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The Grassroots Success Story of Blackberry Smoke

On Oct. 14, the southern rockers of Blackberry Smoke released their fifth studio album, Like an Arrow and this week they kicked off the start of the U.S. tour. Their next show is this Thursday in Sioux Falls, South Dakota at The District.

music interface for blackberry smoke mobile application

Blackberry Smoke is a five-piece country rock group from Atlanta, Georgia and they’re making some of the hottest live rock ‘n’ roll in America today.

Like an Arrow follows 2015’s Holding All The Roses, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Albums chart as well as in the Top 10 of the Top Rock Albums. Fans of their previous work are sure to find plenty to like, with a continuation of their country ballads and rock anthems in the vein of Skynyrd and Zeppelin.

news features for blackberry smoke mobile app

Over the last 16 years the band has emerged as a powerful grassroots phenomenon with a fiercely loyal fan base that reflects the band’s marathon-like touring regimen. Their success has been defined by their relentless work ethic and their exceptional level of fan engagement.

push notifications iphone app blackberry smoke band promotion

Their Mobile Roadie app has enabled them to cement the bond between fan and artist by delivering exclusive news and tour updates.

 

popup promo google play app for bands on mobile roadie

Some of our favorite features in the Blackberry Smoke app include:

News: From new tour dates, ticket presales and album reviews, to press clippings and interviews, the band keeps fans updated on a daily basis

Discography: New fan of Blackberry Smoke? Brush up on all of their albums in the Discography section and leave comments for discussion with other fans

Popup promos: When the band has albums, songs, or merchandise to promote, they “hang” a sign that pops up when users open the app. You can’t miss it!

Music: The app holds a music library for the band where users can buy as many songs as they’d like

Push notifications: Blackberry Smoke uses push notifications to alert fans of tour dates so that they can snatch up tickets to nearby shows

discography feature interface in mobile app for Blackberry Smoke country rock band

Check out the Blackberry Smoke app and don’t forget to pick up their new album, Like An Arrow!

Blackberry Smoke app available on Google Play and App Store

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The Red Hot Chili Peppers Rocked Their Album Sales to Earn a Spot as App of the Week; Here’s How They Did it!

The American rock band, whose sounds have filled the cassettes and ears of listeners for over two decades, updated their app for fans to connect to their recently released album, The Getaway.

Once their guitar riffs and bass-slapping hits your ears, the Red Hot Chili Peppers is a rock band that requires no introduction. The characteristic oscillation between funk rap and melodic choruses in their songs continue to pervade car stereos across the world and some songs have become synonymous with roadtrippin’ itself.

The success of their globally-acclaimed album Californication (1999) revolves around many factors including the return of lead guitarist John Frusciante, the explicit commentary on “manufactured” Hollywood, and the turn of audio technology as cassettes were swapped with CDs and headphones. The switch to CDs allowed for better sound stability and noise reduction which suited the funky interweaving guitar and bass notes for which RHCP is best known. The Chili Peppers wanted to capitalize on tech trends in the same revolutionary way as they dropped their album The Getaway and an update to their mobile app couldn’t have been better timed. The app allows fans to listen to and download live shows, check tour dates, connect with other users geographically, relive throwback photo albums, and buy RHCP merchandise. Hey if it worked once, you can’t stop right?

21st Century (Stadium Arcadium, 2006)

A lot has changed since the release of their self-titled album in 1984 and though the Chili Peppers continue to deliver the funky breakdowns and rock solos of old that fans love, don’t say that they haven’t adapted with the times. The Red Hot Chili Peppers app, powered by Mobile Roadie, is all about using tech and music to connect like-minded fans. It hosts easy to navigate links (think: no drop down menus) to news, tour dates, videos, throwback and show photos, merchandise, and tickets.

One of the best utilizations of the RHCP app is its geofencing feature. When users walk into a declared geographic area, the app notifies them with a push notification about events like a new album sale or an upcoming signing.  If there’s one thing that RHCP fans have in common, it’s that they hate pushy things. Mobile Roadie developed geofencing as a passive feature that runs in the background and you can choose whether to get an alert when you’re near the designated location. It’s the perfect way for people who love a random dose of the Chili Peppers to reconnect with the band’s music.

When RHCP came to Mobile Roadie in May to update their app, it was natural to want to promote The Getaway simultaneously. Mobile Roadie assigned a dedicated development team to monitor a push queue so that on June 17th, the album’s release date,  600,000 push notifications were sent to fans all over the world. The long-time partnership between the two entities paid off dividends as the album debuted at No. 1 on the Top Selling Albums chart and the RHCP app officially records 252,475 downloads on iOs and 66,333 on Android.

Encore (The Getaway, 2016)

The RHCP app highlights how a good mobile artist application can complement something such as an upcoming show or a new album. It’s a collaborative effort between the band and Mobile Roadie to not only execute a well-timed delivery of services but also schedule continuous maintenance for their increasing fan base. A concerted effort with effective communications should leave you, your audience, and their ears happy.

