Julia Hodges

I never realized how far behind the independent booking industry was. I feel this is such an easy solution that someone would have thought of it sooner. Do you think this market will ever consolidate? The amount of money, and margins, have to be so low that I would imagine most big companies wont waist the time. I would like to see them add a customer option. So I can get updates on my favorite local bands bookings, or what is playing at my favorite venue.

I used to work at a music venue, so this article really resonated with me. A huge issue that we faced constantly was, would the band we booked bring in enough ticket revenue? Would we make enough sales in food and drinks to cover the cost of operating? I love this idea of GigFinesse being able to team up with the artists and the venues, so that those kinds of worries can eventually be eliminated.

I do wonder though the current rise of COVID-19 in the past few days, do you think that we will be moving towards virtual shows? Do you think there is a market out there for people to pay premium to receive small personal shows from artists? Maybe something similar to an OnlyFans, which has exploded in this environment.

Oh man, there’s so much to unpack here! This product could do really well for small (100=capacity and below) spots that want to get local live music or pick up smaller touring acts. But once we get into larger rooms, there is an entire live music ecosystem here that’s pretty functional (at least pre-COVID).

As a former promoter for a bunch of music venues that counts a couple talent buyers as his good friends, this could be very problematic. While there are some bars and restaurants who decide to build stages and start doing concerts, most venues rely on a complex (and admittedly archaic) method of talent buying that works.

For an established venue (even a 150 to 200 capacity spot), there’s usually a talent buyer who works with talent agents to route artists on tour to cities to play. There’s usually some local booking, mainly to fill in the dark months (Feb/March and July/August) or to play support for a touring act, these talent buyers are usually dealing with larger acts on tour with dedicated fan bases. Most talent buyers and promoters are pretty good at not only estimating how many tickets they think an act can sell, but also building relationships with artists and their teams, which shouldn’t be estimated here.

That being said, GigFinesse could do wonders for small rooms without much in the way of promotions staff or established venues looking to connect with more local bands for opening slots and showcases!

Another advantage the China has in this arena is funding. The centralized government in China is able to direct all of its resources at a single point. This allows the government to spur innovation and directly reap the benefits. The U.S. Government, on the other hand, has been pulling out of advanced research for decades. Leaving it up to the academic and private sectors. The academic sector is constrained by funding, and many times teaches Chinses students who take that knowledge back to China. The private sector is more concerned with turning a profit. As Hannah mentioned in her article on Apple (https://digitalmarketing.temple.edu/2020fallmis5001/2020/10/17/this-apple-isnt-so-juicy/) they have fallen well short of their innovative founding. Innovation cost money, minor upgrades do not. There is no one solution to this problem, but I think if the U.S. starts working on it now we can catch back up before it is too late.

When it comes to a centralized authoritarian government, I think it makes it easier for the researchers because they have access to more data and resources. The issue is that how much of their A.I research allows for creative innovation and how much is developed with a specified goal from someone on high? I agree with Sean has to say about the funding, However, I do think that China and the U.S were pretty dependent on each other for the longest time when it came to A.I research. In addition, the U.S. has the largest number of artificial intelligence researches, followed by China. I think that if we want to continue to be a big player in the A.I world, we have to start funding the research.

I think you make some valid points about the state of AI development. Companies like TikTok and ByteDance are proving at how capable China is at implementing their AIs and make it sellable as an asset, something that most other companies have not been able to develop in the same capacity. The consumers on TikTok frequently talk about and encourage the “TikTok Algorithm” that helps select what videos a user would be most interested in. Not only are the consumers themselves an advocate for this machine learning software, but they actively talk and collaborate for it. Most companies use AI in the background to allow for more streamlined operations, but what if companies put their AIs out in front? Make the AI so integral as part of how the company functions that it loses value to consumers without it. Not many US companies can say that.

Great article Julia! I think it will be interesting watching companies pitch their version of “private” and “secure” data. The needs of the company are the same- they will still need data from their customers to be able to track new movements in consumer trends, like demographics and likability, but in the face of huge digital companies, what customers are asking from companies is shifting. Before, a customer just expected a company to provide a service/product to the best of their abilities at the best cost available, but now customers are evaluating what information a company asks for and what they are doing with it. Almost everyone has experienced signing up for something online, just to have ads start pouring in that aren’t relevant and clog our inboxes/phones. Information privacy is quickly becoming a determining factor when researching a company- and it would be wise for companies get ahead of this curve like your article suggested!

I agree with the thought that marketers should see this as a positive, to foster trust with their audience. Most people are unaware of the fact that their information is out there, available to different companies. Once they know that there are laws out there protecting their data – and companies that are complying with these laws, they are more likely to become a customer or continue business with the brand. I for one am happy the CCPA was enacted and I hope other states get on board too. Its surprising to think that this wasn’t enforced sooner.

You bring up a great point with only 5% of people opting out of data tracking. I would have guessed it was much higher than that. In my opinion, 5% would be an acceptable cost for the advantage of offering data control to a company’s customers. Like most laws in the US, they will have to build up steam in the states and then eventually make it to the federal level to get fully implemented. Even though that is a long way off, like you said, the companies that get ahead of it will be in a better position.

I agree with you. I think it would be wise for companies to start thinking ahead and positioning themselves as leaders in data privacy. I feel this is the direction many companies are going in anyway because now people are becoming more aware and more familiar with how their data is being used. If a company is considering amping up their data privacy practices, now is the time to do it and do it right.