To give fans what they want when and where they want it, Sony Columbia Records asked IPG Media Lab to connect the label’s bands with Millennials in the new places where they spend time today. This meant identifying the right channels they spend time on and not just the right media buy. Our solution was to build the first of it’s kind fan community inside a messaging app by partnering with Kik.

The first band on the label that launched was One Direction. Records sales in this new channel exceeding expectations. After downloading the messaging app and the band’s special Kik digital card, fans could access videos, photos and social media news, buy promotional gear and connect with other 1D-obsessed teens. The more fans interacted with the app, the more content became available.