Brewsters Road Crew reinforced a valuable marketing lesson I learnt at the start of this 2008 summer period during my time under “house arrest”.
Summer didn’t quite turn out as I had envisioned it. As a Vincy Mas Virgin, I was looking forward to my “first experience” of Vincy Mas 2008 then I was anxious to return to St. Lucia Carnival 2008 for a second consecutive “first experience” lol…. but it was not meant to be.
Without any warning I was reduced to BirdMan 2.0, just 2 weeks before Vincy Mas final weekend. I officially had Chicken Pox and was confined to my bedroom for 2 weeks!!!!
Those trips to Vincy Mas and St. Lucia Carnival morphed into distant dreams, the shadows of a former reality …. into just another episode of ‘wishful thinking’.
I could really appreciate how those Olympic hopefuls feel, when they manage to injure themselves just before the Olympic Games. Their dreams crushed. Well hmmm, maybe its 1000 times more magnified for them.. Anyways I made the most of my appointment to the BirdMan 2.0 post, once I had that a lifeline to the internet I was happy! Once I could communicate and blog.
BIRDMAN 2.0
(Backstage manager – stop rambling and “showing off” – just get to the blasted point – Corey Graham 2.0 or whatever u call yourself.. )
CG 2.0 - Alrite!!!
During my daily online sweep as Birdman 2.0, I came across a speech delivered by one of my favourite bloggers & marketing gurus, Seth Godin at TED : Ideas Worth Spreading.
(TED is an annual conference brings together the world’s most fascinating thinkers and doers, who are challenged to give the talk of their lives (in 18 minutes)Click here for more info on TED)
Seth Godin’s speech, on making ideas spread really hit me hard, and got me thinking. I posted almost immediately to this blog. And then I saw it play out with Brewsters Road Crew extraordinary success over the Crop Over 2008 season.
Let me share the perspective with you.
It would help alot if you watch the video first,
I strongly recommend that you take the time to watch the video. Its highly recommended by Corey Graham 2.0.
Brewsters Road Crew (www.brewstersroadcrew.com) are known for their hardcore partying during carnival season. This was what fueled their concept for their events. They wanted to create events that hardcore partiers like themselves would enjoy.
The party would not end till 8, 9, 10, 11 am the next day, it was to be wall to wall soca. All soca, and All Party. There was even a cage made to lock up people who did not party hard enough.
Brewsters Road Crew focused on the people on the fringes. They focused on those people who are passionate about carnival, they focused on hardcore party people. They didn’t try to be mass market. They chose a niche market and focused on it. I am sure that those persons enlisted to assist them, were clear on the vision for the events. And it spread…
Their idea spread. It caught on like wild fire, like the ipod or the blackberry. They were able to cross over into many different markets and age groups simply because they had something which was REMARKABLE. They had something worth talking about.
It was definately worth talking about. It was REMARKABLE. I would never forget going to Brewsters Road this year.
- Its packed from 11 pm and the crowd just kept coming.
- At 3 am – 4 am when you usually expect the crowd to lessen, it just thickened. People left other events and went to Brewsters Road after.
- Door closed at 2 am, with tonnes of people still outside, and the venue is big!
- Event organizers had big headaches just trying to get artistes slated to perform through the mob of people outside trying to get in.
- Waiting outside in a line to go in a fete at 2 am is something foreign to Barbados, but for brewsters road, closing the door at 2 am as a standard
Brewsters Road the best thing since sliced bread? Maybe .. spread the idea.
Brewster Road On BoomTribe.com
Video Interview With Brewsters Road Spokespersons
Review of Launch Event
Photogallery – Brewsters Road Paint D town Red
About Corey Graham 2.0
My experience leave home earlier! Getting there late (standard Bajan Party) was an ERROR!
Hi Corey, Excellent entry. I differ with you on one thing though. I think you made the mistake that promoters in Barbados have made for years. Soca is not a fringe music. Soca lovers are not a fringe market. Soca centric events don’t appeal to a marginalised few. I would argue the exact opposite. Soca events are the most demographically inclusive ones you can have in Barbados. Here, certain types of music are associated with certain demographic profiles. If you think of a bajan rock & alternative fan, a bajan dub and bashment fan and a bajan Oldie Goldies fan, you will picture a very different person in each case. Also, if you think of a Harbour Lites patron, a Lava Ground patron and a Shades of Black patron, you will again picture very different faces in each instance. What is the profile of a CALYPSO (of which SOCA is a subset) lover in Barbados? Are they young, old, black, white, rich, poor…? On Kadooment day you will find all of these groups well represented on the road. All have grown up in a culture where Calypso was deeply embedded. You will also find all of these groups well represented at any Brewster’s Road Crew fete. That’s not a coincidence. I believe that it is the music and the love for the music that permeates the fetes and makes everyone feel at home, no matter how varied the crowd. Granted, there is a factor of “newest big thing” that brings people to the fetes but I believe (and hope) that the calypso-laden atmosphere will keep them coming. Keep up the good work on the blog buddy.