Last week a friend uploaded a video to Facebook about Umphrey’s McGee, a jam band we listened to in college. To my surprise, this wasn’t shaky concert video from the Gorge, but instead a piece highlighting the band’s use of social media to create a custom, truly shared, live experience. Using a projected SMS feed, the crowd was encouraged to text styles, genres, or ideas of anything they wanted to hear, and as the texts rolled in, the band improvised their requests in real time.
This video made me wonder how else digital is changing the way we experience live performance. How are other live acts utilizing digital to enhance their presence? And what are the overall effects it is having on the live show experience? I found that digital is changing and adding value to the live performances in two main ways – greater access and crowd power.
Increased Access
Simply giving more people the ability to view the show changes access. With digital there is an opportunity to spread the experience beyond the physical limitations of a specified time and space.
- U2 streamed live on YouTube from their last tour.
- Lumeefly , Chicago based hip-hop production company, moves from viewing to virtually attending the show – for a fee you not only get digital access, but the ability to chat with other virtual concertgoers, send drinks and gain backstage access.
- Sony launched “Club Dates” music series in October showing live concert films in select movie thea
ters. - The Fray Live is a mobile app that gives users tour information, streams live show footage, allows users to upload their photos taken during the show and has a light visualizer (a virtual lighter to be held up during the performance.)
Although access can be gained, the question lies in how does this affect the experience? Is there dilution of value when exclusivity and perishability is removed? Or, more blatantly, is it worth paying the high price for a U2 ticket when you can watch the same show at home?
I feel the benefits offered by each experience are different enough that cannibalization will be slight. What live concert fans want – atmosphere, shared experience, bragging rights – will be hard to replicate through a digital viewing experience. The digital option lowers the cost of consumption creating a trial opportunity for a new segment of consumers. I think both can thrive simultaneously, so fret not Bono, your shows will continue to sell out even though they’re free on YouTube.
Crowd Power
The other way digital is changing “live” is by giving consumers power to actually manipulate the show in real time. Umphrey’s McGee showed us how digital crowd sourcing can be used to inspire and change the immediate experience. Another more unlikely example is the New York Philharmonic. During a performance last year in Central Park, the orchestra took a text poll on what their encore piece should be. After over 5000 votes rolled in, the classic orchestra ended the evening with “Purple Haze” by Jimi Hendrix. Now, rather than screaming “Free Bird” at the top of your lungs, consumers have a streamlined, audible method for reaching the decision makers on stage.
But crowd power can manifest in other ways than changing the set list. Created for an Edinburgh music festival, Fest Buzz is a social media application aiding festival navigation with the ability to contact the necessary people, receive immediate feedback and add reviews. What started out as an information source quickly turned into the guide that manipulated crowd flow. Bands that were putting on good shows got immediate promotion and the crowds moved in. And for bands that maybe weren’t so hot, the live feed let consumers know to focus elsewhere. This tool created a new level of accountability for the quality of the product being served and gave users a digital method to optimize their time and experience.
Consumer Benefits Turn into Lead Generation
Digital tools have added new dimension and real value into the live experience. Creating a genuine, custom moment for fans helps solidify fandom with an active role in the creative process. What’s more interesting is that benefit received is high enough for consumer to volunteer their information to participate. Experiences that create a more involved consumer AND capture valuable information about active target members? Seems like a rocking idea to me.
No Comments | Trackback | Categories: Best in class | Email This Post
Leave a Reply