Playback - Spring 2009 - (Page 26) INTERNATIONAL Spotlight on Local Community Music Stores around the Globe RoCk ShoP kARLSRuhE, GERMANy RuDI MEtzLER oF RoCk ShoP ExPLAINS thE StoRE’S SuCCESS IN CREAtING A FoLLoWING oF MuSIC MAkERS oF ALL AGES. How do you think a music store can best establish itself in the community? “A good image is very important! We try our best to promote the ‘best’ image at our company, to transport all the special things we do and to let the people know that we are a special company with a great, hard-working team. We want Rock Shop (and Crystal Sound Ballroom, where musical events take place) to become a well-known and respected brand!” What steps have you taken to build a loyal customer base in your area? “We appeal to a wide variety of customers, music lovers and those in the music establishment because we are not only a store, we are a meeting point of the music scene. And we try to help with all questions concerning music, from advising a customer on how to book a band for an event, helping a student find a good teacher or giving advice to someone on how to play his favourite song with a new guitar. We try to find an answer to all questions! Our customers—local, regional, national or global—identify with our store and our team.” Do you have any programs or events that have worked successfully to draw in new customers of all ages? “We have lots of events throughout the year: classes, clinics and mixtures of workshops and concerts. Sometimes the teachers are really famous stars (for example, Dennis Chambers, drummer for Santana, and Simon Phillips, drummer for Toto) or product specialists. Sometimes our own staff members take over the role of a teacher for our customers. “Our biggest event is the yearly Rock Shop Party, with more than 3,000 attendees. It’s a festival with lots of bands and a programme for the whole family—for our customers and the public (people who may come just for the concert, but later could be a new customer!). Meanwhile, we get applications from bands from all over Germany to play at the party; it’s established as an important event in the musical scene of the region—and Germany as a whole.” Do you work with local schools/educators to build a network with students? “We have built relationships with some of the music schools in our region, and we partner with the music academy in our town. We also work with the Pop Akademie in Mannheim (the University of Popular Music and Music Business) and the Popbüro Stuttgart (the Office for the Promotion of Popular Music). Of course, we are also integrated into to the local culture and music establishment.” 26 PLAYback
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