Set up your virtual concert plans during the Covid-19 days – The Fortnite Experience
This is a an except from the book “Artist Management & Marketing A Beginner’s Guide” that was authored by Amy Hester Thomson who has worked with Kanye West and Swedish House Mafia. The recent Covid-19 lockdown cancelled almost every music show happening on earth… If the music venues are closed, then what about collaborating with a video game producer and playing live for both video game and music fans?
You can download the whole book legally by visiting this website: https://myobschool.com/ The book’s download link is also included in the web article of the famous Music Business Worldwide Magazine, here: https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/amy-thomson-who-managed-swedish-house-mafia-and-marketed-kanye-west-reveals-the-most-important-things-she-knows-about-artist-management-and-marketing/?fbclid=IwAR2G4HDT0HroBN6FbBDc_Qq8aMxggiug-dy6BL4kq3QuiQS4thXdAyKPP1w
Check out the article below prepare your customized virtual concert…
MARSHMELLO FORTNITE
Brand connection
The Artist had already openly played the game online, with his fans. His fans were using the game on a regular basis, in their thousands.Perfect combo…
What happened?
On Feb 2, 2019 Marshmello gave a 10-minute mini-live-concert inside the popular online game Fortnite, which made it basically the biggest moment in Fortnites history.
How it worked
• All gamers were transported to a virtual stage at the in-game location, Pleasant Park when the concert began.
• Ability to use weapons was disabled for the event, which ensured that everyone could enjoy the concert.
• Stage – The stage had building-sized holograms of Fortnite characters and custom graphics played behind Marshmello’s avatar.
• Epic released a Marshmello skin, glider, and emote, alongside a special three-challenge quest for players to earn a matching pickaxe and other items.
• No gaming stats were recorded so that everybody could just enjoy the concert without having to worry about their statistics
MARKETING CAMPAIGN PRIOR TO THE CONCERT
How it worked
• The event was teased for several days on social media
• Marshmello listed Pleasant Park (event location inside Fortnite) on his touring schedule
• The stage was being assembled in the game days before the event
• Event advertised via posters within Fortnite itself
• You could win some of the virtual merch by solving challenges leading up to the event: The Marsh Walk emote is rare. Solving one of the challenges the day before the event got you the Keep it Mello emote for free. There was a third challenge that round out the entire Marshmello set with a pickaxe featuring Marshmello’s iconic head. Truly, this was a good time for Marshmello fans.
Merch
• Non-virtual: Marshmello released a special edition Fortnite merchandise collection, with hoodies & shirts
• Virtual: Gamers could buy a Marshmello skin (character design – apparently the skin lights lit up when you used musical emotes) for 1,500 V-Bucks – for your reference, 1,000 V-Bucks costs $9.99 in Fortnite – as well as a related glider accessory and dance emotes: The Marsh Walk and Bobbin’. (S14 & S15) —> total revenue unknown, but around 70% of gamers make in-game-purchases at one point in Fortnite.
The Album
• The new Apple format which allowed DJ mixes to be on the platform (the delay caused by streaming platforms simply baffled at how to pay publishers and sales when DJ’s play bootlegs) was live, the album went in and stayed on the top of the charts for weeks.The campaign was genius. Perfectly taking a demographic who related to the Artist, with music they liked, a character who was easily recognizable and applicable to Virtual Merch and a music release at the same time.
