Capturing Eardrums

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If the specifics of the music identity concept shift from project to project, the underlying tune remains the same, the drumbeat of integrating brands into consumers' consciousness. And not just for obvious lifestyle companies, but also for nonobvious ones -- like Umpqua Bank. When Umpqua needed the right music at a big party to celebrate the opening of its new headquarters, it called Rumblefish. "We're not a booking agency," Anthony says, but hey, the meaning of music identity is fluid. He hooked them up with Liv. "She was hot," says Lani Hayward, Umpqua's marketing director. "I'll use her again."

More to the point, the company is working with Rumblefish on a new project. Hayward has known of Anthony for some time and kept an eye on Rumblefish's progress. She and her colleague, Umpqua brand manager David Hawkins, had puzzled over how to make a music-to-brand link for the bank. They had considered working with the likes of Muzak, but after the ice cream truck project, they decided Rumblefish was the company that had a take on music identity that made the most sense. Working with Umpqua, Rumblefish has come up with a way for customers to burn custom CDs in some of its stores, choosing from a menu of hundreds of bands, broken into categories that match up with consumer groups Umpqua has devised to match with banking needs (from the young person opening a first account to the retiree looking for investment help). As part of a welcome kit, new customers will be able to pick songs from lists put together by Rumblefish, point and click at a computer in the bank itself, and receive a custom CD in the mail. They're working together to add a music component to the bank's website, as well, and talking about a concert series for the bank's most valuable customers. "We've decided to play up Umpqua's position as a community bank," Hawkins says, "and support of local artists and local events, and it makes sense for our music to reflect that." Anthony, no doubt, likes the sound of that.

Sidebar: How Rumblefish gives its clients street cred

Adidas, the footwear and apparel giant, has been opening a string of Adidas Originals stores that target lifestyle-oriented consumers who "crave authenticity." This can be a tough demographic to reach because one wrong move can make a brand look like a phony outsider trying to cash in on what's cool. To do the legwork of making Adidas seem like a knowing insider, Adidas turned to Rumblefish, which devised special invitations to the opening parties of Adidas Originals stores in several cities. Invitees were able to go to a dedicated website, choose from a list of songs, and get a free CD. Adidas wanted up-and-coming artists that would impress even in-the-know music connoisseurs, and the company wanted many of the artists to be local. In Chicago, Rumblefish had two weeks to network with its DJ, label, and musician contacts to come up with a list. "We want the list to send the message that the brand knows the market," says Rumblefish founder Paul Anthony. Some highlights from the Chicago list:

"Why Wander Off," by Unique Chique.
A Chicago indie art-rock band with a solid local following. The melodies are innovative and the pulse confident, Anthony says -- it'll inspire you to spend the extra bucks you didn't have and feel good about the sneakers you found.

"Breaking Treaties and Burning Flags," by Clouds Forming Crowns.
With a neo-David Bowie sound, this band came to Rumblefish's attention by way of a Chicago DJ. These guys aren't poseurs, says Anthony, they mean it -- which is his riff on the brand-band link: The Originals customer feels good about the gear even on "a lonely walk with no one around."

"I Love Tomorrow," by Maker.
This "low-fi, hip-hop artist" is an Anthony favorite, with a growing Chicago rep. The mix of jazz and hip-hop matches the brand, in his view: "Restating the old in a new and respectful way is the essence of Adidas Originals."

"The Sound," by Contriband.
A seven-piece band whose sound includes turntables and trumpet and fuses jazz, rock, and soul. Both the band and the brand, says Anthony, are about "self-expression. It's unique gear, limited edition, all the time."

"Chesapeake Shore," by Sarah Siskind.
A Nashville singer-songwriter who has written tunes for Alison Krauss and others. Her sound is sexy but classy, Anthony says -- a perfect match for the brand.

Rob Walker wrote about Kalle Lasn and the anti-Nike sneaker Blackspot in Inc.'s October issue.

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