Where is the love? Coldplay has it.
I may be the only one here thinking that you never see the word l-o-v-e in business discussions.
You don’t hear it in meetings or in elevators. And that’s a shame because if you think about it, love matters. And it makes me angry when companies who have the love but don’t see fit to share it.
So short sighted and so cold, they are.
Exhibit one – entertainment companies. The ones who have the good fortune to make and sell things that appeal to a built-in audience of fans who aren’t just interested, but are genuinely in love with their works. The rabid fans who will engage in a brand for years on end and all they want is a little love in return. By love I mean some kind of recognition of their fandom, their loyality, their contribution to the fame.
"Oh, but we have no budget for that. We’ll just put it out there and the fans will find it." Or, "we’ll just depend upon our distributor/retailer or marketing partner to bear the burden." Nice.
Take Coldplay. These guys have it going on. They are one of the most successful and popular bands on the planet. They sell out stadiums, sell millions of CDs and legal downloads and still give away songs and more importantly take this fame very seriously. Even before the fame, Coldplay understood the importance of engaging their fans in nearly every way. Same can be said for Radiohead and Nine Inch Nails.
But Coldplay is a bit more accessesible than its peers. It helps that the boys have maintained an informal and self funded marketing team. A friend who worked at EMI said the last thing they wanted was corporate control of their message.
The website, http://www.coldplay.com is outrageously inclusive and well designed. They have all of the social networking apperatus you’d expect including a few cool things you didn’t. One that turned my head was the "Oracle" tab. You ask it a question and its A.I. responds, usually spot on. At least I think the A.I responds. This time I don’t think it’s Chris Martin at the keyboard.
The loves flows back and forth between the band and the fans. The latest eMail blast includes a video contest, new video clips and news; all written in the first person. Sure, there’s a "store" on the site, but it’s not the boys selling out. It’s just love. And no one’s complaining.
You are spot on. I am a member of both Coldplay.com and the award winning unofficial Coldplaying.com Whether it’s free digital downloads, free concerts, or just message boards full of fans happily discussing the minutae of their favorite band I am constantly amazed at the love this band spreads.