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Welsh Music Foundation: Turning pop into pounds in Texas

A record number of Welsh musicians and businesses headed to the world famous South by Southwest (SxSW) music and film festival in March 2013, as part of the Welsh Music Foundation's (WMF's) ‘Music From Wales’ trade mission.

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Objectives

  • Raise awareness of WMF services and the record number of Welsh artists supported by WMF to appear onstage at SXSW

  • Convey this message to audiences across Wales and enforce the fact WMF exists to promote economic growth within the creative industries across the entire country a Welsh Government funded organisations that is part of the Strategy for the Creative Industries

  • Set these key messages against the backdrop of 2013 being a watershed year for Welsh music, and other WMF projects and activities promoting growth within Welsh music, and build awareness ahead of WOMEX 2013 in Cardiff.

What we did

  • The team drew on the regional backgrounds of each SXSW artist to extend the campaign’s reach into news publications across Wales (e.g. Charlotte Church in Cardiff, The Joy Formidable for North Wales) emphasising that other local artists can access similar support as those profiled

  • Tailored press releases highlighted the highlight the economic significance of the trade mission and WMF’s role in supporting the creative industries

  • With live performance offering such rich visuals, broadcast media opportunities were co-ordinated with interviews for the acts and business representatives attending SXSW. WMF Chief Executive John Rostron completed the package, explaining the artistic and economic significance of the event, and the involvement of WMF and its overall function.

Results

  • In the week SXSW opened in Texas, WMF achieved coverage in national and regional newspapers across Wales and featured in the Western Mail, Daily Post, Wrexham Leader, Flintshire Chronicle, South Wales Evening Post among others

  • On the same day SXSW opened in Texas, Cardiff band Islet, record company Shape and WMF Chief Executive John Rostron appeared in interview on ITV Wales News’ 6pm bulletin, broadcast across the country

  • The client achieved coverage with a PR value of almost £10,000, and achieved an overall return on investment of 14:1 in the process

  • WMF had additional new enquiries from artists and music businesses triggered by the coverage who were unaware of their services, and reached out to join their network.

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