Music City Networks

Proving once again that an artist's most informed, dedicated and creative marketing team consists of John and Jane Q. Public, MusicCityNet scored another hit with its TEAM WORLEY campaign. Reminiscent of their recent street team-based promotions for Toby Keith and Montgomery Gentry, MusicCityNet sought to mobilize diehard Darryl Worley fans by organizing an incentive-based competition that rewarded guerilla promotional efforts on behalf of Darryl and his latest disc, Here and Now. Darryl's fan club responded en masse to the TEAM WORLEY call to arms, with both club member vets and some newbies enthusiastically spreading the word about Darryl's new record from a variety of innovative angles -- angles that your average publicity team might overlook.

The TEAM WORLEY campaign operated on a unique points system, with participants earning bonus numbers large and small for a variety of daily promo endeavors and for winning periodic weekly mini-contests. Suggested day-by-day activities included referring fans new and old to official TEAM WORLEY membership at Darrylworley.com, selling and publicizing Here and Now presale packages in the weeks leading up to the CD's release, discovering hidden "Easter eggs" on Darryl's site (an easy way to pad point totals -- just for clicking!), creating Darryl-themed web banners on one's personal myspace page, inviting friends via instant messenger to the fan club, and posting comments on both Darryl's and other high-traffic online forums with a "referral link" to the Here and Now presale options, as well as to the fan club itself.

Awards ranged from the ability to spend points in an exclusive online store full of signed Darryl memorabilia, to an RCC Western Wear gift certificate, to the Grand Prize for the top points-earner overall - "yep, you guessed it, quality time with the man himself. The competition was fierce, reflected by the spiked activity in Darryl's online forum, but in the end it was Angie Fenn of LaGrange, GA who took home the top honors. Angie received a package that includes a V.I.P. fly-away trip for two to see Darryl in an upcoming concert and an opportunity to shoot the breeze with him beforehand during a special meet-and-greet session.

"I loved every minute of it," reports Fenn about MusicCityNet's TEAM WORLEY contest. After listening to Darryl's initial video message on his website about the street-team campaign and how she could do her part, Fenn immediately got busy promoting Here and Now. From July to the contest's end in November, Fenn used email blasts to encourage her friends to join Team Worley for free. But that was only step one. Not satisfyied with mere online marketing, Fenn began furiously flyering parked cars at a local "Gospel Barn-Bluegrass Festival Hall-Catfish Restaurant" with Darryl advertisements of her own design. Soon Fenn bested that by personally taking pre-sale orders from patrons at the establishment, selling more than 60 Here and Now discs during her first weekend promoting Darryl face-to-face with potential new fans.

Explains the overwhelmingly Darryl-devoted Fenn: "That was the most fun I had during the contest, because telling people about Darryl Worley is something I have dedicated the last four years of my life to! Darryl has a huge fan-base here in LaGrange, and I know it has a lot to do with me. (LaGrange) is a small town, and everyone was willing to help me win the contest - "and they did!"

Many other TEAM WORLEY participants were just as impressive in their DIY marketing schemes. Leanor Johnston of Austin, TX filed online customer reviews of Darryl's CD's at CMT.com and Amazon.com, emailed local radio stations, and set up a Darryl-inspired myspace page. She also checked local stores over Thanksgiving weekend, just after the release of Here and Now, to make sure that the discs were stocked. In one case, they were not. "I checked the shelf at Target," reports Leanor, "and his name sleeve was there - "but no CDs. So I asked about them and the lady checked. Now, I figured that if they were sold out that was great, but I wanted to make sure that was the case. Sure enough, she came out from the back with the CDs. They hadn't put them out on the shelf yet! Sheesh! How the heck can they sell them if they aren't on display?!" Leanor, who finished #8 in the competition, continues to check CD shelves to make sure they are well-stocked with Darryl's music.

"I congratulate everyone who worked hard on TEAM WORLEY," says Leanor, "but I know that all Darryl's fans work hard to promote him every day."

Fellow Austin-ite Darlena Wills also went to great heights to get the word out. Darlena voted daily for Darryl's videos on GAC's Top 20 and on CMT.com, wrote emails to the Program Directors at Austin's leading country stations requesting "more Darryl" on the airwaves, and added Darryl's Here and Now release info to her MySpace page. Darlena also interacted constantly with other TEAM WORLEY participants on the forum at Darylworley.com, often suggesting various promotional techniques that others in the community might attempt. "I enjoyed knowing that I was helping promote an artist I strongly support," says Darlena. "I would definitely do it again, but only for someone I truly believe in and identify with."

Robin Daniels indulged in some vehicular marketing, a popular method for street-teamers in other MusicCityNet contests. Robin decorated the windows of her van with information about Darryl's new album, not to mention its ever-changing release date. "I use my van windows to whatever extent I can," she says. "I've had countless people ask me about them. Often I'll be walking to my van after I'm done shopping and see people stop to read the windows." (In a move that would make Darryl proud, Robin also features on her van a rotating message of support for U.S. troops.) Robin's TEAM WORLEY efforts also included posting Here and Now ads in her hometown's free newspaper and passing out specially made Here and Now magnets at a concert in September.

The running theme in Leanor's, Darlena's, Robin's and Angie's stories - "as well as in the stories of almost every other TEAM WORLEY campaigner - "is that, prizes or not, these fans simply want to see Darryl on top. "Just promoting Darryl - "that was my favorite part of this campaign - "to turn new people on to him" explains Angie. "I feel like he hasn't gotten his fair share of recognition, so I just do all I can to get the word out - "because his should be with the big names in Country music. He loves his fans and he is just my hero!"

Memo to marketing teams in the music industry: Don't overlook the passion and creativity of the fan base when designing a campaign. TEAM WORLEY members were no doubt energized by some great prizes and the chance to meet their hero. Most participants, however, demonstrated in their daily pro-Darryl efforts that their real incentive was to help a favorite singer succeed in the here and now.

Labels: Darryl Worley, street team