Corey Graham 2.0N Biz Blog

This Blog has been Moved!!!

corey — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 23:25:25 -0200

This blog is now hosted at www.coreykgraham.me/bizblog - As you can expect I am ever evolving and when its time to move its time to move.

Now if you are reading this message in an RSS Reader it would mean that you are not subscribed to my feedburner feed. This means that when I change feeds you would not have a seamless transition and you will have to subscribe to - http://feeds2.feedburner.com/coreykgraham.

Subscribe to my feedburner feed! It helps me to know who is reading which is certainly a motivation to keep writing.

This move is going to be a pretty silent one, no big splash.

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Music 2.0 By A Jamaican Dancer Turned Entertainment Business Consultant (Guest Post)

corey — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 10:36:42 -0200

This is actually my very first guest post. Its time for me to build my network! Also how fitting this post should be about something that is 2.0! It was actually written by Simone Harris a dancer turned Entertainment Business Consultant.

Yup! She has the 6 pack the prove it! Well at least had the 6 pack. I don't know the current state of affairs... lol
I actually read it in a facebook note and asked her to allow me to use it on my blog. Next thing I know I have my first guest post and contributor to my blog...funny how things happen in life. I must say that Simone is very passionate and driven. She is very much searching for ways to help the Caribbean music industry flourish. She certainly doesn't know when her focus and passion can inspire others to carry on.
Read more about Simone Harris here - http://kingston21.wordpress.com/about/

Here is her piecce...

Music 2.0 By A Jamaican Dancer Turned Entertainment Business Consultant (Guest Post)

On Feb 5th, I entered the Globe Lobby of the Los Angeles Times Building in downtown Los Angeles as the only Caribbean representative at the 2nd annual EconMusic Conference, organized by UK based ContentNext Media. This year’s conference focused on the key strategic issues surrounding the economics of the digital music industry.

By the end of the first panel discussion which featured Courtney Holt (President, Myspace Music), David Ring (EVP, eLabs, Universal Music Group), Cory Ondrejka (SVP, Digital Strategy, EMI Music), Michael Spiegelman (Head of Yahoo! Music) and Chris Stephenson (GM, Global Marketing, Entertainment Business, Microsoft) I had to wonder whether Jamaica and by extension the Caribbean region was ready for the technologically driven strategies that industry players are implementing in order to remain competitive in the global music industry.

MUSIC 2.0?

Technology and music are much more intertwined than ever before and to become or remain competitive in the marketplace, ALL industry players MUST experiment with new technologies, new business models, and take on partnerships with providers of music hardware and software in order to satisfy the call for “ubiquity of music.”

The term “Music 2.0” (coined by Gerd Leonhard) correctly describes the nature of today’s music business, driven by digital, web-based strategies that allow consumers to access, acquire and interact with music in ways not previously available.

NEW BUSINESS MODELS

The Music 2.0 landscape has acted as a category 5 hurricane in the music business because it has allowed for the introduction of new players such as Live Nation (the largest booking agency for live shows in the world) and thousands of independent labels utilizing digital distribution strategies and forcing major labels to revisit their outdated business models.

David Ring from Universal Music Group and EMI executive Cory Ondrejka discussed the relevance of any single business model that could satisfy the needs of artists, labels, publishers and consumer. But the discussion proved that even the members of the “Big 4” (Sony, UMG, WMG and EMI) have no exact answer for a “best business model” and they are unable to predict with any level of certainty what type of model would stabilize the industry and technology in which form would rule supreme.

Major labels at this point have simply preferred to take on a slight experimental approach (allowing themselves just enough wiggle room to hold on to their massive 75% dominance in the music industry). Their only suggestion was that any player in the music industry must try to ADAPT to the dynamic changes.

Are players in the Caribbean ready to adapt? Or will we simply follow the lead of foreign entities and try to make their strategies work in our region and for our music? This may be much more than detrimental than we think.

Fred Croshal founder and CEO of Croshal Entertainment Group (www.croshalgroup.com) and former executive at SonyBMG and Maverick Music was a refreshing addition to the conference introducing his alternative business model, what he calls, the VIRTUAL RECORD LABEL. According to Croshal, who has been involved with the sale of over 100 million albums over his 30 year span in the music business “…the structure of the label gives the artist 100% ownership of their masters and allows for faster reaction time, lower costs and better results for the artist.” Croshal’s label provides the same services an artist would receive at a major label: sales, marketing, song placement, internet, publicity, budget management but there are no costly overheads to recoup. Could this model be the way of the future?

Croshal represents American Idol winner Rubben Studdard, RnB star Yamin Elliot, Jupiter Rising, Jackson Browne and numerous other hugely successful American acts.

Will Jamaican artists continue to look to the “Big 4” for deals when most major acts like Madonna, Janet Jackson, Jay Z, Nickelback, and Bruce Springsteen are moving away from them driven by a desire to actually “own” their music?

MYSPACE MUSIC AHEAD OF THE GAME

Courtney Holt, newly appointed President of Myspace Music and former EVP of Digital Music & Media at MTV Networks, delved into developments at the new arm from Myspace. Privately funded and driven by advertising revenue, and sponsorship, Myspace Music is an expansion of the different ways that members of the Myspace community can interact with artists and discover new music. They have come out ahead of the pack in terms of exploiting the social networking model to expand the reach and popularity of an artist and their music.

Myspace Music has several Jamaican artists listed under their Reggae category but so far none have been a featured artist or offered a deal for “secret shows” such as those received by 23-year-old British artist, Lilly Allen (3 secret shows on 3 continents). According to Holt, these “secret shows” have driven record sales for these artists in the hundreds of thousands. MySpace Music launched the Secret Shows franchise in January 2006 and has since hosted such acts as Rilo Kiley, Moby, Maroon 5, the Killers, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Tenacious D, Ice Cube, James Blunt and Neil Diamond in cities around the world.

MOBILE MUSIC DEVELOPMENTS

SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES

Even before XM and Sirius radio entered the market, several companies such as Yahoo! Music and Rhapsody had experimented with subscription offers for music consumers. All that have trekked this road have later on abandoned the idea. When I pressed Chris Stephenson from Microsoft about the need for change in consumer perception as it relates to music as a product, he agreed that there is a need to shift consumer perception from “ownership of music” to “access to music.”

If consumers continue to view music as a product to be physically owned, there will always be resistance to paying a monthly service charge to access music.

TICKETING

In Japan today, music lovers are able to purchase concert tickets directly from their mobile phones. I directed this question to members of the Mobile Music panel: Jeff Annison (Founder & CEO, Underground Labs), Daniel Cohen (VP, Business Development, Dada Entertainment) and Tom Conrad (CTO, Pandora) who all agreed that very soon mobile phone companies in the US will be following suit to possibly partner with event promoters or ticketing agencies such as TicketMaster and Live Nation, as this is a viable option in the market of bringing artists closer to their fanbase.

Jamaica has Island Stubs (www.islandstubs.com) is this a viable option for us as well? Have their executives started negotiations with entities in the mobile arena to possibly provide such a service?

THE DEATH OF THE CD

Currently, Microsoft is heading into a deal with BestBuy to offer preloaded ZUNES based on music that consumers like. Do we foresee any of these ZUNES being preloaded with Reggae/Jamaican/Caribbean music?

At this point the deal is being inked between Microsoft and the major labels, with Universal being a big fan of the idea. This move is a reflection of an effort on the part of record labels to utilize “recommendation technology” and “play catch up” to what other entities like Amazon and iTunes have been doing for years to better understand the needs of consumers. In addition to the massive 45% decline in CD sales since 2000, this ZUNE agreement signals the ever-nearing “death of the CD.”

Is VP Records and local acts who are still thinking of “pressing a CD” ready for this move? What plans does Record Plaza, Music Mart, Derek Harriott, CD Centre, Music Fair, and others have in store for Jamaican music consumers when the CD is out of the picture?

During the conference there was mention of many who stand to benefit from this new dynamism and the falling of old business models but is the Caribbean region technologically ready?

By the end of all the presentations I left the LA Times Building feeling that without the necessary technological infrastructure Jamaica and the Caribbean will most definitely be left behind in the shift to MUSIC 2.0.

Simone Harris BSc, MBA, MS in Music Business
Read more about Simone Harris here - http://kingston21.wordpress.com/about/

Music 2.0 Is The Next Frontier - Is Soca Already 2.0?

corey — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 02:25:15 -0200

I started reading Music 2.0, Essays by Gerd Leonhard(http://www.mediafuturist.com/) Co-Author of "The Future Of Music". Being 2.0 myself, I was excited to dive in and figure out who was more 2.0 me or the music!

More Money To Be Made From Music 2.0
Just a few pages in and its already a very interesting book. Gerd Leonhard believes that the pricing structure of the media and music is changing. Although many persons are worried about the declining sales hitting the record companies, Gerd believes that once the structure evolves, there is actually going to be more money on the table for everyone. I will have to keep reading further before I can reasonably comment anymore on this idea.
However, there is something else I have to talk about right now! It really hit me as I read it. Its burning my tongue and its related of cource to our beloved Caribbean Industry.

The excerpt -

Before there were any music “products” that could be purchased, just like a box of soap or a can of beans, music was controlled “by foot” (as my friend and fellow museratus Jim Griffin likes to say). In other words, the artists had to be physically present to perform, and equally, the listener had to be present at the same place and time of the performance. Music was simply a service (as it still is in many developing countries, which is why they will head into Music 2.0 even quicker, skipping the entire product-centric period), and artists enjoyed great influence and appreciation.

This sooo interesting, in my humble opinion as soca music is actually making good use of the internet as the net evolves and becomes more and more a part of our lives. I believe soca is well on its way to a Music 2.0 format.

SOCA 2.0
With music comes a culture, soca's culture is Carnival. As we move through the year and Caribbean Communities all over the world have their carnivals. Soca lovers worldwide get online to follow the music. Soca lovers search for the latest songs, music videos and performance clips. They budget their spending money for the trip as they research the fete/party schedule and shop around for the perfect costume to parade in the streets on carnival day.
Soca music is now strictly released worldwide. Several artistes and producers email their latest production across the world via email. To "release" their songs. The webmasters, free 2 Air Radio & Internet radio stations make the music available for us all to listen to at our leisure. The webmasters and radio stations in the host countries watch their website hits and radio streams go on fire, as soca lovers from all over the world tune in, and listen to the very latest happenings of the carnival. The music drives the energy of the infectious carnival atmosphere. People want to hear and feel the music while jumping down the road dressed in their colourful carnival costumes.
Sounds to me like the soca music is actually a service or carnival that people enjoy, rather than a product to snatch off the shelves. This is how it has been for years. It continues to grow as the internet gets more and more ubiquitous.

The soca industry is evolving rapidly. However, many of us do not perceive it as actually in a state of evolution. We see it as something broken, and so we are forever trying to fix it. We readily cut the momentum of an artiste career so they are prepped and ready to sign a record deal with record labels which are actually losing more and more revenue each year.

The floor is now open for discussion. Feel free to express and share your opinion!

GET INVOLVED IN The "SOCA NOW" MOVEMENT

Its not just talk, I have enlisted "Soca Now" Movement which aims to push myspace to create a soca category.

People in the industry all over the world, fans to artiste to managers have been showing their support to this movement...

The first thing you can do is SEND IN YOUR EMAIL TO MYSPACE .... then you can invite all your friends

Break down barriers for soca music!

http://groups.myspace.com/socanow

http://groups.myspace.com/socanow

Red Plastic Bag Bigging Up "Soca Now"

Corey Graham 2.0
www.coreykgraham.com
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The REAL Impact of Social Media

corey — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 02:46:14 -0200

There is a revolution taking place in the world right now. People are being empowered via web 2.0 technologie/social media. Its now easier to get your voice or music heard via blogs and social networks. Its not only about the voice, we are all now much more capable people. You can launch you own radio station within minutes!!!!!

I personally think the way we interact with each other is changing in a very fundamental way and we are not truly appreciating it. Web 2.0 technology - Social Media is a technology. Technology is merely a tool for us complete our various tasks.

Being social is really the big idea here. Facebook, myspace, linkedin etc. are just tools. They are tools which make it easier for us to accomplish our various tasks. Its easy to get caught up with the facts, how many users facebook has or how many blog posts you wrote last month. The core concept is connecting with people.

Its allowed me to be more connected with persons across the world. To connect with people who share similar passions. To share ideas with them. This has allowed me to understand myself and my environment better. I have expanded my thinking. Now I am a much more confident and motivated person.

What are you using social media to do in your life?

Corey Graham 2.0
www.coreykgraham.com

2008 Is Historic More Great Things To Happen - Congrats Obama!

corey — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 13:43:26 -0200

YES WE CAN!

He was very clear.
These are times when the desire to lead is enough. Great change can happen with reasonable ease in a world today where people can connect easily, primarily enabled by the internet. Blogs and social networking allow people to have a voice they could never have. And it allows their voice to stretch as far and wide and they want it to. Grouping people behind a cause no longer is held back by geographical location, having a position of power nor costs.

Today more than ever the ease of communication and the ease at which an ideal/idea can spread worldwide is powerful.

2008 is a great year. we are seeing all kinds of tiny but fundamental changes in our atmosphere.

The power of a vision and great leaders who fight for them like Barack Obama, Martin Luther King, Gandhi and Nelson Mandela and so many other leaders, can now be amplified by the tools available in a world where the ability to connect has becoming so much easeir. Its no small thing what companies like Google and Facebook are enabling for human kind.

I am glad for the win, its really going to be an eye opening thing. Every black person worldwide should have reason to see a better them when they look into a mirror this morning.

I am excited by these times you know why?

Because you too can build a network? What network are you building today?

Corey Graham 2.0
www.coreykgraham.com

L.I.M.E - Cable And Wireless Caribbean Just Evolved

corey — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 02:30:03 -0200

Its been on my mind the whole day!

After browsing the new LIME website this morning,my mind has been racing all day.

Don't know what I am talking about?

Its the "new company", Cable and Wireless is bringing to the people of the Caribbean - L.I.M.E. - Landline Internet Mobile and Entertainment. Its out with the old and in with LIME. Yes, Yes I know Cable and Wireless was not one of our favourite companies in the Caribbean., however they are saying its time for LIME!

I am saying its time for LIME too. What I am seeing from LIME has me rather impressed!

Yeah i heard that!

Yes I heard you whispering under your breathe "Corey is just stop ranting and raving, over nothing. Cable and Wireless will be Cable and Wireless."

Well, Well, Well ... I thought you would have given me more credit! I am not saying I am a fan of Cable and Wireless but you have to give Jack his jacket. Based on what I am seeing and hearing this re-branding goes much deeper than just a name. It looks to me like an evolution. It looks to me like it could be a company that people love. This re-branding doesn't have feel like a "fly by night" or "quick-fix" operation. Its not really a case where you just tell the people something to get them off our backs.

It appears to be a well thought out, cohesive effort to bring real value to the Caribbean people.

Here is something found that I think might apply. I would say its something written by great man for dramatic effect, but I think I need to "keep it REAL" with you. lol.

Don't get stuck in the rut. You have got to be able to question what you are doing day to day. Pull yourself apart. Take the time to review and analyze yourself and your environment. Admit honestly and with extreme clarity your strengths and weaknesses, successes and failures.Be realistic about your environment. This is the hardest part coming now. Rebuild yourself from deep down in the foundation. Build yourself into the person you need to be to accomplish your dream. Corey Graham 2.0^N

It seemed like Cable and Wireless has gone through this process and are now ready to bring something of real value to the Caribbean people...

"We’ve transformed into a new kind of telecoms company. With a new management structure (populated with the best and brightest people the region has to offer), improved customer service and exciting new products and services, such as our ambitious 3G network roll out, the change we’ve made runs a lot deeper than just our name."

3 G Networks are starting to pop up primarily in the developed world and LIME is saying they are rolling it out? I am sorry but as a guy who likes my mobile technology and internet, that very,very exciting! Learn more about 3 G. (The main advantage is faster data transfer. i.e. streaming video/tv, video conferencing etc)

Its also my understanding, that the E(entertainment) in LIME is going to be pretty huge also. We have been hearing the rumours of IP TV and music downloads for a while now and all these other wonderful things can possibly happen and rather easily. The back bone has been now put in place with this new network, new focus along with the latest consumer technologies (iphone, Google's andriod phone, Blackberry Storm, VOIP & Skype, etc).

The stage is set for these rumours to become a reality!

That's what I agree its time 4 LIME.

The time is right. Its now to deliver the goods.

Providing that they do, working online might just become alot more profitable and fulfilling sooner rather than later. The value of online advertising and marketing will greatly increase as more and more Caribbean people get online. Along with the capacity for online tools to deliver the relavant marketing messages to the right people at the right time. As a result we will see that more and more companies large and small investing more time and energy into their online marketing and advertising. This would spark a situation where Caribbean Blogs, communities and other online real estate will grow in value. As they can better deliver the audience advertisers need. There is a world of possibility out there, let your mind wander!

That is one perspective on LIME, let me know what you think? You can share your perspective!

View the LIME website

Corey Graham 2.0

www.coreykgraham.com

PS. To LIME the company formerly known as Cable And Wireless, please don't leave a bitter taste in our mouths. You know we, Caribbean People love a good "lime".

The Man Behind Facebook Speaks

corey — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 03:05:10 -0200

I just came across a video of Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook as he was interviewed by Ryan Carson at the Future of Web Apps conference.

I though Ryan did a very good job of interviewing Mark. This is the first time that I've heard Mark speak about his passion and ideas so openly. Mark shared some deep insights behind growing such an influencial company and communicated clearly what facebook is truly about. One thing you realise is that there is a strong sense of the vision and mission for facebook. I think that is very important to have everyone on the same page.
Mark explains makes is that people are getting increasingly more comfortable with sharing information and it essentially facebook's goal to facilitate this human need to share. Mark thinks it will lead to a better world where everyone can understand and appreciate each other more!

Yeah I went. Hmmm interesting when i heard it too...

Another point he made was that he ensured that facebook had a technical DNA. Basically, he ensured that most of the persons coming onto the facebook team had a technical background. He feels it allows them to make better decisions. WOW! ... I think that is a true gem right there.

Many of us can be found guilty of building up teams with people who do not fit our DNA!
Anyways enough of my rant.
Corey Graham 2.0 now presents to you another great man of our time - Mark Zuckerberg

Click here to watch video

Publicity Strategy Pays Off Big For Bandleader Brian Mc Farlane (TT)

corey — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 03:25:00 -0200

I am not sure if you heard as yet, just over a week ago Band Leader Brian Mc Farlane owned the front page of every newspaper in the twin island republic of Trinidad and Tobago. Oh, and it was not on a weekday. It was on Sunday! Yup! The prime time spot.
No, he did not just get that placement because he is the two-time winner of the "Band of the Year" title in Trinidad Carnival. Nor did he purchase front page advertising in all the newspapers. Hmm, now there is a thought. Boi would I love to be able to have the kind of money! Can you imagine that purchasing that kind of advertising over the counter. Lol.
(Corey Graham 2.0 stops and looks into his wallet imagining)

Right focus boi and write the blog post! Ok from Dreamland...

I was making the point that he was able to accomplish this feet by being REMARKABLE ...worth making a REMARK about. Seriously, the man asked the media to be ready for pick up at 5:30 am on Saturday morning! Power to them! Maybe my team and I could have gone there after covering something exciting on the Friday night. I am not sure how the logistics of getting out of bed at the time would work out. lol.

Anyways the media who did make it had no clue where they were going to end up! They only knew they were getting on a shuttle to be driven to the location for the presentation... "Up in de bush" (forested location).Yup, I am sure the media were a little surprised by that.
Brian Mc Farlane launched his band in the middle of nowhere! To add to the story... Lets stop here for a minute. Notice who is the story teller here. Brian is. Not the journalist. This man was "making news"
I was saying...To add to his story, 50 dancers, singers and drummers came forth from the forest to present 19 costumes to the 25 journalists on hand. Thatis howBrian Mc Farlane's Trinidad Carnival 2009 Presentation Africa : Her People, Her Glory, Her Tears.

Here are some video clips I found on youtube of the launch.

Also check out Saucy Trini's "ball by ball" review of the Media launch http://www.trinidadcarnivaldiary.com/2008/10/story-of-africa.html

Now tell me if that is not worth making a remark about?
Well he was justly rewarded for his efforts by being highlighted on page 1 and 2 of every daily newspaper in Trinidad. I should also make mention of Mango Media Caribbean and Judette Coward-Puglisi who was his partner in crime for this marketing/publicity stunt! Judette wrote an enlightening post about it on her blog 5 AM At Mango Media Caribbean, check out her post here.
http://www.mangomediacaribbean.com/blog/index.cfm/2008/10/14/Strategic-media-thinking-pays-off-for-mas-maker-Brian-Mc-Farlane.

Yes Judette, Its my pleasure to pitch and give you some "free" publicity for the great work. (send my mango in fed ex! thanks alot!)

Seriously, though its a great story to tell not just on pages 1 and 2 of the daily newspapers, but its also a story worth blogging about, worth sending to friends in email and worth being the topic of a worthwhile conversation! a.k.a. Word of Mouth the best kinda of marketing there is.

So do you anything as exciting in your marketing/promotion plan?

Corey Graham 2.0
www.coreykgraham.com

RSS Explained In Plain English

corey — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 11:15:17 -0200

Since I started this blog I have promised myself to set aside time to explain how things work to persons around me now one of the questions that I have found difficult in explaining to others is the whole concept of RSS feeds. Its one thing to explain it, but to also explain it in a way that they get it.

Thanks to Common Craft I now have a great video tutorial that explains exactly what at RSS feed is.

The RSS feed for this blog is http://feedproxy.google.com/coreykgraham

Another Simple But Powerful Google Idea

corey — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 01:20:50 -0200

A few of my recent posts have been about ideas and getting them to spread. Interestly, enough a friend shared this link with me recently that I had to make sure I share with ya. I could not have planned a better example of how a simple idea can really create something rather powerful...

And to add to it had to be another Google idea. Got to like Google they are expanding into everything look ...they even help me write posts! Literally

THE IDEA (taken from article on makeuseof.com)

Let’s say that your email address is ‘GeorgeBush@gmail.com’, basically everything sent to any of the following email addresses will be forwarded to your primary email.
GeorgeBush@gmail.com
G.eorgeBush@gmail.com
Ge.orgeBush@gmail.com
…
…
GeorgeBus.h@gmail.com
GeorgeBush@googlemail.com
G.eorgeBush@googlemail.com
Ge.orgeBush@googlemail.com
…
…
GeorgeBus.h@googlemail.com
And that’s not all, you can place as many dots as you want, it can be even something like ‘G.e.o.r.g.e.B.u.s.h@gmail.com’ and you’ll still get it on ‘GeorgeBush@gmail.com’

See the full article at http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/1-awesome-gmail-tip-you-dont-know-about-seriously/

Now this one really blew me away, Its so simple and yet so practical and useful!!

Its good to be quietly blowed over by a new idea every once in a while! Especially when its good for business!!!

Corey Graham 2.0
www.coreykgraham.com
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