Pop Music Producer Catches the World Cup Fever

'Producer KR is his name..Making music is his game.. Nothing flashy or outrageous about this young man. He just loves to create good music.  Studying and listening to artists such as Ella Fitzgerald, Aretha Franklin, and Luther Vandross this 24 year old talented music producer has created a unique sound celebrating the world's biggest sporting event The World Cup 2010. 

During the summer of 2009 John Harris and I, managing partners, of MH Mobile Group had this crazy idea of creating unique mobile content that would spark the interest of soccer fans world wide.  We believed our timing was perfect because The World Cup 2010 was scheduled to take place the following summer in Johannesburg. Creating ringtones for mobile users worldwide was an immediate no-brainer. The next questions as to the where, when, and how, was the difficult thing we had to figure out. A week later God dropped Producer KR in our laps.  

While on the business social networking site Linkedin I posted a comment on Willie Bum Bum's Future Mogul group sharing insight on the future of music as it relates to mobile.  This comment sparked a lot of good conversation within the group. However, there was one young man in particular who was hungry for knowledge and was asking all the right questions about opportunities available to him as a music producer on mobile.  Immediately, I said "hey I have a project you may be interested in" and the rest is history.

Kevin Richardson (aka Producer KR), began making beats at 15 years old in high school as a way to kill time and hang out with his friends. This past time was a perfect fit for Kevin who also plays the piano, clarinet, and guitar.  While growing up  Kevin said "his mom would not let him listen to rap or hip hop music" consequently, he spent most of his time listening to jazz and classical music with his family. His current music influencers are icons in there own right such as Timbaland, Pharrell, Dr. Dre and the Roots.  Prior to our meeting Producer KR was spending the majority of his time producing pop music for pop groups such as Nikki 16. 

John and I both challenged Kevin to get creative and make music that would have a worldwide appeal. We sent him over tracks from the Sex Pistols and other UK based bands with directions to create a electro-pop trashy dance sound with a hint of 808 bass..... Kevin credits his success in creating this sound to the descriptive directions we gave him. In addition, he sat in his studio for hours listening to some of the songs we referenced. 

Two days later Kevin produced our first track entitled World Cup Bass.  When John and I first heard it we went crazy.. "I love the electro- pop dance music he created..." coupled with bass undertones I was confident this type of sound would go over well with fans world wide. Ultimately, Kevin created 8 English and 8 Spanish mobile ringtones just in time for the start of the 2010 World Cup games. You can check out Kevin's work for yourself at World Cup Fever Ringtones.

Get your FREE World Cup Fever Ringtone on Jun11th, opening day of the World Cup....

Mobile Apps: The Ultimate Game Changer

The evolution of marketing and branding has brought us to a point of no return. Our advances in technology have created the ultimate game changer called the Mobile Application (Mobile App). Essentially mobile apps by definition are Internet applications that can run on smart phones and other mobile devices and perform specific tasks normally restricted to the PC. Nearly 95% of businesses are currently using some type of mobile application to assist them in their day to day business activities. However only a third of businesses are utilizing mobile apps as a way to market, brand, interact, and/or relate to existing or potential customers.

The mobile phone is our beloved communication device. Many days we may want to say "Oh how do I love thee...Let me count the ways.". Certainly, the two things you do not leave home without is your wallet and cell phone.  Our lives are attached to this device which allows us to make and receive calls, email, browse the web, capture video, play music, navigate through traffic, mark our calendar, create to-do lists, interact with social networks, and create documents.

As the popularity of mobile devices increase and out number the purchases of PCs 3:1 the demand for mobile applications have followed suit. The demand for mobile apps over the past  two years has been influenced by the growth and popularity of Apple's iPhone App Store. Apple's business model and philosophy entices users who have a desire to obtain the best device which can do more tasks to suit their busy lifestyles.

