The world's Top 100 nightclubs & social media

HOW THE TEMPLES OF ELECTRONIC MUSIC USE THE INTERNET TO BECOME A GLOBAL MASS PHENOMENON The most comprehensive research ever conducted to reveal the secrets of the dance scene’s digital success

WORLD’S TOP 100 WORLD’S TOP 100 WORLD’S TOP 100 WORLD’S TOP 100

NIGHTCLUBS NIGHTCLUBS NIGHTCLUBS NIGHTCLUBS & SOCIAL MEDIA& SOCIAL MEDIA& SOCIAL MEDIA& SOCIAL MEDIA

www.woomedia.es DIGITAL COMMUNICATION & PUBLIC RELATIONS

EXCLUSIVE RANKING! THE MOST FOLLOWED EDM VENUES ON FACEBOOK & TWITTER

WELCOMEWELCOMEWELCOMEWELCOME WE ARE PROUD TO PRESENT THE MOST IN-DEPTH STUDY EVER CARRIED OUT IN THE FIELD OF NIGHTLIFE AND NEW TECHNOLOGIES. THESE ARE THE CONTENTS.

WORLD’S TOP 100 NIGHTCLUBS & SOCIAL MEDIA HOW THE TEMPLES OF ELECTRONIC MUSIC USE THE INTERNET www.woomedia.es

C’EST FINI

BEST PRACTICES

CONCLUSIONS

RANKINGS

INTRODUCTION

Ibiza Mediterranean & Middle East United Kingdom Continental Europe USA & Canada Latin America Asia & Pacific YouTube SoundCloud

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10/ 11/ 12/

How to inform and entertain your audience How to create attractive content that rockets on the Internet How to manage your web and digital identity How to create and distribute music How to attract talent to your brand How to sell on the Internet How to stimulate participation and user-generated content How to encourage customers to share their clubbing experience How to offer them incentives to become fans or share content How to listen to your audience How to address a global audience How to promote your brand How to use technology to improve the user experience How to commit to our society

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INTRODUCTIONINTRODUCTIONINTRODUCTIONINTRODUCTION HOW SOCIAL MEDIA TURNED AN ALMOST PERIPHERAL MUSIC GENRE INTO A WORLDWIDE PHENOMENON

onducting a study on the use of social media in the field of electronic music is a staggering challenge. Any

study aims to contribute with something different or to correct some aspects in the analysed object. Somehow, it aims to propose a formula to amend all mistakes and reveal the secrets that lead to success. This endeavour is really complica-ted when the analysed object is an avant-garde phenomenon and a model of success that everyone watches with the purpose of recreating it. This is the case of electronic music. Why? In case you didn’t know, Electro-nic Dance Music or EDM is the most thriving musical genre of the moment. Not only DJs you probably already know, like David Guetta or Tiesto, make electronic music. Madonna makes electronic music. Lenny Kravitz and Jennifer Lopez make electronic music. Or rather, they team up with famous DJs to have their songs remixed and so to get some attention. The hit charts are nowadays occupied by names like Avicii, Nicky Rome-ro and Calvin Harris. No one had heard of them five years ago. How is that posible? When did EDM take over the pop scene? Before explaining why, let’s quickly see how the genre has evolved over the past 15 years. In the 80s and 90s, EDM was a negligible

genre. The industry’s establishment – magazines, radio sations, televi-sions channels– openly ignored or even despised it. What business, or even attractive, could there be in a bunch of guys that plagiarized others’ songs, creating repetitive, boring rhythms? So it was until late 90s. That’s when the event that changed everything occurred. First was the Internet. Do you remember Geocities? With that free web space any fan could become a small authority, uploading remixes and exchanging views on clubs and DJs. Then along came the forums. EDM lovers who had starved began to see they were not alone. Virtual communities be-gan to grow. In the middle of the 2000s decade, the first social net-works arrived (MySpace, Facebo-ok). The blogging boom had alrea-dy started a few years ago. By then, the phenomenon was unstoppable. The essence of EDM is the live music event. Some promoters had taken the genre seriously, and since mid-90s had begun to invest in organizing small electronic music meetings. That’s how events that are now legendary were born, like the Love Parade (Berlin, 1989), Monegros (Spain, 1994), Electric Daisy Carnival (California, 1997), Creamfields (Liverpool, 1998), and Tomorrowland (Belgium, 2005). For when the musical establish-ment tried to guess what was going

CCCC

DJMag’s Top 100 Clubs, starting point to this study The British DJMag’s ranking, which is published at the beginning of each year, is considered the bible for clubs world-wide. In this study, we’ll analyse how these 100 electronic music cathedrals manage their digital and social media presence. Actually, they’re 99, because Sankeys Manchester closed its doors in May 2013 to focus its efforts on its sister venue in Ibiza. London’s Cable club was forced to close around that time, but we have decide to include it as a tribute for its unfair closure.


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on, hundreds of thousands of youngsters attended those events every year. The Ibiza nightclubs got packed with thousands of clubbers from all over Europe every summer. They had develo-ped a new language, a new style, new consumption patterns. They spoke of artists like Sven Väth, Paul Van Dyk and Carl Cox. They had their digital meeting points and new opinion leaders on Facebook, Twitter or the blogos-phere. The music industry, despite its overwhelming economic power and know-how, had missed the boat. Next thing they knew was that nobody was watching MTV any more, nobody was reading printed music magazines, or even purchasing records like before. Today, the electronic music market worldwide has a turn-over of 4,500 million dollars and it’s growing at rates above 12% per year. The ultimate explosion came when the U.S. started consu-ming EDM just a few years ago. Until recently, it was a distinctly European gender. But now, Americans have joined the party with their passionate fashion of enjoying music and doing business and... It’s war! In Las Vegas, they’re investing hundreds of mi-llions to build the most breathta-king clubs in the world. What is our point? Electronic showcases a clear example of how

the Internet and social media have begun to challenge the tra-ditional powers. No more top-down markets. Users have taken control and have the ability to impose what they want. The hierarchies from the analogue world don’t work in the digital world. In the EDM scene, clubs play a secondary role behind DJs, who are real mass idols, the new rock stars of today. But clubs have contributed to this silent revolu-tion. At this moment, they’re money-making machines and their strategies are observed and copied worldwide. The clubs play a crucial role in the industry: they charge for admission tickets, they operate the sound equipment and pay the DJ. Without them, there would be no industry at all. For all these reasons, this study doesn’t intend to propose magic solutions. There’s no need. We aim to identify trends and compare practical experiences tested by ve-nues located on opposite sides of the planet. This study aims to be a useful guide for EDM’s digital strategists but also for those outside of it. It aims to be a still photograph of the clubs’ current social audience. In the world of today, this indicator is as crucial to assess the health of a business as the number of visitors or the annual turnover.


EXCLUSIVE TOP 100 VENUE RANKING BY IMPACT ON SOCIAL MEDIA What clubs have more Facebook fans and Twitter followers? In this study we have measured the clubs’s social audience for the first time and we are proud to present you the results. Don’t miss out on the complete rankings!

Pages 4 to 12

GUIDE TO BEST PRACTICES: 57 TIPS TO BOOST YOUR DIGITAL STRATEGY We have collected all that world’s best clubs best do and now we reveal their most efficent actions step by step

Pages 19 to 32

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IBIZAIBIZAIBIZAIBIZA IN THE VIBRANT MECCA OF ELECTRONIC MUSIC, WHAT CLUBS SET THE TONE ON SOCIAL MEDIA?


