Overview:

After nearly two decades of touring and releasing music, Corey Smith had cultivated a deeply loyal fanbase across American. But as the music landscape shifted and algorithms became gatekeepers, Corey faced a familiar challenge for legacy artists: cutting through the noise to remind longtime fans—and introduce new ones—that his music was still as strong as ever.

When Corey partnered with Venture, our shared objective was clear: reignite his connection with existing fans, drive discovery around his new releases, and increase direct-to-fan revenue through email, SMS, and content-driven marketing. We weren’t just marketing songs—we were rekindling a relationship between artist and audience.

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Our Approach:

To jumpstart fan engagement, we designed a campaign rooted in value and nostalgia. We launched an exclusive email series that gave subscribers access to unreleased material from Corey’s archives—what we branded as “Special Reserve Small Batch Songs.” This content wasn’t just rare—it was personal. The vault tracks served as a reminder of why fans fell in love with Corey’s music in the first place.

The timing was intentional. These vault songs were released in the weeks leading up to the presale of Corey’s Suburban Drawl vinyl, priming fans with meaningful content and re-establishing Corey’s voice in their inboxes. The results were immediate and undeniable: 77% of all vinyl sales came directly from just two emails.

Seeing the effectiveness of this strategy, we quickly pivoted. Instead of continuing to spend on vinyl-focused paid ads, we redirected the budget toward growing Corey’s email list, doubling down on the superfans who were proving to be the highest-value audience. This shift transformed a short-term campaign into a long-term engagement strategy.

On the social side, Corey’s content began to take off organically. With the right creative support and audience insights, several of his TikTok and Facebook videos garnered millions of views, fueling a resurgence of interest among both new and existing fans.

By early 2024, we recognized an opportunity to formalize this growing community, giving rise to “The Regulars”—a name for Corey’s most dedicated superfans and a new foundation for deeper connection.

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Key Results:

Corey Smith’s campaign exemplifies the power of focused audience engagement. By mobilizing superfans through strategic email marketing and reallocating resources to sustain momentum, Venture not only helped Corey achieve his immediate goals but also laid the foundation for ongoing success. Today, Corey’s superfans are more connected than ever, and his influence continues to grow.

• Vinyl Sales: 77% of sales were directly attributed to the email campaign.‍
• Spotify Growth: 119,000 new monthly listeners
• ‍TikTok Engagement: Corey’s TikTok content reached 742.6K total likes.‍
• Superfan Connection: Corey’s Pop Index rose to 46, signifying his growing popularity and fan engagement.

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