Mobile applications and services fall into one of two major categories Business or Consumer...
For the sake of time let's primarily focus our attention on consumer driven apps.  Consumer driven mobile applications consist of over 20 content categories ranging from games,entertainment, music, social networking, productivity, reference, and lifestyle.

Mobile applications if created with the consumer in mind present an excellent opportunity to begin brand engagement. A "good" company creates a multi million dollar marketing budget aimed at increasing brand awareness through advertisement seen in print and on television. However, a "great company" will do this and more by creating a feeling of inclusion among potential and existing customers through the use of branded mobile applications. Studies show businesses who invest, develop, and launch mobile applications help their bottom line by attracting new consumers to a specific brand, product and/or service.

Currently Mobile Applications are found in mobile app stores depending on the device used.  The retail environment for mobile apps will continue to grow in 2010 at a steep rate possibly hitting its peak by 2013. Please note in 2009 Wireless Expertise predicted  "global mobile app market will be worth $4.66 Billion and increasing to $11.60 Billion by 2013.

So what does this all mean for you? If you own a business and /or you are responsible for marketing, sales and/or business development within a organization I recommend you hire someone fast who can help you navigate through this paradigm shift. Letting this tsunami of an opportunity pass you by is just unacceptable. Corporations with bright futures who believe in the power of mobile consist of brands like Gap, Marriott, Kraft, Weight Watchers, Budweiser, Coca Cola, and Fox Entertainment to name a few.  Consequently, Mobile apps have been used to promote movie openings, introduce new product offerings, share unique content, and support local government,schools, or organizations while occasionally adding additional revenue to the bottom line.

Viable mobile app revenue models include one of three options. To begin, you can create a app and charge the end user fair market value per download. Consequently, the brand will share some of the proceeds with the network and you the brand take the rest. The key to a successful launch and lifespan of this model is based upon the content. If the content is unique or proprietary in nature and unavailable in other media forms the end user will not mind paying the required nominal  fee. On the other hand, a business may create a killer app which becomes an extension of their brand and business philosophy.  In this model the app is given away for free in a effort to promote brand engagement with the end user. The ads are placed within the app by a mobile ad agency thus creating a new stream of revenue for the organization. This model can be highly successful because everyone loves a free, cool, and fun mobile app.  Finally, the third model is a hybrid of the first and second one. The brands choose to sponsor a application created by a third party developer. They too have the option of selling the app for a nominal fee or giving it away for free and creating revenue through ad sales. Ultimately, making a in-application media buy to reach an audience instead of building your own application from the ground up can save both time and money.  

The decision on how to market, brand and push the app to the market place is contingent on the business model of the developer.  To begin, "know thy market"...is the most important point one must consider before beginning any type of mobile marketing program. Second, ask yourself who is my competition and what makes me special.  Simmons-Shelley Entertainment,  a full service multi-faucet production company, based in Atlanta, Georgia  has experience creating entertaining reality TV programming . They too believe the  next evolution of creativity will include some type of mobile application which can showcase new and unique content while allowing the network to interact with the viewer. The additional revenue opportunity is a positive by product that can not be overlooked. In other words, packaging mobile with TV and other properties for advertisers should be a no brainer.
The best advice given here is "do your research by learning more about successful mobile app programs. Integrating a creative component to the app such as video and/or  user generated content which supports interactivity is a popular feature among users. Remember, creating key partnerships with those who are experts in mobile development, testing, and deployment will solidify your chances in making this a overall good experience. Organizations such as MH Mobile Group, a mobile content development firm, have the expertise to create a great mobile app while managing the project from beginning to end making sure all objectives are hit in a timely manner. 

The world has changed and we are in the midst of unprecedented shift of power from Television to Internet and now to Mobile. Mobile applications absolutely should be included in long term marketing and brand strategy for businesses. Businesses will greatly benefit by extending the customers experience, generating app revenue, assisting in customer acquisition, and creating a mobile marketplace. 
First and foremost, doing proper research making sure mobile makes sense to your respective brand, product, or service is imperative. If the final answer is yes do your due diligence and get ready to change the game.  This type of opportunity comes around once or twice in the life span of a business.
Go for it and enjoy the ride.....