100,000 200,000 300,000 400,000 500,000

Sankeys Ibiza Ibiza, 80

Privilege Ibiza, 17

DC10 Ibiza, 14

Ushuaïa Beach Hotel Ibiza, 28

Amnesia Ibiza, 10

Space Ibiza Ibiza, 2

Pacha Ibiza, 3

868,000 120,000 988,000 Total Facebook fans Twitter followers

71,000 831,000 760,000

68,500 825,500 757,000

294,000 74,500 368,500

244,000 26,000 270,000

161,000 36,000 197,000

57,000 14K 71,000

3,141,000

410,000

AREA TOTAL:

3,551,000

(*) Methodological notes: 1. Data collection took place between July 20 and September 10, 2013. 2. Only Facebook fans and Twitter followers of the venues’ official social profiles were compiled. Social profiles related to complementary services, such as magazines or restaurants, were not included. Usual live events with own social media profiles and fan clubs were not included either. Naturally, if they had been taken into account, the overall audience figures would be consequently higher. However, this possibility was ruled out to avoid heterogeneity and thus statistical bias.

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Venue name Location, # DJMag COUNTRY

LEGEND:


HOME TO HISTORIC VENUES AND MAMMOTH NEW VENTURES. WHICH ONES RECEIVE MORE ATTENTION ON THE INTERNET?

MEDITERRANEAN MEDITERRANEAN MEDITERRANEAN MEDITERRANEAN & MIDDLE & MIDDLE & MIDDLE & MIDDLE EASTEASTEASTEAST

100,000 200,000 300,000 400,000 500,000

Duel:Beat Napoli, 29

Skybar Beirut, 93

Castle Club Ayia Napa, 44

Guendalina Lecce, 54

Venue Athens, 30

Tenax Firenze, 43

Row 14 Barcelona, 24

Space Sharm Sharm el-Sheikh, 41

Il Muretto Venezia, 75

Paradise Club Mykonos, 33

Cavo Paradiso Mykonos, 13

Fabrik Madrid, 9

Guaba Beach Bar Limassol, 15

BCM Mallorca, 6

Papaya Peg, 25

Pacha Sharm Sharm el-Sheikh, 21

Cocorico Rimini, 27

Facebook fans

287,000 10K 297,000 Total

238,000 240,000

160,000 19,000 179,000

129,000 12K 141,000

129,000 10K 139,000

81,000 45,000 126,000

119,000 121,000

106,000 107,000

81,000 82,500

62,000 7K 69,000

55,000 8K 63,000

59,000 59,000

43,000 44,000

35,000 36,000

29,000 31,500

27,000 27,500

23,000 23,000

1,663,000

121,500

AREA TOTAL:

1,784,500

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LEGEND:


UNITED UNITED UNITED UNITED KINGDOMKINGDOMKINGDOMKINGDOM THE MOST REPRESENTED COUNTRY IN THE RANKING. HOW MANY FOLLOW BRIT CLUBS ON FACEBOOK & TWITTER?

100,000 200,000 300,000 400,000 500,000

Ministry Of Sound London, 7

Fabric London, 4

The Warehouse Project Manchester, 19

Cable London, 61

The Arches Glasgow, 90

Digital Newcastle Newcastle, 56

Sub Club Glasgow, 42

Motion Bristol, 31

Stealth Nottingham, 66

Corsica Studios London, 92

The Rainbow Birmingham, 99

Plan B London, 96

Mint Club Leeds, 98

The Warehouse Leeds, 71

Digital Brighton Brighton, 94

The Garage Leeds, 74

Facebook fans

265,000

Twitter followers

322,000 587,000 Total

185,000 80,000 265,000

112,000 71,000 183,000

47,000 14K 61,000

41,000 14K 55,000

40,00 45,000

24,000 8K 32,000

21,000 24,000

15K 21,000

15K 20,500

14K 18,000

7K 10K 17,000

12K 12,500

11K 12,500

7,500

5,000

821,000

545,000

AREA TOTAL:

1,366,000

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LEGEND:


AMSTERDAM AND BERLIN ARE MUST-GO DESTINATIONS ON THE WORLD MAP OF DANCE. WHAT CLUBS STAND OUT HERE?

CONTINENTAL EUROPECONTINENTAL EUROPECONTINENTAL EUROPECONTINENTAL EUROPE

100,000 200,000 300,000 400,000 500,000

Cacao Beach Sunny Beach, 87

Roxy Prague, 52

Berghain/Panorama Bar Berlin, 18

Tresor Berlin, 85

Watergate Berlin, 63

Melkweg Amsterdam, 97

Yalta Sofia, 20

Trouw Amsterdam, 35

Bootshaus Cologne, 48

Robert Johnson Offenbach, 65

Fuse Brussels, 72

Studio 80 Amsterdam, 37

Air Amsterdam, 53

Club Midi Cluj-Napoca, 51

Rex Club Paris, 78

La Rocca Lier, 73

Café D’Anvers Antwerp, 91

Matrixx Nijmegen, 84

Tabarin Brno, 100

Arma 17 Moscow, 88

168,000 16K

Facebook fans

184,000 Total

181,000 182,000

100,000 10K 110,000

76,000 78,500

46,000 21,000 67,000

64,000 64,500

44,000 11K 55,000

44,000 44,500

42,000 42,000

40,00 41,000

36,000 36,500

29,000 34,000

32,000 33,000

25,000 8K 33,000

29,000 31,000

27,000 27,400

25,000 26,000

13K 6K 19,000

14K 14,000

13K 13,000

1,048,000

87,400

AREA TOTAL:

1,135,400

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LEGEND:


AMERICA HAS FINALLY EMBRACED DANCE MUSIC. ITS CLUBS ARE ON FIRE

USA & USA & USA & USA & CANADACANADACANADACANADA

100,000 200,000 300,000 400,000 500,000

357,000 Total Facebook fans

271,000

Twitter followers

86,000

135,000 85,000 220,000

129,000 82,000 211,000

115,000 83,000 198,000

108,000

21,000

129,000

91,000 38,000 129,000

69,000 57,000 126,000

84,000 105,000

12K 78,000 90,000

34,000 55,000 89,000

21,000

48,000 21,500 69,500

44,000 14K 58,000

40,00 15K 55,000

30,000 8K 38,000

26,000 9K 35,000

14K 16K 30,000

24,000 28,500

23,000 27,500

20,000 24,000

21,000 23,500

12K 9K 21,000

15K 18,500

8,500

Pacha NYC New York, 26

Marquee Dayclub & Nightclub Las Vegas, 11

Tao Beach Club/Nightclub Las Vegas, 58

XS Las Vegas, 45

Club Space Miami, 46

Mansion Miami, 47

LIV Miami, 70

Avalon Los Angeles, 49

Cielo New York, 79

Surrender/Encore Beach Las Vegas, 34

The Exchange Los Angeles, 60

Beta Nightclub Denver, 81

The Mid Chicago, 40

Set Miami, 83

Foundation Seattle Seattle, 55

Electric Pickle Miami, 59

Spybar Chicago, 82

Echostage Washington, 38

Guvernment Toronto, 22

Stereo Montreal, 86

Circus Afterhours Montreal, 69

Footwork Toronto, 36

Beta Waterloo, 62

Asylum Afterhours Honolulu, 77

3,000

1,461,500

634,000

AREA TOTAL:

2,098,500

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LEGEND:


ALL EYES IN ELECTRONIC MUSIC ARE SET ON BRAZIL.

HOW MANY PEOPLE ENGAGE WITH THE LOCAL VENUES?

LATINLATINLATINLATIN AMERICAAMERICAAMERICAAMERICA

100,000 200,000 300,000 400,000 500,000

Green Valley Camboriu, 1

Miroir Rio de Janeiro, 50

Warung Beach Club Camboriu, 16

D-Edge Sao Paulo, 32

Sirena Maresias, 8

Club Vertigo San Jose, 67

Anzu Club Sao Paulo, 23

Space B, Camboriu Balneario Camboriu, 95

La Huaka Lima, 76

190,000 28,000

Facebook fans

218,000 Total

179,000 180,000

108,000 14K 122,000

93,000 14K 107,000

81,000 6K 87,000

61,000 12K 73,000

61,000 61,500

47,000 47,500

11K 11,000

831,000

76,000

AREA TOTAL:

907,000

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LEGEND:


THE EXOTIC ORIENT IS A FAST-RISING MARKET.

