Weezer is one of my favorite bands of all time. From the first time I saw the quirky Buddy Holly video, I was hooked. Weezer makes excellent pop songs that stay with you forever and appeal to not only me and my friends, but my kids as well. And that’s no mean feat.
I recently came across a video and short article at the SPIN magazine website about Weezer frontman, Rivers Cuomo, and his efforts to promote the release of his second collection of demos, B-sides and obscure tunes called Alone II. As part of the celebration, Rivers spent two-and-a-half hours playing songs with about 100 Weezer fans at a Long Beach, CA record store. The really interesting part was that he didn’t just sit and sing himself…
“Prior to the show, Cuomo posted an online request asking Weezer lovers to learn his songs and bring an instrument of their choice to the store to take part in the “Hootenanny” — one of many such jam sessions he has thrown across the nation. Attendees arrived with everything from banjos and saxophones to keytars, flutes, and what seemed to be at least 50 relatively in-tune guitars.”
Called a “Hootenanny,” you can get a real feel for the event, and the joy it brought to those Weezer fans, by checking out the video on the site (sorry… they don’t allow embedding). And, if you’re a fan of Weezer, don’t forget to go to their website – www.weezer.com – and check out all the videos they have available.
This got me to thinking about how any local business can use some of Weezer’s marketing ideas in their local business:
- Have fun with it. Weezer obviously enjoys what they’re doing. And they have a sense of humor. If you’ve got a funny bone, don’t be afraid to let your customers know that you enjoy a good laugh. Dress up on holidays or have theme days (i.e. if you’re a Star Trek fan and a new movie is coming out). Send a joke of the day to your email list (as long as its tasteful). Laugh early and often and your customers will get a good vibe from your business.
- Get your customers involved. The Hootenanny is such a great idea because it gets real fans involved, and because of this, it’s newsworthy. There are lots of ways you can take this type of community participation and apply it to your local business. For example, if you run a restaurant, you can set up a charity event where people bid on being a waiter or waitress, or even cook, for a day (or perhaps a few hours). Or, you could invite one of the local luminaries (mayor, respected teacher, etc.) to work in your business for charity.
- Provide lots of great content on your website. On the Weezer website, I counted 86 videos on the Media page. This content includes a lot of professionally-produced music videos for their songs, but even more interesting, are their own videos where they take fans behind the scenes and things like guitar tabs and lyrics on their Info page. Can you take a video of the operations of your business? Interview long-time or brand new employees. If you manufacture something, take a short video of the production floor. People love to look behind the curtains.
- Lots of opportunity to share. On all of their posts and content, Weezer offers an “Add This” button, which lets you send a link to that content via email, or share the content on Facebook, Twitter, or other social networking sites. Using plugins or software like Add This or Share This (which is what I use on Life Is Local) allows people to quickly pass the information along to their friends and family. Make it easy for your customers to share great info from your site and your content could go viral and new business is the result. And, you can also join the Weezers site and email list (and once again, do you have an email list?).
- Don’t be afraid to sell. When you first go to the Weezer website (and you’re not logged in as a fan), you are presented with an offer for their new album, Raditude, and the Weezer Snuggie (yes, it’s the blanket with arms). Even though this is a fun way to sell their album, they’re not afraid to pitch their product (the new album) and you shouldn’t be afraid either. After all, you’re in business. If you have a special deal or a sale going on, then let people know, and do it front and center. And use your email list to drive people to the information on your website. Don’t be bashful when it comes to making sales.
I’m always pleasantly surprised when I stumble across great marketing, and I’m especially pleased when its for a product or service I love (like Weezer!). I ended up purchasing the $3.99 version of Raditude from Amazon.com, and I’m listening to it now. So, take some time to check out the Weezer site and the SPIN article, and get your Weezer Snuggie while supplies last!
As an added bonus, here is a video from Weezer with Hootenanny instructions:
And, here’s my new favorite song, (If You’re Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To:
