Rock Sound media pack for researching the market place

1. MEDIA PACk
SUMMER 2013

2. WHO WE Are :
Rock Sound provides its partners unique opportunities
to reach the vibrant, savvy and fast-moving new music
and youth lifestyle markets.
In a hugely competitive market, Rock Sound has
thrived for over 14 years because we provide exactly
what music fans want: immediate and meaningful
access to the best new bands and the biggest names
on the scene alike. We were first to cover the likes
of Paramore, Bring Me The Horizon, My Chemical
Romance and hundreds more, and we’ve cemented our
reputation on creating rather than following trends.
Every issue of the magazine comes with a free CD
curated by Rock Sound staff to showcase the great
new music featured in the issue.
As the UK’s leading independent rock title, Rock
Sound has built up an unparalleled level of trust and
credibility among our audience. And as we’re the most
forward-thinking music title on the market, our brand
expansions – the annual Rock Sound Riot and Exposure
tours, one-off Rock Sound Presents shows, festival
sponsorships, mobile app and a burgeoning video
production unit – are embedded into all aspects of our
audience’s lives. However they consume music and all
its related offshoots, we’re there first.
Contacts
Business Development Manager
ben.crudgington@rocksound.tv
Ben Crudgington
tel: 020 7877 8776
Editor
ben.patashnik@rocksound.tv
Ben Patashnik
tel: 020 7877 8772
Publisher
patrick.napier@rocksound.tv
Patrick Napier
tel: 020 7877 8779
“Partnering with
Rock Sound enables
Impericon to align
itself with the best
live music events
whilst simultaneously
providing unrivalled
access to the title’s
knowledgeable
audience through
various advertising and
editorial solutions
across its print, online
and social media
platforms.”
Paul Towers,
Impericon.com.
Rock Sound Impericon
Exposure Tour partners
Rock Sound Ltd.
Unit 2.38 Whitechapel
Technology Centre,
75 Whitechapel Road,
London, E1 1DU
fax: 020 7377 0455

3. WHY ADVERTISE
IN ROCK SOUND?
Totally and fiercely independent, Rock Sound has
been the voice of credibility in the rock scene for over
14 years.
Across our media touchpoints*, Rock Sound reaches
a total audience of 715,000 people each month,
enabling your campaign to benefit from consistent
message positioning, increased impact, response and
a significantly strengthened market presence.
85% of our audience uses Rock Sound to discover
new music and trends. (Up from 78% in 2010)
More than any other resource for music discovery.
Significantly more than any other source, their
friends buy based on their recommendations
Rock Sound’s audience has a median age of 21,
providing you with the perfect opportunity to tap
directly into the highly elusive and lucrative youth
lifestyle market. Ideal for your messages whether
you work in the music, fashion, gaming, film or
technology sectors.
Rock Sound readers spend more than £250 million
each year on music and attending gigs.**
(Up from £210 million in 2010.)
With a thirst for fashion, Rock Sound readers spend
£433 million a year on fashion.**
(Up from £245 million in 2010.)
“Rock Sound lives and
breathes live music.
It therefore provides
the ideal audience for
advertising events
and the opportunities
by which to reach
it. When we collaborate
I do so knowing that the
finished product will
be nothing short
of professionally
executed.”
Mark Walker,
Promoter @ Kilimanjaro
* Magazine, Digital Edition,
Website, Social Media,
E-Newsletter, Live and Apps.
**Based on Audience x
Individual’s Average Monthly
Spend x 12
All figures taken from
Rock Sound Audience research
October ’12 conducted by James
Burckhardt, Edge Associates

4. AUDIENCE:
Unique users on rocksound.tv have exploded 500% in 24
months, aided by our feverishly busy social networks –
current reach: over 385,000 followers across Facebook,
Twitter, YouTube, Tumblr, Google+ and Instagram –
which is testament to the fact we’re achieving even
more cut-through in a crowded marketplace.
We Are Young
55% female, 77% aged 15-24
WE BUY MUSIC
In total, our audience spend over £250 million*
a year on music and attending gigs.
WE LOVE FASHION
Rock Sound readers spend £245 million*
a year on fashion
“Rock Sound’s my
personal favourite
music magazine.
They’ve always focused
a lot more on the music,
not the gossip.”
Oli Sykes,
Bring Me The Horizon
WE ARE INFLUENTIAL
85% of our audience use Rock Sound to discover
new music & trends. Significantly more than any
other source. And their friends buy based on their
recommendations
WE LOVE ROCK SOUND
Rock Sound’s audience love music and value being
connected. 52% follow Rock Sound across its print,
web and social network platforms and 82% across at
least 2 of these.
*Based on Audience x Individual’s
Average Monthly Spend x 12
**All figures taken from
Rock Sound Audience research
October ’12 conducted by James
Burckhardt, Edge Associates

