When critically acclaimed Chinese visual rock band, Silver Ash, decided to reunite, they requested my help. I came on board January 2013 as an international strategy and artist manager, offering my services in global marketing, publicity, and digital strategy.

Though Silver Ash once had a sizable international following, because they had not officially been active in the music industry since 2005, we faced the challenge of relaunching them as a fresh new artist for music fans who were unfamiliar with their work, as well as regaining their former fanbase who had long since moved on. As the band was based in Vancouver, Canada and Beijing, China, we also faced the challenge of simultaneous multiple market entry.

From the moment I signed on, I knew I would need a talented team to work with, calling upon old colleagues I had worked with, as well as recruiting and training fresh talent. Within a week, I pulled together a team of 20 marketers, creative professionals, concert promoters, coordinators, translators, and interns, as well as a dedicated team in Japan. We decided to position ourselves under the EINSOF Marketing Group brand, leveraging brand reputation to endorse Silver Ash as an artist represented by the same company who worked with huge A-list acts like X Japan and SUGIZO.

Because we knew that past and potential fans of Silver Ash respond best to social media and digital marketing, our initial relaunch strategy was completely digital, with the sole goal of raising awareness and rebuilding interest.  To begin, we established Silver Ash’s presence on the web and throughout social media, designing and developing their official website, and setting them up on Facebook, Twitter, Bandcamp, ReverbNation, Last.fm, Soundcloud, YouTube, and Tumblr. Because Japan was a potential market for the band, we also created a Japanese version of their website, Twitter, and established them on Audioleaf, with band member blogs on Ameblo. For the Chinese-language market, we set the band up on Douban and Weibo.

Once the website and social media channels went live, we created an EPK, translated into multiple languages, and began a global publicity campaign, servicing 100s of press outlets who might potentially be interested in the band, worldwide. Simultaneously, we also ran a Facebook Marketing campaign to boost their reach and find old and new fans.

On the A&R and artist management side, I leveraged my connections, securing a publishing and distribution deal for Silver Ash with a label in Europe, and negotiated a cross-promotional release in Indonesia. Our team also worked closely with the band to release a new single, “REBORN,” which they recorded and independently released April 2013. As the single was a digital release, we digitally distributed worldwide through iTunes, Amazon, Google Play, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Rhapsody, and many more digital vendors.

In anticipation of the single, we launched a marketing campaign anchored by a heavy publicity strategy that saw exclusive features and placements worldwide, and pushed traffic to a landing page we made for the single. We also created promotional videos and had Silver Ash appear on Tainted Reality’s Webcast in the United States, as well as Viju Love Cafe in Japan. Radio stations such as Jackalope Radio (U.S.) and LoliPOP Station (Europe) ran Silver Ash specials to promote the band, while promotional contests were offered by ROKKYUU Magazine and JpopAsia.

Thanks to our efforts, Silver Ash charted on ReverbNation to #2 in rock in Vancouver, CA, and #11 nationwide in Canada.

Our Facebook Marketing strategy brought them from 200 fans in February, to over 11,000 in just one month, while our press strategy led to thousands of media impressions, with over 60 exclusive placements worldwide across all media channels, special features in Gothic Beauty Magazine, ROKKYUU Magazine, JpopAsia, Visual-KEIOS, a cover on Asia on Wave Magazine, and more.

Silver Ash is currently touring China, playing venues nationwide and at major music festivals. They are also working on new material for an upcoming international release to be distributed in Europe and worldwide.