A whole new generation of music fans is about to discover The Beatles. EMI is set to release the band's musical catalog in digitally remastered CD form on Sept. 9 and soon the Fab Four will also be video game heroes on The Beatles: Rock Band.
While much of the music world is going the digital download route, The Beatles remain among the few classic rock holdouts. Interestingly, for the launch of the group's catalog, EMI has chosen to partner with a host of "alternative" retailers to reach consumers.
Blockbuster, Ralph's, Restoration Hardware, Starbucks, 7-Eleven and Whole Foods are among the retailers who will be selling The Beatles boxed set.
"It will allow us to reach the everyday places people shop," said Bill Gagnon, SVP, Catalogue Marketing for EMI Music North America, told Brandweek. "We're bringing the music to where they are."
Terry
Dry, President of the new media marketing agency Fanscape, thinks EMI has
the right idea. “The Internet's the ultimate distribution mechanism, but
[labels] haven't quite figured out how to monetize that well or how to
still sell their shiny plastic discs. When you look at a place like a 7-Eleven
or a supermarket where you can get that impulse buyer who's spending
$100 on groceries, they might buy the Beatles remastered instead of US
Weekly."
Beatles historian Matt Hurwitz, told USA Today that consumers will be happy with the remastered catalog. "Even people listening on lower-quality ear buds and MP3s will hear a drastic jump in quality," he said. "We're hearing something a lot closer to the stereo and mono mixes produced in the '60s. This is the way The Beatles heard it."
Discussion Questions: What do you think of EMI's strategy to expand sales of the remastered Beatle's catalog to retailers not normally associated with music? What do you think the remastered collection and the Rock Band video game will mean for The Beatles' brand?