Release Case Study
Kevin Max: Cotes d' Armor (True Rebels) As a member of DC Talk, Kevin Max is a multiple GRAMMY and Dove Award winner, with sales of over ten million albums and a place in music history as one of the most successful bands in the genre. As a solo artist, he's become well known amongst his very loyal and established audience as an artist who is never afraid to challenge pre-conceptions of his work, and has gained acclaimed as a pioneering artist in the vein of Peter Gabriel and David Bowie, among others.
For his third release on Ovrtone Music Group's dPulse Recordings label, we worked directly with both the artist and management to create a tightly-integrated release, with direct involvement in all aspects of the expansive new album Cotes d' Armor (True Rebels). With expectations high for the album artistically, as well as an opportunity to further open new audiences for the artist, dPulse and Ovrtone coordinated the release from the ground up, including: Production: Working also with Lynn Nichols (Switchfoot) and Tedd Tjornhom (Mutemath); dPulse/Ovrtone artists 3kStatic produced Cotes d' Armor (True Rebels) in association with Kevin Max. The album also includes tracks originally produced by Jonathan Smith of Luna Halo. The album was recorded at various studios in Nashville.
Click the link below to hear a clip of 'Even When It Hurts', produced by 3kStatic feat. Adrian Belew. Kevin Max: 'Even When It Hurts' (clip)
Media Collateral: The in-house team at Ovrtone and dPulse created a range of content assets for the release of Cotes d' Armor, including all one-sheets, press releases and bio information - including copy writing, design and distribution. These assets have generated over 15,000 reader views to date and were developed and deployed in-house.
Release Assets: The dPulse and Ovrtone team coordinated the capture and execution of key release assets, including the generation of metadata, publishing assignments, credits; the commissioning of original release artwork and UPC-A and ISRC code assignment.
Release Promotion: In a coordinated campaign beginning 180 days from release of the album, the dPulse and Ovrtone team developed and staged a number of promotional activities in support of Cotes d' Armor, including: Live Chat sessions with the artist with hundreds of participants; a full-featured social media campaign deploying Twitter, Facebook, Soundcloud and many other services. The dPulse and Ovrtone team also developed in-house viral tools, including feature rich widgets and shareable media. Working with our digital distribution partners, Ovrtone has aggressively sought and secured a number of high profile product placements at key digital music retailers, beginning with release week (August 24).
Video Assets: Working directly with the artist, the Ovrtone and dPulse team coordinated and produced a promotional clip for the single 'Unholy Triad', which appears on Cotes d' Armor (True Rebels)
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DJ and Radio Servicing: The dPulse and Ovrtone team directly serviced the singles from Cotes d' Armor to terrestrial and online radio, including servicing of the 'Bare Teeth In The Night' remix of 'Unholy Triad' to dance music DJs; white label CD mailers to traditional media and digital servicing upon direct request. This servicing is currently ongoing. Physical Product Production and Distribution: The dPulse and Ovrtone team oversaw the development, design and production of compact disc products for physical distribution. Cotes d' Armor (True Rebels) will be available in three configurations and also includes a booklet, a downloadable package and other value-added features.
Merchandising: Spurred by interest in merchandising for Cotes d' Armor, Ovrtone entered a direct business-to-business agreement with Zazzle.com, the leading supplier of customized band merchandise. The Kevin Max store will be fully stocked with hundreds of user customizable apparel and specialty items, all designed with direct input from the artist.
Website Development: Working in a compressed time frame, the dPulse and Ovrtone team developed and deployed a specialty site for the promotion of Cotes d' Armor (True Rebels), including a mobile platform development. Truerebels.info features a Nimbit-powered storefront that includes: music downloads, merchandise, tour information and bio data. The embedded mobile platform also includes direct access to the artist's Twiter, Facebook and Twitpic feeds, a Gig locator and information / purchase links for the album. The dPulse is also currently developing a completely new 'Official Site' web presence on behalf of the artist.
Live Event Coordination: In support of the release of Cotes d' Armor (True Rebels), dPulse and Ovrtone directly booked selected live shows, including the Official Album Release Event at Hard Rock Cafe in Nashville, TN. (August 24, 2010). The release event also was coordinated by artist management Greg Carnes Productions and features regional artists (and dPulse Recordings signees) Knapsackheroes! as special guests. CD Pre-Orders: Deployed on the dPulse Recordings Online Store, dPulse and Ovrtone developed a pre-order strategy for Cotes d' Armor (True Rebels) that included immediate, free download of hi-fidelity, DRM-free MP3 files for the entire album, as well as free downloads of exclusive content for participants of live chats scheduled prior to release of the album.
Release Advertising: In addition to an aggressive Google and Facebook campaign strategy beginning in June 2010, Ovrtone and dPulse will also coordinate placed buys on internet radio and various online blogs and webzines in support of Cotes d' Armor (True Rebels). Results: Deploying a full-featured strategy that began with production of the music and continues with pre-release promotion, social media reach and advertising, the dPulse and Ovrtone team have not only secured the full support of our key distributor for frontline releases, but has also seen an increase in our store conversion rate to 7.26%, its Twitter Klout score double to 39, as well as accentuated fan awareness and listener participation. With the release only days away, the Team's work does not stop - our aim is to push this release to mainstream notability.