Ultimately, not only will efforts like this distract them and leave them vulnerable in some areas they now dominate, it will dilute the brand. Or worse yet, it could reinforce the low Google backlash rumbles that have already begun. They could end up not just standing for nothing, but playing the role this decade that Microsoft played in the 90′s and IBM played in the 80s: a big, arrogant, stagnant bully.

The alternative band Ok Go has done it before with their breakout video Here It Goes Again, a video which should hit 50 million views in the next few days with traffic from this new song. And in the video above, you can see they’ve done it again. Exactly to what extent remains to be seen, but still, a less-than-household-name band gets 2.5 million+ views on YouTube in 3 frickin’ days and you better be paying attention. They aren’t doing it by making sure the artists’ faces are clearly recognizable. Or recreating the story of the song on screen. They did it – TWICE – by creating something unexpected and compelling and fun. They worried less about the literal takeaway and more about what the video told the viewer about the band: they are creative, smart, different, fun and I like them.

If you are gonna put money into videos, make them something people want to see. Stop meeting expectations and start exceeding them. Better yet, defy viewer expectations! Partner with a filmmaker with vision. Someone who adds to the story, not someone who just puts pretty pictures on the screen while your audience listens to a song on their TV or computer. I know that alternative audiences and country audiences are different, but everyone wants to be entertained and engaged. And it isn’t about money, because both these videos were pretty cheap. And by the way, there’s a time and a place for a beautiful, literal video. But right now, Nashville is doing all their videos and album covers and everything else like a checklist of elements that have to show up. Big face? Check. Live footage holding guitar (which the artist may or may not be able to play)? Check. People pretending to have fun? Check. The result? The audience remembers nothing. You are making a logical case, not an emotional one. You’re telling them instead of showing them. And it sucks. It really, really sucks.

But here’s the good news. Awesome, actually. It’s not your problem. Because you don’t have to figure out the new model. You just have to figure out YOUR model. The model that gets you and your products in front of your customers and gets them to open their wallets. The one that plays to your strengths and manages against your weaknesses. So maybe that’s three social networks, a website and a demo video on YouTube. And maybe it’s four events a year and a monthly email newsletter. Or maybe it’s a corporate sponsorship and giving your product away. The point is that it doesn’t matter what your model is as long as it works for you. Let me repeat that last point: It doesn’t matter what your model is as long as it works for you.

And oh yeah, you don’t have to get it perfect out of the box. Try some things. And if they don’t work, drop them. And if they do work, invest more time, energy and money into them. Keep tweaking. Eventually, you’ll find a mix that works for you. Or you’ll find out that you don’t have a viable business and you need to do something else. Either way, you are one step closer to getting it right.

This is a little bold, but I believe it’s an absolute truth: If anyone tells you that you need to do a certain set of things in order to be successful in music, there is a 99.9% chance that they are dead wrong. There isn’t one formula, there are a million. And yours is yours alone. Because it is based on the brand you are trying to create, who your audience is, what you are & ARE NOT good at and what kind of career you are trying to build. Put simply, you do not HAVE to blog. You do not HAVE to do Twitter. You absolutely do not HAVE to share the intimate details of your everyday life. Jack White does it differently than Taylor Swift who does it differently than Tim McGraw who does it differently than Dave Barnes or Katie Herzig (in photo above). Or The Avett Brothers. Or Beyonce. Or Alicia Keys. Or The Black Keys, for that matter. And that’s because they have different priorities, different music and different audiences. So they each should – and do – have a different plan.

You want a formula? Create your own or have someone help you, but here’s the guide: What are your career goals? What are you good at (writing? funny videos? live performance?)? Where are your boundaries? Who is your audience? What do they care about? And how can you reach them? Find the answer to those questions and build your own program based on a few general “best practices” type of principals (have your music on MySpace so people can get an idea about the music if they are looking for it, for instance). And now work your ass off. And never forget that your first priority should be making great music. Forget that and the rest of it doesn’t matter.

