Hasta La Creative!

Marketers will again spend more on music sponsorships this year, much of it during the summer festival season that kicked off with Coachella’s start last weekend in the California desert. By the time Coachella concludes this weekend, the festival will have charged millions of dollars for connecting its millennial attendees with brands including Heineken, Red Bull, Samsung, H&M, JBL and Sephora.

But it’s only the beginning of another active summer for marketers eager to reach young people. More than $1.34 billion will be spent sponsoring music venues, festivals and tours this year, a 4.4% increase from 2013, according to a report from IEG. “If you’re a brand you want to be associated with someone having a transformational moment in their life,” said Chad Isaaq, exec VP of business development and partnerships at Superfly Productions, co-creator of festivals including Bonnaroo in Manchester, Tenn.

A few brands have tried to fully own such “transformational moments” lately, yielding the springtime Red Bull Music Academy in New York and Budweiser’s end-of-summer Made in America concerts in Philadelphia. “There’s been increasing interest from brands to take greater ownership in the festivals and events they support,” said Chris Johns, director at Frukt, a brand and music strategy agency.

Continue reading at AdAge.com