AUTHOR: Matt Dickman
TITLE: Coldplay and Loyalty Building
DATE: 3/24/2006 10:57:00 AM
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BODY:
I went to the Coldplay concert in Cleveland this past Monday and came away with ringin ears and, more importantly, a deeper understanding of what makes loyalty building effective. How did this happen at a concert you ask? Let me explain. The pre-concert activities were nothing out of the ordinary. Opening act, stage re-configuration, testing, etc. Even the start of the concert was usual. The opening number is an upbeat, pop hit that really got the crowd amped up.
This is where the difference was made. In between the first and second song Chris Martin (the lead singer) addressed the audience thanking us for coming and telling us how much they appreciated us taking a Monday out of our lives to come and see them. This did not feel like a canned speech, it felt like it was a sincere jesture. I instantly felt more engaged in the music and what he had to say.
Mid-way through the concert, they pointed to the back of the audience and told us they weren't forgetting about us. Another touch point well received and the crowd erupted. During the very next song he jumped from the stage, ran to the back of the arena, climbed a railing and sang while wrapoped in a throng of fans. We were all sold. Even the cranky 40-something behind me, that I overheard earlier say 'I'm here because my wife made me come', was clapping his hands high above his head and bopping along to the music.
The point is, they didn't have to engage us as fans on a personal level. They could have just played the music, said thanks and boarded the plane for Detroit (or wherever they were off to next). But they didn't. They made us want to hear more, to buy more music and to find out when they're coming back so we can have the same feeling all over again.
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