5. Key Facts
Frequency:
Magazine 13 times a year (every 4 weeks), Online daily
Total Brand Audience:
715,000 people PCM
ONLINE: 250,000 unique users
Readership: 45,902
(3.7 readers per copy; source Experian reader survey)
Circulation: 12,406
(source ABC JAN - DEC 2012)
Core target: 15 - 24 year olds.
“Rock Sound has always
treated us with
respect. We’re so
grateful to have been
on a few covers of this
magazine.”
Hayley Williams,
Paramore
Distributed by: Marketforce
Available at:
WH Smith, Morrisons, Tesco, Asda,
Sainsbury’s, HMV and all good newsagents nationally.
Digital Edition launched 2013.
Available on phone, ipad,
Android, Magzter and Kobo.
*Based on Audience x Individual’s
Average Monthly Spend x 12
**All figures taken from
Rock Sound Audience research
October ’12 conducted by James
Burckhardt, Edge Associates

6. Online Rates
950 x 250 Superleader £35 CPM
728 x 90 Leaderboard
£13 CPM
300 x 250 MPU
£15 CPM
Homepage takeover
£1500 PW
Email standalone
£70 CPM
Email newsletter inc.
£25 CPM
Video Pre Roll
£30CPM
(all figures excluding VAT)
All web traffic monitored by AdTech
PRINT RATEs
dps
obc
ifc/ibc
full page
half page
quarter page
£3080
£2420
£2090
£1815
£990
£550
PRINT Dates
Issue
Ad Close On Sale
177 Summer 24/06 17/07
178 Sep
22/07
14/08
179 Oct
19/08
11/09
180 Nov
16/09
09/10
181 Dec
14/10
06/11
181 Jan
11/11
04/12

7. MAGAZINE
BENEFITS OF
INTEGRATED
CAMPAIGNS
WEBSITE
Rock Sound can offer a close alignment with both the
highly desirable youth lifestyle and live music scenes
with one well-placed campaign.
• Consistent brand / message positioning.
TV & VIDEOS
• Multiple communication channels increase impact
and recall.
• Complementary use of the respective strengths
across platforms:
LIVE EVENTS
Print - Quality time spent with magazine
•
Web - Immediacy
•
MOBILE APP
•
Social Media - Interaction
•
Live - Message placement in exciting
atmosphere
• Total campaign accountability and measurement.
SOCIAL MEDIA
NEWSLETTER
• Strengthens market presence.
ROCK SOUND
TOTAL REACH
> 715,000
PER MONTH

8. CASE STUDY 1
• Red Bull wished to raise the profile and drive entries
in to their Bedroom Jam competition.
• Rock Sound put together an integrated campaign,
incorporating magazine and web editorial, a bespoke
countdown clock, news blasts on social media and
streamed video footage from the Bedroom Jam shows.
Rock Sound also ran regular ‘calls to arms’ across its
web assets ensuring the event stayed fresh in readers
minds.
• Red Bull Bedroom Jam 2011 grew by at least 150% year
on year, becoming the biggest year in the competition’s
history. Now in its third year, the partnership has been
renewed for 2012 and is already breaking further records.
• Bands now consider Red Bull as fantastic facilitators for
creating unique opportunities for up and coming artists.

9. CASE STUDY 2
• EMI records approached Rock Sound for marketing
ideas in order to promote the release of the new album
by You Me At Six, ‘Sinners Never Sleep’.
• To maximise pre-orders of the album, rocksound.tv
hosted a homepage takeover in the fortnight leading up
to the album’s release date. This was backed up by an
outside back cover print advert in the print magazine,
creating awarenes and driving people to the
pre-order page online.
• ‘Sinners Never Sleep’ opened at #1 in the UK’s official
Rock Chart and at #5 in the album chart.
• You Me At Six have gone on to receive prime time
airplay on Radio 1 from the station’s biggest DJs;
Zane Lowe, Fearne Cotton, Scott Mills and more!

10. CASE STUDY 3
• Fender Guitars wished to break into the music lifestyle
scene, so Rock Sound brought them on board as title
sponsors of the inaugural ‘Rock Sound Presents…’
tour with the strapline ‘Powered By Fender’.
• Through its contacts, Rock Sound was able to put
together an unrivalled billing of some of the most
exciting bands in rock, creating a live experience
which set tongues wagging throughout the scene.
• Backed up by a five-month campaign across Rock
Sound magazine, rocksound.tv, social media and TV
advertising, over 2 million people were exposed to
Fender branding throughout the campaign’s lifetime.
• The ‘Rock Sound Presents… Powered By Fender’ tour
was a complete sell-out, selling 15,000 tickets.