Two years ago, Mashable ran a piece about how Jimmy Fallon celebrated reached 20 million YouTube subscribers (Video). As of today, that number is topping 27 million. Whatever you may think about Fallon’s show, you gotta hand it to him. He’s surrounded himself with people who know how to identify content that resonates with his target audience, and effectively engage with them beyond the screen. Here’s a quick analysis of why he has succeeded.
Jimmy knows his audience and delivers the goods. He hangs out where they hang out. Notice his nightly #Hashtags and ceaseless promotion of his social media presences. He customizes his message for each platform. And he includes the audience in the fun. We regularly see him showing tweets during his show. Just like playing back an oldie phone request on the air, people participate because they hope their brand can share in Jimmy’s fame.
We could talk for ages about this. But whatever it is we consider our own brand to be, leveraging todays tools to promote it is essential. Jimmy Fallon is tuned into the platforms his fans use and engages there. As one of my former colleagues used to say, “You don’t have to throw the party. You just have to be at the party.” If your brand resonates, you’ll find fellow travelers.
Quick Takes:
Remembering Peter Tork, the musician Stephen Stills talked into auditioning for the Monkees. “We were musicians hired to be actors, playing the roles of musicians.” He passed away on February 21, 2019 (Rolling Stone) (CBS News) (Variety) (YouTube) (Facebook) (LA Times)
Not sure why we should care, but you can now Rickroll people in 4K. (The Verge)
‘Bridgerton’ Smashes Netflix Viewership Records To Become The Streamer’s Biggest Series Ever. 82 million households around the world watched at least one episode. (Deadline)
Did the Beatles invent “Sampling?” This tweet explains how the band used spliced sounds to create some of their later tracks. While the Four Lads, were influenced by many “avant-garde” artists, composer John Cage, was splicing tape to create head spinning effects as early as 1953.
Before Botox – 1947Before Botox: “Latest craze in these parts among youngsters is false lips of chewing gum. Once the lips soften and become difficult to wear, the kids chew them for bubble gum.“ (1947) By the time I was a kid, the lips had graduated from gum to wax.
This week in 1964, The New York band called The Echoes recruits a new young unknown piano player, named Billy Joel. By the time he broke out as a solo act, Billy has been “in the business” for nearly a decade. Overnight success takes a like time.
Godspeed: Perry Botkin Jr., the prolific film and TV composer, arranger and producer known for his themes to Happy Days, Mork and Mindy and The Young and the Restless — a tune forever associated with Olympic gymnast Nadia Com?neci — has died. He was 87. (Billboard)
Robert Duval – “Miniature” – The Twilight ZoneOn TV this week in 1963: Twilight Zone’s “Miniature” airs. Robert Duvall plays a man obsessed with a doll-house display in a museum and ends up falling in love with the beautiful woman inside. Written by Charles Beaumont, the episode co-stared Claire Griswold, wife of director Sydney Pollack.
Remember Simon and Garfunkel‘s Concert in Central Park? The long-awaited reunion concert of the renowned pop music duo, more than a decade after their separation as musical performers, aired February 21, 1982 on HBO.
From the Archives: Internet geek Cliff Stoll, who chased down one of the first hackers, wrote this piece in Newsweek in 1995, calling the Internet “a trendy and oversold community.”
Today in History:
1934 “It Happened One Night” directed by Frank Capra and starring Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert opens at NY’s Radio City Music Hall..
1980, “Miracle on Ice“: US ice hockey team beats heavily favored Soviet Union, 4-3 at Lake Placid.
1986, MTV dedicated a full 22 hours broadcast to The Monkees, showing all 45 episodes of the original The Monkees TV series.
1987, Andy Warhol, pop artist and producer died after a gall bladder operation. The founder of the Pop Art movement, produced and managed the Velvet Underground, designed the 1967 Velvet Underground And Nico ‘peeled banana’ album cover and The Rolling Stones Sticky Fingers album cover.
1997 Dolly the Sheep, world’s first cloned mammal (from an adult cell) is announced by the Roslin Institute in Scotland
Happy Birthday to: Don Pardo, 1922 (d. 2014); Edward M “Ted” Kennedy, 1932 (d. 2009); Ernie K-Doe, 1936 (d. 2001); Bobby Hendricks (Drifters), 1938; Oliver (William Oliver Swofford), 1945 (d. 2000); Steve Irwin, 1962 (d. 2006); Pebbles Flintstone, 1963; Drew Barrymore,, 1975
Much More Music:
1967, “Dedicated to the One I Love” enters the WKNR Music Guide. Written by Lowman Pauling and Ralph Bass, the tune was a for the “5” Royales and the Shirelles, before the the Mamas & the Papas released their version. (Video)
1970, “Celebrate” enters the charts from Three Dog Night‘s Suitable for Framing LP. The band’s biggest regret was that they didn’t write most of their own music. Back in the day before the new copyright laws compensated artists for their performances, the only way to get really rich was on royalties from what you wrote. (Video)
1975, Average White Band is at N0.1 today in 1975 with ‘Pick Up The Pieces’. The bands AWB LP also tops the album charts. I admit that my favorite cut is their cover of “Work To Do”. (Video)
Today’s Quote Worth Re-quoting: “Weekends take on a whole different meaning when you are lucky enough to do what you love during the week.” ~WSW
Let’s close with the viral video of the week. How the Top 15 Best Global Brands have shifted between 2000 and 2018. A fascinating story of evolution.
Thanks for listening!
Scott Westerman
Curator: Keener13.com
Host and Producer – Rock and Roll Revisited
Author: Motor City Music – Keener 13 and the Soundtrack of Detroit
