Greatful Dead: Early Role-model For Branded Success in the Internet Age of Free Downloads?

The 1960's band "The Grateful Dead" have been in the news recently because the surviving members reunited as "The Dead" for Obama's campaign, and are now going on a concert tour.

This past Sunday's Chicago Tribune had an article on "The Grateful Dead" - arguing that, although definitely a part of the 1960's culture, they were also ahead of their time. They can serve as a role model for bands wanting to brand themselves and succeed in the Internet Age of free downloads.

In 1994, Esther Dyson predicted that, since digital content could be easily copied and distributed, copyright-holders would have to "distribute intellectual property free in order to sell services and relationships".

The Tribune article went on to say that "no band was better at selling 'services and relationships' to its fans, and no band understood better that free distribution of its music could be a pathway to building a better, more loyal audience that would reward the band's trust."

Here is what the "Grateful Dead" pioneered from 1965-1995:

1. Free Music - they were one of the first bands to encourage fans to tape and distribute their concerts. They set up special "tapers sections" near the sound stages.

2. Made the product unique - they emphasized live concerts over studio recordings, and did a lot of improvisation. As a result, fans would attend multiple concerts on the same tour, because they heard different shows.

3. Independent of record companies - Even though the Dead worked with major music labels, all the inner operations of the band were self-contained through a network of friends and associates that became a major corporation. Their mail-order service and (later) deadnet.com became a gathering place for their fans.

4. Sell direct to fans - they released dozens of concert archive recordings directly to their fans through mail-order and the internet.

5. Branding - they sold T-shirts, hats, flip-flops, gold gloves, Frisbees, mugs, board games, etc. - even baby clothes! They also branched into DVDs, books, and a radio show.

6. Remix and reinvent - the Dead were the original mash-up artists, experimenting and combining different forms of music. This contributed to their longevity.