nyny012 fan photo
Hot off the press comes this news from iconic rockers The Grateful Dead, who have partnered with photographer Jay Blakesberg and book publishing platform Blurb to create “collector’s edition” books along each stop of the band’s 2009 US tour. Frankly, I am grateful for this really great idea (sorry).
This is about as good as it gets in terms of a band creating fun, fan-centric, branded band content. It uses the basic concept of fan-to-band collaboration and asks fans to engage with the band as they make the rounds on their US tour.
Here’s the deal. Starting April 16, fans can upload their own image from a show (or opt for the band’s cover) and within 72 hours receive a professional quality band book with live concert photos and exclusive rehearsal stills.
The idea is one we marketing types have been yammering away about for the past few years….give them content they can’t get anywhere else. Couple it with content they want to purchase. Make it personal. Add connectivity. Voila! It’s exactly what Kevin Kelly was talking about in his great Technium post about “Better Than Free,” a must-read discourse summarized here:
When copies are free, you need to sell things which can not be copied.
Check out the Blurb platform, which can be installed on a Mac or PC, and browse the ideas up on the site. It’s a visual feast, with inarguably gorgeous content. I’d venture to say not alot of bands are doing this type of merchandising. Could be that book publishing isn’t exactly on most bands’ minds as a new and novel merch concept. Kudos to Blurb for finding a way to make book art, state-of-the-art.
Overall, a really cool idea from a band that has never stopped trying new ways to give their fans a unique, personal experience interacting with the group. I’m going to guess this turns into a terrific revenue-generating strategy for the band, and one just about any touring/recording musician could borrow. Come to think of it, why didn’t the good folks at SXSW do something like this, allowing the thousands of attendees to upload a personal favorite photo from the event? I’ll bet they have official photographers on site capturing the whole gestalt of the event. Or Sundance? Or Bonnaroo? Hmmm, lots to consider.
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