2. Objectives
The main objective of this project is to create a successful album launch. As well as this, the marketing and PR
campaign should successfully manage the message through the correct methods of communication.
Our key target market will be thrash metal fans around the world. We already have a large following in
Scandinavia and want to avoid distancing ourselves from our roots, whilst also having an ambition to expand
the fan base in North America and China due there being an unexploited market in this country.
We are confident in our sound and our loyal and notorious fan base, and this leads us to believe we can push
past the 400,000 mark and hopefully hit half a million, though this would still be a far cry from our glory days in
1992 with the double-platinum selling album ‘Apply Cream to Thrash’.
We believe we would be successful in the re-ignition of our band if on the back of a sell-out tour that band got
invited to appear on the primetime US TV show ‘HIV Got News For You’. This would in turn help push our album
up the US Billboard charts and finally conquer a market that we struggled to in our early days.
Another success would be the band remaining friends after the fallout in 1996 in which bassist Teemu Tainio
accused lead singer Thrashley Boyne of cheating him out of royalties. Because of this issue the band are still
not as close as they once were, and we as their label fear any small issue could lead to them separating once
more.
3. Band Profile
Name: Attila
Age: 49-53
Previous releases: Thrash in the Attic (1984) Taking Out The Thrash (1988), Apply
Cream To Thrash (1992), Thrashed Potato (1996)
Genre: Thrash Metal
Style: Thrashcore
Contemporaries: Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, Anthrax
4. Audience
The bands audience consists largely of Scandinavian fans they gained throughout the 80’s and 90’s. The age of
the bands fans range from as low as 18 and as high as 65. For the most part, the bands younger fans have
learnt about them via a cult following that began in 2011 when fans first started to campaign for the band to
return.
The groups fans are famous for having long blonde hair and wearing gold spandex to gigs, however the Chinese
section of the fan base more traditionally wear stringed vests in the style of Rab C. Nesbitt.
Thrash Metal fans are drawn to Attila because of their incredibly fast-paced, high intensity sound. Attila’s
spectacular stage shows have been a significant corner-stone of their success, with many fans seeing the songs
as merely the sideshow to the pyrotechnics. However, Attila were made to scale back on their shows after the
tragedy of ‘Motherwell 89’, where 25 innocent kestrels lost their lives due to a stunt where a flare was shot out
of a cannon. Presumably, the cannon was triggered after ex band member Paul Bearer had a curse spelled
upon him by a Glaswegian witch-doctor.
Attila fans tend to also enjoy listening to other bands that are included within the Thrash Metal genre like
Megadeth, Anthrax and Slayer.
5. SMART Targets
S - A successful album launch is a specific aim for the band.
M – We can measure this success by achieving a high place on the US Billboard chart through extensive album sales. As
well as this, a first US primetime TV performance would be a success if and only the band are still friends by the
time it comes around.
A – We believe this is achievable if we manage the message correctly and avoid it looking like a group of has-been’s
returning to the industry for money and fame.
R – We believe our aims are realistic due to the amazing reaction given to the announcement to the reformation of the
band and the media campaign that made it happen. The media take great interest in reformed bands as it gives a
dramatic story to portray to the audience. As well as this, with many US primetime TV shows, bands are often
repeated across different stations. The possibility of an exclusive would be a huge advantage for the band and a
huge incentive for TV producers to feature the band on their show.
T – After 1 week to be deemed successful we want the album to have charted at least within the top 5 in the US, and at
number 1 across Scandinavia. After 3 weeks we hope to have this chart position prolonged at the top of the charts
as a way to measure the band is being received well or if it is just initial excitement at the reformation. During this
first month of release we hope to have received radio play from non-Metal based radio stations. We hope that
within the first 3 months since release album sales lead to the opportunity to go on an arena tour and further
enhance the bands reputation by appearing on television shows.
6. Media
The band is open to using all media platforms in their aim to successfully return to the music industry.
We are going to try and get the band some attention by putting them in contact with famous Metal magazines
like Kerrang, Metal Hammer and Metal Underground. We hope this will help with brand promotion and
allow us to portray new information to fans through a media outlet that has a similar demographic to our
core fan base.
