...tao of marketing and other thoughts

Filed under: Axosoft, Marketing, Imported

Recently, Joshua Bell, had some fun with an experiment / prank to see what would happen if he stepped down from his venerable $1,000-a-minute gig as "America's Best Classical Musician" and posed as a D.C. street musician.

Would Anyone Notice Him?

Here's the scenario:

• The scene:
• It's rush hour in D.C. - 7:51 a.m.
• Metro at L'Enfant Plaza
  
• Tons of commuters passing by
   
  
• The distraction:
• Joshua Bell, world-famous violinist
  
• $3.5 million dollar Stradivarius
• J.S. Bach's "Chaconne" from Partita No. 2 in D Minor

Bell says this about the piece he selected: it's "not just one of the greatest pieces of music ever written, but one of the greatest achievements of any man in history. It's a spiritually powerful piece, emotionally powerful, structurally perfect. Plus, it was written for a solo violin, so I won't be cheating with some half-assed version."

So What Happens?

You might enjoy having a guess before you look.  I was surprised by the outcome, myself.  A friend was totally unsurprised.  People gladly pay $100 for the cheap seats to witness a Bell performance...what happens when he's an arm's length away?

• You can read the entire story with videos here.
• You can jump straight to the videos:
• Video 1
• Video 2
• Video 3
• Video 4
  
• You can listen to the full audio of Bell's performance here (highly recommended).

What Did Bell do Next?

After his Metro experiment, Joshua Bell packed up his Strad and headed off for a concert tour of the European Capitals.  He did return to the states briefly, however, to accept the Avery Fisher Prize for "Best Classical Musician in America" — a prize so difficult to win, it has not even been awarded for the three previous years.

Lessons?

Maybe "lessons" is a little too strong of a term...but here's what I gleaned.  (Spoiler alert—-if you already know / don't mind finding out the outcome of Bell's Experiment, read on.  Otherwise, come back when that's the case.)

The Power of Niche Marketing

When Joshua Bell decided to perform for the masses, his earnings dropped from $1,000 per minute to less than $60 per hour. Removing all other factors, Bell would seem better off:

• Playing for his fans;
• Playing where his fans are more likely to gather.

The Power of Mass Markets 

Considering his extreme talent, already-attained fame, and the wide-appeal of music, maybe Bell doesn't have to continue staying within his niche.  Imagine what would happen if Bell extended this experiment and spent 6 months playing the streets.  How much more would his fame spread?  How many copy-cat violinists would come out of the woodwork?  And, anytime you saw a street violinist, would you check to see if it was Bell?

He earned $37 from non-fans (presumably).  But this was his first go.  After several more gigs, more media coverage, and the word of mouth that would surely ripple outward from each performance, I believe Bell would eventually have crowds forming around him.  His music could sell better than ever, more musicians would take to the streets, and to cap off his 6-month tour he could probably fill a stadium. 

When he returned to the symphony halls of the world, he'd earn triple what he earns now.  Not to mention, it would cement his fame for generations, if not longer.

Would You Walk On By?

I couldn't help but wonder how many times I've stared genius right in the face and ignored it.  It's astonishing to see someone with Bell's one-in-10-million talent (are there even 650 others?) so thoroughly paid no mind.

<Blank>, Escher, Bach

I used an M.C. Escher illustration in a previous post.  J.S. Bach is no small part of this one.  That leaves...