IN THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WORLD, THEY ALSO LIKE TO FEEL THE BEAT

ASIA & ASIA & ASIA & ASIA & PACIFICPACIFICPACIFICPACIFIC

100,000 200,000 300,000 400,000 500,000

Republiq Manila, 89

Zouk Singapore, 5

Ageha Tokyo, 68

Octagon Seoul, 12

Ellui Seoul, 39

Womb Tokyo, 64

97,000 26,500

Facebook fans

123,500 Total

83,000 26,500 109,000

25,000 18,000 43,000

16K 13K 29,000

12K 13,500

12K 13,500

245,000

86,500

AREA TOTAL:

331,500

GLOBAL GLOBAL GLOBAL GLOBAL OVERALLOVERALLOVERALLOVERALL

8,965,000

1,958,400

TOTAL SOCIAL AUDIENCE:

10,923,400

10

AND IT ALL ADDS UP TO...


LEGEND:


1,000,000 2,000,000 3,000,000 4,000,000

YouTube views

YOUTUBEYOUTUBEYOUTUBEYOUTUBE WHO’S IN THE LEAD BY NUMBER OF VIDEOS VIEWED?

Amnesia Ibiza, 10 3,900,000

Watergate Berlin, 63 3,200,000

Row 14 Barcelona, 24 3,100,000

XS Las Vegas, 45

2,500,000

LIV Miami, 70 1,900,000

Pacha Ibiza, 3 1,700,000

Surrender/Encore Beach Las Vegas, 34

1,600,000

Matrixx Nijmegen, 84 1,600,000

1,600,000 Guaba Beach Bar Limassol, 15


1,500,000


1,400,000

Marquee Dayclub & Nightclub Las Vegas, 11 1,100,000

Papaya Peg, 25 875,000

850,000

775,000

Mansion Miami, 47


Stealth Nottingham, 66 725,000

Fabrik Madrid, 9 675,000


650,000

Privilege Ibiza, 17

550,000

Sirena Maresias, 8 525,000

Space Sharm Sharm el-Sheikh, 41

475,000

Ageha Tokyo, 68 450,000

Tao Beach Club/Nightclub Las Vegas, 58

425,000

Fabric London, 4

400,000

Green Valley Camboriu, 1

400,000

(*) Methodological note: An additional 46 clubs not displayed in the graphic have YouTube channels.

TOTAL VIEWS:

38,284,000 Including the views on 46 channels

not displayed in this graphic


LEGEND:

11


25,000 50,000 75,000

ON THE NETWORK OF SOUND, WHAT VENUE STAYS AHEAD BY FOLLOWERS?

SOUNDCLOUDSOUNDCLOUDSOUNDCLOUDSOUNDCLOUD

(*) Methodological notes: 1. The grid of this graphic has been expanded to facilitate data exposure. It is not proportionate to that depicting Facebook fans and Twitter followers earlier in this study. 2. An additional 28 clubs not displayed in the graphic have SoundCloud accounts.


SoundCloud followers

76,000

Fabric London, 4

Berghain/Panorama Bar Berlin, 18

48,000

13,200

Amnesia Ibiza, 10

Studio 80 Amsterdam, 37


Trouw Amsterdam, 35

The Warehouse Project Manchester, 19

Arma 17 Moscow, 88

Pacha Ibiza, 3

Robert Johnson Offenbach, 65

Cable London, 61

Watergate Berlin, 63


Fuse Brussels, 72

Sankeys Ibiza Ibiza, 80


Sub Club Glasgow, 42

D-Edge Sao Paulo, 32

Fabrik Madrid, 9

Papaya Peg, 25

Matrixx Nijmegen, 84

8,500

10,500

9,300

8,500

8,500

7,700

7,200

5,700

5,500

5,200

3,000

3,000

2,500

2,500

2,200

2,200

1,500

1,200

1,000

TOTAL FOLLOWERS:

240,000 Including the followers of 28 clubs

not displayed in this graphic

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LEGEND:

The temples of electronic music can brag about having a massive fanbase, but their numbers are pretty modest compared to those of the stars of the musical genre, the DJs. Even some outdoor festivals, which are held only once a year, boast larger audiences than those of the clubs’. Venues will never be able to match the artists’ popularity. They are the industry’s human face and creative geniuses. However, it’s obvious that nightclubs could still grow if they pick a right strategy that fullfils their potential.

CONCLUSIONSCONCLUSIONSCONCLUSIONSCONCLUSIONS

THE IMPACT OF CLUBS ON SOCIAL MEDIA IS IMPORTANT YET LIMITED

As EDM continues to conquer new markets and seduce new audiences, the clubs’ virtual fanbase will grow. However, a specific digital strategy is necessary. It takes creativity and determination to maximize this growth in a context of fierce competi-tion. The online world has its own rules, rhythms and procedures. Implementing your analogue strategy on the digital sphere is useless and might even be counter-producing.

A SOLID DIGITAL STRATEGY IS NECESSARY TO GAIN FANS AND INFLUENCE

For decades, EDM has been a genre for minorities and was limi-ted to the night’s world. Now it has become a cultural phenome-non with global reach. That mo-mentum is reflected in the evolu-tion of clubs’ social audience. Some venues in Ibiza, the Medi-terranean and Brazil are registe-ring astounding growth rates in their volume of digital fans. In August, the high season’s top month, some clubs have grown over 20% on Facebook.

ELECTRONIC MUSIC IS IN A MOMENT OF SPECTACULAR RISE

A

B

C

Many clubs experience their highest levels of digital activity just when world-renowned DJs visit them for a gig. What does this tell us? For the audience, the artist is the essence of the electronic music experience, way above the location. Clubs must cooperate with DJs to benefit from the higher attention these get. How? By creating joint content (aftermovies, inter-views on Twitter...) and encouraging mutual visibility on social networks (retweets, shares...).

CLUBS NEED TO COOPERATE ONLINE WITH DJs IN ORDER TO GROW

D


Ushuaïa Amnesia Space

Cocorico Miroir

Privilege

54,000

38,000

16,000

11,000

8,500

7,000

New Facebook fans From 1st to 31st August, 2013

868.00

0 Pacha

757,00

0

TOP CLUBS By number of FB fans

1,1 M

TOP FESTIVALS By number of FB fans

616,00

0

534,00

0

461,0

00

David Guetta — 45 M

TOP DJs By number of FB fans

Tiësto — 15 M

Skrillex — 13 M

Deadm

au5 — 7.7 M

868,00

0 Sp

ace

Amnesia

Ushuaïa - 294

,000

Ultra Music

Electric Daisy Carnival

Electric Zoo

Tomorrowland

AND AFTER THE NUMBERS, WHAT NOW?

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A quick glance at the map makes clear that the global epicenter of electronic music is in Ibiza and the rest of the Mediterranean. Across the Atlantic, Brazil, Miami and Las Vegas contest to be acknowledged as the main hub of the genre in the Americas. The clubs located in the gambling city –Marquee, Surrender/Encore Beach, XS, Tao Beach Club– are deploying very aggresive expansion strategies on social media and its amount of fans and followers is growing steadily.

CONCLUSIONSCONCLUSIONSCONCLUSIONSCONCLUSIONS WHAT TRENDS CAN BE DEDUCED FROM THE ANALYSIS OF DATA?

