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Don't buy the Xmas X-Factor single - buy our own. Or so say
Rage Against The Machine - signed to Epic Records
who are in turn owned by Sony Warner - the company who will
also be releasing the X-Factor Xmas single.
X-Factor winners JLS and Alexandra Burke recently signed lucrative
contracts with Sony Epic - the latter a 5-album deal worth a reputed
$3 million. Sony Epic are also the record label behind the rock band Rage Against
The Machine.
The 1990’s American rock band known as RATM were rumoured to have entered Epic
Studios to start work on a new album in April of this year. The band have not
released an album since 2000 and the ten-year hiatus is rumoured to have caused
Epic some concern. Tom Morello rejected the claims, insisting that he was now
focusing on his new band, The Nightwatchman - another Epic signing. Rage
has briefly reformed for a series of concerts in 2007 and 2008. How Epic responded
to the news is not clear.
Okay, it's not Rage Against The Machine doing all the plugging admittedly
(and I can't imagine for one minute they gave their consent), but I just wonder
who put Facebook member (and reluctant sock-puppet) Jon Morter and his wife
up to such a well orchestrated buzz marketing campaign (one look at Morter's
Facebook entry suggests that RATM are not the only Sony Epic/BMG artists he
is pushing).
According to his Friendsreunited entry, Morter began DJing at Rage -
a Rock, Metal and Punk club based in Swindon - in 2001. The Telegraph reports
that by a strange coincidence, Jon and Tracy Morter launched a less successful Facebook
campaign in 2008 for ANOTHER BMG SONY artist, Rick
Astley - a world apart from the rock act, RATM.
Let's face it: if it quacks like a cynical (but very clever) marketing and publicity
stunt it's probably because it is a cynical (but very clever) marketing and
publicity stunt.
(Facebook's Jon Morter - Media Graduate and reluctant sock puppet.
Sony Epic and Sony BMG artists circled in red).
In their determination to monopolise the Xmas Number 1 at any cost Sony Warner
appear to have embraced a campaign that almost ensures they don't lose out commercially.
A bit of negative reinforcement of your brand ain't just for Xmas though, it's
for life. You have the fiercely pro-X-Factor market on the one hand - and the
equally fierce (even 'raging') anti contingent on the other and Sony has managed
to corner each market and capitalise on both. Sony pulled a similar stunt last
year, when another 'grass roots' campaign sought to place Jeff Buckley's version
of 'Hallelujah' at Number One. The rights to the song were again owned by Sony
BMG.
And for anyone who thinks this is the stuff of fantasy,
then perhaps now is the time to remind you of Sony’s other disastrous ‘fake
blog’ scandal.
In late 2006, Zipatoni produced an online buzz marketing
campaign known as ‘All I Want For Christmas is a PSP’, for Sony Computer Entertainment
America, the makers of the Playstation platforms. The campaign combined what
were alleged to be amateur videos with a blog supposedly written by an impartial
gaming enthusiast. And to lend a certain amount of authenticity, the blog was
even written using faux hip-hop and Internet lingo. But after suspicions had
been raised, some readers conducted a WHOIS search and Zipatoni were ceremonially
unmasked as the site’s registrars.
In 2008 a marketing company hired by a Canadian bike manufacturer (Bixi) were
similarly exposed for creating a fake blog that included a Facebook and Youtube
page.
This time around the website that has been championing Morter's campaign is
Rage Factor! An online media project produced and designed by London's
Eject Media dedicated to promoting an online 'offensive' against Cowell
and his chums. The company's founder (and site registrar) is Neill Ridley. Neil
Ridley is also the name of a former A&R man for Sony BMG and colleague of Simon
Cowell (see picture of Neil's Friendsreunited entry below).
Those cynical amongst us might suggest that Rage Factor is Cowell and Co's
way of managing, containing and capitalising on the threat posed by an online
counter-culture to the dominance and economic monopoly of shows like X-Factor.
Such a suggestion would seem outrageous were it not for the fact that Cowell
has made a career out of being the most hated man on television, so having a
third-party produce and manage a site that foments Cowell's 'most-hated' status
would be a natural enough extension.
According to a brand development specialist we spoke to at Universal, Sony's
biggest rival, The Rage Factor - founded just two weeks ago - would offer
one way of consolidating and monetizing all that notoriety in one hugely marketable
brand. And not just for Christmas either.
Corporate arse-lickers NME lend a helping hand to a very lucrative
'Man Most Hated' campaign
Can anyone seriously imagine Epic Records doing all this without the consent
of their parent company Sony Warner? I wonder if there'll be a similar word
of mouth campaign for V Festival 2010 - another of Jon's favourite 'grass roots'
causes.
It's not just crackers they'll be pulling this Xmas - it's likely to be your
plonker too.
Sony's Fake Blog Scandal (2006)
http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/1041820/sony-fakes-psp-fan-site
Guardian
- Sony Fake Blog Scandal
Watch:
'Sweet Disposition' by The Temper Trap - A Sony BMG artist
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/the_temper_trap
Read (with disbelief - as they're now even trying to establish a brand identity
for everything you don't like)
http://www.ragefactor.co.uk/
Alexandra Burke signs to Epic Records
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/burke
X-Factor's JLS sign to Epic
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/X-Factor-runners-up-JLS-sign-with-Epic.html
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