Wieden + Kennedy's Oli Beale is famous for being the least fit man ever to hold the Olympic torch (above) and for writing 'the best complaint letter ever' (below).
He's also a key member of the team behind our recent launch for the Kaiser Chiefs' new album, in which people can create their own versions of the album and sell them on. As a result of this, he was interviewed by Imperica.com. Here's the interview:
Where are the new, disruptive models coming from?
To be honest, I'm amazed there aren't more disruptive models in the music industry. We've been working on this [the Kaiser Chiefs project] for a year, and my constant fear was that somebody else was going to have the same idea. We were so worried when Radiohead announced a new album was coming out at the end of the week. The whole concept was borne out of the fact that nobody had done a bespoke album properly. Why not? In a world where people expect to be able to interact, why couldn't we make an album like that?
Is the old music industry model over?
Nope. Not yet. We couldn't have done this without years of conventional marketing from a major label leading up to it. We also couldn't have done it without the might of Universal behind us. We had to bend a lot of rules that have been in place for a long time. I think the process of signing an act, funding the creation of an album, promoting it and distributing it to retailers is still a good structure. I think that we need to play around with how we do each of those elements; eventually, something new will come out of it.
We've played around with the "promoting" and "distributing" parts, and out of that has come this notion of fans being able to sell their bespoke albums on. What happens if we start playing around with the "signing" and "recording" parts of the process? Where would we end up then? Maybe somewhere rubbish, maybe somewhere brilliant.
Is the wider music industry (whether as a performer, publisher, promoter or in marketing) still catching up with consumer desires?
I think so. The world of advertising is ahead because it has to be. They are flogging people things they don't really want, so they need to use every trick in the book. A big part of this is to do with having a conversation with people rather than shouting at them.
It's generally accepted that the future is digital and interactive. However, I don't think it's as simple as applying rules of advertising to the music industry; I think that would end up really ruining the music.
My biggest learning from this project is that we basically have no control over the music or the band's actions, and that is definitely a good thing; we need to work out the best way of letting the fans get involved. It's very different to a traditional client / agency relationship. I think that we benefited from being in awe of them, and letting them call the shots as much as possible.
Is the legal framework still accurate? With passing-on and the republishing and remixing of content, do we need a new ownership / rights model?
When I was growing up, I used to listen to the radio in the hope of hearing a song I wanted. I would listen carefully so I didn't miss the release date, then I'd go to the local shop over and over again asking for it, and trying to reserve it. I'd save up and then get it on tape or CD, and listen to it so much to learn the words that it would end up scratched and degraded.
If you look at that list of sentences, every single one of them is a negative thing. Not being able to listen on demand. Having to wait. Having to save. Not enough stock. Can't look up the words. Degradable formats. Yet I still look at those limitations with a sense of romance. I think the only way I'm going to be able to move on is to throw out all these things that have been engrained in me. The future is not about limitations – it's about every link in the chain being as efficient as possible. Embrace that or die!
What will the role of record labels be in the future?
You know what, I have no idea. It's very easy to say the record industry is fucked, but then you see a big label in action and there's a lot of really smart people making a lot of people very famous. People will always want music and people will always want pop stars, but that doesn't mean they don't have to change.
When we first met with David Joseph and pitched this idea to him, he said 'yes' without any hesitation. Not only that, but he correctly predicted how it would turn out and all the problems we would come across. He was excited about trying something new, and was able to look at it with a clear business head. It didn't feel like the sort of meeting you'd have in a struggling industry. It felt like we were sat in a place where any good ideas would be welcomed and nurtured. I find that incredibly exciting, and hope I can continue to be part of it.
