Reach an audience you’re probably not reaching with your traditional “urban mindset”-focused media buys and outreach efforts. The audience that follows Boldaslove.us is interested in a range of new music, culture and lifestyle trends and ideas that are shaping the American–global, even–cultural landscape.
Boldaslove.us was launched in February 2007 and is the only regularly-written blog that focuses on exploring, celebrating and evangelizing the growing music genre known as Black rock, Afro-punk or urban alternative. The focus is not only on the music from African-American artists whose work falls outside the traditional confines of what’s considered “Black” music, i.e., hip hop & R&B, but also as a means to explore the cultural and lifestyle shift that’s helping push this music towards the mainstream. TV on the Radio, Santigold, The Noisettes, Living Colour and Gnarls Barkley are only a few of the artists who comprise this category. There are hundreds more.
The site uses a combination of written, audio, and video content to show the dynamic nature of this burgeoning community.
The readership
Since its inception, the audience for the blog has grown steadily. Some current indicators:
- Boldaslove.us gets over 6,500 pageviews per month
- Featured as an Editor’s Pick on EbonyJet.com
- 1,400+ people subscribe to the site’s RSS feed
- Nearly 1,700 people follow Rob Fields on Twitter, where the blog’s content is also syndicated.
- Almost 1,000 get the weekly email recap, which boasts an open rate of at least 20%
- The MP3 post are picked up by HypeMachine
- 200+ members of the growing Boldaslove.us Facebook group
- The site is included on Alltop.com’s Music page
The audience is multicultural and multi-generational, with estimates ranging from 25-55. The “sweet spot” is probably 25-45. The site skews male, but also has a significant female readership.
Key posts
The following posts help orient new visitors:
- What is Black rock? http://www.boldaslove.us/2007/02/what_is_black_r.html
- Best posts of 2008 http://www.boldaslove.us/best-2008-posts/
Also check out:
- Listening Posts. Hear new music.
- Reviews. A curated look at what’s new
- Video interviews. Meet some of people who make this community so vibrant.
- Photos. A look inside the scene.
Recent live events
- A music series called BoldasLIVE
- Approximately 400 people attended the Boldaslove.us showcase at the 2008 CMJ Music Marathon
About Rob Fields
Like Black rock, Rob Fields is many things. He’s an evangelist for this music. He’s also a marketer, having spent time at WPP and Dentsu-affiliated agencies. He managed musicians and worked in the music industry at Capitol Records. He is also a former Director of PR for the Black Rock Coalition. In the last year, he’s written about Black rock for The Huffington Post, The Root.com, EbonyJet.com and TheRoot.com. Rob has been a guest several times on NPR, and was a panelist at the 2009 SXSW Music Conference, CMJ09 and Indiana University’s Black Rock Conference.
Want to talk advertising/sponsorship rates and be seen as a brand that understands this cultural shift we’re all experiencing? Email Rob at rafields [at] gmail [dot] com.
