Let’s be honest. Chris Martin leads a pretty charmed life. His band, Coldplay, has made him millions, he’s married to actress Gwyneth Paltrow, and he’s got a couple of cute kids with the (arguably) catchy names of Apple & Moses. So what’s a guy like that doing giving away Coldplay’s latest MP3 single, “Violet Hill,” for free via www.coldplay.com?
I have three words for you: fan email addresses.
You see, Coldplay’s single isn’t technically “free”—you have to provide your email address and zip code in order to receive a link, via email, to download the MP3. This bit of quid pro quo might be lost on the masses, but it is squarely in the sights of this former disc jockey (much love, www.woxy.com) and current digital marketing aficionado.
In exchange for that one $0.99 song (iTunes valuation, not mine), Coldplay is expanding its subscriber database exponentially. Better yet, that database is now geo-targeted and allows Coldplay management, via a bit of simple segmentation, to alert fans from Portland, Maine to Portland, Oregon when the band is coming to their town. And in this age of iPods, touring is where there’s real money to be made.
That said, the opportunities Coldplay missed in its free MP3 gambit are as instructional for marketers as the ones they hit out of the park. So, in the spirit of giving something of value away, here’s my free MPC (Massively Powerful Consulting) advice for Team Coldplay:
- If you’re going to give away the lead single, pre-sell the album directly. “Violet Hill” is just one of 10 songs on the new album Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends (I don’t name ‘em folks, I just report ’em). I suspect Coldplay will email me when the new album hits stores on June 17th, but why make me wait? Had the band included a simple pre-order link to Amazon in the email containing the free MP3 link, my guess is that they could have generated thousands of CD/download preorders.
- Encourage subscribers to opt-in for specific content – and messaging channels . As it stands, the free MP3 request form doesn’t’ say whether your email address will be used for future correspondence. Why not ask subscribers for additional consent to add them to a fan mailing list or ticket alerts when a concert is added in their hometown? Or receive a personal tour update from Chris Martin via voicemail? Bands—and marketers—need to stop assuming that one size fits all when it comes to one-to-one communications. Give subscribers a way to control the delivery channel, content, and frequency of your messages, and they will reward you with greater loyalty and response rates.
- Turn the confirmation email design up to “11”. For a highly visual band, the bland text email I received with the unbearably long MP3 download URL was rather disappointing. Why not include the cover art for Viva La Vida, or at least the band’s logo and some links to a band blog, MySpace page or other means of engagement. You already have content in multiple channels (i.e. website, blogs, social networks, video, etc) so re-leverage it as much as possible. You have a captive audience salivating for that email in order to download the free MP3—maximize the return on your $0.99 investment!
- Don’t be afraid to ask for a little more (voluntary) information. While I like the simplicity of Coldplay’s registration form, in the age of multi-channel messaging, they would be wise to let subscriber also share their mailing address & text-enabled cell phone numbers. The most loyal fans will gladly provide that information if they know: (a) Coldplay is only going to send them Coldplay information, and (b) it will entitle them to special inside scoops or other exclusive info. Will all subscribers want to share this info? Nope. But the ones who do are your sneezers—the folks will likely spread your message virally given the opportunity.
I could go on, but it appears my $0.99 meter has run out. After all, everyone has to make some money off this stuff at some point. Right?
