Lorenz Grünewald M.A. // Young Scholars Workshop // Wien 29.09.2016

The (In)significance of the Brand Ph. D. Project Lorenz Grünewald // Supervision Prof. Carsten Winter

Lorenz Grünewald M.A. // Young Scholars Workshop // Wien 29.09.2016

Ain't singin' for PepsiAin't singin' for CokeI don't sing for nobodyMakes me look like a jokeThis note's for you.

Neil Young, “This note's for you”

Lorenz Grünewald M.A. // Young Scholars Workshop // Wien 29.09.2016

Lorenz Grünewald M.A. // Young Scholars Workshop // Wien 29.09.2016

Lorenz Grünewald M.A. // Young Scholars Workshop // Wien 29.09.2016

"Die einzigartige und abwechslungsreiche Vielfalt des Electronic Beats Programms

begeistert seit Jahren eine ständig wachsende internationale Fan-Community", sagt Ralf

Lülsdorf, International Market Communications Deutsche Telekom (Deutsche Telekom AG 2016)

Lorenz Grünewald M.A. // Young Scholars Workshop // Wien 29.09.2016

Agenda & Research Question

What is the meaning of commercial brands in and for (selected cases of) music culture

1. Framework & Methodology2. Cases & State of Research 3. Snapshots from the analysis 4. Leading to challenges

Lorenz Grünewald M.A. // Young Scholars Workshop // Wien 29.09.2016

Framework

● Heuristic: Circuit of Culture

● Theory: Social Practices

(Bourdieu/Hillebrandt)

? What practices of production and

appropriation make up the formation

of branded music culture

(Grossberg)?

? How are these practices articulated?

Production Appropriation

Lorenz Grünewald M.A. // Young Scholars Workshop // Wien 29.09.2016

Framework & Methodology

Question What is the meaning of brands on music culture?

Framework Practices in a circuit of culture

Methodology Multi Sited Ethnography/Grounded Theory

Strategy Follow the Brands

SitesConcerts/Festivals, Agencies, Brand Events, Brand Departments,

YouTube, Facebook etc.

Methods Interviews, Textual Analysis, Participant Observation

Analysis GT-Coding, Situational Analysis

Lorenz Grünewald M.A. // Young Scholars Workshop // Wien 29.09.2016

State of the project

Telekom Red Bull Jägermeister Seat Berliner ConverseBoiler Room

Audi Allgemein Total

Observation 8 3 1 1 13

Interviews 3 4 4 2 1 2 1 1 18

Lorenz Grünewald M.A. // Young Scholars Workshop // Wien 29.09.2016

Lorenz Grünewald M.A. // Young Scholars Workshop // Wien 29.09.2016

Snapshot Produktion

A Telekom or another brand of this size can give a band so much media power that a label could never pay for (PR-Agent)

Kerry Chandler: Boiler Room. The first time I did it. We did it as the Mad Tech Takover. That was just me showcasing the label [...] and that’s just it. None of us got paid.

LG: And how did that pay off for you?

KC: Oh? Later on we had over a million views on the video. They got these guys out and noticed as well. They put Mad Tech on the map for that year.

Die (Un)bedeutung der Marke: Mediale Praktiken & Mediales Kapital

Lorenz Grünewald M.A. // Young Scholars Workshop // Wien 29.09.2016

Snapshot Production The Significance of the Brand: Media Practices & Media Capital

Brands allow Artists, Musicians and Fans to participate in meaningful music practices that offer the possibility to accumulate social, cultural, economic and possibly ‘media’ capital.

Lorenz Grünewald M.A. // Young Scholars Workshop // Wien 29.09.2016

Snapshot Nutzung The Insignificance of the Brand: Ambivalence?

■ Brands do not seem to play a significant role in identification or usage practices ■ It is however not without meaning but ambivalent. Branded music culture is

only acceptable under certain circumstances

I tell him [a random visitor at a RBMA sponsored concert at the CTM Festival] that I am here because I am writing my doctoral thesis about brands like Red Bull that sponsor festival. He immediately knows what I am talking about: “Red Bull does this very subtle compared to the Glastonbury Festival”. He then points to the pillar next to him: “This however is not subtle”

Lorenz Grünewald M.A. // Young Scholars Workshop // Wien 29.09.2016

Markus: And at the entrance there was a BIG Audi. And then there was something like a performance. Artists played on the car. I mean they drummed on it and frickled around with it. And in the back they played some records and it was supposed to be together. But I believe it was totally fake. If you look at the movements you saw that it was not synchronized. I believe it was quite fake.

LG: And how was that received?

Markus: My friends thought it was real shit. Placing a car in the center like this.

Snapshot Appropriation The Insignificance of the Brand

Lorenz Grünewald M.A. // Young Scholars Workshop // Wien 29.09.2016

Snapshot Articulation

■ Music activities have to produce a variety of data or measurements

■ That data is used in reporting practices and legitimizes the ongoing of music activities. Despite the doubts of all managers and artists involved.

■ Measurable continuing media practices are forced.

Sharing, Hashtaggin & Reporting

I: There are two girls on the left that look into their phones and to the right there is like an instagram/B: Those are the hastags I am talking about, right. They are just/ Yes

I: Yes? Go on?B: They are just super important. It is almost like I am sometimes thinking: Guys please can you just hashtag this now so this thing here [the series of festivals, LG] can go on?

Lorenz Grünewald M.A. // Young Scholars Workshop // Wien 29.09.2016

„Corporate publishing is viable as long as the belief in branding by association remains powerful. And that belief vanishes when the inability to measure the power of these associations becomes an issue. Clear metrics exist in the speedier world of online publishing with tweets, likes and clicks. Content is immediately shareable. Less so for a free print magazine.“

3. SnapshotSharing, Hashtaggin & Reporting

Snapshot ArticulationSharing, Hashtaggin & Reporting

Lorenz Grünewald M.A. // Young Scholars Workshop // Wien 29.09.2016

As a participant-observer, this leads to questions of what is observable (where, how), and as an observational participator, this leads to questions of how to gain access to others and the typical experiences in the field.” (Eisewicht & Kirschner, 2015)

● Twitter: RBMA 131.000 / Telekom Electronic Beats: 21.000

● How can I get access to their media practices?

Help!I need somebody…

Lorenz Grünewald M.A. // Young Scholars Workshop // Wien 29.09.2016

Help!

After 10 minutes I mention my topic and ask them what they think about everything here being brand. Before that the Telekom or branding was not talked about. One of them said, that he would not care if a concert was branded. A long as it is free, he likes it. The matter would be different, however, when he also had to pay for the concert. Another said this would still be better, if brands put their money in culture than in other things.

■ If brands are only broached as an issue when I start talking about them how can I look behind these ambivalence?

I need somebody…

Lorenz Grünewald M.A. // Young Scholars Workshop // Wien 29.09.2016

Thank you!

Lorenz Grünewald M.A. // Young Scholars Workshop // Wien 29.09.2016

Framework

● Heuristik: Kreislauf der Kultur

● Sozialtheorie: Praxistheorie

? Welche Praktiken der Produktion,

Nutzung etc. von gebrandeter

Musikkultur werden wie miteinander

artikuliert?

eig. Darst. nach DuGay et al. 1997/2010, Hepp 2004, Winter 2003)

Lorenz Grünewald M.A. // Young Scholars Workshop // Wien 29.09.2016

Boiler Room

Lorenz Grünewald M.A. // Young Scholars Workshop // Wien 29.09.2016