Red Bull Thre3Style Regional Finalist DJ MSquared: I Can't Live Without My Powerbook

The Disc Jockey better known as the DJ is the life of the party. He or she is in charge of the music and keeping the crowd entertained. Remember the days when the biggest and baddest parties were hosted by the kid with the loudest boom box...Or the DJ carrying in the  "Peaches" crates with his well worn album collection?  Well the wonderful world  of technlogy has changed the game. I had a chance to sit down with the ultimate party starter DJ MSquared, the newly crowned Red Bull Thre3Style SE Regional Finalist, discussing the game changers and how they have changed the rules of party engagement. 

Roz: How did you get your start DJing parties?
DJ MSquared: I got my start DJing fraternity and sorority parties while attending Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, Florida. After that I moved to Orlando and began working as a DJ in the local club scene.
Roz: What else do you do besides the DJ thing?
DJ MSquared: I am a music producer as well...I produce original music and remixes.
Roz: So exactly what moves you to do what you do?
DJMSquared: I have a love for the music... A love for the energy I can create in a room. Also my mother instilled a love for music which runs deep within and pushes me to make great things happen
Roz: The equipment you used then is way different than now. How has technology/equipment changed over the years?
DJ MSquared: Yeah its crazy when you think about it in 2003 while attending FAU I used things like the turntable and  mixer to do what I do. And now I have a G4 Mac Tower at home loaded with the latest software like protools logic I use for producing music.  When I DJ I use my Mac Powerbook installed with Serato Scratch Live software.
Roz: Tell me more... what's Serato Scatch Live?
DJ MSquared: Basically, this computer software allows me to recreate the traditional DJ experience through the use of their technology. I can manipulate a physical turntable without losing the integrity of the music while mixing the music. It has a feature that also tabulates the BPM ( beats per minute) in a song which can help determine which songs you want to include in a certain mix. 
Roz: Can it help identify or match up what beat, songs, or music you should play together?
DJ MSquared: No it doesn't give record recommendations but it seems like that would be the next evolution
Roz: No more carrying crates with albums right?
DJ MSquared: Exactly, there is a feature in Serato Scratch Live that integrates my iTunes playlist into a easy filing crate system on my hard drive.
Roz: Does this technology make your job a easy no brainer?
DJ MSquared: No not at all.. The best way to determine what to play is best achieved by feeling the vibe of the party goers. Being in tuned to what they want to hear and what's moving them to party is my #1 priority.
Roz: What other techie gadgets and/or platforms has influenced your business?
DJ MSquared: Serato has a feature which allows me to record my mixes. I record pretty much all of my mixes. and through the use of ITunes I have a podcast available I update frequently with new mixes.
Roz: So exactly how does this work and why is it important to your business
DJ MSquared: The podcast on iTunes allows user to download and enjoy my mixes and rate them accordingly. I utilize Podomatic as my host which automatically links my stuff to the iTunes podcast directory. Its available for all no matter if you use iTunes or not. Just go to Soul 2Go Podcast to check it out for yourself. I'm always thinking of ways to market myself and this podcast is one of many ways that works for me.
Roz: What other social networking sites do you use to stay connected to the people?
DJ MSquared: Of course I have my website DJ MSquared .Some of the more popular networks I use is Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace.
Roz:Which one do you like the best?
DJ MSquared: I really like Twitter because it allows me to connect with people in real time. I often send out positive inspirational quotes to my followers who often respond back with their own personal thoughts. But I also like using FaceBook too.  It's great because I can also stay in touch with friends and family.
Roz:Whats your thoughts on some of the new personal games and platforms like DJ Hero, iPhone apps, and online DJ games?
DJ MSquared: DJ Hero is a ok game...I think there are some things that can be added to make it more realistic and fun. Also, there a couple of online games I have tried simulate the DJ experience pretty well. As far as a iPhone app I have been approached by a couple of people wanting my input on what I think should be included in a iPhone app.
Roz: In your mind would this app be more appropriate for DJ's and/or for the people who may have a interest in this type of app?
DJMSquared: I think you can create something that crosses over and appeals to both sides. You can load up the app with resources for the professional DJ as well as having content like mixes and simulated games for the average person.
Roz: You have given this some thought I see...
DJMSqaured: Yes,it's definitely something I would like to pursue in the near future.
Roz: Well thats what I do.So if  you need help developing a prototype you can call on  MH Mobile Group .
Roz:  As we wrap up I want to thank you for your time. You got to make me one promise though.
DJ MSquared: Whats that? Anything
Roz: Next time I'm in Orlando you got to let me come and watch you do your thing in the DJ booth. I want to see how you work all of these new techie gadgets.
DJ MSquared: Of course.. For sure its a deal.

