EMI Music Publishing has kicked off a highly targeted campaign to drive creative executives in advertising agencies nationwide to emimusicpub.com, a newly revised site that allows users to search for and license songs.
The business-to-business mailer is designed to provide executives with “food for thought”: a box of cereal dubbed Search-e-os. Inside the box are two small boxes of real cereal, Parmalat milk box, bowl, spoon, napkin, and a magnet for executives to record their user name and password. Glued to the outside is a CD that explains the site and the licensing service.
“We sent it to music decision-makers who we believe are the people who do research at agencies — CEOs don't do research for licensing deals,” said Gary Klein, senior vice president of creative services and new media at EMI Music Publishing, a New York company owned by The EMI Music Group.
The package went via Federal Express to 600 agency executives, with plans for another drop to this same audience this month. Klein would not disclose the nature of the second mailing.
Names were sourced from EMI Music Publishing's music resources division, which works with agency creatives.
“We know who these people are, they know us and this is just a kind of reminder of what's there for them,” Klein said. “If they're not taking advantage of the Web site, this is the time to check it out and see what's there for them.”
The concept plays off General Mills' Cheerios, including a similar type style for the cereal name. The idea sprung from discussions with Jericho Communications, New York. The agency handles the EMI Music Publishing account.
“When we got together, we didn't know it was going to turn into this,” Klein said. “So it evolved. We've been working on this a long time and it evolved into direct marketing … we wanted to get the word out but we didn't think it was going to be a box of cereals.”
Search-e-os' play on Cheerios, especially for a mail drop of such a small quantity, is not something that worries Klein, who consulted with his colleagues before signing off on the concept.
“We don't think that's going to be a problem,” he said.
Sporting a blue background, the box shows three musical artists superimposed over a bowl of cereal as they take a bow.
Along the top of the box's front is the emimusicpub.com Web address. Highlighted copy reads, “24-7 access. The first breakfast cereal with Search-to-Quote capability to more than 500,000 songs.” The side of the box lists “nutritional facts,” which are really a list of the site's benefits.
“The challenge is to bring this to people's attention and to reach as many people as we can and get the word out that we have something here that's useful and will make their life a lot easier when it comes to doing their job,” Klein said.
Jericho handled creative, while EMI Music Publishing was responsible for print production.
“The idea of this is to send the message that if you start your morning with a good breakfast and you start your morning with EMI, you're going to have a good day,” Klein said.
The same 600 recipients were e-mailed a questionnaire asking for feedback on emimusicpub.com.
Launched in 1996, emimusicpub.com is a search-to-quote online service with a database of 500,000 EMI songs.
With this revision, many features were enhanced. Users can search the database for songs and lyrics, and request a licensing quote by filling out a form. An EMI Music Publishing employee will respond by e-mail, telephone or fax.
A news and charts area offers updates on people, places, songs and events that impact the music publishing business.
For those interested, emimusicpub.com allows selected users to download and print sheet music and e-mail sound bites of more than 50,000 songs.
Another area of the site is Sync Tank. Here, users can have their own private, password-protected space for organizing and tracking the pace of single or multiple projects, including songs from outside the EMI roster.
