Sennheiser Teams with Pick The Band to launch HearIAm campaign
(Dave Molter | Posted 2010-06-29)
Headphone and Microphone specialist Sennheiser has announced the launch of its HearIAm campaign for the Americas, designed for sound loving musicians and fans seeking to discover and share new music. As part of the campaign, the company has partnered with Pick The Band -- the world's first "fan-run record label." The initiative will also be supported by Universal Republic Records. For fans, the HearIAm campaign provides access to a treasure trove of the finest as yet undiscovered music available. For musicians, the campaign presents a potential opportunity to reach thousands of fans who crave new music that is both passionate and authentic.
The campaign website HearIAm.com, which interfaces with PickTheBand.com, invites fans to preview and share thousands of their favorite music tracks with others using customized social media tools and applications developed by Sennheiser and Pick The Band. Moreover, fans are able to cast votes for their favorite artists, making both artists and fans eligible to win a myriad of exceptional prizes including trips to well known American music festivals. For artists, the trips include prominent performance slots at these festivals, along with Sennheiser equipment. Musicians and fans will have many opportunities to enter the contest before it concludes next spring.
"Sennheiser recognizes the significant shift the music industry has experienced over the last several years," said Stefanie Reichert, vice president of strategic marketing at Sennheiser USA. "As trends like digital downloads and social media take hold, artists need to promote their music using grassroots techniques to reach today's fans more successfully. On the other hand, fans want to discover and share new music on their own terms. This campaign connects both parties; it makes it easy for fans to discover an untapped pool of new talent, while providing an innovative platform for musicians to reach potential fans."
Roie Avin, founder and president of Pick The Band, added: "Sennheiser has a very impressive legacy of providing musicians and consumers with high quality product solutions, while Pick The Band has a tremendous track record of bringing musicians and fans together using a proven web platform. Both companies share the same understanding of the market and were able to develop a terrific concept using customized music sharing applications. We believe that our combined efforts, along with Universal Republic's generous prize contributions, will result in exciting opportunities for both artists and fans."
Benefits of Participation
All musicians who register for the contest on HearIAm.com will receive a robust marketing toolkit that includes several electronic communication pieces--such as Facebook badges--to help them reach out to fans more effectively. Several finalists will receive customized phone applications to assist in their outreach activities and become eligible to win a performance slot at major American music festivals, along with $10,000 in Sennheiser gear. Partnering festivals include Montreal's Osheaga 2010, which occurs this July and New York's CMJ Music Marathon in October. Other festivals will be announced in the near future.
Music fans have a chance to win one of several trips to the same festivals by sharing artists' music through social media outlets as well as by participating in the final voting process. Several smaller prizes will also be awarded.
By the time the contest wraps up in spring of 2011, a single grand-prize winner will be selected to receive a special A&R showcase and a distribution deal, courtesy of Universal Republic records.
"To be successful in the current music business landscape, artists need to put forth a greater effort and initiative than ever before," commented Avery Lipman, co-President and COO of Universal Republic Records. "By establishing HearIAm.com and rolling out this highly innovative campaign, Sennheiser is helping to find and cultivate talented new artists, which is a mission we share at Universal Republic."
Winner Selection
A random drawing will determine which fans will win the all inclusive music experience. The number of votes, the amount of shared music as well as a special judging panel will determine the winning artist or band that will perform at one of the selected music festivals.
The judging panel includes the following participants:
* Brian Hardgroove: Lead guitarist of Public Enemy, producer and host of "The Fusebox" music radio program
* Josh Jackson: Editor in Chief of Paste Magazine
* Roie Avin: President and Founder of Pick The Band
* A representative of the festival
To participate in Sennheiser's HearIAm contest, or to learn more, please visit http://www.heariam.com.
About Pick The Band
Pick The Band (www.picktheband.com) is the world’s first fan-run record label. Pickthe-band.com is intended to bring fans into the music label process by having them help find the best undiscovered talent and then have them help market the band. Pick The Band is differ-ent than other music services since the audience helps find talent and also has direct input on which songs should be recorded, which should be singles, t-shirt designs, tour stops, and more. Pick The Band also invests heavily in those bands by putting them with major producers and concerts.
About Universal Republic Records
Universal Republic Records is a division of Universal Music Group, the world’s largest music company, with wholly owned record operations or licensees in 77 countries. One of several labels that comprise Universal Motown Republic Group, Republic Records was formed in 1995 by President, CEO of the label, Monte Lipman, and his brother, President of Universal Republic, Avery Lipman, conceptualized around their kitchen table. Today, the label is re-sponsible for numerous breakthrough and mainstream chart topping artists, including a diverse array of groundbreaking imprints and ventures encompassing new and established plati-num and multiplatinum acts such Taylor Swift, Enrique Iglesias, Amy Winehouse, Colbie Caillat, Tori Amos, Hinder, 3 Doors Down, Owl City, Anberlin, Godsmack, Jack Johnson, Damian Marley, Chamillionaire and others.
About Sennheiser
Sennheiser is a world-leading manufacturer of microphones, headphones and wireless transmission systems. Established in 1945 in Wedemark, Germany, Sennheiser is now a global brand represented in 60 countries around the world with U.S. headquarters in Old Lyme, Connecticut. Sennheiser's pioneering excellence in technology has rewarded the company with numerous awards and accolades including an Emmy, a Grammy, and the Scientific and Engineering Award of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
You can find all the latest information on Sennheiser by visiting our website at http://www.sennheiserusa.com.
Compiled from information in a press release and on the HearIAm website.
