The Big Issue Kick Starts its Online Presence with First Music Download
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The Big Issue Kick Starts its Online Presence with First Music Download
The Big Issue joins the music new media revolution to offer its readers a free music download with this week’s issue (July 17-23 2006). The track ‘Don’t Lose Your Home’, by hotly tipped artist Winter Roberts, who has been dubbed ‘the Neil Diamond of the Noughties’ was aptly written by the artist whilst he was down on his luck and busking on the streets of Hamburg.
— The Big Issue, which has a weekly circulation of 154,932 readers across the UK, will be inviting all bands and artists featured in forthcoming issues of the magazine to donate a free reader music download as part of its online marketing drive and has already confirmed that next week’s issue of the magazine will feature a free music download by Pete Doherty of Babyshambles.
Offering readers free music downloads is just one of many online marketing initiatives The Big Issue is rolling out in 2006. A new Big Issue website launches in early September – tying in with the start of the magazine’s month-long celebrations to mark its 15th Anniversary. A number of exciting events are planned across the UK during September, including an Unplugged gig on 23rd September, co-hosted by Winter Roberts and sponsored by Virgin Mobile. The event will broadcast live online, billed as the world’s first music Webathon. Melissa Sterry of Marketing and Public Relations firm Societás has been hired to handle sponsorship and communications of the Unplugged event, whilst her co-director music industry chief Steve Brown will be working with the Big Issue to handle artist liaison. Steve says of the event ‘The bill will comprise a line-up of both major artists who have supported The Big Issue over the past 15 years, as well as some of the best up and coming acts around. Live and unplugged – this will be a one-off and a chance to see artists as you’ve never seen them before’.
The venue for the Unplugged gig is being announced in late July, however, it has been confirmed that the venue is a well-known Central London music venue. Melissa Sterry, who is heading up media partnerships confirmed ‘we are in talks with a number of leading media groups who would like to become partners for this event to help ensure we take this gig to the widest possible audience across the Internet globally’.
The Big Issue shall be running a number of initiatives through the events held during its anniversary celebrations. Lisa Woodman, publisher of The Big Issue said ‘The Big Issue’s main aim has always been to help provide support and opportunities for the homeless and vulnerably housed. We are very much aware of how the Internet can help us extend our message further and that we need to embrace the latest new media communications. We’re looking at ways to create revenue streams via these channels, which we can then re-invest in nationwide projects to help get people off the streets and in to work’.