1. The vast majority of Americans have cable. Probably a bigger percentage than had an antenna that picked up “all three networks” clearly 40 years ago.
2. Internet-based streaming and downloadable TV is sitting on the verge of becoming a mainstream reality. We’re an iPod -type device away from the walls crumbling.
3. Non-premium cable networks deliver a significant portion of the original shows I record & watch on my DVR on a weekly basis. Narrow it to shows premiering in the last 2 years and it’s probably half. Add in Showtime and HBO and it’s easily over half.
4. Cable networks have flexibility. They have no traditional seasons or models to follow. So they do what works for them, not what they have to do because of advertisers, tradition, government regulations and all the other baggage from a 50+ year history at the center of American culture.
5. People cut cable networks some slack because expectations are low. They accept lower production value, lesser stars and different schedules. It probably won’t always be that way, but who knows, I can’t imagine it’ll get as rigid and hypercritical as it is with broadcast networks. The funny thing about this is that cable shows, even non-premium ones, are now attracting big names who are drawn by the quality and creativity of the programs.
6. People say no one cares about what network a show is on and there is no loyalty. True if you’re CBS. But cable networks have actual brands and fans. Why? Because they have focus. They don’t have to be all things to all people, which is the very definition of the Big Four. Do you like Sci Fi? Watch SyFy. Want news? Watch CNN. Shocking to say this considering where they where a few short years ago, but if USA has a new series, I’ll probably give it a shot because I like their stuff lately (Psych, Burn Notice, Monk, White Collar, Royal Pains). I don’t think I’ve ever thought that about NBC.
7. Cable networks have less ego. They are willing to fail. They’ll try something new. They’ll sign a weird integrated sponsor deal. Their offices aren’t filled with people who are filled with assumptions. They ask “Why not?” They don’t have the sense of entitlement or the pressure that network execs have. Cable staffers are hungry. And because of it, they make better TV.

UPDATE: Since I originally wrote this (on my iPhone at 1am sitting outside a tour bus in St. Paul, MN, by the way), Oprah has announced she’s leaving broadcast to start the her Oprah Winfrey Network, OWN, which replaces Discovery Health. And more and more articles are asking if the network TV model is in trouble. But I don’t hear many folks ask if it matters. Ultimately, to save the system, it has to evolve. It won’t ever be what it was, but it can still be special. And there are some good shows out on networks. Big Bang Theory brought the sitcom back. Modern Family is the best new show on television. But I have to say that a system that has given itself over to The Bachelor #12, CSI Des Moines, To Catch A Predator Bloopers and five nights of prime time Jay Leno deserves what it gets.

1.  Target the right partners. Good news! Almost no one reads my blog. So they’re still selling it like it’s 1999, baby! They are just looking to put someone’s logo on their website and cash a big check. They’re offering the same old crap and corporate brand managers aren’t buying it. So if you’re smart and creative, you might have a shot. Know yourself and what you have to offer. Target partners that can actually benefit from what you have to offer. If you sold 3,000 CDs, chasing Pepsi is not a good use of your time. But Keen shoes might be.

2. Ask for and offer the right stuff. Do your research. Find out about the company and their customers. If you want Keen shoes, take pictures of people wearing Keens at your shows or talking about it, and you, on video. Money is tight, especially for small companies. So think of it as barter and cash is an unexpected bonus. Sure, you might only get free shoes and placement on their website, but if it that partnership can get you in their ads or mailings and in front of their customers and you’re listeners are Keen kinda’ people, that might sell 300 extra CDs for you (a 10% bump) or help bump your numbers at shows. Ask them to print posters for you in exchange for having their logo on them. They might pay for a photo shoot. Or give you shoes and bags to give out as prizes through your website. Offer them performances. Appearances. Free digital copies of your record (the whole thing!).

3.  Keep it simple and get your foot in the door. Offer them a complete deal that makes it easy for them to say yes. Make it easy to track and prepare to show them tangible results (I emailed X number of people three times, I put this banner up on stage at every show, I distributed X thousand posters in X number of cities with your name on them.) The best partnerships grow over time. So get the deal done now and if you do a good job and treat them right, it can grow into something bigger.

4.  Ask for help, but be smart about it. There are people and organizations out there that can help you. That might be your PRO (ASCAP, BMI, SESAC) or a label or publisher or a local media outlet. But remember that everyone is asking them for help. So you have to reframe the discussion. Go in with a list of who you’re trying to get to and what you want to offer. Listen to those people when they tell you what does and doesn’t get a response. Again, do the work and make it easy for them to help you. Otherwise, you are just another person on their list that wants something and has the same stuff to offer. Being a small independent artist looking for sponsorship is like selling a condo in a hi-rise. All the units look pretty much the same from the outside. So you better find something interesting and unique or else no one is gonna buy.

