Marketing Brainstorms, trickles and drizzles

Music labels attempt business development

EMI trades lawsuit fees for equity in popular music service/search engine - Project Playlist. Still to settle are Universal and Warner. Because they can't figure out how to make money in the new environment where they are no longer the monopolists, they trade a lawsuit for equity. Maybe that's a good business decision, I don't know.

In the meantime, Grooveshark is the lastest innovator and one of my current favorite sites.

I'll try anything once

I tried this but the resistance - from salespeople, from private equity investors, from old-pro (mostly old) salesy board members - was massive. Kind of like being the first to introduce integration in public schools in the 60's. I always felt in danger of getting soaked from exploding heads when I explained the concept. The company went back to the old way (fixed CPM) and sales went down. I guess they like that direction because they're doing more of that.

Online advertising is dead (or dying under the weight of its importance)

So, there's this, if you haven't read it. Um, well, er, ah - at the risk of being told I'm attacking the author - why does he own an iPod if not for advertising? Would the first iPod have been sold without it? And, has he heard of classmates.com? Did a friend tell him or did he see one of the million of (don't know what to call them other than) advertisements online? Perhaps he didn't join classmates but knowing about (classmates, iPod) is the first step to (joining/buying). Demand generation begets the need for demand fullfillment.  Now, I've said that online brand advertising for demand generation that comes in the form of paid display ads or sponsorships on web sites won't work but, well, his view certainly is thought-provoking.

Ah, the music labels

Between trying to herd cats and reducing intellectual property, its a wonder they have time to figure out how to make music and money. Oh, wait, they're not doing that either.

And I'll say one (millionth) more time that price tends towards the marginal cost of delivery - which means music should be FREE! for consumers - licensed for use in movies, ads, shows, games, where ever - and as a way to get people into see the REAL scarce resource - a live performance by the band.