FROM IBIZA TO LAS VEGAS… STRIVING TO BE THE WORLD CAPITAL OF THE GENRE

F

Having nearly a million fans and followers is a prime business po-sition but it’s also a huge creative challenge. The Top 7 Ibiza clubs bring together some 32% of audience share on Facebook and Twitter. This is a massive global audience that demands high-quality and culturally adapted contents. They want to feel cared for and valued. Addressing this global demand as they channel it into venues that operate locally is the brain teasing task that clubs must carry out.

ACT LOCAL, BUT ADDRESS A GLOBAL AUDIENCE

E

32% The leading 7 Ibiza clubs own 32% of the

Top 100’s Facebook fans and Twitter followers

A large majority of the clubs from DJMag’s Top 100 seem to understand that their audience is local, but also global. Three out of four venues not located in English-

speaking countries have their websites translated into English. The typical clubber is a keen traveller. He likes to go out at night when visiting Amsterdam or Berlin.

Before picking a place, he needs to check the info in a familiar language.

SPEAKING TO A GLOBAL AUDIENCE MEANS…SPEAKING IN ENGLISH

G

76% 76% of Top 100 clubs not located in English-speaking countries have their websites

translated into English


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94% 94% of world’s Top 100 clubs have a Twitter

account

CONCLUSIONSCONCLUSIONSCONCLUSIONSCONCLUSIONS WHAT’S ’IN’ ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND WHAT ISN’T?

94% of analysed clubs have an official Twitter account. However, its numbers can’t compare to those of Facebook. The gap is 4-1 in favor of the latter. Moreover, a deeper analysis reveals that only 75% take Twitter seriously. Except at the largest venues, the degree of penetration of this social network in Europe’s clubs is still pretty modest.

TWITTER, THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BEING AND DOING K

Nearly a third of the Top 100 clubs feature a mobile app, usually for Apple and Android devices. The percentage will increase in the coming years. Having an app is a prestige fac-tor. It presents you as a leading brand in technology. However, apps cannot be mere replicas of your website. They must offer a real usefulness: exclusive content, location-based services, advanced social skills, shopping advantages...

APPS SPOTLIGHT YOUR VENUE, BUT OFFER ADDED VALUE

27% 27% of

Top 100 clubs feature a mobile app

This fact is as negative as it is surprising. The world’s top clubs are distinguished by using the latest digital technologies. However, three out of four don’t have their websites adap-ted either through responsive design or other adaptation pro-cedure to fit the smartphones and tablets screens. Nearly 20% of Internet traffic is already mo-bile. It’s easy to see that among clubbers, tech-savvy fellas, this percentage is even higher.

MOBILE TRAFFIC JUST CANNOT BE MISSED OUT

24% Only 24% of the

top clubs in the world have their website adapted to mobile

devices

100% of the clubs manage a Facebook page. Even more, their digital strategies are usually designed specifically for it. There’s not much left to say. Chapeau, Monsieur Zuckerberg! There is a nice story about Leeds’ The Garage club, in the UK. It’s a brand-new venue that has founded its early reputation on cool music and word of mouth. But they don't have a website. However, the venue does have a Facebook page!

FACEBOOK IS THE UNDISPUTED KING OF SOCIAL MEDIA

I H J

100% All of the clubs in the world’s Top 100 have a

Facebook page


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CONCLUSIONSCONCLUSIONSCONCLUSIONSCONCLUSIONS FIGURES SPEAK. WHAT DO THEY TELL US?

51% Just over half of the analysed clubs have a SoundCloud profile

This social platform based on sharing audio clips is an essential meeting point of the EDM community. Half of the clubs are present in it, although in many cases only experimentally. Being a young European platform (created in Sweden in 2007 and settled in Berlin), its audience comes mostly from Europe. It is a technological marvel. If you haven’t heard about it or Mixcloud, a similar service, don’t worry. You will in the future.

SOUNDCLOUD, A PLATFORM YOU’LL BE HEARING ABOUT IN THE FUTURE

L

73% 73% of major dance clubs have a YouTube channel. An additional

5% is on Vimeo

Nearly 75% of venues have a channel on YouTube. Another 5% have chosen to upload their videos on Vimeo instead. Club owners know that video is currently the unrivalled star of digital content. No other item performs likewise in terms of visits, likes, retweets… And footage stays forever in the brain. Besides, the ongoing development of bandwidth in Western countries is leading to massive consumption of multimedia stuff on mobile devices. The sky is the limit.

VIDEO IS THE MOST WATCHED, SHARED AND REMEMBERED CONTENT

M

The size of communities gathered around American nightclubs on Twitter are truly remarkable. Among the Top 20 establishments owning the most followers on this social network, 7 are American. Let’s not forget that Twitter is still a relatively recent arrival in Europe, while in the United States it’s been savagely popular for years now, especially among youngsters.

ALMOST ONLY AMERICAN CLUBS MAKE THE MOST OUT OF TWITTER

N

Although this study analyses the attention that clubs receive, measured by its number of fans, let’s not for-get that numbers may be misleading. It’s better to have a small but active user community, than a massi-ve and disinterested one. Your most loyal followers are the ones who will recommend your venue. That’s one of the advantages offered by specialized social networks such as SoundCloud, Mixcloud or even YouTube. Around them gather your most demanding, but also the most expert and influencing audience. They will make you big.

IT’S NOT ABOUT HAVING MANY FANS BUT ABOUT HAVING GOOD FANS

O


16

CONCLUSIONSCONCLUSIONSCONCLUSIONSCONCLUSIONS WHAT ELSE CAN WE LEARN?

YouTube registers some strikingly poor suscribing numbers. How is that possible if video is the most demanded item on the web? The reason might be that most Internet users use it simply as a video repository. They access them through links on Fa-cebook, Twitter or the web, but do not subscribe to channels. Is this is a good or a bad thing? It de-pends. Could be an advantage. Users who do subscribe are normally very loyal. So the venue knows they don’t have many suscribers, but also knows where to find them when they’re necessary.

MANY VIEWS, VERY FEW SUSCRIBERS. HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE?

P

The world of electronic music is located at the fore-front of lots of comsumption trends. Its typical purchaser, the clubber, is an expert in technology and an advanced user of the Internet and social media. He has a pretty good purchasing power, is a usual traveller and spends big sums in leisure. He’s an active and demanding consumer. He recognizes and rewards talent and creativity. You can’t make him happy with just anything, in both the online or offline world.

THE CLUBBER, A DEMANDING TARGET AUDIENCE WITH MONEY TO SPEND AND TREND-SAVVY

S

The most successful clubs in the world are those who understand they are not mere nightlife spots. They’re leading players, along with DJs, festivals, record labels and users, in a booming music scene. The audience expects from them much more than discounts and free shots. They expect them to be opinion leaders, to recommend what music to listen, what movies to watch, what clothes to wear, what cities to visit. How? With a useful website, an interesting blog, magazine, active social networks...

THEY’RE NOT JUST CLUBS, THEY’RE TREND SETTERS

R

The most successful type of video in the world of electronic music is the aftermovie. It’s a visual compilation of a live event’s highlights with some spectacular editing and an awesome soundtrack. There isn’t a more powerful picture than people dancing and letting go of everything. It captures the essence of electronic music, the live event’s emotion, and turns it into a repeatable, durable, transportable product.

AFTERMOVIES: TURNING AN EVANESCENT EVENT INTO A LONG-LASTING ONE

Q


Videos viewed

Number of suscribers

1. Amnesia 3.9 millions

12,000

2. Watergate 3.2 millions

5,800

3. Row 14 3.1 millions

5,700

4. XS 2.5 millions

3,400

5. LIV 1.9 millions

3,000

6. Pacha 1.7 millions

6,700

17

CONCLUSIONSCONCLUSIONSCONCLUSIONSCONCLUSIONS ...AND THIS SECTION IS OVER. KEEP READING!

