International: How Radiohead Is Rewriting Rules of Online Revenue
Band Lets Fans Decide How Much They Want to Pay to Download Latest Record

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- It seemed like end times for the time-worn notion of consumers paying for content. People migrating toward any number of sources that distribute news, video content and music gratis and with varying degrees of legitimacy; old media facing a future where they give it all away with the hopes that revenue drain will be made up by ad dollars.
Then, Sept. 30, even the disruption was disrupted, if only for a news cycle.
It came in the form of an announcement on the website maintained by the British band Radiohead, which told the world it will allow individual consumers to determine how much they want to pay for a digital copy of its forthcoming album, available later this month. The pay-what-you-will strategy was immediately hailed as a as coup for consumer empowerment. It's also a wager on consumer altruism, the belief that fans will pay up despite essentially being able to download the album for free. What's more, a quick survey by U.K. magazine New Music Express found that fans were willing to pay about $10 for "In Rainbows." If those surveyed represented reality, the strategy will result in a hugely profitable haul for the band given the next-to-nil cost of digital distribution.
Media companies are mired in the dichotomy of paid vs. unpaid, ad-supported content, but could Radiohead be offering a third way, one that places power in the hands of consumers by allowing them to dictate the market value of what they're buying? Could media companies faced with slowing growth prospects find a bit of salvation in a payment model that might be uncomfortably close to -- gasp -- the old-fashioned donation associated with those tweedy public-broadcast pledge drives that flog $20 mugs and $40 umbrellas?
Won't work everywhere
Probably not. "It works for bands with rabid fan bases, and it works for organizations like NPR and maybe a high-school sports team's website, but it probably doesn't work for public media companies," said Rafat Ali, founder of PaidContent.org. "No one's going to put more money in The New York Times' pocket. They just won't. Plus, there are compliance issues with taking donations, and it'd be very difficult to scale."
The Radiohead news is a big reminder of the power of customer loyalty and how it extends even to crucial issues such as pricing. Other small-scale indicators also suggest that consumers, despite being depicted by record labels and movie studios as a thieving bunch of copyright violators, are willing to pay even when they don't have to if they're given some flexibility on price point and there's a real relationship between consumer and content provider.
Exhibit A is Magnatune, a four-year-old download site for music by unsigned artists, which allows customers to pay between $5 and $18 for a record. The average price paid, a spokesman said in an e-mail, is between $8 and $9. By contrast, Apple's iTunes charges 99¢ per track and between $9.99 and $14.99 for most full-length records.
Artist support
"Our customers report that they are willing to pay 20% over base cost because they know their money goes directly to support the artist and the company," spokeswoman Teresa Marango said. "All Magnatune artists receive 50% of the sale price of each album or music licensing fee."
Then there's Canadian folk singer Jane Siberry -- now known as "Issa" -- who employs a "self-determined pricing" model on her website. The average amount paid per song is $1.18, 19¢ more than the suggested price. Eighty percent of shoppers pay about the suggested level, and only 6% pay below. She also offers the option of paying later, after the downloader has listened to the music and can decide what's its worth.
Both Magnatune and Sheeba appeal to well-defined fan bases, either of specific musicians or new music in general, the kind of enthusiasts more likely to care about the well-being of the artist and hash out the economics of a download before clicking the mouse. So does Radiohead, only on a larger scale.
"The key," Mr. Ali said, "is having a brand with a high degree of customer loyalty."
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E4M Our strategy is to target younger audiences through Sports: Rajiv Dubey, Dabur
The Head of Media at Dabur India spoke exclusively to exchange4media on the World Cup, associating with Indian Idol, the company’s digital spending and much more
With quirky campaigns, memes and moment marketing, timed with the ongoing World Cup and particularly the India-Pakistan matches, Dabur India has got considerable consumer attention for its popular brands – Red Paste, Cool King Hair Oil, Chyawanprash, Dabur Vita and the recently launched Bae Fresh Gel toothpaste.
The 140-year-old company is going big on key sporting events, World Television Premiere (WTP) movies and reality shows. It is now gearing up to become the title sponsor of popular talent show ‘Indian Idol’ on Sony TV for the first time, shared Rajiv Dubey, who leads the media strategy at Dabur.
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Swapan Seth's new book 'COOL' is out
The book is a reflection of the author's 'eclectic taste across categories'
Advertising professional and art collector Swapan Seth has announced the launch of his new book COOL. The book is described as "a ready reckoner to the hip and the happening, of the known and the very unknown."
The book is a reflection of the author's "eclectic taste across categories: from boltholes to exotic hideaways."
COOL has been published by Simon & Schuster India and is available on Amazon.
