Client: Colin Benders
Services: Marketing strategy & content creation
Year: 2020
Colin Benders: Floaty Things Release
Make my Discord community as proud as I am
Colin Benders, the music virtuoso whom most people know from his days as leader of the hip hop group 'The Kyteman Orchestra', is currently causing a rumble in the world of techno. With his modular synthesizer, he improvises the best live sets on the biggest stages in the Netherlands, including Lowlands.
Until 2020 came along. The b*tch that threw a spanner in the works for everyone. No venues, no live music. Since there is no use for crying over spilled milk, Colin started live streaming sets like many other artists. And that caught on. In a short time, his views were growing rapidly. What he did next was quite distinctive from other artists. He started his own Discord server. A platform that is generally used by gamers to be in contact with each other. For those who don't know what it is: Discord can be explained as a structured WhatsApp for very large groups and is comparable to Slack, a platform that is often used in professional environments.
On his server, some 4,500 fans, enthusiasts and other interested individuals quickly gathered and wanted to get involved with Colin and his music. It all started with a shared passion for music, especially for modular synths. But when someone suggested that it 'doesn't always have to be about music and nerd stuff', channels were soon opened for recipes, pets, sock puppets (remember this one) and other areas of interest. An online living room emerged, with Colin Benders as its host. He facilitated a sense of connection and cosiness in a time where we have to live in isolation.
Floaty Things Release
Naast al die gezelligheid is er natuurlijk nog steeds ruimte voor muziek. Colin blijft streamen en zet het originele audiobestand van iedere jamsessie in de Discord beschikbaar. Hij vraagt zijn community om bruikbare delen uit de sessies te selecteren, te bewerken of remixes te maken. Er ontstaat een nieuwe broedplaats voor muzikanten, die allemaal vanaf hun eigen plek in de wereld meewerken aan de muziek van Colin. Het is inmiddels jaren geleden dat Colin muziek heeft gereleased. Hij was er simpelweg nog niet klaar voor zegt hij zelf. Maar nu, door zoveel warmte van de community, moet hij wel een plaat maken vindt hij. De Floaty Things release is geboren. Drie muziekstukken, geperst op vinyl en alle -op dat moment- 4000 leden moeten er één krijgen. Gratis. GRATIS!? zegt zijn vader en tevens zakelijke steun en toeverlaat. Ja, gratis. Deze plaat is niet alleen van mij, hij is van de hele community zegt Colin stellig.
Floaty Things Campaign
With this information, they came to Maak. There are 4000 records on the way and the community needs to know that we are going to execute this bizarre plan. In addition, there was also the ambition to inform people outside the community or even to inspire them to join.
In close cooperation with the two Benders, Maak set up a communication strategy and in no time produced a herovideo to make this news known to the world. Entirely in the sock puppet style that originated in the community. And we built a webshop to receive the orders.
Giving something to someone else feels good. And it was genuinely Colin's intention to give something back to his community. That is why anyone who wanted could order the record for free. But this gift cost him, in his own words, around 20,000 euros. A ridiculous amount in a time where it is almost impossible for artists to earn an income. That is why we came up with a number of support packages that you could purchase in addition to the free album. This is a token of thanks and a guarantee that Colin will be able to continue making releases in the future.
And this is where it really becomes clear how close-knit the community is. At the moment of launch, the server went down and the numbers skyrocketed. The orders came flooding in, and not only the free versions.
Maak Week
Part of the support packages are handmade sock puppets, the protagonists from the video and long-standing running gag in the community, and a hand-screened book with stories written by community members. For more than a week, all the shipping boxes, bags, sock puppets, books and so on have been lovingly handmade, packed and shipped.