A different kind of campaign

4 replies
I really enjoyed how charismatic and open this woman is. I've never listened to her music before, but this speech makes me want to check it out:

Amanda Palmer TED Talk

As I listened to her speak, I was pretty in awe of her complete mastery of sales skills. She doesn't try to win you over with impressive facts and figures. She doesn't try to tell you why you should like her music. She comes down off the box and asks for your trust, and gives hers in return.

What do you think? (~13 minute long TED talk, but well worth it).
#amanda palmer #campaign #kind #ted
  • Profile picture of the author AlmightyGreg
    I watched that video recently I get what you are saying, I was impressed as well
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  • Profile picture of the author Daedalus15
    That was a great talk. The emotional connection she is able to make with the audience through her personal stories is what makes it so powerful. This emotional appeal plus the proof of her own success makes her radical views on the music industry seem like common sense. Thank you for sharing this.
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    • Profile picture of the author Jeremey
      Amanda Palmer is an absolute master at internet marketing. I can't say I agree with her business model (in fact, I tend to look at her as a wolf in sheep's clothing), but she's certainly been successful at it. Lots of musicians at one point were doing the "here, take my music and pay whatever you want to for it," only to realize that people didn't really want to pay anything at all for it. Perhaps if they were as savvy as Palmer about going to their fans houses, ringing their doorbells, and asking for money (food, shelter, etc) they could have found more profit in that model.

      Unfortunately what happened is the major labels ended up embracing the model as well, then partnered or financed all the businesses that deliver music for dirt cheap, and still end up paying the artists and songwriters nothing.

      Amanda's right - Nobody is going to "give" you anything unless you ask for it. And if people are willing to give you something, then they certainly see value in it. A good example of how this logic isn't so cut and dry, however, is the story she related about offering to pay guest musicians on her recent tour (after raising over $1 million dollars on Kickstarter) with "beer and hugs" - basically a rewording of the dreaded "free exposure" BS that musicians have heard for years.

      Even if the $1 million went to pay for the recording of her record (despite the fact that a major-label quality release can basically be made for low 4 figures these days), as a touring musician, you kind of want to make sure the overhead can be covered before you go out on the road. If you won't be making enough money to pay for 8 band members instead of 4, maybe you should be figuring out a way to make an interesting show with only 4 band members. And if you ARE making enough money on tour to pay for 8 band members, but would rather get them for free and keep the profit, that just doesn't seem as "warm and fuzzy" as Palmer wants to make out. Chuck Berry has done the same thing for years, but he's kind of universally reviled for it. Chuck's not as pretty as Amanda either.

      Certainly there were musicians willing to play for "beer and hugs" (or "exposure"), but isn't that just perpetuating the devaluation of musicians (or writers, to look at it from another perspective)? If Ms Palmer had the means to pay the musicians (which she did, and she eventually ended up doing), but figured just by "asking" people to do it for free, she wouldn't have to pay, more power to her. There will always be musicians and writers and artists that are willing to give away their talent and hard work for the promise of free beer and a hug.

      But - just my opinion - it cheapens the hard work and effort that people put into building their own artistry. Just because you CAN ask people to give you things doesn't mean you always SHOULD.

      But yes, as marketers and business people we could learn a LOT from Amanda Palmer.
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  • Profile picture of the author DavidG
    Remember guys and gals, we buy emotionally and justify logically.
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