If you’re a solo musician or band wondering how to get your music out, SoundCloud is one of the answers. I say ‘one’ because there are a lot of ways to help distribute and broaden your music audience. However, this does not mean that just because you think your music is the next best (add in favorite band), does not mean that record labels will automatically hone in on your music. Record labels, especially the mainstream ones (Warner Bros., BMG, EMI, etc.), will want to know how well you will sell. This will include not only your music, but your style that you portray as a whole. If this does not concern you, then read on.

First and foremost, SoundCloud is an online music community where you can upload music that you have created. The really cool aspect of this is that your files can be uploaded in any format (mp3, wav, flac, etc.). You can also download other people’s music as well, an option MySpace is lacking on its music network. The reason why it’s called a ‘music community’ is because you post your music so other wandering musicians can find it, and have a fanbase starting up for you. This is how record labels will get more interested in you. Once you start having your own fanbase and start playing at more venues, then they will eventually come to understand you as a determined musician who wants your sound out.

Not everything on the website is free, however. For starting members, you get to upload 5 songs per month. If you start paying for a ‘pro’ membership, you get access to more features and you get to upload more songs.

What I like about the website as a whole is how clean everything is. It’s what SoundCloud is to music as Facebook is to social networking. Many artists use MySpace nowadays to help promote their work, but if you’re like me, and I hate MySpace for its ugly interface and busy layout, then you should try out SoundCloud. This is not to say that you shouldn’t use MySpace at all, though. In order to put your name out there, MySpace is one of the bigger networks to do so. SoundCloud can be a supplement to that if you already have one. The website went public in October 2008, so be one of the first musicians to utilize this amazing website.

Check out my profile and give my music a listen. Comments would be helpful.

Stephen Chang

Tags: SoundCloud.

Marketers often draw comparisons to the competitors of their products or services in marketing collateral and advertisements. This is a common tactic used to differentiate your company’s brand in the market place. Demonstrating your product’s unique characteristics through comparison is often a very effective tactic, but it must be used with caution.

Comparative marketing is best used when the competitor you are comparing against controls a large market share and has strong brand association. This strategy works well for new market entries and developing companies.

If your brand or company is well established you should use extreme caution when engaging in comparative marketing tactics. By comparing your product or service to that of a competitor you are vindicating the legitimacy of the brand you are comparing to.

By using comparison advertising you will be passing on validation that your competitor’s product is indeed a substitute for your offering, thereby communicating that the competitor is indeed a comparable competitor in the eyes of the consumer.

When you carefully use comparative advertising you are effectively calling out your competitor into to a battle of product vs. product.

If you are a smaller brand calling out a larger competitor in the market place it is often desirable to provoke your competitor to respond to your claims. When you call out a larger competitor and they respond to your advertisement or claim it adds validation to your message. In this scenario, your brand is able to derive some value through the interaction with a larger competitor who has more brand equity.

Because of this occurrence, established brands will often refrain from engaging in the competitive nature of the “Call Out”. These established brands have nothing to gain from participating in comparative marketing campaigns, since their brands are already perceived to be superior in the market place.

Occasionally the established brand will respond. When an emerging brand issues a challenge it can draw some attention to their offering but at the same time it opens them up to having their perceived “weaknesses” attacked by the party they are challenging.

Recently Audi has been attempting to maneuver themselves into the elite class of luxury cars currently held by BMW, Mercedes, and the newcomer, Lexus. But blunder after blunder and inconsistency on behalf of Audi’s brand marketers have stunted the company’s growth in the American market.

The latest attempt by Audi in a billboard advertisement featured in Santa Monica, California is a perfect example of how “calling out your competitors” can backfire on you.

In the advertising battle between BMW and Audi, Audi challenges BMW stating “Your move, BMW”. BMW casually and wittily responds to Audi’s ad with the snide remark “Checkmate.” In this clever advertisement BMW implies, “We are better than you and the market place already knows this, and that is why you are attempting to challenge us.” Touché!

