SHR6E032F~001 ORM23084062 Project Viability Study

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SHR6E032F~001 Project Viability Study TEMPLATE

1. Introduction and Proposed Project

Introduction

‘[…] every consumer industry is engaged to some extent in the production of cultural goods […].’ (Hirsch, 1972). This applies directly to the music industry through the sale of tickets to live events however, these ‘cultural goods’ cannot sell themselves; they must be promoted to showcase why consumers should purchase them. This project will combine my experience of working at a music venue with my creative skills to create a portfolio of audio-visual material that will be used for marketing purposes at Cambridge Corn Exchange.

If successful, this will directly improve my front of house role by bringing in more customers and increasing our profit margin. The current problem with the use of stock samples is the lack of professional image that is outputted to the public which can be easily resolved with bespoke music. This can be measured by the improved branding cohesion, audience engagement and demographic targeting.

Proposed Project

‘An increasing number of marketing strategies involve the use of music, and this is for a good reason – it is highly effective.’ (Neese, 2015). For this project, I will compose and produce twelve minutes of synced music for the Marketing Department at Cambridge Corn Exchange for use of videos including social media TikToks/ Reels and promotional videos for sponsors. The marketing team will create the visual aspects and may include spoken audio too – I will then write appropriate background music that directly relates to the specific event (in MP3 format without the voiceovers, as requested). I will be briefed via email for the concepts of each video. Should there be last-minute changes in visuals, this will be communicated with plenty of time, as agreed within the timeline I have provided (Appendix 1).

Goals

The main goal of this project is to increase the amount of interest and attendance for events organised by the Cultural Services Sector of Cambridge City Council. This is a commercial sector of the council and the ‘crowds are a source of income […]’ (Frith 2004) that is relied on. The success of this project will be measured by the completion of these goals:

Produce 12 minutes of finalised music across 6–8 assets by April.
Increase social media engagement for event content by 20%.
Establish an ongoing creative relationship with Cambridge Corn Exchange.

Personnel – Direct/Indirect

James Page (Appendix 2) is the Head of Marketing and he will be managing this project alongside Aneta Pilčíková and Freya Pryce (Appendix 3 and 4) who will create the visual elements for each event before sharing them with myself (Appendix 5) for the audio elements.

2. Methodology and Rationale

Methodology and Rationale

Methodology

‘The marketing process has many elements to it and it’s an ongoing process.’ (Harrison, 2025). I will be focusing on the musical aspect. Each video will be up to two minutes long and will require different musical directions – stylistic features can be seen in Appendix 6. I have decided to perform all of the tracks myself (as a multi-instrumentalist) because it will eradicate the need to rely on musicians to perform for me. Furthermore, ‘[…] in general, musical composition and musical performance are interdependent activities […]’ (Alperson, 1991) and I find that performing can enhance my composition. Moreover, this will allow me to work from my home studio (See Costs) which gives me freedom to work at times convenient to me.

This project needs to comply with Cambridge Corn Exchange’s marketing style therefore; I must be in regular contact with them for feedback. ‘One of the most important variables in the learning process is feedback, especially that offered by an external source […]’ (Moslovat & Franks, 2019). This suggests that not only will this ensure that the venue is pleased , but it will also improve the quality of my work. ‘Communication skills are essential in leading, managing and working with others’ (Adair, 2009), thus it is important that I know how to communicate effectively. It is important that I remember that ‘for effective communication, […] there has to be a correlation between what the sender is thinking about and what the receiver is thinking about’ (Winbow, 2002). In essence, clarity is key, especially as most communication will be via email (Appendix 7 for initial project layout email). This will be regulated by the flow chart in Appendix 8.