DJ MSquared I wish you the best as you continue your pursuit to be crowned the National Red Bull Thre3Style Champion . The next stop is Denver and then on to Paris for the international championship.
If you would like to book DJ-Msquared  for your next event, party, and/or special occasion you can contact him at Book MSquared . I guarantee you won't be dissappointed.

RSM

Online Home Based Business...Too good to be true?

There are many Home Based Businesses (HBB) African Americans can pursue and make a ton of money...First and foremost one must do their due diligence before going down this road.  Meaning if it sounds too good to be true it probably is. If the business is promising unprecedent rewards with out doing much work. Please run away fast.  I spoke with a good friend of mine "Raymond  T", a succesful HBB entrpreneur and motivational speaker,  who believes his succesful launch into the home based business arena is growing well due to the many hours he spends online marketing his business.The internet is our friend and no excuses are  allowed  in this day and age. If you seek information and/or want to learn how to do something..Just Google It.

The emergence of Social Networking sites has enabled a HBB entrepreneurs to build their business and connect with consumers world wide.. I recently connected with a new friend who is a member of 42 social networks. This may seem extreme to some however, I believe there is a method to the madness no matter what you do.  Utilizing social networking sites to promote your business is a free way to communicate and share your passion with friends and family.

Think about this...The Black Community spends $300 Million for books even though there are very few bookstores around anymore. We spend $3 Billion on computers and computer related products however, we own very few computer related stores and /or provide computer focused services. In NYC Blacks spend  well over $60 Billion annually however, there's very few black owned business in the metropolitan area.  We account for a 33% surge in internet users but how many of us own a  internet business related company? Think about it...

Book suggestion you may want to consider...
1. The World is Flat
2. Execution
3. The 4 Hour Work Week

Social Networking Sites:
1. Linkedin
2.Youtube
3.Myspace
4. Face Book

Do you have some good book suggestions and/or social networking sites not listed ?  If so please post here. If you have a specific question regarding HBB or internet marketing feel free to post here as well.

RSM

iPad or Not?

Whats all of the noise about.. Well Apple has done it again and this time I think they may be on to something. The official release of their new product iPad was ceremoniously delivered to us on April 3rd. The official debut of this one of a kind gadget is not lost on the fact that it is also Easter Weekend. The hint of spring in the air coupled with Easter weekend is a perfect time to kindle the flames of gadget seekers who have fallen in love with Apple's innovative technology first seen in the iPhone. Hearing the words buy! buy! buy! is music to Apple's ears. Congrats!

I haven't tried the new device for myself however, the buzz around town is giving it two thumbs up. Only time will tell if this is a phenomenon that will outmatch its predecessor. I will keep my ear to the ground and keep you posted on what I hear. In the meantime, two thumbs up to the Apple product marketing team. You certainly know how to create a buzz and launch a product right.



RSM