Ask Yourself

How Dirty is Free?

Fast and Free seem to be the new sheik business model : 

 

Google = Fast and free

YouSendIt.com = Fast and Free

FreeConferanceCall.com = Fast and Free

Zoho = Fast and Free

Pandora = Fast and Free

SethGodin.com = Fast and Free

Facebook = Fast and Free

The list goes on…

 

Check out this great list of fast and free services provided by Inc Magazine. Now-a-days even the free services are fighting for attention! In the 80’s I don’t think many businesses would have agreed with this “free” philosophy. Remember when you could buy the Encyclopedia in grocery stores? They tried to lure you into buying the whole set by selling you the volume of “A” for 99 cents. I bet Britannica would have never thought their competition was going to a free service.

 

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I am in the process of develop several new projects, all of which will have free services attached to them. So…I posed the question: If the future model of business is “Free”, how will it work economically for businesses?

 

In my studies to understand why free is so popular for businesses right now I found the following fantabulous analogy and here it is:

 

The Bikini Concept Introduced by marketing writer Sean D'Souza.

 

By giving away 90%, the user is willing to “pay” to see the last 10%.

 

I know…I hear you saying “How chauvinistic Mr. Sudarski!”, (That was my family name before we got off the boat). 

 

It is the last 10% that is of monetary worth to the consumer. How far are you willing to give your audience, customer, or client? What last 10% can be unrevealed that has so much value that “they” will do anything to get the last part? Isn’t that what the Broadway performances at the the Tony’s and the Thanksgiving Day parade are all about on a small level? BroadwaySpace.com has started to offer their audience base free access to the stars. Will live entertainment continue to have a free models like this in the future?

 

Have you done anything FREE and gained business from doing so? Will you do it again?

 

Do Choregoraphers Have Software?

 Playwrights have software to make their life easier.

Lighting designers have software make their life easier.

Set Designers have software make their life easier.

General Managers have software to make their life easier.

Almost every creative and administrative department in live entertainment has some sort of computer software supplement to enhance their productivity and abilities. What about choreographers?

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Check out this 30 second video explaining the new ChoreoPro software for Choreographers and Stage Managers:

The product is not released yet, but I have been told it will come out shortly. In the meantime you can request a trial version ChoreoPro through their web site.

I enjoy when someone takes something that already exists (In this case dance) and figures out how to make it better through technology.

Who can this help?

Dance Competition World = Some studio directors have to create anywhere from 25-50 group dances a season. With this tool, the directors can start imputing information as they are inspired and not have to rely on chicken scratch note pads to translate their thoughts.

Pre-Broadway = In the course of a Broadway show’s development phase dancers are made, cut, changed, and re-configured to work with scenery or a change in story line. With a software like this the Assistant Choreographer, Dance Captain, or Stage Manager will be able to update the module so no one has to ask, “What did we do yesterday?”.

After Opening = Have a long running show that has a casting change, or one of your ensemble dancers ate too much sushi? Your Dance Captain, Stage manager, and dancers can use this tool to cut rehearsal time down and improve accuracy.

Event Planners = If you are a production company that caters to the high-end event market, you will have to show your client in advance what the sets, lighting, and costumes will look like. You even have to go as far as showing your client what the napkins, table settings, and mints in the bathroom will be like. In the past you were unable to show them what the movement on the stage was going to be like. Now you can.

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Do you think this product will have merit in the marketplace, do you think something like this exists? Do you think this will make like on the stage easier or more complex?

Leave your comments here!

Twittering the Birth of a New Company

You can now find me on Twitter under the name MICedar.

Lots of incredible things in the works for 2009. I would love to have you join me for the ride.

Why did I join twitter other than the fact that it’s a fun toy for my iGoogle page and blackberry?:

1) It is a really neat way to archive the creation of Future Generations Entertainment.
2) Another way to market my services as an Entertainment Professional.
3)) I can see what other people in entertainment and business are doing.
4) Hands on experience of how I can incorporate Web 2.0. into my new projects.

Want to learn more about how Twitter can assist your business: A great blog posting on the benefits of Twitter here.

Do any of you have a Twitter account. Feel free to list it in the comments section below!

Productivity Tool - Time Saver

As silly as it sounds, one of my favorite tools I keep in my shortcuts is this email verification site.

When I am reading an email address off of a notepad and I'm not 100% sure i got all the characters correct in the address for "theaterproducerlover123@producingforthebestabc.com" I plug it into here to to get confirmation I am sending my report to an active and correct address.

I could wait around for it to bounce back... But I like to know the details are right from go....

Call me anal.....I find when needed, the extra few clicks saves me time.

How to Get Elected in CyberWorld

I am always a sucker for great marketing campaigns.

Check out this video my friend Mark sent me.

This is all a gimmick by PalTalk a video chat community. I have not heard of them until today, but trust me, I’m going to sign up!

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Go ahead – Make one for yourself or your friend by clicking here.

Lets make a list of other interactive marketing experiences you have encountered. Send your favorite links or youtube videos through a comment below.

It's a Kidz Bop World - Tween Entertainment

Razor and Tie has managed to create a music empire based around the tween market. In 2001 they debuted their series Kidz Bop. Even in this era of slow CD sales they still have managed to sell over 10 million albums. In March they introduced  Kidz Bop 13 which premiered on the billboard charts as #4 for sales.

The CDs contain popular cover songs with kids singing in the background, chorus, and sometimes leads.  Razor and Tie made something remarkable to its demographic and the market rewarded them for doing so.

As their popularity grew, they create an online community (My-space-esq) that is safe for kids and empowers them to use their creativity. (Where else have we seen interactive web-companions for popular tween shows?)

Next comes their re-mount of Kidz Bop Live, an interactive, concert event using the pop music from their albums. It will be affordable for the family to attend and modern enough for a mom and dad to also enjoy.

What is admirable about the Kidz Bop Live property is that they are not trying to be Disney and they are not trying to be Nickelodeon. They are being their own product.

Want to see more? In addition to their website links above, you can check out more video footage on their YouTube site here.

With the introduction of other  productions like High School the Musical, it is clear that the face of children’s entertainment is changing.

Bon-Jovi Understands TrendErtainment

We should invite John Bon-Jovi to subscribe to our blog. He understands TrendErtainment and how it can be used to reach out to new audiences.

Take a peek at this video-link that another TrendErtainment guru brought to my attention.

Rockin' Returns: The big business of mega concerts in an all-access behind the scenes tour...

Trends in technology are always changing. We have choices how to utilize this constant change:

A)    Stay away from it all together and stick with the traditional.
B)    Use what is available at the current time to enhance your product.
C)    Use what is available and manipulate it to create a new technology to gain attention.

Question: Which of the above is correct to use?

Answer: There is no right answer. All three options are perfectly acceptable as long as you use the technology (or absence of it) correctly to brand your product. In the case of the 40 million dollar Bon-Jovi production, it is clear they are going for a technology-based spectacle to enhance the audience’s experience.

We see the presence of evolving technology in entertainment everyday. It is here to stay, and it is our choice to utilize it or not. Imagine what trends are to follow regarding video and projection use in live events. Its only begun to expand.

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So…. How many degrees of separation will it take to influence John to join the TrendErtainment subscription feed? Any suggestions of where to start?

Influencing your Tween Audience

According to Silicon Alley Insider, Nickelodeon’s tween centered TV show iCarly is drawing 3.6 million viewers. Even more impressive is that the web companion for the iCarly show generated 2.7 million unique visitors in February alone (Up 24% from the prior month).

What does this mean for us in live entertainment? Everything. Statistics show that tweens and teens are controlling household income more than ever (More on this in another blog). Younger generations are also more connected to the world than ever before through the help of modern technology.

If the kids who are driving the dollar are not invested into the brand, they will not be as inclined to get their parents to participate in the purchase of live production tickets. The syndication of networks like Nickelodeon and Disney make it challenging for other live tween geared shows to gain an equal appeal. If Barns and Nobles doesn’t have it on the front shelf, chances are you will have to be extra creative to get you seats filled

As of today, High School the Musical and Hanna Montana have the eye level display and we know what ticket prices are for these shows. Hanna Montana top face value for a ticket may be $63.00, but StubHub (a now ebay owned website) sells the tickets at the tune of $237 each. (That’s $948 for a family!). Many times these tickets skyrocket much higher than that in the $600-$800 range.

You may have a great show. Perfect for the whole family to watch. Your ticket prices are probably lower than the Nickelodeon and Disney shows, but if your target audience doesn’t  value the brand, they will spend the money elsewhere.

There is no definitive way to measure it, but patterns show that direct interactivity (like the website) provides ownership and connection to the customer. Using the Internet to immediately personalize the user experience is being seen more and more. Use appealing interactive elements, compound them with heavy branding and you will find the keys for getting the family 4 packs to sell even despite the price.