Brand Extension
x
Strategy
Independent Study Capstone Project
3-month solo project working directly with Spotify on a real-world business problem.
The Ask
Understand the opportunity to deepen the premium listener's relationship through live music.
Background
From bundled service partnerships to once in a lifetime experiences for top fans, the bar is always being pushed higher for premium listeners. However, to this point, Spotify's presence in live events has been an unscalable model. So how do we scale it?
Live music & streaming is a 2-way relationship.
The Problem
Covid-19 has the concert industry in a panic, venues shut down, tours, and festivals canceled. With seemingly no start date in the foreseeable future, should Spotify even care about live events right now?
Opportunity
While the concert industry is reeling and in survival mode, Spotify has the opportunity to take a leadership role in live event connection by utilizing its large consumer base of music lovers. Spotify has the chance to plant our flag by supporting the industry as a whole.
Key Insight
Small independent venues and bars are the lifeblood of the concert industry and emerging artists, these venues rely on every ticket sale to stay alive. To support the concert industry, we must start by saving small venues.
The Solution
Introducing "Small Stage, Big Artists," a multi-city, nationwide concert series of intimate performances to help re-patronize small venues/bars post Covid-19.
Covid-19 Relief
How Spotify is currently supporting artists affected.
Re-Patronize
By utilizing larger artists in more intimate settings, we can drive consumers into smaller venues over larger, national venues, and festivals. Ticket and alcohol sales are what keep these local venues alive.
Proceed Donation
A portion of the proceeds from each event will go to local relief initiatives still supporting service industry workers affected by Covid-19.
Artist Partnerships
Utilizing current relationships with prevalent artists, Spotify can use an influencer strategy to promote these events to a larger audience. The artists' can use personal experience with small venues to push the narrative and create an emotional connection with fans.
Beyond Covid-19
"Small Stage, Big Artists" has the ability to become a new brand for Spotify focused on live music. Beyond the initial Covid-19 support for the industry, this could live as an ongoing experience offered to premium users as a way to see their favorite artists in an intimate setting.
Artists' have an opportunity to showcase new/upcoming music with fans. (Think NPR Tiny Desk)
A new stream of continued revenue for Spotify as well as a new value add for the premium platform.
Ability to build the brand through content creation from each event.
What I Learned
Work on things you are passionate about.
Having a background and dying passion for all things music, it made every step of this project much more exciting and helped push me to do better work. Every bit of research was exciting as I was uncovering things about an industry I truly love.
Sometimes the darkest times can be the perfect time for a brand to shine.
Despite the concert industry being in complete shambles right now, this may actually be the best time for Spotify to begin planning their scaled introduction into it.
Have more faith in my abilities.
Doing this project 100% solo really taught me to trust in my abilities and how much I know even if sometimes it feels like I am lost because chances are, given enough time I can figure it out.