Seth is an ad veteran with a long and illustrious career in the industry. He became the youngest-ever Creative Director at Clarion at age 24. He was VP at 26 at Trikaya Grey. Two years later, he started his agency Equus.
He writes for publications such as The Economic Times, Hindustan Times and India Today. This is his second book and he has previously published THIS IS ALL I HAVE TO SAY.
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Disney Star signs 9 sponsors for Asia Cup PAK
Charged by Thums Up, Nerolac Paint+, Amazon Pay, Jindal Panther, My11Circle, MRF, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Wild Stone and Thums Up come on board
e4m Staff Disney Star has signed nine broadcast and digital streaming sponsors for the upcoming Asia Cup.
Charged by Thums Up, Nerolac Paint+, Amazon Pay, Jindal Panther, My11Circle, MRF, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Wild Stone and Thums Up have come on board for the upcoming tournament.
As reported earlier by exchange4media, Disney Star has sought Rs 26 crore for the co-presenting sponsorship on TV and Rs 30 crore for Disney+ Hotstar.
According to industry sources, the associate sponsorship on Star Sports has been priced at Rs 19.66 crore, whereas for the ‘powered by’ sponsorship on Disney+ Hotstar, the broadcaster is seeking Rs 18 crore.
As per the information available with exchange4media, Disney+ Hotstar has three sponsorship tiers-- co-presenting (Rs 30 crore), powered by (Rs 18 crore) and associate sponsorship (Rs 12 crore). The broadcaster is offering an estimated reach of 120-140 million for co-presenting sponsors, 90-100 million for powered by and 60-70 million for associate sponsorship.
A spot buy for 10 seconds has been priced at Rs 25 lakh for the India vs Pakistan matches, while for the non-India matches, the ad rate for 10 second is Rs 2.3 lakh. The India matches plus the final for ODIs has been priced at Rs 17 lakh per 10 seconds.
Asia Cup is scheduled to be held from 30 August, 2023, to September 17, 2023.
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Sorted 360 wins creative & social media mandate of Reliance Mall
The agency will manage offline and online campaigns for Reliance Mall
Sorted 360, an integrated creative and social media agency, has won the mandate to providing brand solutions for Reliance Malls across India.
“Sorted 360 is set to enhance Reliance Malls' market presence with their unparalleled creative prowess and strategic thinking,” read a press release.
“Sorted 360's commitment to pushing the boundaries of creative communication aligns perfectly with Reliance Malls' ethos. With a pan-India presence spanning across 19 cities and growing, Reliance Malls has consistently captivated customers by offering an array of Reliance brands and third-party fashion & lifestyle brands. The mall has established an unparalleled connection with its patrons through superior quality, a remarkable value proposition, and an unmatched shopping experience,” it read further.
"We are thrilled to welcome Sorted 360 as our trusted partner in advancing our brand presence across the nation," said the Head of Marketing at Relaice Malls. "Their proven expertise in retail, shopping center management, and innovative creative strategies make them the perfect fit for our vision."
"Partnering with Reliance Malls is a testament to our commitment to shaping extraordinary brand experiences," remarked Prerana Anatharam, Co-founder of Sorted 360. "We are excited to leverage our strategic and creative acumen to further elevate Reliance Malls as the epitome of convenience, choice, and excellence."
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KlugKlug onboards Hemang Mehta as Country Manager for Indias
Mehta was most recently Head of Agency Relationships at Network 18 Media & Investments
KlugKlug has appointed Hemang Mehta as its Country Manager for India.
Mehta will play a pivotal role in driving KlugKlug's growth and expansion within the Indian market and be responsible for Sales & GTM Strategy
Prior to that, he has also represented organisations like Exponential (now VDX.tv), India Today Digital and Rediff.com. His expertise spans various domains including digital media sales, mobile marketing, media planning, and buying, social media marketing, and more.
Hemang Mehta expressed his enthusiasm about joining KlugKlug, saying, "I am thrilled to be a part of KlugKlug, a forward-thinking platform that is reshaping the influencer marketing landscape. As much as I look forward to collaborating with the exuberant team at KlugKlug, I am super excited to interact with the brands to deliver powerful data-backed Influencer solutions that will guarantee business outcomes."
Commenting on the appointment, Kalyan Kumar, Co-Founder and CEO of KlugKlug, stated, "We are excited to welcome Hemang Mehta to our team as the Country Manager for India. His extensive experience in digital media sales and marketing will be instrumental in driving our efforts to provide influencer marketing solutions to our clients. We believe Hemang's leadership will be key in scaling our operations and expanding our reach within the Indian market."
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