Ever since I first heard the progressive rock/jam band Phish in my sophomore year of highschool I instantly became what many people refer to as "a phan". Since they returned from their short breakup in 2009 I have seen the band perform live 19 times and I plan on continuing to go to shows for as long as they are together. For those of you who are not familiar with Phish and the Phish culture, I may sound crazy for wanting to see the same band 19 times, but the truth is the band has a nation wide following of fans who are just as/ if not more dedicated to the band than myself. I beleive the reason why Phish has become one of the best selling live acts in the country comes from their ability to market themselves and their product (their live performances) as well as their ability to build such strong and long lasting relationships with their "phans".
Phish has become so succesful at what they do because they know exactly what kind of product they offer and they know exactly what kind of people like their product. Since their formation in the late 80s, Phish has known exactly what kind of band they were and they have never strayed away from that and tried to become something they were not in hopes of making a few more dollars or a few more fans. They stuck with the marketing plan and saw it through to the end. Though they do produce albums like every other band they realize that their niche in the music market is the ability to put on a live act that is unlike any other band in the world. Phish is known for never playing the same show twice. Though the band has probably played more live shows than almost any band ever, their versatility in styles and catalogue of well over 200 songs, interlaced with periods of total improvisation, practically gurantees a completley different experience at each show. This, in turn, has created a target market of no specific gender, ethnicity, or age group, but simply true music fans. Phish attracts people with a wide preference and understanding of music on a deeper level than a catchy pop beat or love lyrics. Phish has realized this about their fans and continue to give them exactly what they want, a different show every time.
Along with their firm understanding of their product and their target market, Phish is very good at the promotional aspect of marketing as well. One thing they do is offer instant downloads online of every show they play the day after for just 10$ (unless you payed to see the show, then the download is free). They do this rather than publish each show as "LIVE PHISH ALBUMS!" and charge upwards of $25 because they realize what their true fans want, and that is as many different Phish experiences as they can possibly get their hands on. If they werent at the show they want to listen to it and hear what new and inventive things happened at the show that have never been done before. So, while they may not make as much money as they could be making by selling recordings, they understand that they will make it back through maintaining that steady relationship with old fans as well as constnatly making new ones in the process. Check out http://www.phish.com/ or http://www.livephish.com/ and look at all the promotions they offer on the site/
You may still think im nuts for seeing one band 19 times and probably always will (unless you see them for yourself), but it is a fact that their are hundreds of thousands of people all over the country like me that Phish has established a lifetime relationship with. Phish is as successful as they are because they know their niche, they know their product, and they know their customers. What are some bands that you like that you think have a great marketing strategy?
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