Field Marketing Handbook

Page 3 (of 3)

Where to Start

promoting shows | working shows | tickets & passes | internet
listening parties | retail visits | photos | radio | other marketing
list removal

Forums

We encourage you to make use of the Street Team Forums as much as possible. All street team reps should register with the forums and get acquainted with how they work. The best way to get a question answered is to read the forums and see if your question has already been addressed. PLEASE CHECK THE FORUMS BEFORE ASKING YOUR STREET TEAM LEADERS OR OTHER REPS.

This is also a great way to communicate with your peers. We want you to be working together. It is a team effort.

Promoting Shows

When we contact you about a show in your area, go to our site and read up on the artist. Make sure the venue has posters up 2-4 weeks prior to the show. A few posters up promoting the show would be fine until the night of the show when you want posters hung everywhere. We can also provide you with flyers, postcards/stickers to hand out at other shows or festivals coming up in the area where you feel the same audience may go to.

If you are visiting a retail store or even a lifestyle account (coffee houses, art galleries, bars, etc) let the staff know about the artists in town and their show date. Ask if you can put up a poster with the date of show written on and if music is needed to play in the store take down their information and send it to us.

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Working Shows:

If you have been chosen to work the show (which depends upon how well you help us out before the show):

1. Arrive at the club, theater, etc. at least 40 minutes before the doors open. Introduce yourself to the promoter/club manager. Let him know you are with the label and there to hang posters. Each club has its own rules.
2. ONLY hang tons up posters up for the artist playing that night. In a small place hang about 5-10 posters in larger venues hang 10-20. This way there is a good chance that artists will see your work while they are walking round before the show.
3. If the artist is accesible, let them know you are an FMR and ask them if they need help with selling merch. Sometimes after the show artists may need your assistance at their merch are selling CDs, t-shirts, etc.

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Tickets and Passes:

Tickets aren’t free - NEW WEST occasionally buys tickets for the most active reps in each city... to work that show. When requesting tickets, fill in the bottom portion of the Order Supplies Form. If tickets are not at “will call” or the box office when doors open, find the tour manager. Often he/she will walk you in.

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Internet:

Please visit music sites, chat rooms, news groups, or similar artist websites and talk up your favorite New West artists. Visit sites that allow you to rate the music and post reviews. In this day in age it is essential that the online world know about these artists and their amazing music! Please collect and send us any press or web addresses that mention New West artists.

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Listening Parties:

Sponsor your artists listening party! Either at your dorm, local restaurant, coffee house, school, club etc. At a listening party you get a chance to introduce new and old fans to upcoming music from your favorite artist. It’s a fun way to spend a few hours listening to some good music. When ready to set one up post your plans on the forums to see if other street team reps can help.

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Retail Visits (very important!):

Approach your local record stores to hang posters and flyers to promoting upcoming releases and shows. Also ask if you can leave flyers, stickers, postcards at the counter for customers to pick up. You can introduce yourself to the clerk or store manager as a street team FMR for New West Records.

Example: “Hi my name is Slim Shady. I’m a street team Field Marketing Rep for NEW WEST RECORDS in the Los Angeles area. I have some display material for The Old 97’s and The Drive-By Truckers. Do you have any room for a display?”

Some stores will allow you room for a display (Many chain stores have professional displays done for a cost so don’t worry about these stores. Indie stores are most likely to allow you to do your own.)

Here is some helpful info about displays:
Displays are very important both in stores and for concerts. Displays create visibility, alerting the customer that Delbert, for example, has a new release, The Flatlanders have a video on CMT or that Chuck Prophet is on tour with Lucinda Williams. Displays create the scenario of suggestive selling. Your display is a useful tool to show people information about an artist.

Example: “I have display materials for Delbert McClinton. His new release, ROOM TO BREATHE, will be released next Tuesday and ‘Same Kind of Crazy,’ from the CD, is getting played on KGSR 22 times a week. It’s #2 on the station. He’s also playing here in Austin at Antone’s on October 18.”

The more info you relay to the store manager, the greater the chance that your display will be OK’d.

Discretely check the stock at your local record store and report back to us any stock issues you notice i.e. No CDs in stock, Is the CD in the wrong section? Is it on an end rack on sale?

Click here to get the form if you decide to do some quick checks at your local stores.

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Photos:

Anytime you put up poster displays in record stores or pass stuff out at shows, TAKE PICTURES. Get credit for your work. Your pictures are shown to our artists via email or when they come into our office. We want the artists to know your names because you work hard, and seeing your pictures and reports are rewarding to them as well. Communication is crucial.

IMPORTANT: Get a digital camera if you can. Your photos should be posted to the Street Team Photo Gallery soon after they are taken. Please identify who took the photos and what you did. Be sure to let us know the WHO, WHY, WHEN and WHERE.

Street Team reps that take good photos and do the most reporting are more likely to receive the best FREE STUFF when the time comes.

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Radio:

Please contact your local stations to request your Favorite New West artist’s song. In your updates from me you will be given the information about the single and what stations have played it and who hasn’t, etc. A great way to request is via the stations website. If the station isn’t familiar with the artists direct them to the artist website and let me know. I’ll make sure they get the current single and CD. If you call the station ask if they have any special programs where they play inide artists or new music, this can serve as a great marketing and promotions outlet for you and the artist.

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Other Marketing:

If there are stores, radio stations, college stations, coffee houses, restaurants, or whatever interested in playing our music please let us know:

1. name of place;
2. the type of place (store, coffee shop etc.);
3. address / phone and / or email;
4. the name of the person you spoke with; and
5. the artist they may be interested in;

and we’ll look into it.

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List Removal:

If at any point you would like to be removed from the New West FMR list just send an email with the title “unsubscribe” with a brief explanation as to why. This should help us run a more efficient organization.

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