Who needs a press release when you have fans?
Putting user-generated content at the heart of a band's first new music announcement in a decade, transforming a traditional single release into a fan-led campaign.
Client / Company: The Hives
Results
- PR pick-up: Story picked up for homepage coverage by top rock & roll outlets Rolling Stone, Billboard, Loudwire, and Mojo — all without a PR team.
- Top-performing content: Fan-generated announcements amplified by the band became its highest-engaged social posts of the month.
- Organic amplification: Activated fan communities to spread release news through their own channels.
- Fan-first storytelling: Reimagined a traditional music announcement as a community-driven campaign built around exclusivity, participation, and user-generated content.
Goals
- Announce the band's first new music in a decade.
- Create an unconventional release campaign that reflected the band's close relationship with its fans.
- Generate organic buzz and user-generated content by giving fans an active role in sharing the news.
- Maximize limited budget by getting story on traditional PR outlets.
How I Did It
- Fan-led strategy: Identified and recruited influential fan accounts and online communities to become the first to announce the new single.
- Exclusive content: Coordinated personalized video messages from a band member, giving selected fans exclusive release details, artwork, and vinyl news to share with their communities.
- UGC activation: Invited fans to break the news organically before the band's official announcement.
- Community management: Coordinated fan announcements and amplified their posts through the band's official social channels, encouraging conversation and participation.