The band may feature on television channels like Kerrang TV, MTV Rock, and Scuzz TV. This will aid us in gaining
new fans via the ability to listen to the band without having to look them up first.
The band may appear on radio stations like Kerrang Radio, Planet Rock and Team Rock Radio. This will work in a
similar fashion to appearing on specific televisions channels, in the sense that listeners will be able to
listen to the band without having to actively search for their music.
The band would give interviews to all media outlets, in hope of maximising all exposure streams, and not
cutting off any corners of the market.
We will be creating a Twitter profile to help promote the band via social media. We feel this is almost a
necessity if we are to connect with our fans and provide them with information regarding the reunion and
possible upcoming tour dates.
7. Merchandise
On their website, the band will be selling the following: T-shirts, posters, stickers, stringer vests. All these
products are emblazoned with either the Attila logo, or the upcoming album artwork.
If we make sure the products are of the highest quality we could build a successful reputation for the band and
the label and hopefully also create a fashionable to work alongside the bands identity. This could lead to
the clothing side of the band becoming self-sustaining and could still spread word of the band and work
towards album sales even when the band retire in the future.
8. Managing the message
We want to avoid the band looking like a group of has-been’s that are returning to music solely for the purpose
of money and fame. We will try to put across that the band have returned after realising a portion of their
fan base wants them to begin touring again and this information led to the band wanting to create new
music, which in turn has created the chance for a brand new album.
The main selling point of the album is that it is the band’s first album in 17 years after the immense failure of
Thrashed Potato. The album was banned from Israel after the band depicted Keith Chegwin as The Virgin
Mary. This led to the band’s album being dismissed by many before the songs were even heard, and also
led to the band being sued by Keith Chegwin for defamation of character and loss of earnings after his lead
role in the planned biopic of Oprah Winfrey was re-cast.
Quotes from critics:
“Atilla are re-invigorated as their classical sound returns.”
“Not only is this their best, this is the best.”
“Atilla have thrashed all doubt, as album is worthy of critical acclaim.”
10. Events
The band will put on a competition to allow one lucky fan to have the band play in their own house.
The band will also be playing gigs in non-traditional venues in a similar way to when the White Stripes went on
a special tour around Canada and played in Bowling Alley’s, Theatre’s and even on top of buses to help
with the promotion of Icky Thump.
If the album is successful Attila will go on arena tours throughout North America, Scandinavia and China.
To promote this tour, Attila will appear on multiple chat shows throughout these regions/countries.
11. Internal Motivation
The motivation behind the project from the view of business would be to achieve a higher status within the
company we work for. If the band make a successful comeback it will help propel us into opportunities that
include managing bands/artists that have even larger fan bases.
With a successful tour, the management company we run could then invest in smaller, up and coming acts with
less risk involved, and less danger of making an overall loss in the companies yearly accounts.
A growing reputation could result in interest from fresh investors, and if these investors are form around the
world this could grant an opportunity for the company to market the bands in difference regions of the
world more cost effectively as well as producing a better quality of product.
This project is of the utmost importance to the band because this is likely their last chance at returning to their
glory days and re-igniting their career.
12. Motivation of Media
This project could be of interest to the media because when Attila were at their best, everything they did was
front page news. Who could forget the ground shaking performance atop the roof of Big Ben in 1990.
News from this event ran front page as Paul Bearer visibly fell from the roof but somehow flew to safety
and landed on a nearby telephone pole. This lead to the world famous headline from The Sun: “Pole
Bearer”.
Thrash metal magazines may have a keen interest in this project as it could directly apply to their fan base and
they have to fill magazines which is difficult as metal seemed to have become stagnated until Attila
released news of Foul Things Up.
Another media platform that the band would be keen to exploit the potential interest in would be television.
TV shows such as “Later…With Jools Holland” have featured Metal and thrash bands numerous times since
it’s inception. Bands such as Metallica and Mastodon have played to a positive reception on the show and
have most likely made new fans and re-confirmed if not heightened their reputation by appearing on the
show.
