It’s a simple concept: songs, stripped back to their original states, performed to just a small office. The idea was born after NPR music journalist Bob Boilen and colleague Stephen Thompson saw Oregon musician Laura Gibson in concert but couldn’t hear her due to the noise. So, why not turn the public broadcast office into a concert venue for the music purists who want to hear the music over the gig chatter.
And so, on 22 April 2008, Gibson performed acoustic versions of her songs to… tens (if that) of fans. The session was recorded and broadcast. What would happen in the years that followed became a global phenomenon and almost a rite of passage for solo musicians, bands, hip hop troupes and even a Sesame Street character. Tiny Desk was born.
Why Tiny Desk works
There’s an interesting parallel in the greece telemarketing database phenomenon of Tiny Desk and the platform it’s held on. NPR is the American equivalent of our ABC. It’s a government-funded station based in Washington DC. The humble offices are a far cry from the glitz and glam of commercial radio, but it’s here that the carpets are trod on by some of the most mainstream, glamorous, pop sensation superstars of all time to perform their songs to 20 people rather than sell out stadiums of 90,000.
Viewers have witnessed Taylor Swift alone on her piano, Wu-Tang Clan bring the jazz to their hip hop verses, Sting and Shaggy make an unlikely musical duo and the late Mac Miller smile and show off his vocal range on one of his now most popular YouTube performances.
From mega superstar Bono to folk legend Cat Power and relatively niche indie electro
performer Dan Deacon, the Tiny Desk concerts have one thing that links them all together: a lack of pretension. There is no genre too cool for it, or no artist too mainstream. It made music more accessible, it exposed unknown artists to a large and engaged audience as well as showed off the cadence and skills of those previously chalked up as having autotune rather than talent.
The beauty of Tiny Desk and its creator Boilen’s vision is that music, when performed live by the people involved in that song writing and creating process, is its most pure. It connects bands like BADBADNOTGOOD with a crowd who stopped by to watch Adele.
To quote Boilen himself, ‘Music can act as an invisible uniting force that claims the unclaimed and defines the outcasts of a culture.’
As Tiny Desk’s creator takes his final curtain, this writer will take a moment to enjoy her top ones: St Paul and the Broken Bones, Alicia Keys, Kevin Morby, Mount Kimbie and The Cranberries.
Influencers can generate enormous value for businesses, and a local talent agency, 26 Talent Agency, is offering the chance to work with one of its influencers and discover this innovative marketing strategy.
Brisbane-based 26 Talent Agency are spruiking a risk-free opportunity for
small and medium businesses to dive into influencer marketing. By registering their details, businesses will go into the running to partner with an influencer to give their company a boost on social media.
Founded by Mikhailla Fitzgerald in 2019, 26 Talent Agency now has several prominent influencers on their books, including wellness personality Dani Guy who has 123k followers on Instagram and lifestyle and beauty blogger Jaz Hand who has 131k fans on Instagram.
“At 26 Talent Agency we understand that SMEs may not have the budget, don’t understand how to effectively leverage social media, or simply can’t comprehend the value of influencer marketing. To help remove some of the barriers that prevent businesses from tapping into influencer marketing we’ve decided to unveil this unprecedented promotion, a chance for businesses to work with a top influencer for free,” Fitzgerald says of her business.
26 Talent helping to make connections between brands audiences through influencers
This new opportunity is tailored specifically for small to medium businesses new to the world of influencer marketing. They’re confident this opportunity will help businesses understand how instrumental an influencer can be to growing their reach, with one recent promotion with one of the agency’s talents leading to over $27,000 in sales in 24 hours through Instagram stories alone.
“Influencer marketing is often misunderstood and underrated, but it has the ability to bridge heartfelt connections between brands and audiences,” Fitzgerald says.
Businesses have until 25 September to register their details and follow 26 Talent Agency on Instagram. The agency will then reach out to match brands with the right talent and devise a marketing strategy.
The Influencer Marketing Industry is set to grow to approximately $21.1 Billion in 2023, up from $1.7 billion just seven years ago in 2016.
Research published earlier this year found that influencers could lead the way in promoting greener choices and sustainable living because of the significant impact social media stars have on their followers.
While the influencer marketing industry is booming, the ACCC recently announced they were cracking down on misleading testimonials and endorsements from beauty, parenting and lifestyle influencers where they did not disclose their affiliation with the company they were promoting.