The marketing blog of Kelsey Ingham has perfectly highlighted the struggles musical artists today are having with regards to engaging fans. No longer can artists, and their promoters build up promotions through print media, and network ads. The advancement of the internet, and the ability to share audio and video across multiple platforms has created a black market for the entertainment industry.
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other social media websites are used to create a vibe prior to the release of media, or productions. Reaching thousands or even millions or people, information can be sent instantly, and promotions can be launched across the world while reducing marketing costs.
As Kelsey notes, there have been many promotions that have failed to engage fans, and end up having virtually no effect. Promotions either are too time consuming, or ineffective in terms of creating a loyal following. Fans nowadays wait online for the release of an album instead of waiting outside their local CD store. Artists release single tracks, or previews albums, but the most popular submissions are cover photos of the albums.
The music industry may now be the most competitive for marketers. Fans and consumers must be enticed to purchase the album through Itunes or other platforms. Costing more than $1 per song, technologically savvy consumers would much rather illegally download their media, and this is the fight that the media industry has undertaken.