Imagine a week on a very nice cruise boat in the Caribbean Sea where every day there are at least 25 or so live musical performances from your favorite artists who not only give out masterful performances but mingle with the fans before and afterward like they were your next door neighbor. Imagine these favorite artists collaborating to create super jam sessions where guitars, pianos, mouth harps, drums, fiddles, saxophones and more come together to create never before heard combinations that are just as amazing as the songs you know.
This was my experience last week on the Cayamo Cruise. This particular music festival at sea featured Lyle Lovett, Brandi Carlile, Richard Thompson, Keb’Mo’, Joe Purdy, and my new favorite, Chuck Canon, along with about 40 other singer/songwriters and bands. Wow, was it fun.
For me, as a marketer, I was inspired. We can’t ever forget the power of music as a pervasive connector of people. Whenever there is an opportunity to make music an important component in the story telling we do for our brands, we dial up the opportunity to connect.
The viral nature of this experience was also compelling. Call it a floating Facebook. A couple of thousand people brought together as instant friends by their mutual fandom, sharing stories and experiences online and off. It would be very interesting to track the number of impressions that will be exponential to this cruise. Profit and passion come together here.
Then add the beautiful sunshine, Caribbean waters and food and drinks to satisfy anyone and everyone on board. Yes, this is definitely a good business model.
And this is the business that an Atlanta company called Sixth Man has been growing for more than 12 years. In fact, since 2001, Sixth Man has hosted more than 100,000 guests over 500,000 days at sea with world-class artists and brand partners that share this company’s desire to “embrace a community of fans and friends enthusiastic about life, music and friendships.”
And last, what a great example of innovation—music festival meets cruise to create a new kind of travel company that’s been recognized by Inc. Magazine and others for its success. Check it out at www.sixthman.net. And as Andy Levine of Sixth Man would say, “Live Loud.”
