The marketing strategy

behind the album release

of KATY PERRY ‘PRISM’.

By Priscilla Jane Derricott (K1433536)

Composing and Marketing Popular Music

Alex Evans and Philip Chambon

Katy’s Record

Company • Signed to Major label: Capitol Music

Group – Based in LA.

• A&R = Dan McCarroll

• CEO = Steve Barnett

• The release date of ‘Prism’ was 22nd October 2013 because the album was planned to have darker material than what she did before. This release date suited this because Halloween was coming up by the end of that month to target audiences who are into fun, dark, emo stuff.

• As Matt Diehl said, ‘Our advice was get the album out before Halloween and do a long run into the end of the year. Two Christmases is our ambition.’ (Diehl)

Katy’s Artist Development Manager = Bradford Cobb

Producers for the ‘Prism’ album – Dr Luke, Max Martin, Klas Ahlund, Christian Karrisson, Greg Kurstin and Greg Wells.

Engineered by Mikkel Storleer and John Hanes.

‘Prism’ Mixed by = Serban Shenea

‘Prism’ Mastered by = Chris Gehringer at Sterling Sound.

Photography = Ryan McGinley

Album Art and Design = Mogollon

Booking Agent for Live Gigs and Tours: Emma Banks (Global), Mitch Rose/Jbeau Lewis (North USA)

Katy’s Marketing & Promoting Strategies

‘Katy Perry announced her new album via a giant gold-plated

truck with KATY PERRY.PRISM.10-22-13 inscribed across the

sides. The campaign was replicated in Mexico and also in USA

and in the UK, where Perry-branded gold plated taxi's

chauffeured artists and celebrities to the 2013 iTunes Festival

in London.’ (Kieran Thurgood, IFPI)

Katy revealed that she ordered a red light to blink at the top of Capitol Records Building saying Katy Perry. Prism. October 22nd, 2013.

This was also done to send out Morse Code messages to people revealing the release of her new album ‘Prism’ around Hollywood.

Katy said: ‘See that little red light up there? One thing that people don’t know… is that it’s been spelling out Capitol for the longest time, I believe, and we changed it months ago and we had it start blinking out, ‘Katy Perry. Prism. October 22nd, 2013.’ She explained. (Carson Daly)

‘PRISM’ Promotion

with Music Retailers

The album was sold on iTunes and Amazon as a digital download.

Physical CD editions of the album ‘Prism’ were available in printed Digipaks or a Standard CD case to buy in HMV and Banquet Records Shops.

The album is now also available to buy as a vinyl format on her website and in Banquet Records shops.

Katy’s Branding & Promotion

‘A brand partnership deal

with MTV, who in turn

partnered with Pepsi

resulted in a major

promotion of PRISM.‘

(Kieran Thurgood, IFPI)

Katy Perry advertised in a crisps advert called ‘Popchips’ to raise more commercial awareness of her presence as a popstar.

‘We’re doing some things in retail, putting things together to help raise awareness.’ (Matt Diehl)

Katy’s Online Promotion Radio Play across US, UK and worldwide radio stations. Radio Plugger – Jeremy Schilling for Road Radios

Social Media web pages help increase & sustain her fanbase. They can tweet, follow and like her at: www.twitter.com/katyperry www.facebook.com/katyperry www.youtube.com/katyperry

Katy is more in control of how she promotes and markets herself. Katy said in a Evening Standard newspaper that anyone can tweet her on Twitter and it goes directly to her and not anyone else. This could also be a publicity stunt to keep people interested in her! ??

Promoters: Live Nation (UK, Europe & Canada), SJM Concerts (UK), AEG (US), OCESA/Zignia Live (Mexico), Dainty Group (Australia, NZ).

Katy’s Social Media Katy is the most followed person on Twitter and is in 100% control of

how she promotes herself on Twitter as Meredith Gardner at Capitol

Music Group says:

“Katy’s really authentic and that’s what makes her Twitter so

powerful. She tweets in her own voice about what she’s seeing

and doing. She’s also good at surprising her fans, jumping on

Twitter for an impromptu Q&A or sharing Twitpics of what she’s up

to.’ (Gardner)

Katy Perry has an official website at: www.katyperry.com that she uses to sell and advertise her music. It includes:

Latest new release,

New videos,

Length of this campaign = 2 years because Katy is still Touring around the World. Currently performing in Europe & the Far East making her success on going.

Music & Merchandise Store selling ‘Prism’ Album on CD, Vinyl, T Shirts, Buttons, Bag, Jacket, fleece and a onesie.

Easy accessible contact details through social media links and sign up box to receive mail.

Katy’s Press and Publicity

Katy Perry live on TV

performing her first

song from the album

‘Roar’ on The X Factor

in the UK (2014).

Katy Perry recently performed at a sports show such as the NFL Super Bowl opening ceremony in the US (2015).

Katy’s Press Clippings

Katy Perry has appeared in many magazines & newspapers with pictures and articles by journalists. Most of them involved an interview.

Katy’s latest featured magazine is Elle that is out now, March 2015 where she talks about becoming a fashion icon as well as a rockstar and personal experiences of dressing up from a young age.

Some of her images online are registered using ‘Getty Images’ to stop people breaking her copyright.

Katy has an instagram to make her pictures look better. Visit: www.instagram.com/katyperry

Katy appeared in the Evening Standard Newspaper the next day after one of her performances at the O2 Arena. This was a review of her performance on the night of 27th May 2014, which was the same night I went to see her perform live. This review was written by a journalist ‘John Azlewood’ who was also at the scene of the concert that night. This gave her publicity and advertised her other 3 more performances at the O2 Arena.

Katy was featured in the local TIMEOUT Magazine with a written and

recorded interview with another journalist named ‘Michael Cragg’. As you

can see he has written out every question he asked her with every

answer she gave. Katy’s performances at the O2 Arena were also

advertised again.

Diehl, M (2013). Katy Perry’s Executive team On ‘PRISM’ Roll-Out: Steve Barnett, Martin Kirkup, Greg Thompson In Their Own Words. Available at: http://www.billboard.com/biz/articles/news/legal-and-management/5762987/katy-perrys-executive-team-on-prism-roll-out-steve (Accessed 14th March 2015)

Gardner, M (no date). Case Study: Katy Perry: A Global Phenomenon. Available at: http://www.ifpi.org/katy-perry/php (Accessed 14th March 2015)

Daly, C. (2013). Katy Perry Used Morse Code Months Ago To Reveal ‘Prism’ Album Release Atop Capitol Records Building. Available at: http://amp.cbslocal.com/2013/10/15/katy-perry-morse-code-prism-capitol-records/

Perry, K. (2015). Katy Perry’s Website. Available at: www.katyperry.com (Accessed 7th March 2015)

Perry, K. (2015). Katy Perry’s Twitter. Available at: www.twitter.com/katyperry (Accessed 7th March 2015)

Perry, K. (2015). Katy Perry’s Facebook. Available at: www.facebook.com/katyperry (Accessed 7th March 2015)

Perry, K. (2015). Katy Perry’s Instagram. Available at: www.instagram.com/katyperry (Accessed 7th March 2015)

Perry, K. (2015). Katy Perry’s YouTube. Available at: www.youtube.com/katyperry (Accessed 7th March 2015)

Perry, K (2014). THE PRISMATIC WORLD TOUR. Concert Programme.

Azlewood, J. (Wed 28th May 2014). Cartoon Katy, The Perfect Popstar. Evening Standard, London, p. 7

Cragg, M. (2014)The Timeout Interview Katy Perry Top Kat. Timeout, London, p.20-22

Bibliography