Website Marketing Analysis: Maroon 5

Here is the link to their website: http://maroon5.com/

Maroon 5 have just released a new album called 'Hands All Over'.

• Immediately when you go to their web address this 'exclusive' shop pops up in front of the site. This is direct marketing as it directly advertises all the products they have on sale to the fan who has visited the page.

• When you then close this window you are greeted by another extended banner advertising the album - with plenty of links for where to purchase the album, including iTunes for downloading and Amazon for the physical CD.
• This title page also displays the dates of their Autumn tour with direct links buying tickets and RSVP-ing on FACEBOOK so everybody knows that you are going! This allows users to widen the appeal of the band as people annoncing that they're going to the show might encourage their friends to go too. This is in a way viral marketing for the tour which will also generate word of mouth across the extremely popular social networking site.

 

The site that follows is very conventional and serves every purpose that a website should:

• It has links to Facebook, Myspace, and the Twitter of each band member as well as links to YouTube, Flickr, and the band's official store.
• Visiters are also get the opportunity to login as a member or sign up for this privilige - allowing them to be able to post comments on the band's page and use the band store. This is direct marketing as once a user has signed up, they will recceive emails about news, shows, and albums.
• The image of the band is made very clear and the new album theme runs all the way through in the colour scheme and constant images of the artwork.

• The institutions behind the band are also displayed at the bottom of the web page - AM Records, Universal and Octone.
• There are also links to various tie-ins with the band which are charities that the band support.

Overall the website follows all the conventions of a high-budget professional page with links to absolutely everything you could want. It is clearly aimed at a very wide audience but with a focus on teenages and young adults due to the massive interactive element with a big feature being the intergration with social networking sites. 

It's just a shame that the album has not lived up to its expectations, failing to impress many of Maroon 5's core fans...