Ketchup

This is a bit of an exclusive for you, and a very interesting piece of news given the increasing importance of accountability and research/insight into any marketing spend at the moment.

Festival Republic, the UK’s leading festival promoter and organiser of Reading, Leeds, Latitude and Heavenly Planet is working with research and strategy agency Crowd DNA (yep, the Channel 4 Tribes peeps) to launch Sixty Thousand Voices, one of the largest research programmes of its kind offering brands and agencies a bespoke research programme with access to over 65,000 music-loving 16-24yr olds at the Reading & Leeds Festivals.

As the promoters of the iconic Reading, Leeds and Latitude Festivals, Festival Republic is uniquely positioned to give a voice to the youth market’s opinions on brands in music.  Working closely with brands and agencies, Festival Republic and Crowd DNA will develop a bespoke long term research programme that stretches further than the standard weekend lifespan of most festival brand research, and on a much larger scale.

Sixty Thousand Voices will take in online and onsite research in the months surrounding the August Bank Holiday of the festivals, allowing for a more insightful understanding of the role that brands play in live music, and in the lives of those that passionately consume it.

Topline findings will be presented to the industry pre- and post-festival, whilst the focus will be on category exclusive research content to be owned by brands that take part.

Festival Republic Sponsorship Manager, James Kent says

“In the current climate brands need to work harder to ensure their music sponsorships deliver for them.  Sixty Thousand Voices will allow the engage in a long-term dialogue with a key demographic, and as a result help inform those aspects of a campaign that will really deliver ROI.  We know that they already spend money in live music, and appreciate the value sponsors can add; this is a perfect opportunity to really explore these issues, and be seen to be actively listening and engaging with them.  Whilst there is a wealth of statistical research around how many young people listen to music on their mobiles etc, there’s a lack of qualitative insight into the roles that brands play in the pre- and post-festival periods, as well as the weekend itself – this audience have an opinion and I believe that the brands that listen are the ones that will really enjoys the benefits of live music sponsorship.”

Crowd DNA Managing Director, Andy Crysell says

“This is a fantastic opportunity on a number of levels.  We have a huge sample of 16-24 year olds to research; also the scope to develop really innovative methodologies and compelling ways to bring the insight to life.  Moving beyond traditional approaches to insight, we’re looking to develop techniques that allow us to kick-start a potent two way conversation with the audience.  The connection between music and brand is well established, but the time has come for fresh ideas and new perspectives to come to the fore, and Sixty Thousand Voices has a major role to play.”
For more information drop James Kent a line on jkent@festivalrepublic.com or 0207 009 3000 – and don’t forget to tell him Ketchup sent you!