Rationale

‘The primary objectives of marketing are to identify and meet human and societal needs’ (Ekimov, 2021) and recently, ‘the internet has [proven] to be an excellent means of marketing the “brand”’ (Harrison, 2025). It is argued that this is due to the rise of social media and its utilisation for promotion as ‘social media tools enable deeper interaction between marketers and consumers’ (Laaksolahti, 2010). Due to the increase of social media usage for marketing, the importance of music for advertisement has increased incrementally, providing reasonable need for this project. Currently, the venue uses stock samples (Appendix 9) for their socials however, the quality is low and they want to improve this.

3. Market Analysis

Market Analysis

‘[…] musical experience is socially produced as something special […]’ (Frith, 1998) and it is shared with all demographics. Live music is an industry that is promoted to all people from a broad range of backgrounds, meaning that it is difficult to pinpoint a specific market. The current Instagram reach ranges from 500-19,000 views (Appendix 10) which is on par with other venues in the area and UK. The target for this is to increase by 20%.

Your Market/Target Audience

‘[Social media] should be treated as an additional channel with unique characteristics that can complement other marketing activities’ (Asaad & Gomez, 2011). One unique characteristic is the connectivity to younger audiences which the venue is trying to improve. More specifically, this project aims to entice Generation Z into attending events because of the decline of younger audiences (Appendix 11).

4. Costs and Budgeting

Hypothetical Budget

There will be no expenditures from me for this project as I will be utilising my home studio (Appendix 12). This will save in studio fees without sacrificing the quality as, contrary to some beliefs, ‘[…] recording on a low budget is not solely associated with beginners or amateurs’ (De Carvalho, 2012). In fact, ‘most studio designers agree that there is no perfect studio; instead a studio should be shaped around the needs and budget of the owner’ (Gutierruz, 2023).

The only hypothetical cost for this project will be my own fee. ‘A consideration for what musicians get paid for the work they do is important because of its potential ramifications on the amount of time and resources musicians can dedicate to their music-making and the subsequent impact this might have on their musical output’ (Baker, 2014). The Musician’s Union suggest fees for composers (Appendix 13) however, these are not reasonable for my experience and this project. The average fee for advertising is £8,263 per minute which equates to £99,156 for twelve minutes. This is an extremely high figure for this project. I have therefore opted to use the figure for TV Documentary music which equates to £1,404 for twelve minutes and four months of work. This is a fair rate as I intend to work for approximately seventy hours in four months including composition, instrumentation, mixing, exporting stems and revisions. This equates to £20.06 per hour which is a suitable rate for a new composer.

Potential Funding

This is a direct collaboration with Cambridge City Council therefore, the cost of my fee would be covered by the department’s budget. It is unlikely that I would require external funding.

5. Inspiration and Influences

Inspiration and Influences

I will be composing for a range of events, requiring a range of musical styles and arrangements. These styles need to be obviously defined therefore I will be using influences from key artists in these genres (Appendix 14). An audio sample of an early idea can be heard in Appendix 15 with a screenshot of the project in Appendix 16.

6. Contingency/Risk Assessment

Contingency/Risk Assessment

‘Contingency planning has long occupied a vital role in mitigating the negative impact of disruptions on project schedules and costs’ (Zarghami, 2024). It also ‘[…] aims to reduce the chances of failure in a business and it’s continuity, reduce risks to the business and reduce possible damage to the brand in terms of its reputation’ (Fernandes & Saldanha De Gama, 2008). See Appendix 17 for my contingency plan and Appendix 18 for extended micro-solutions.

I have also produced a Gantt chart to assist in time keeping for the project (Appendix 1). ‘[…] Gantt charts serve as essential tools for project managers to communicate schedules, identify potential delays, and focus team efforts on critical tasks for timely project delivery’ (Wadhwa, 2024).

7. Potential for Development

Potential for Development

This project has an array of development potential; one opportunity for me would be, with the increased exposure, I may get the opportunity to collaborate with other venues on a similar project. Moreover, I may have the opportunity for another project with Cambridge Corn Exchange as a paid collaborator. There is also the potential for me to become an in-house composer for other council initiatives or extend my portfolio into festival promotional videos for companies such as Festival Republic.

