Phoning It In: Managing a Global Brand on the Go

For companies on a tight budget, it pays to invest time in learning to use social media and acquire “earned media” through additional publicity. It’s now possible to generate interest, build a following, interact with customers, create content, and update your online presence—all from your phone.

Here’s a look at how one small business is using smartphones and mobile apps with inexpensive guerilla tactics to manage their integrated marketing efforts in the global musical instrument market.

Creating Demand

By first creating awareness and demand among consumers, Southern California-based GJ² Guitars intends to drive inventory purchases among retail music stores. Founded by music industry veterans Grover Jackson and Jon Gold, GJ² is following the traditional industry model of selling products through a network of dealers (retail music stores), rather than attempting to sell direct to the consumer online. The challenge is to assure dealers that they’ll be able to move their inventory.

Demonstrating the Product

To generate interest, prospective guitar buyers would need to see and hear the guitars. The solution was to create a series of YouTube videos showing musicians “test-driving” the guitars. The company sought out up-and-coming local players who were willing to help promote the guitars in exchange for some publicity for their own band projects.

Building a Following

GJ² established a blog on its website to serve as the marketing hub for regular updates on various consumer-focused social channels, starting with Facebook. After adding Twitter, YouTube, and Flickr, the company ventured into Tumblr, Instagram, and Pinterest. All can be updated on the go by phone.

Meeting People 

Social networks can never take the place of meeting customers face-to-face, even for a global brand. That’s why GJ² is preparing to launch new products at the music industry trade show NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants), where buyers and manufacturers from all over the world meet to do business. GJ² will make a press announcement at NAMM’s Media Preview Day with a little help from a celebrity endorser, guitarist Tom Dumont of the band No Doubt. Photos, video and live updates from NAMM will be broadcast over social networks via smart phone from the show.

To help broadcast their message to the widest possible audience, press release announcements have been emailed to trade publications and a digital press kit uploaded to the NAMM website. The company is also preparing to offer a digital catalog available for download.