For clubs and other music, fashion and entertainment brands, digital communities formed around clubs are a powerful market analysis tool. They constitute an active audience eager to express what they like and what they don’t, what they’re willing to buy and what they’re not. Social media are not about spreading advertising messages out loud. Above all, they’re some high valuable channels to practice active listening.

ONLINE CLUBBING COMMUNITIES , A GOLDEN SOURCE OF INFORMATION

V

The best digital strategy is one that gets to transfer the essence of the offline experience to the online world, and at the same time one that makes the online experience relevant in the offline world. The heart of electronic music is the live event. You must capture the emotion and deliver it through videos, images, possibilities of meeting people... In the opposite direction, you should make sure that your most loyal digital fans feel cared for when they visit your venue. Treat him/her!

REPRODUCE THE OFFLINE EXPERIENCE AND MAKE THE ONLINE EXPERIENCE RELEVANT

T

Such is the user experience of millions of club fans, especially in holiday des-tinations like Ibiza, Miami and Las Vegas. They visit the venue just once or twice in summer, but the rest of the year they expect to obtain information, entertainment and inspiration. To keep up the virtual relation, they should be receiving much more than ticket sales and party posters. Keeping them interested throughout the year demands all your creativity and interaction.

ONE DAY OF PHYSICAL PRESENCE PER YEAR… AND 364 OF DIGITAL RELATION

U

The digital revolution we’re living has forced more mature sectors of the musical and cultural industry –theater, publishing, museums, opera– to seriously consider how to be and to behave on social media to reach new audiences. The problem is they don’t always hit the target. For many years, the dance scene has acquired a deep experience in addressing a young and tech-savvy audience. Observing what clubs and other players of the EDM industry do in this field could be very valuable to them.

MATURER GENRES OF MUSIC AND ARTS HAVE MUCH TO LEARN FROM EDM

W

????


18

Many times, corporate publications err on the side

of autism. They tend to talk just about themselves. It’s easy to cross the line and end up making pure and simple advertising. Instead of that, Amsterdam’s Trouw features an attractive blog with interesting articles on entertainment, leisure, gastronomy... In addition to drive traffic, an appealing publication reinforces the brand’s image and the club’s leadership.

Trouw

BEST PRACTICESBEST PRACTICESBEST PRACTICESBEST PRACTICES TO BEGIN: HOW TO INFORM AND ENTERTAIN YOUR AUDIENCE

01

CREATE AN ONLINE LEISURE AND TRENDS MAGAZINE ON YOUR BLOG

Since 2003, the Pacha Magazine is a legend in Ibiza.

Everyone with something to offer on the island wants to be mentioned in it. The club distributes thousands of paper copies, but you can also read it on the Issuu platform and on the official app. Another option would be Scribd or direct download in PDF format. Never mind, the key is to make it available! Other clubs also deliver magazines online, like Warung and Guaba Beach Bar.

Pacha Ibiza

Guaba Beach Bar

02

PUBLISH A PRINTED MAGAZINE BUT MAKE IT AVAILABLE ONLINE Your fans expect you to tell

them stuff. An outdated blog or news section conveys a poor image. Instead, Fabric London, posts two or three new articles on their blog every day. No doubt, Google will reward them with a better search position. Only one aspect to improve: allow comments on the blog, so that communication with fans can be bidirectional.

Fabric London

03

UPDATE YOUR BLOG OR NEWS SECTION FREQUENTLY

Ministry of Sound is a legen-dary London venue, but it’s

also a record label. We know that, when it comes to receiving news-letters, we are very rigid. If we feel invaded, we immediately label them as spam. So this English club offers the option to customize the newsletter with club news or label news or both. This way we get just what we want.

Ministry of Sound

05

ALLOW TO CUSTOMIZE YOUR STUFF, SPECIALLY WHEN IT’S MAIL-BASED

Warung

This is one of the most sophisticated and less

commented features on Facebook. Reflecting your upcoming party schedule on it will help users know what’s on. It also gives the club the option to send personal invitations along with link to online ticket purchase as a call to action. The venue can choose which users will receive the invitation, segmenting them by age, gender, location...

Bootshaus

The Warehouse

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04

KEEP YOUR EVENTS SECTION ON FACEBOOK UPDATED AT ALL TIMES

Footwork SEEN AT...

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19

No format attracts as much attention as video. It is the

quintessential viral format. But you shouldn’t just produce lousy-quality videos. Clubbers expect their favourite brands to deliver a professional product, with exclusi-ve content, spectacular editing and music that brings them back to the dance floor. Quality is paid with money. Interviewing a resident DJs, a safe bet to obtain traffic.

06

CREATE A PROFESSIONAL VIDEO CHANNEL ON YOUR WEBSITE AND YOUTUBE

Sometimes, simple ideas are the most effective. As a

promotion of their upcoming events, some clubs record short videos of the featured DJ speaking directly to the camera and encoura-ging viewers to go to the club that day. Fans worship DJs. They’ll love to be looked in the eyes.

Digital Newcastle

Zouk Singapore

07

GET YOUR STAR DJs TO GET IN TOUCH WITH YOUR AUDIENCE

No one comes to electronic music with a desire to split

the atom. This is not quantum physics, it’s all about fun and party. Some clubs, including Echostage in Washington or LIV in Miami, use humor very smartly to promote their parties. Create funny vignettes, graphic jokes, memes or sexy videos and spread them all over Facebook and Twitter. Can you figure out how many retweets you’ll get?

Echostage

LIV

08

DON’T TAKE YOURSELF TOO SERIOUSLY; USE HUMOUR TO PROMOTE YOUR CLUB

A club’s fan wants more than the official speech. They

know your slogans better than you do. The Internet is a startling channel to provide the user a glimpse on what’s going on behind the scenes. In their PR Diaries web section, Sankeys Ibiza features a gallery with pictures of the promo-tional go-go parades that take pla-ce every day on Ibiza beaches. A kind of the making of... Amusing!

Sankeys Ibiza

09

SHOW YOUR BUSINESS’ BACKSTAGE TO YOUR AUDIENCE The London club Cable, ran-

ked 61 in DJMag’s Top 100, was forced to close in May 2013 when the landlord, Network Rail, claimed the place all of a sudden. It was a sad, unfair end to a presti-gious brand. The club recorded everything (the eviction, the police breaking into the venue...) and showed it on a thriving YouTube video. The clip has summed up over 65,000 views so far and keeps the spirit of the club alive. Don’t miss it!

Cable

10

TELL IT ALL, EVEN THE DAY YOUR CLUB IS FORCED TO CLOSE FOREVER

An aftermovie is a video compilation of a party’s

highlights. Fans love it. To those who were there live, it allows them to relive the excitement. Those who didn’t, get a glimpse of how great it was. Clubs often announce the release date to create buzz on social media: Only two days left for the most anticipated video ever...

Amnesia

Row 14

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11

CREATE EXPECTATION BEFORE THE RELEASE OF AN AFTERMOVIE

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SEEN AT... Amnesia

Ushuaïa

Marquee

BEST PRACTICESBEST PRACTICESBEST PRACTICESBEST PRACTICES LET’S CONTINUE: HOW TO CREATE ATTRACTIVE CONTENT THAT ROCKETS ON THE INTERNET


20

Millions of users are on Facebook and Twitter, but

many others prefer less traveled paths, like Pinterest, Google+, Fousquare, SoundCloud, Mixcloud, Flickr or Instagram. Some clubs are present on all platforms. They obviously occupy every imaginable niche and convey a hyper-social image, but it is unlikely they own the resources to deploy tailor-made strategies.

