Marketing Hip-Hop Online

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Posts Tagged ‘ product launches ’

Mos Def Selling Album On A Shirt

June 22, 2009 • Artists, Business Practices, Questionable Marketing • Comments

mos_def-the_ecstatic_bGrindEFX.com notes a fairly inventive move by Mos Def, and highlights some problems with the idea.

Mos has teamed up with LNA Clothing to bring to the public the first “Original Music Tee”. The t-shirt will feature the cover of the album on the front, the track listing on the back, and a download URL on the tag.

I think this is a great idea, because not only will people be buying the album, but they will be promoting it by wearing the t-shirt in public. Free advertising is every artist and label’s dream! That is of course if people buy it, which brings me to some reservations I have about the idea.

Read the rest of the post here.

A team of seven women need a website

January 28, 2009 • Business Practices, Independant Company, Questionable Marketing, Websites • Comments

bclogoOK, so not necessarily Hip-Hop related, but relevant nonetheless…

[As seen on HipHopPRWire.com]

A Team of Seven Women Launch A New Publication

Brooklyn, NY, 1/22/09 (Hip Hop PR Wire) — Visionaries Teneille Craig, Shaina Lampkins, and Camillia are the founders of new publication Boys+Clothes Magazine. It is set to launch Sunday February 1, 2009. Boys+Clothes Magazine was executed with the support of four more NYC fashionista’s who each brought their own unique elements to the table. The remaining four women are Sofia Farquharson, Shana Jeannot, Patrice Floy and Christine Hamblin popularly known as “Cee the Photographer”. This team of seven from all walks of life and each possessing an entrepreneurial and inimitable spirit has met the challenge of publishing their first print magazine. Editor-In-Chief, Teneille Craig says “It’ll take much more than a resume to stand out in the job market in this economy. So we created our own opportunity to prove our worth and determination.”

Boys+Clothes Magazine is a tri-annual publication which aim to cater to the stylishly rebellious urban fashionista and her nosey boyfriend. Conceptualized to read as a girl’s diary it is filled with cutting edge and straightforward content. It’s an opportunity for women to read and relate on non-conventional fashion and lifestyle content and for others to become familiar with this young modern woman’s likes and dislikes.

On January 26th, Boys+Clothes Magazine will have a pre-launch event at an intimate venue in New York City called Mixx Lounge. It is located on 84 7th Avenue south between Bleecker and Grove Streets from 7pm to 10pm. The unveiling of the first cover will be at 7:30pm. It will be an opportunity to meet the faces behind the publication. If you are interested in attending the event please email jeannot.shana@gmail.com by 1pm on January 26th . Boys+Clothes Magazine can be found at selected locations in NYC and online.

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Press Contact:
Shana J
Email: jeannot.shana@gmail.com
646-637-4141

Now, I am twitter-acquaintances of some of those involved with this publication, and applaud anyone attempting the VERY difficult task of launching a PRINT mag these days. But ladies, please accept a couple of quick thoughts:

  1. The day after it happened, I noticed the launch party being twitted about. To be fair, I’m not sure by who exactly, but they mentioned the B+C launch party. Because I like to keep up on new ventures, especially in journalism, I clicked the twitter profile of the poster, who was obviously a part of the mag. No info about the mag, no hint as to the full name of the mag, and most noticeable, no website link! My split-second span of curiosity was gone, and I moved on.
  2. Today, when looking through the press wire, I saw the headline of the press release. Not sure why I opened it, though I suppose it is a curiosity-inducing enough headline. I read the release, and realized that this was the same mag. But again, no website. Not even a “coming soon” page with a quick email collection link “to be alerted” when the mag is available.

Advice? Remember that EVERY touch with someone must be thought of as a potential grab of attention. Twitter profiles must have some indication of your venture, a website address, etc. Twitter is a swirl of bits of info, but those who would “overhear” your conversation with another, might be interested enough to check in on you, but not interested enough to contact you directly. These folks are called ‘lurkers’, who observe more than interact, but their attention is as vital as any others.

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