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CMJ gives non-attendees an inside peek via Selfie app

Music events and online media company CMJ?s annual Music Marathon festival in New York this year leveraged mobile application Selfie to post 24-second-long videos of the event to give non-attendees an up-close and personal experience from home.

Providing clips of the performances and backstage events, CMJ representatives were equipped with smartphones and the app. Being a competitor to Snapchat, it is clear the picture-messaging app is not the only player in the game.

"The CMJ partnership was a pretty incredible experience," said Alex Lasy, co-founder and head of community at Selfie. "It was kind of like having a backstage pass. 

"Bands were jumping on Selfie and having video conversations with both other musicians and fans," he said. "It really made CMJ so much more personal, letting people into this super secret world of musicians." 

Embracing a connection
The Selfie app aims to provide a fun way to have face-to-face video conversations between users.

Through the Selfie app, users can upload and share their selfies. Tapping the images brings them to life. There is also a slide function that allows users to watch conversations unfold. 

When users zoom out, users can explore entire conversations. 

The app contains a privacy setting, which users can use to deem their conversations public or private.

Musical band Handsome Poets used Selfie to give its fans an inside peek into their musical efforts. Their video has been compiled and showcased on Vimeo.

CMJ representatives posted 24-second video clips of performances and backstage events as well as exclusive interviews, crowd reactions and more.

CMJ officials chose Selfie for its mobile marketing campaign due to its claims of how it stands out among other social apps. Unlike typical still photos or status updates, CMJ used Selfie to make fans feel part of the experience even if they were not physically in attendance.

The Music marathon featured more than 80 venues, 1,300 artists and 125,000 attendees.

By providing this content, fans and other music lovers can see what the event is like, enticing them to buy tickets for future shows or subscribe to the publication. 

Offering more than music
Mobile has been used in many ways this year at live events to make fans from afar feel like they are part of the experiences.

The Country Music Association Festival, which aired on ABC in August, partnered with music-recognition service Shazam to offer second-screen ads that encouraged users to take a more in-depth look at the featured stars.

Offering behind-the-scene footage, additional performances, giveaways and more, the Shazam experience gave viewers a way to step further into the experience. Since those tuning in are there simply to enjoy the entertainment, and music fans are known to go the lengths for a closer look at their favorite singers, this lent a convenient opportunity for an app such as Shazam to engage viewers (see story).

Similarly, spirits company Bacardi targeted heavy mobile users with a contest on Pandora that rewarded entrants with free vacation tickets while promoting the brand's Triangle station.

Mobile listeners using the Triangle station were met with a Bacardi ad, enticing them to enter the contest. Through this contest, Bacardi activated the social aspects of its brand to relate to outgoing mobile device users (see story).

Final Take
Caitlyn Bohannon is an editorial assistant on Mobile Marketer, New York