12

BE MULTI-PLATFORM, BUT DEPLOY SPECIFIC STRATEGIES ON EACH SITE

The official website must clearly reflect the social

networks in which the club is active and also should encourage users to access them. In order to permanently display these links while the user browses the site from page to page and scrolls, it’s very useful to have a floating bar featuring your social icons.

13

YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA ICONS, ALWAYS VISIBLE ON YOUR WEBSITE

The Italian club Cocorico, or the Dutch Studio 80, have

decided to place their picture galleries out of their websites. The Photos link in the navigation menu directs to Facebook or Flickr. Although a link to an external website should always be signaled, it’s a great tactic to transfer traffic from a 1.0 to a 2.0 environment that you are attempting to boost.

Cocorico

Studio 80

14

PLACE YOUR MULTIMEDIA RESOURCES ON SPECIALIZED NETWORKS

British club Stealth has taken a striking decision. Instead of

blogging on their official website, they are located on Blogspot. They don’t even have a customized URL. What do you get with that? Indeed, the blog is situated on the blogosphere's main street. Hierarchies are deleted and everything seems much more natural, more relaxed, innit?

Stealth

15

BE AT THE CENTER OF THE BLOGOSPHERE: BLOGSPOT OR WORDPRESS

A club lives off its events. So why not put them in the

foreground? The cover image update is not only informative. It is also visually more dynamic.

16

DESIGN YOUR FACEBOOK COVER PHOTO WITH THE EVENTS OF THE WEEK

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Amnesia

Ushuaïa

Pacha NYC

Surrender/Encore Beach

XS

Trouw

Space Ibiza

Privilege

Sub Club

Corsica Studios

Bootshaus

The Mid

Studio 80

Fuse

BEST PRACTICESBEST PRACTICESBEST PRACTICESBEST PRACTICES HOW TO MANAGE YOUR WEB AND DIGITAL IDENTITY


21

In Ibiza, there are two radio stations offering 24 hours of

electronic rythms: Ibiza Global Radio and Ibiza Sonica. They’re part of the island’s dance scene. Clubs and radios collaborate closely to offer live broadcasts. Through the radio waves and the Internet, can you imagine the potential audience you can reach?

17

COLLABORATE WITH A LOCAL RADIO STATION TO BROADCAST YOUR EVENT Obtaining a radio broadcast

licence is expensive and often involves a bureaucratic nightmare. On the contrary, the Internet is a relatively cheap media at the reach of your hand to air your musical offer. Not only will you coolify your brand reputation, but it will also reinforce your role as a music curator. You can install your radio on an independent URL (www.caboparadiso.com, radio.studio-80.nl) or place it in a pop-up window on your website.

18

LAUNCH YOUR OWN ONLINE RADIO CHANNEL

Streaming your event with a fixed camera on the DJ

booth allows those who haven’t been at the club to enjoy it. It also transforms the experience into a product without boundaries. To output audio streaming, Sankeys Ibiza uses Digitally Imported channel. For video, Cielo and Guaba Beach Bar use Ustream. BCM delivers video streaming on their Facebook page by using Livestream app.

19

OFFER VIDEO OR AUDIO LIVE STREAMING OF YOUR EVENTS

SoundCloud offers plenty of formats to display the audio

clips to share with your audience. You can embed a player gadget on your web (Sankeys Ibiza, Guaba Beach Bar), place it on a pop-up (Surrender/Encore Beach) or even show the available mixes on a Facebook tab (Papaya, Sirena). Row14 uploads complete dance sessions every Thursday afternoon.

20

MAKE SOUNDCLOUD YOUR MEETING POINT WITH YOUR FANS

Many clubs (Cielo, Rex Club) have podcasts sections at

their website. In them, you can find recordings of recent parties, proposals handed by the resident DJ, eccentric proposals catched over there... Just anything! Pacha NYC also facilitates subscription through the most popular services: iTunes, Podnova, Newsgator, Netvibes, Odeo, MyYahoo, PageFlakes and iGoogle.

21

GIVE AWAY MUSIC THROUGH A PODCAST FEED ON YOUR WEBSITE

Much cooler than just sticking the typical party

poster on your Facebook wall, you give away really valuable stuff. Why not hand your fans a podcast with a preview of what your guest DJ usually plays? Fans will be delighted to receive some quality material. If they like the remix, they’ll want to go see it live. If not, they’ll save the admission fee and will appreciate the information.

22

PROMOTE A FUTURE EVENT WITH A PODCAST BY THE FEATURED DJ


SEEN AT...


Cavo Paradiso

Studio 80

The Castle Club

Pacha NYC

Cielo

Rex Club

SEEN AT...

Pacha

Space

Ushuaïa

Amnesia

Privilege

Sankeys Ibiza BCM

Sankeys Ibiza

Cielo

Guaba Beach Bar

Corsica Studios

Plan B

Space Ibiza

Sankeys Ibiza

Guaba Beach Bar


Row14

Papaya

Sirena

BEST PRACTICESBEST PRACTICESBEST PRACTICESBEST PRACTICES HOW TO CREATE AND DISTRIBUTE MUSIC


22

At Ministry of Sound TV, the English club-label’s main

YouTube channel, they invite young talents to submit their mixes. Then the club residents curate them and create playlists where begginers’ demos mix up with clips by established artists. A brilliant formula for combining old and new talent ... And to spot hidden gems!

23

ENCOURAGE YOUNG DJs TO SUBMIT THEIR DEMOS

Pacha NYC has created a space on SoundCloud for

young DJs to submit their mixes. The best ones are included in the club’s podcasts. That way, they become a magnet for new talent, and also reinforce the brand’s musical leadership.

24

AWARD THE BEST TALENTS BY GIVING THEM VISIBILITY

Dutch nightclub Studio 80 announces a DJ training

programme on their website. The club’s residents teach it, which en-hances the prestige of the course. It’s a week-long and costs 125 euros. They make it easy to sign up online and pay by credit card. Being a DJ is as hip as it ever was. The club is probably overwhelmed by the the amount of applications.

25

ORGANIZE A DJ WORKSHOP HELD BY YOUR RESIDENT ARTISTS

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Pacha NYC

Ministry of Sound

Studio 80

BEST PRACTICESBEST PRACTICESBEST PRACTICESBEST PRACTICES HOW TO ATTRACT TALENT TO YOUR BRAND


23

If you run a well-established brand and your site gets a

fair amount of traffic, step up to e-commerce and monetize the attention you get. Selling tickets online may involve a little investment to adapt your customer management software. If you are persuaded that your brand addresses a global audience, offer worldwide item delivery.

26

SET UP AN ONLINE STORE FOR TICKETS, GIFTS AND CDs There are dozens of simple

applications to install a tickets e-commerce tab on Facebook. Eventgenius, Skiddle, Electrotub, Favorous, Paylogic and Wantickets are just some of the many the analysed clubs use.

27

SELL CLUB TICKETS ALSO ON FACEBOOK

Tao Beach Club’s website, in Las Vegas, offers the

opportunity to purchase gift cards from 50 to 500 dollars to spend in the club restaurant, a staggering Asian bistro. The recipient gets a nice digital postcard detailing the generous amount of the gift. It’s a good idea to transform a visiting experience into a tangible product.

Tao Beach Club

28

ALLOW ONLINE GIFT CARD SHOPPING TO BE USED AT YOUR CLUB

In London, Fabric London has created Fabricfirst, a

membership card that, from 5 pounds a month, makes it easier to enter the club, offers access to premium online content and even entitles the member to receive a CD every month. Combining analogue and digital benefits is a sound strategy to engage fans.

