• Creating

My Coldplay Brand Experience

By Todd Henry

So today is my birthday. About a week ago my wife told me that my parents had agreed to take our kids overnight last night so that we could “go out to dinner and a drink.” I was looking forward to a nice “mellow” evening of conversation and maybe some acoustic music at a local club.

Surprise!

At dinner Rachel informed me that we weren’t just out for a mellow evening, but that she had purchased Coldplay tickets for us and that the show started in an hour. (OK…first of all, I LOVE my totally sweet wife and second, I had mentioned the concert months ago and immediately dismissed it for a lot of reasons. She didn’t forget. Very cool.)

So after dinner we made our way to the local “so-you’re-a-huge-pop-band-looking-for-a-place-to-play” venue. To be honest, I knew little about Coldplay other than that I really enjoy their music. Here’s a run-down of my pre-knowledge / assumptions:

1. I like quirky pop, and they fit the bill.

2. They’re from the UK.

3. Chris Martin is married to Gwyneth Paltrow.

4. Chris Martin seems very political and I’ve often had the impression he’s angry during TV appearances.

5. They’re very serious about their music.

6. They seem to have exploded in the past few years and appear to be on a trajectory to super-stardom.

Now a few words about my experience:

- From the VERY beginning of the show, it exuded “FUN”. The band came out carrying sparklers and immediately jumped into the show. No pretentious builds.

- The sound was incredible from note one. Having been in the biz for a while, I’m a stickler for good sound. (The opener Pete Yorn’s sound was horrendous, though we loved his music.) Normally there is “tune-it-in” time for the first few songs. Not here. It was amazing from the start.

- From the very beginning the show was remarkably interactive. There was constant audience engagement.

- Chris Martin was a BLAST!#172#8224He absolutely, totally poured himself into the show. Having seen and participated in tons of concerts in my life, I don’t know if I’ve seen an act of their stature put that much energy into a show for two hours straight. It was a feat of amazing endurance.

- They didn’t take themselves too seriously. They were self-deprecating, silly and sometimes just quirky. They weren’t there for themselves, they were there for the fans.

- They seemed genuinely thankful for people showing up to the show. It felt like we were all a part of something bigger than ourselves.

- They came out into the crowd and played sets from two mini-stages out amongst the audience, including one out in the “cheap seats.”#172#8224

- They played all of their hits and didn’t knock people over the head with “we’d like to play a new song from our jazz dance fusion concept album in limited release in South Asia.”

- On the way out we got a free CD of a live performance (which can also be downloaded online.)
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A few of the top-line marks of a positive brand experience:

1. Was your impression of the product changed in a positive way during the experience?

2. Were you surprised in a good way by your experience?

3. Are there any lasting and favorable learnings that you can continue to apply to your life or situation?

4. Would you recommend the product/experience to a friend?

So all of that said, here are a few impressions I have of Coldplay based upon my experience. In other words, here is the “Coldplay brand” as I perceive it. (And please understand, I am a skeptical, even somewhat cynical observer of all things music-biz related. I am not a “fan-boy” type):

1. Coldplay is a fun band. They make great music, but beyond that I genuinely like them. They have personality.

2. Coldplay cares about its fans.

3. Coldplay isn’t too into itself, but it obviously cares about its music (as was signified by the several “serious” moments in the show.)

4. Coldplay takes live experience seriously from beginning to end.A few other thoughts:

- Would I recommend that a friend spend $100 on a ticket to see them? Assuming they like their music, absolutely – yes. No question. (And I normally wouldn’t pay $100 to see ANYONE.)

- The idea of giving out a live CD is brilliant. It probably cost them less than a few thousand dollars to duplicate all of those CD’s, but fans continue to live their brand experience for weeks and months to come. If you have a good thing, put it in peoples’ hands as a reminder and continue to provide touch points with the brand.

- I would have purchased a new Coldplay CD when it’s released anyway, but now I will probably do it on the day of its release, which is important for momentum and charting. They turned me from someone who enjoys Coldplay’s music to a Coldplay fan.
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So…these are just a few morning-after ruminations about the event. I’m curious to get your thoughts about all of this and I’m also curious to hear of any similar experiences you’ve had that changed your mind about a specific brand. Anyone?

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