5.  Keep trying and know that it’s not easy for anyone, at any level. Even big artists that sell hundreds of thousands of records have trouble getting deals done. And in some ways, it’s actually harder at that level because there are more people involved and more money involved. Those giant tour sponsorships are brutal and involve a lot of stuff you would never know existed.

6.  Maybe most importantly, a deal may not be the right thing for you. Sponsoring you says something about a brand. But it also says something about you. Don’t take money just because it’s there. Know who you are and who you’re audience is. If you have doubts, turn down a deal. A little money isn’t worth your credibility as an artist. And any deal can potentially preclude you from bigger deals later on in that category. And best of all, turning down a deal, especially a good one, can do wonders for your rep. In many cases, it can actually get you other deals. As the old saying goes, the easiest way to find a job is to have one.

So it’s not all great news. But I think it is good news and it’s realistic.

There is an article over at CNET called “Music industry bows to point-and-shoot cameras”. And the gist of it is this: The smart people in the industry are finally figuring out that this is something they can’t control anymore. And the value in that control was pretty minimal anyway and in some cases it created a negative, anti-fan experience. So you may as well let people do what they’re gonna do and try to leverage it.

The fact is, digital cameras of all types have become a part of virtually every area of our lives. The cameras and the ability to easily and immediately share the pictures is how we tell stories now. Think Facebook. And the evolution isn’t over. Technology will make it easier and easier to share better and better content (think CD as opposed to mix tape). As the content gets better and more ubiquitous, let’s hope that the industry doesn’t go down the path of “quality of content” again like it did with CDs versus tapes. It’s time to grow a pair and act like you believe that no video or photo, no matter how good, is going to replace swaying to your favorite songs with 15,000 like-minded people watching the band you love.

Smart artists and managers are incorporating the trend into their shows and their post-show experience online. They actually want you to share those photos because they realize that camera phone and point & shoot photos are catalysts for how we now talk about the music we love and the nights we spend listening to it. It’s the difference between an amazing meal review and seeing the menu. It helps dimensionalize the music and the artist to fans and potential fans through a fan’s eyes.

Ultimately, it comes down to this. You can try to maintain the illusion of control or you can roll with it. Pioneer the trend. Help your fans find cool new ways to enjoy and share what you do. Because, if you’re really successful, ultimately, the fans claim your music as their own soundtrack. They think those songs are theirs as much as they are yours. And you can’t buy that.

As for the business side of me, it’s left wondering if this will cannibalize other merch sales. Why would I buy an ugly BigFaceTee for $35 just to remember the show when I have something that seems like a better souvenir? Besides, most artists just can’t sing that well live. Even with autotune. So what is the longer term impact on the brand of getting the extra $20 out of the fans? Does owning proof that your favorite singer can’t sing very well make you go back and listen to the studio recordings with a skeptical ear? Does it retroactively make the concert less magical instead of more magical over time? And does that make you less likely to buy a ticket next time? Honestly, I don’t know. But if I were running a major artist’s career, I’d certainly be asking those questions and looking for answers with some data behind them before I rolled it out in a big way. What do you think? Would you buy an Abbey Road Live show recording? Would you let your artist sell them?

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1.  Is an economic downturn, the first budget big brands cut is marketing. And the first things they cut in that budget are things that are the least trackable, the longer-term “branding” projects and the least likely to drive short-term measurable and predictable sales. Sponsorships and endorsements are long-term brand plays. It’s hard to connect them directly to moving the needle at retail. And the same “crazy sexy cool” factor that helped the marketing guy sell it to his boss is now seen as a yellow flag of “Hmmm… cut staff, keep John Mayer. That will NOT look good in the shareholders report.”

2.  Corporate marketers have been doing this for a while now. They’re smarter, better armed and more confident about what they are bringing to the table. They now understand that their media spend and reach into retail is just as valuable to an artist as the artist’s cool factor and music is to the brand. These days, a brand is much more likely to break a band that the other way around. Think about it. iTunes. Target. Am I right? So expect less cash and less desperation. More trade and more “I’m sorry’s.” Deals are tougher to find and a lot more balanced now.

