May 2008

Artist and Event

Knitting Factory and Mozes’ first "Music to Go" series featuring UMRG R&B singer Lloyd

Background

In an effort to bring larger musical acts to its venues (New York, Hollywood) and bring a new experience to fans, Knitting Factory paired up with Mozes to find the perfect artist and the perfect service to kick-off their “Music-to-Go” Series. Music-to-Go gives fans a mobile concert experience from start to finish. Additionally, the Series was a timely venture for Universal Motown Republic Group (UMRG) artist Lloyd, who sought compelling ways to promote his new album, Lessons in Love, which hits stores July 15. Using Mozes, Knitting Factory and Lloyd developed a 360-degree mobile campaign that used text, voice, web and live event contact to create a unique and complete fan experience, which in turn would set the stage for future revenues

Objectives

• Build Lloyd’s mob (mobile list) and create demand for Lessons In Love
• Attract larger musical acts to perform at the Knitting Factory
• Give fans a way to interact with Lloyd that feels personal and exclusive – in-venue and beyond.
• Attract a large and loyal audience to the Knitting Factory

Solution

Beginning in early May 2008, Lloyd kicked off his mobile campaign with a text-message prompt for fans to call his Mozes line to hear his message and leave one in return. As part of the Music-to-Go series, callers and texters received a mobile ticket, delivered directly to their mobile phones, granting them free access to Lloyd’s concert at the Knitting Factory. As another incentive to join his mob, Lloyd offered the fan who left the best message an opportunity to win a trip to visit the rap phenom in his hometown of Atlanta. The winner got a chance to see Lloyd at work in the studio, check out his haunts and get to know Lloyd, up-close and personal.

By mid-May, Lloyd’s mob participants had made more than 34,000 calls to Lloyd’s line, quickly selling the show out. The first 300 mob members to arrive with their phones in hand, complete with mobile ticket, flashed their screens and accessed the show for free.

At the show, the campaign continued live on stage with Mozes’ live text-to-screen feature that invited fans to send messages to Lloyd while he performed, giving fans a chance to connect in real-time with the star. The text-to-screen component of the campaign also included a meet-and-greet contest that gave fans a shot at a backstage pass to hang with Lloyd after the show. After the concert was over, mob members got exclusive access to video clips from the performance, through a “mobisode” that was sent to all Lloyd’s mob phones.

Results

During the month-long campaign Lloyd’s brand new mob grew from 0 to 5810 members, including nearly 600 New York-based members. Hundreds of mob members showed up at the Knitting Factory waiting for access into the star-studded event. Live footage of the text-to-screen fan activity taken at the Knitting Factory show provided UMRG with a key marketing segment for Lloyd’s future CD/DVD release.