Promotional Strategies -- Australian Music

Promotional strategies -- Australian music

The case study documented a multitude of strategies used in promoting Australian music in the international market. These promo strategies are identified as follows: live performances, recording releases, sales and chart positions, radio airplay, video clip broadcast and official website. Strategies considered as "pull" strategies, those that directly target the overseas consumers or end-users are live performances and a musician's/singer's official website. To a certain extent, video clip broadcasting is fast becoming a pull strategy as a result of the exponentially growing popularity and pervasiveness of video sharing websites such as YouTube. "Push" strategies include recording releases, sales and chart positions, and radio airplay, which targets different agents or members of the distribution channel (record labels, PR agencies, radio stations, music stores, and so on).

Live performances and a musician's official website, including video clip broadcasting, are considered pull strategies because these strategies conduct activities that directly target or cater to the end-users or "fans." Live performances through promo tours, music festivals, trade shows, and as a support act to another musician or cause-related event are activities that allow musicians to directly "communicate" with their fan base, who are also end-users in the music marketing cycle. Similarly websites and video clip broadcasting through free video sharing and social networking sites have revolutionized promotion for musicians, including Australian musicians, and allowed them to target not only their local fan base / consumers, but they are also able to tap their overseas fans / consumers. Push strategies, meanwhile, are strategies developed that enable musicians to form partnerships and business transactions with agents critical to the distribution of their music. These agents are recording labels / companies, radio stations, music stores, and even PR agencies. Each agent has a critical role in creating demand for specific musicians. Push strategies often complement pull strategies, and activities for both work hand-in-hand to ensure that musicians are promoted intensively, both in the local and international music markets.

2. The above-mentioned promo strategies used by different Australian singers / bands in the international market are characterized by either standard / uniform or differentiated approaches. Popular Australian musicians who have successfully penetrated the international market have adopted both standardized and differentiated promo strategies to retain their fan base locally, and increase their appeal to the music market internationally.