Thread by @SheilahBirgen

African Creatives please think like startups. Look at your craft/talent/self as a product then ask yourself who your customer and audience + their difference. (Try using an empathy map to help you with that.) Then think of where that customer is going/future to align. Why? A 🧵

In 2020 Epic Games had a virtual concert with Travis Scott called the Astronomical experience. One could attend several times btwn April 23- 25. U could receive Astroworld Cyclone Glider, a couple of Loading Screens and Fortnite Astronomical Challenges! epicgames.com/fortnite/en-US…

More than 12.3 Million players watched the Travis Scott concert in Fortnite theguardian.com/games/2020/apr…

There had 5 concerts and Travis even launched a new song featuring Kid Cudi during the game. For actual participation, there were over 27.7 million unique players in-game participating live 45.8 million times across all the 5 events to create a truly Astronomical experience

The 9minute VR concert grossed the rapper roughly $20million including merchandise sales. In comparison, Scott’s four-month-long, 56-stop Astroworld tour from 2018 to 2019 garnered approximately $53.5million, or roughly just under $1million per show
nme.com/news/gaming-ne…

Knowing the audience allows u to demonstrate the value of ur brand to corporates. Scott’s endorsement roster is formidable, ranging frm brands that revel in their appeal to youth (PlayStation, Epic Games, Nike) to old brands that need to recapture it (General Mills, McDonald’s)

The future of marketing will be the overlap of consumer goods, media and gaming. So how do you leverage that? This is how the Hip-Hop Superstar Travis Scott Has Become Corporate America’s Brand Whisperer via @forbes forbes.com/sites/abrambro…

That is just one example. We will talk about using tech tools (AR,VR, AI), platforms and communities for production, distribution+ sales and then futuristic possibilities including NFTs. Let's pause here for now.

Let's talk about tools(VR, AR and AI for now) VR is virtual reality, so creating what happens in our normal world bt virtually. AR is Augmented Reality, so like a fantasy world e.g anime, comics etc. AI is artificial intelligence so simulation of human intelligence in machines.

Understanding ur audience vs consumers makes u better informed around which tools to use and how. This also goes for marketing(as u/brand or as an agency). Marketing and content production using VR and AR is growing, incorporating AI in it makes the experience better.

Users+audience don't have a long attention or patience span anymore, so marketing& digital products shuld be an experience. It can be using social media for storytelling/challenges/using tools.
Here are 10 interesting Use Of Virtual Reality in Marketing mbryonic.com/best-vr-market…

Talking about experience art and music are the 'easiest' for this. I mean, look at Travis Scott. The world is moving towards the sensory experience of arts. Can people get inside your craft, yes psychedelically? lol. How can you give them a new experience by creating value?

How can they view/touch ur art digitally? Can you transport them virtually? Can they learn in a different way? How? Basically give the audience an EXPERIENCE. That is key. It informs the tool u'll choose. There are several AR+VR concerts, here are a few
mbryonic.com/vr-music/

I won't break down every tool coz this thread will be too long(it already is). So for tools, think this way: Who is my audience(everybody is NOT the answer), do audience/customer profile, ask yourself what tools do they have access to and how can you give them experience/value.

Tools will help in the production process (concept, design, production, distribution* and consumption) depending on your findings on audience and consumers. Please do research or find a team to help you with it. This is after you have your craft's foundation e.g song, or art etc

Distribution is about the easy access of products by user/consumers. There are 2ways to think about it: direct and indirect distribution. So how can they buy/get the product directly from you or thru someone else. So think of ways to distribute and ease of payment to your masses.

So part 2 ends here.
Summary: Know your user vs customers, profile them, think of tools to help you give them an experience (sensory), use tools in the production process for delivery, distribution is about ease &convenience of access, direct or indirect sales, ppl pay for value.