Go see the ad on the corner of Santa Monica Blvd. and Beverly Glen Blvd in Los Angeles, CA.

Congratulations to BMW and Juggernaut Advertising for a quick and witty response to Audi’s challenge. This was a perfectly executed rebuttal from a well-established brand in the marketplace.

Tags: BMW V. Audi, Outdoor Advertising.

The “cheap chic” marketing machine of target has come out with a novel idea for this holiday season. Instead of just giving a thoughtless gift card how about giving a gift card that is a gift it’s self! Sound confusing?

Target recently introduced the new Target Digital Camera Gift Card ($50-$1000). This is the Hybrid of the retail world. The gift card features a 1.2 mega pixel camera that holds 50 pictures. The camera / card comes with a USB cord, driver disc and voucher for 40 free prints at Target.

The gift card works the same as all other gift cards you chose how much store credit you want to load on to the card ranging from $50 to $1,000 of store credit.

This is a great idea to help spark lagging retail sales during the holiday season. The camera is fairly useless but it offers a fun cool factor that is sure to attract attention to the otherwise boring gift card.

From a marketing standpoint this move makes a lot of sense for the retail chain.

1.) It is a novel concept that is sure to attract attention and excitement.

2.) Encourages shoppers to purchase gift cards and it will also entice gift card purchasers to up their spend to a minimum of $50 so they can get the camera.

3.) It empowers the lazy gift givers, it is a simple holiday gift solution that keeps the giver from looking like a thoughtless shopper.

4.) It is cool ideas that will attract lots of word of mouth and positions target as a hip creative innovator in their market further differentiating Target in the minds of consumers from the relic Wal-Mart. This is a strong move since Wal-Mart has attempted to re-energize their brand with a more positive, youthful look. Their new logo looks remarkably similar to Targets. And their new tagline: Save money. Live better seems inspired by Targets tagline: Expect more. Pay less.

We will see if this gift card campaign is successful as we approach the holidays.

But it feels like this trend of incorporating utility into gift cards is going to carry on. I could see a company like Apple jumping on this trend with an IPod gift card hybrid. With the high priced items in an apple store they could justify the cost of a music playing gift card. With a minimum spend starting at $300 dollars or so.

I am sure Jobs is already on this and if not Steve better give me a shout out on this one!

Tags: Apple, Digital Camera Gift Card, Retail Sales, Target one ups Wal-Mart, Targets New Gift Card.

Days after the monumental election of Barack Obama I am still struck by the power of his words and the vision of a better America he has created. As marketers there is something we can learn from Obama and his campaign. Obama a little know junior Senator just two years ago has transformed into the symbol of change and progress for the United States and I argue the world. This did not happen by accident, or over night.

Obama’s 22-month campaign has set a new standard for the effective use of media and advertising to create a lasting and differentiated brand. The Obama brand has been perfectly honed and shaped into a winning presidential candidate.

This was a brilliantly composed fully integrated marketing campaign that will serve as a new standard for all campaigns to come. Every component was successful in creating the perfect mood and brand image to help Obama succeed. Obama executed speech after speech and debate after debate with grace and charisma; I have never seen a president use the camera so effectively.

Many would argue that $426.9 million in record campaign expenditures cant hurt. But there are many aspects that helped set Obama’s campaign apart.

The Obama campaign was the first campaign to effectively tap into social media and the Internet to communicate with young voters. These young voters came out in record numbers. From Myspace, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube to many other social media sites the Obama campaign was able to effectively open dialogue with crucial voters and rally support. The Obama campaign tastefully used viral media components remember“I Got a Crush…On Obama” and they where very successful in utilizing bloggers to spread the Obama message to select groups.

The over all result is a perfectly differentiated, consistent and authentic campaign message that touched the heart and mind’s of 64 million voters who voiced their opinion to elect barrack Obama the 44th president of the United States of America.

This is a truly inspiring election and a beautiful orchestration of marketing effectiveness.

Tags: Change, Obama, Presidential Election.