(For a complete list of 52nd GRAMMY Award winners, please click here.)
The Recording Academy and TBWA\Chiat\Day Los Angeles unveiled an addition to this year's "We're All Fans" advertising campaign for the 52nd Annual GRAMMY Awards. In addition to the TV commercials, out-of-home and print elements previously unveiled, the www.wereallfans.com Web site — a first-of-its-kind interactive fan experience featuring portraits of GRAMMY-nominated artists composed entirely of real-time, fan-generated YouTube, Twitter, and Flickr postings — also houses the FanBuzz Visualizer. The FanBuzz Visualizer is a data visualization tool that will act as a barometer of fandom on the Web in real time.
"While this year's 'We're All Fans' GRAMMY ad campaign celebrates the power of social media and its unique ability to directly connect fans and artists, the FanBuzz Visualizer furthers that interaction and gives fans a voice to express support for some of their favorite GRAMMY nominees," said Evan Greene, Chief Marketing Officer for The Recording Academy. "With the FanBuzz Visualizer, we have an up-to-the-moment barometer for how the fans feel about some of the artists they love."
Powered by partner Visible Technologies, the FanBuzz Visualizer scours the Internet for conversations, comments and mentions of featured GRAMMY-nominated and -winning artists. The buzz is then tabulated to recognize the artists who have invested the most time connecting with their fans through social networks and further motivating fans to generate online chatter in support of their favorite artists. The FanBuzz Visualizer truly represents the authentic voice of music fans and is sharable as a widget, allowing fans the ability to showcase the current standings on their personal social media pages. The widget may be downloaded at www.wereallfans.com.
"It's not just radio spins, concert ticket sales and digital downloads that determine the popularity of an artist," said Patrick O'Neill, executive creative director at TBWA\Chiat\Day\Los Angeles. "The FanBuzz Visualizer lets music fans know where their favorite artists stand, across social media, in real time."
Music lovers and consumers are increasingly expressing their loyalty to brands online through social media channels. The buzz surrounding celebrity brands, movie releases, and concert tours can offer early indicators of success. As part of the FanBuzz Visualizer, Visible Technologies will be tracking the conversation around GRAMMY nominees such as Beyoncé, the Black Eyed Peas, the Dave Matthews Band, Lady Gaga, and Taylor Swift.
"For the first time, direct interaction between fans and artists can be an integral part of the GRAMMY Awards, showcasing that social media is now a mainstay of the entertainment business," explains Blake Cahill, senior vice president of marketing for Visible Technologies. "The implications of this are huge and connecting with your fan base — whether you're marketing a music performer or a consumer brand — is no longer just about concerts, press tours or even listening on Twitter. More than ever before, it's about engaging directly with your audience to raise visibility and create opportunities for meaningful, direct interaction."
The entire 52nd GRAMMY Awards ad campaign has social media at its heart. The Web site draws on Twitter, YouTube and Flickr fan posts to create images of GRAMMY-nominated artists. The TV, print and out-of-home all draw on this theme, using social media as building blocks to highlight the unique ways fans pay homage to their favorite artists.
The 52nd GRAMMY Awards will take place live on Sunday, Jan. 31 at Staples Center in Los Angeles and will be broadcast in HDTV and 5.1 Surround Sound on the CBS Television Network from 8–11:30 p.m. (ET/PT). The show also will be supported on radio via Westwood One worldwide, and covered online at GRAMMY.com and CBS.com, and on YouTube. Additional performers, presenters and special segments will be announced soon. For GRAMMY coverage, updates and breaking news, please visit The Recording Academy's social networks on Twitter and Facebook.