3.  The logistics don’t work until you get to a certain scale. Generally speaking, for every $1 they give an artist, a company spends and additional $1-3 for activiation (signage, commercials, photoshoots, etc.). The smaller the deal, the higher that number is because there are no economies of scale or efficiencies. So if you are an indy band wanting $10,000, that deal will cost the sponsor AT LEAST $40,000 and that’s before commissions or lawyers are paid or marketing staff or anything else. So it doesn’t make sense for the person putting the deal together because they get 15% of that $10k. And that is for months and months of work. And even if it does go through, it won’t even cover legal fees.

4.  There is negligible impact below a certain level of artist. I wish it weren’t true, but it is. Unless you are an artist with a certain media presence and fan following, then you don’t have anything to trade with. Downloads are virtually worthless to advertisers now unless they are truly exclusive and from a major, major artist. Because people just don’t care anymore. And salesmen and buyers at conferences get excited to see name bands, not good music. They want a story they can tell. And for a sales guy, even a crappy known band is better than the best act no one has heard of. Sadly, it’s much easier to get a deal for REO Speedwagen than it is The Avett Brothers. How much does that suck?

5.  Ultimately, it’s people who make the decisions. The business card may say VP of Marketing, but if Mary Smith has loved R.E.M. since she was a 16, she’s gonna be a lot more likely to find a way to make that happen with them than for some small band she barely knows. Never forget that EVERY SINGLE PERSON you’re dealing with is a person and has feelings and memories and triggers that strongly influence those decisions.

So there you have it. A starter kit of the bad news about these deals. Next up, how you can get past these and create a partnership that works for everyone and – who knows – maybe even gets something signed.

In scenario #1, you piss off your customers. You alienate possible new customers. You slow down the transition and buy yourself a little time. But in that time, you run the very, very real risk (I would even say likelihood) that someone is going to invent the “end around” technology or business model and leave you standing there holding absolutely nothing. Because when the authors figure out that they don’t need you for anything more than an advance check (hello record labels!) and the customers have learned to hate you for trying to screw them, what do you have left? No content and no buyers leaves you with incredibly efficient, but empty distribution and marketing systems and a massive staff of nervous people and mortgages on office towers in the heart of Manhattan. Good luck.

Scenario #2 has potential. It’s safer and it’s a long term play. Still, it’s scary as hell for an established industry. Run some pilot programs. Viewed through the right lens, this is more opportunity than crisis. Check out what they’ve done with Hulu. In the new digital model, not every author has to sell a bazillion books for you and them to make money. Don’t give ‘em an advance, but give them a bigger cut. Share the risks and rewards. Just like music, as there are less and less bona fide breakout hits, a system that relies on them will die. But ebooks have immense possibilities as minor leagues. Use them to try out new authors or limited interests topics and if they show potential, invest in them and move them to the majors. Give them a marketing budget and physical distribution. And if they don’t, make sure you’ve managed costs so that you are covered or even make a little something off of each one. That’s right, you’re going to have to start operating like a real business, not a gambling operation. You’ll have to understand the real costs of making and selling your product. And the true potential for that market. Then you’ll have to make a decision whether or not it’s worth it to invest in that project. And when you launch it, you’ll have to control costs just like a company making soap. Crazy as it sounds, if you can’t sell it for more than it costs to make it, you probably shouldn’t make it.

Scenario #3 is for the wack jobs and for those with nothing to lose. It’s for people in their garages and dorms and Moms’ basements. But that’s where Gates, Jobs and those Hewlett & Packard boys all came from. And, not to sound like a fan-boy, but the big difference is that Jobs did it twice (at least). He did it with Woz in the 1970s. And he did it again when he came back to Apple and put out the iMac, iPod, iTunes and iPhone. And people were waiting at every turn to say “you can’t do that.” It’s easy to think now that iTunes was an easy call. But NOT ONE SINGLE person outside of Cupertino expected it to be what it is today. A niche computer company owning the largest music distribution point in the U.S.? Talk of a monopoly? Mark it down. Someone either inside publishing or outside publishing will make the leap. And they will own, or at the very least, redefine that market. Bezos is trying to be that guy. But he better open up the Kindle to ePub or Reader standards. My guess is that by the time anyone inside the industry is desperate enough to throw a hail mary, it will have already happened outside the industry. And it will be led by someone who is “naive and inexperienced” enough that they won’t know that “you just can’t do it that way.”