Fabric London

31

A MEMBERSHIP CARD WITH ONLINE AND OFFLINE ADVANTAGES

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Space Ibiza

Amnesia,

Berghain/Panorama Bar

Papaya

Cocorico

Space Ibiza

Sankeys Ibiza

The Warehouse Project

The Warehouse

Bootshaus

Marquee

The Mid

Pacha NYC

Air

BEST PRACTICESBEST PRACTICESBEST PRACTICESBEST PRACTICES HOW TO SELL ON THE INTERNET


24

Ibiza offers much more than nightclubs. It’s a natural

paradise. During Summer 2013, Pacha intended to pack Twitter with inspiring photographs of the island. They created the hashtag #myEPICApic, which refers to one of their season parties, Epica. The idea obtained a fantastic reception. The winning photos were displayed on Facebook and authors were awarded tickets, branded gifts and CDs.

29

REWARD THE BEST IBIZA PHOTOS SHARED BY CLUBBERS

DJs are the rock stars of to-day and social networks allow

a higher level of interaction than anytime before in history. Pacha organizes Twitter interviews with some of their star artists, such as Guy Gerber or DJ Sneak. Online dialogues create valuable synergies by connecting the artist’s fanbase with the club’s followers. The in-terview is hosted on the artist’s account, not on that of the venue’s.

30

ALLOW YOUR FANS TO INTERVIEW YOUR STAR DJs ON TWITTER

Madrid-based club Fabrik has a strikingly active Twitter

community. In summer 2013, they encouraged their followers to tweet I wanna go to #1996FABRIK, in reference to the name of one of their events. Users also had to change their profile picture and upload the official party logo instead. The reward: tickets to enjoy the show.

31

MAKE YOUR CLUB A TRENDING TOPIC THROUGH A CONTEST

Californian club The Exchange uses an amusing

Facebook application called wesawit.com. It collects on a single screen diverse user-generated content published on different social sites. The app gathers pictures and videos posted on Instagram, Twitter, Vine, Flickr and YouTube under a given keyword or hashtag.

The Exchange

32

SHOW USER’S CONTENT ON YOUR FACEBOOK PAGE

The social media allows to put millions of anonymous

users on the map. They give us a face and a voice. Very often, that’s the single reward that we the Internet users intimately seek. Facebook apps like Fangager or Booshaka measure user participa-tion (likes, shares, comments) and draws up a ranking to designate the Weekly Top Fans. It’s a cool competition that encourages participation.

33

REWARD YOUR MOST ACTIVE FANS BY GIVING THEM VISIBILITY

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Pacha

BCM

Green Valley

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Pacha

Fabrik Madrid

BEST PRACTICESBEST PRACTICESBEST PRACTICESBEST PRACTICES HOW TO STIMULATE PARTICIPATION AND USER-GENERATED CONTENT


25

In spring 2013, Ministry of Sound had a remarkable

success with a fantastic online-offline campaign. They encouraged fans to submit Twitter and Insta-gram photos and videos taken at the club. They used the hashtag #mosmoments. They amplified the initiative with billboards on Tube stations. Its impact was enormous. Images of users are displayed on the web and the best ones were awarded VIP nights.

34

LAUNCH A CAMPAIGN TO COLLECT PHOTOS TAKEN AT YOUR SITE

Everyone of us go out clubbing with our

smartphone in our pocket. Therefore, we already have the technology. Sometimes all we need is a reminder to share what we see. In Las Vegas, Surrender/Encore Beach has a giant panel with Face-book, Twitter and Instagram’s lo-gos installed next to the DJ booth. A subtle call to action, huh?

35

MAKE YOUR SOCIAL ICONS VISIBLE ON THE DANCE FLOOR

It’s simple, cheap and extremely effective. At Pacha

Ibiza, customers often queue to enjoy one of the venue’s major appeals. Booze? Nope! Getting a photo taken as if they were stars in front of a panel with the logos of the brand. Like celebrities in a Hollywood photo call! In Ushuaïa, stunning go-go dancers allow being photographed with customers. Like posing with Mickey Mouse at Disney World!

36

LET YOUR CLIENTS FEEL LIKE CELEBRITIES DURING A PHOTO CALL

In 2011, Ushuaïa partnered with Facebook to test a new

technology that allows you to post pictures and your location without pressing a key. By using a bracelet equipped with a RFIP chip (Radio Frequency Identification), users automatically access their profile through terminals installed at the venue. This way they can share their clubbing experience with the world right from the dance floor.

37

PILOT EXPERIENCE OF FACEBOOK PRESENCE WITH CHIPPED BRACELETS

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Ministry of Sound


Pacha

Ushuaïa

Ushuaïa

BEST PRACTICESBEST PRACTICESBEST PRACTICESBEST PRACTICES HOW TO ENCOURAGE CUSTOMERS TO SHARE ONLINE THEIR CLUBBING EXPERIENCE


26

Brazilian venue Miroir has a fixed photographic terminal

installed in one of their rooms, named Miroir Magique. It has been developed by Visualface. Customers can get photographed and the pic is automatically loaded on the club’s Facebook page. Upon returning home, customers are encouraged to like the page and then see their photo.

38

INSTALL A FIXED PHOTO TERMINAL THAT PUBLISHES ON FACEBOOK Pacha gives away a download

of an exclusive album to all new newsletter suscribers. At Pacha NYC, gifts might consist of VIP tables, tickets, backstage passes and fancy headphones.

39

GIVE AWAY GIFTS TO NEWSLETTER SUSCRIBERS

XS raffles a trip to Las Vegas among new users who like

the page. Such initiatives are positive for increasing your fanbase's gross size, but it doesn’t guarantee quality users or durability. In Tokyo, Womb offers their new Facebook fans 2FOR1 at their restaurant.

40

RAFFLES AND DISCOUNTS FOR NEW FACEBOOK FANS

Through PunchTab, Pacha NYC draws gifts for

readers who share blog posts on their social profiles. It’s a very visual and easy-to-use application.

Pacha NYC

41

PROVIDE INCENTIVES FOR BLOG SHARING

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Miroir

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Pacha

Pacha NYC

XS

Womb

BEST PRACTICESBEST PRACTICESBEST PRACTICESBEST PRACTICES HOW TO OFFER THEM INCENTIVES TO BECOME FANS OR SHARE CONTENT


27

Let’s stop considering social networks as mere channels

to send messages. Asking good questions and listening is by far more important. On their website and also on Facebook, Brazil’s Sirena asks their community about who they would like to see at the venue. The options are Armin Van Buuren, Steve Aoki, Alesso, Calvin Harris and Boris Brejcha. An initiative both simple and smart!

42

ASK YOUR FANS WHAT DJs THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE AT YOUR VENUE

WhatsApp and Line, its Japanese competitor, are

rocking the quick message app scene. Neither Facebook nor Twitter. Nothing is easier or faster than sending a txt, right? Tokyo’s Womb venue features a channel on Line to answer questions and solve doubts... One-on-one, free, immediate communication.

43

USE WHATSAPP OR LINE AS CUSTOMER SUPPORT CHANNELS Don’t waste money on

newspaper ads. When you need to recruit, just get to your fan community. Post your job offer on Facebook and Twitter. That way you make sure that you’ll be recei-ving enthusiastic candidates who already know and value your brand.

44

SELECT YOUR CREW FROM YOUR FANBASE

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Sirena

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Digital Newcastle

Womb

BEST PRACTICESBEST PRACTICESBEST PRACTICESBEST PRACTICES HOW TO LISTEN TO YOUR AUDIENCE


28

Venues should be aware that they are part of a global

music phenomenon. A clubber is a person that loves to travel and, just as important, has the purchasing power to do so. English is a must for communica-ting worldwide, but the more multi-language you get, the broader an audience you will reach. In Montreal, Stereo club features its website in English, French, German, Spanish and Japanese.