What’s your favorite feature of the RHCP app? Should they add a lyrics section? Did you love the new album? Leave a comment to let us know how diehard of a Chili Peppers fan you are!

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I Got an App in Ibiza: Pacha Goes Mobile

 

I Got an App in Ibiza: Pacha Goes Mobile

About 90 miles off of Spain’s Eastern coast, in the Mediterranean Sea, lies a beautiful up-cropping of land about ten times the size of Manhattan. The island is Ibiza, and to most of the world, its name is synonymous with partying. Though the total population of the island is only around 140,000, it draws nearly 14 million visitors a year.

Revelers who come to Ibiza are nearly unanimously wowed by their experience. The summer party season, which runs from May to September, draws the biggest DJs and clubbers from around the world. For those who run in certain social circles, partying in Ibiza is a lifestyle statement.

But everyone who participates in the Ibiza party experience agrees: there is something uniquely beautiful about the connection, sense of community, and openness that graces the island. Ibiza brings together people from around the globe just looking to cut loose and have fun.  

 

Club Pacha

Naturally, the island is host to a number of legendary clubs, each with its own niche. Perhaps none is more legendary than Pacha, a place where patrons can experience a “summer of love” vibe with an updated soundtrack. The club’s resident DJs include David Guetta and Martin Solveig, and Diplo and Mark Ronson will be among the guest performers this summer.

In addition to a nightclub, Pacha has two hotels and shops on the Island, making it possible for vacationers to experience their entire trip through the group. As Pacha’s website attests, those who party at Pacha love to document and share their experience. After all, for most visitors, their trip to Ibiza is a rare thing.

With this in mind, Pacha was faced with a dilemma: how could it bring together patrons whose club experience may only be as short as a night?

 

From Ibiza to iTunes

By designing a mobile app, Pacha effectively solves this dilemma by bringing its presence out of Ibiza Town and into our pockets. Fans of the venue can stay connected to it even once they get back to their cubicles and living rooms. After all, the Pacha experience is supposed to be more than a night of partying.

By connecting these bon vivants through a mobile app, Pacha allows itself the opportunity to grow beyond just a nightclub. Instead, they create an interactive community. Mobile users can connect, share their experiences, and submit photos and videos. In strengthening these bonds, Pacha itself builds a more dedicated and active community.

 

Feeling the Beat Beyond the Dancefloor

Pacha’s attractive new mobile app, powered by Mobile Roadie, offers club-patrons (and aspiring patrons) a place to come together. With a fan wall, a magazine, and a chance for users to create personalized profiles, the app is both a way to stay up to date on happenings and socialize with others. Throw in an “Events & Tickets” link, and users needn’t even leave their application if they’re suddenly inspired to buy entry to one of the club’s many events.

Here are a few of the ways the app brings users together while promoting Pacha:

  • The fan wall has a section for comments, a map so that users can see where other fans are posting from, and a photo section for user submissions. On a recent weekday, Pacha diehards from Buenos Aires to Brussels excitedly shared about upcoming trips, guest-lists they would like be on, and DJs they couldn’t wait to see.
  • It encourages interactive participation by having users create a profile and accumulate points to become a Top User by offering top-rated comments, posting photos , and participating in discussion forums. A leaderboard shows how many “points” top users have accumulated. Peer-to-peer messaging allows for the app to function as a social network as well, with club-goers linking up on their phones.
  • User-generated content also gives the app a community-driven feel. Users submit photos (at an increasing rate as the #pachalove promotion draws to a close) of themselves living it up at Pacha. Photocards are a fun chance for mobile users to photoshop themselves into various Pacha themed pictures and post them to the gallery.
  • The newsfeed offers not only updates, promotions, and new line-ups, but also interviews with resident DJs. Subscribers to the newsfeed can receive push notifications and updates. During the summer party season, when new DJs are constantly being added to the events calendar, this feature is particularly useful.
  • Draw competitions and surprise promotions, both available only to the app’s users, gives fans a chance to make it onto exclusive guest-lists or into impromptu parties. Using geotargeting, the app knows when a user is on Ibiza, and will offer him tips for his trip. For those involved in the club scene, entry to these exclusive parties is a huge bonus of downloading the app.

 

What’s Next

Mega-clubs, both in Ibiza and elsewhere, would be wise to follow Pacha’s lead and consider making the leap from party-venue to lifestyle brand. What Pacha has done not only ensures continued interest in its club events, but also increased awareness. Promotions such as the photo submission contests give it a strong presence on other social media platforms as well.

What do you think? Is Pacha leading the way in what’s soon to become a bigger trend? Where else do clubs and other venues have room to grow online? Let us know what you think of Pacha’s app in the comments!