of the music.?
Tortured Poets Department x Spotify:?Spotify’s approach to activations inherently answers the call for telling powerful stories through music, rather than next to it. As Taylor Swift's The Tortured Poets Department project approaches its release, Spotify has orchestrated an immersive journey for fans, transforming The Grove in Los Angeles into a thematic open-air library. Reflecting the album's central themes of poetry, the installation invites fans to explore various rooms, from a letter drop area for song anticipation to a poet's study filled with books for interactive photo opportunities. Incorporating hidden lyrics throughout the space adds a scavenger hunt element, fostering active engagement and deepening the connection between the audience and the music.
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2.?Invest in the Experience Around You?
Instead of looking for places to show up, identify ways to improve the experience through innovative use of technology. For instance, this year, YouTube's Lounge provided a new way to. connect with the performances using an innovative live-stream format.
Google x Gorillaz:?Google showed off its ARCore Geospatial API technology during a Coachella headlining set by Gorillaz, expanded the virtual stage concept to Times Square and Piccadilly Circus, and won a Gold Lion at Cannes in the Digital Craft category for its trouble.
3. Do things that haven’t been done before.
This is an easy one to suggest, but it seems even more important in 2024. But considering how?technology has opened the floodgates on music expansion, we live in a playground for?brands to invest in new creative opportunities and ways of infusing the power of music with their brand ethos.
Fortnite x Coachella Island:?Coachella Island is truly a unique experience, and one perfectly fit for Fortnite, a game that has continued to double down on creating live digital experiences. This year, Invisible North worked with Atlas to create worlds and use generative AI to give small regional festivals virtual stages.?
Wrapping Up: Battling Indifference with Ingenuity
As culture progresses, we must reconsider how we approach cultural-dependent marketing and what our intentions are. When investing your brand in the music world, it’s crucial to do so in a manner that advances music culture, paving the way for new possibilities. That is how you develop a connection that drives true positive emotional connection.
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Silence is Loud - Nia Archives Nia Archives, at just 24 years old, has become a powerhouse in dance music, revitalizing the jungle genre and earning acclaim for her unifying and captivating sound, showcased in her debut album "Silence Is Loud," where she delves into introspective themes with tranquil melodies and candid songwriting, culminating in a vulnerable yet empowering journey that transcends the dancefloor.
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Cindy Lee's expansive and mesmerizing album, "Diamond Jubilee," immerses listeners in a hauntingly beautiful realm of music, where each song feels like a spectral transmission from a bygone rock'n'roll era, blending genres and evoking a sense of nostalgia and longing as it explores themes of love, loss, and memory with masterful craftsmanship and emotional depth.
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Singles
Your Old Droog dropped his latest track "DBZ," featuring Method Man and Denzel Curry and produced by Madlib, with the rapper explaining on X/Twitter that the title, short for Dragon Ball Z, pays homage to the iconic Japanese anime series from the '80s and '90s.
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Dream pop sensation The Marías offered another glimpse into their upcoming album, Submarine, with the release of "Lejos de Ti," a tender reflection on separation from a loved one, accompanied by a haunting music video shot in the mountains of Lake Tahoe, California, where bandleader María Zardoya's ethereal vocals capture the essence of longing amidst a snowy landscape, further demonstrating their mastery in dissecting the complexities of love from fresh perspectives.