45

MAKE YOURSELF UNDERSTOOD: MULTI-TRANSLATE YOUR WEB

Russia is an emerging destination for the electronic

music industry. Ibiza’s luxury and party offer is really successful over there. Every year, there are more and more Russians on the island, particularly rich guys eager to spend filthy sums of money. Ushuaïa Beach Hotel has identified them as a priority market and features a website in Russian as well as in Spanish and English.

46

IN IBIZA, RUSSIAN IS THE EMERGING LANGUAGE: USE IT!

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Stereo

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Ushuaïa

BEST PRACTICESBEST PRACTICESBEST PRACTICESBEST PRACTICES WE ARE GETTING CLOSER TO THE END… HOW TO ADDRESS A GLOBAL AUDIENCE


29

A venue is as big as its brand’s reputation. Glamour,

fun and style are valuable intangi-ble assets from which to explore sponsorships and partnerships. Ushuaïa has partnered with Mercedes-Benz to launch the Smart ForTwo Ushuaïa. Together they create dazzling digital and analogue synergies. They stream club events on the featured website (www.smartushuaia.com)and the whole campaign ensures tons of buzz and publicity.

47

TEAM UP WITH A LEADING BRAND TO DIVERSIFY ADVERTISING EFFORTS

DJs are the undisputed stars of the electronic scene, way

above the venues. Their opinion is more influential than what reporters or promoters may say. You should display prestigious testimonials on your website, showing what artists think about your club. Brazil’s Green Valley shows the views of Armin van Buuren, Carl Cox, Erick Morillo, Fatboy Slim, Steve Angello...

48

SHOW OFF WHAT THE BEST DJs IN THE WORLD ARE SAYING ABOUT YOUR CLUB

In Cyprus, Guaba Beach Bar features a web gallery

displaying dozens of pictures of fans who have tattooed the club name and logo. That’s what we call eternal love!

Guaba Beach Bar

50

TELL EVERYONE ABOUT THE CRAZY FOLLOWERS YOU HAVE

In the mecca of cinema, The Exchange club has

found a creative formula to promote themselves. They offer online their venue as a film loca-tion. So far, their premises have been used in shows such as The Mentalist and CSI: Miami, in Snoop Dogg music videos and in films like The Social Network.

49

OFFER YOUR NIGHTCLUB AS A MOVIE OR TV SHOW LOCATION

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Ushuaïa

The Exchange

Green Valley

BEST PRACTICESBEST PRACTICESBEST PRACTICESBEST PRACTICES HOW TO PROMOTE YOUR BRAND


30

If you have some spectacular facilities, you have to show

them, baby! And not only with photographs. Virtual tour techno-logy is the most similar thing to a real experience that the Internet can offer. Use it!

51

VIRTUAL TOUR OF THE CLUB ON YOUR WEBSITE

Theaters and sporting venues have used this technology for

years. Now it’s coming to the world of nightclubs. VIP clients like to choose and are willing to pay for a good location: close to the dance floor, in front of the DJ booth... An interactive plan makes this operation quick and easy.

52

VIP TABLE SELECTION USING AN INTERACTIVE MAP

Foundation Seattle offers the oportunity to sign up online

for the guest list, both individually and in groups. The venue uses a software called Venue Driver, a complete access management dashboard that enables to make the most of the available space.

53

ONLINE SIGN UP FOR THE GUEST LIST

In the field of high technolo-gy, Ushuaïa seems to be

determined to always stay ahead. The venue offers PayTouch, a fingerprint payment technology developed in Spain. Access is granted by a biometric reader where the consumer places two fingers. The entire identification and payment process takes just 5 seconds, and is 100% secure.

Ushuaïa

54

PAYMENT BY SECURE FINGERPRINT IDENTIFICATION

You’re one of Ushuaïa’s resi-dent DJs and you have a pro-

mising career before you. If you give your all at the booth, the crowd will go crazy and you’ll get promoted until you get to the main stage. This is the topic of the videogame released in Summer 2013. It is available on Facebook, Android and Apple. It offers real prizes for the best contestants.

55

A VIDEOGAME THAT TURNS YOU INTO THE HOTTEST IBIZA DJ


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Ushuaïa

SEEN AT... Foundation Seattle

Privilege

Rex Club

Marquee

Surrender/Encore Beach Surrender/Encore Beach

XS

BEST PRACTICESBEST PRACTICESBEST PRACTICESBEST PRACTICES WE ARE ABOUT TO FINISH... HOW TO USE TECHNOLOGY TO IMPROVE THE USER EXPERIENCE


31

It’s not just about making money. We should also leave

a positive mark on your way through the world. The Brazilian club Sirena promotes a charitable campaign on their website: you can get two free tickets if you donate one kilogram of food in favour of those living in poverty. Music at the service of a good cause!

56

GIVE AWAY TICKETS IN EXCHANGE OF CHARITABLE DONATIONS

Most people associate electronic music with wild

party. However, in the heart of Europe, it has common roots with experimental arts and urban cultural expressions. In Amster-dam, Trouw club has started the De Verdieping foundation, whose aim is to promote new forms of artistic expression, photography, film and experimental arts. In the same city, Melkweg club is part of a cultural institution that includes spaces for theater, photography, cinema, exhibitions and media art.

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USE THE BRAND PRESTIGE TO PROMOTE ART AND CULTURE

SEEN AT...

SEEN AT...

Sirena

Trouw

Melkweg

BEST PRACTICESBEST PRACTICESBEST PRACTICESBEST PRACTICES WE'RE DONE! HOW TO COMMIT TO OUR SOCIETY


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???? Is there anything missing? How can we improve?

This study is a work in progress. We have ellaborated this guide to best practices with positive experiences that we have collected both in front of the the screen and on the dance floor. We surely have left many good ideas unmentioned. Do you want to submit yours?

[email protected]


www.woomedia.es DIGITAL COMMUNICATION & PUBLIC RELATIONS

WORLD’S TOP 100 NIGHTCLUBS WORLD’S TOP 100 NIGHTCLUBS WORLD’S TOP 100 NIGHTCLUBS WORLD’S TOP 100 NIGHTCLUBS & SOCIAL MEDIA& SOCIAL MEDIA& SOCIAL MEDIA& SOCIAL MEDIA

Ibiza, 20th September 2013

Study conducted by

Ibai Cereijo Founder & CEO of Woo Media

@ibai_c

Contributors Laura San Martín Garazi Serrano

Layout & infographics Woo Media

Cover image Musical Freedom

Acknowledgements Javier Celaya of dosdoce.com,

for his editorial guidance

This study has been published under a Creative Commons ’Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivative license’; the work may be copied and distributed by any other means provided that its authorship (Dosdoce.com) is credited, it is not used for commercial purposes and is not amended in any way. The full license may be viewed at: http://creativecommons.org/

Woo Media is a Bilbao and Ibiza-based company founded in Spain in 2012. We are dedicated to helping clients who need to spread a message and rely on creativity and experience to obtain success. We feel comfortable in all leisure and entertainment-related sectors. Music, live events and sports are our natural habitat. We like to observe consumer behaviour in order to find the most efficent channels and to shape the right messages to reach him/her. We use public relations (media liason, event planning, lobbying) and new digital media (websites, blogs, social networks). We master technology, but our approach is not technological. We are natural-born communicators. We enjoy talking to people.

C’EST C’EST C’EST C’EST FINIFINIFINIFINI HAVE YOU ENJOYED THIS STUDY? HAVE YOU BEEN ENTERTAINED? HAVE YOUR LEARNT ANYTHING USEFUL? IS THERE ANYTHING YOU DON’T AGREE ON? DO YOU WANT TO DISCUSS IT? DO YOU WANT TO LEARN MORE? CONTACT CONTACT CONTACT CONTACT USUSUSUS!!!!

+34 658 703 711 [email protected] @WOOMEDIA_ES

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