8. Evaluation Viability

Evaluation Viability

On reflection, I have learnt how much planning goes into a seemingly simple project and how many factors I need to consider when organising projects. One challenge that I did not anticipate would be figuring out my own fee, as it is difficult to find a middle ground between earning a reasonable wage and working within industry budgets. As this is still in the planning stage, I have not received much feedback from the venue, other than confirmation of the project, however, I have been assured that the visuals will be ready over the Christmas period. In future, I would perhaps begin the creative process earlier to allow me more time for the project.

Overall, I can confirm that this project is viable under the conditions in appendix 19.

9. Bibliography

Bibliography

Adair, J. (2009) Effective communication: the most important management skill of all, 2^nd Edition. Pan Macmillan.

Alperson, P. (1991) When composers have to be performers. The Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism, 49(4), 369-373.

Assaad, W. & Gomez, J.M. (2011) Social network in marketing (social media marketing) opportunities and risks. International Journal of Managing Public Sector Information and Communication Technologies. 2(1). 13-22.

Baker, S. (2014) Nobody expects to be paid… nobody asks “what is the fee?”. In Marshall, L. & Laing, D. (eds) Popular music matters. Routledge, 29-43.

De Carvalho, A.T. (2012) The discourse of home recording: authority of “pros” and the sovereignty of the big studios. Journal on the Art of Record Production.

Ekimov, M. (2021) The importance of marketing in the music industry. BIB Thesis. KAMK University of Applied Sciences. https://www.theseus.fi/bitstream/handle/10024/504803/Thesis%20Ekimov%20Mikhail%202021.pdf?sequence=2&isAllowed=y [Accessed 19/11/2025].

Fernandes, L.J. & Saldanha Da Gama, F. (2008) Contingency planning: a literature review. University of Lisbon. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Leao-Fernandes/publication/230807504_Contingency_planning_-_a_literature_review/links/00b7d539b619634c5e000000/Contingency-planning-a-literature-review.pdf [Accessed 03/12/25].

Frith, S. (1998) Performing rites: evaluating popular music. Oxford University Press.

Frith, S. (2004) Music and the media. In Frith, S. & Marshall, L. (eds) Music and copyright. Edinburgh University Press, 171-188.

Gutierrez, P. (2023) The study and application of studio design for the home studio. MA Thesis. California State University. https://digitalcommons.csumb.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2564&context=caps_thes_all [Accessed 03/12/25].

Harrison, A. (2025) Music: the business, 9^th Edition. Penguin Random House UK.

Hirsch, P.M. (1972) Processing fads and fashions. In Frith, S. & Goodwin, A (eds) On record. Routledge, 127-139.

Laaksolahti, M. (2010) Utilising social media in marketing digital music. BBA-IM Thesis. Lappeenranta University of Technology. https://lutpub.lut.fi/bitstream/handle/10024/72666/Kandidaatintutkielma%20-%20Laaksolahti.pdf?sequence=1 [Accessed 19/11/2025].

Maslovat, D. & Franks, I. M. (2019) The importance of feedback to performance. In Hughs, M., Franks, I.M. & Dancs, H. (eds) Essentials of performance analyses of sport. Routledge, 1-8.

Neese, K.V. (2015) The role of music in the enhancement of marketing. BA Thesis. Liberty University. https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1664&context=honors [Accessed 19/11/2025].

Wadhwa, K. (2024) The role of Gantt chart in project management. MEng Thesis. Vaasan Ammattikorkeakoulu University of Applies Sciences. https://www.theseus.fi/bitstream/handle/10024/865913/Wadhwa_Kanika.pdf?sequence=2&isAllowed=y [Accessed 03/12/25].

Zarghami, S. A. (2024) Resilience to disruptions: a missing piece of contingency planning in projects. International Journal of Production Research, 62(17), 6029-6045.

Appendices

Appendix 1 – Gantt Chart outlining the timeline for the project.

Appendix 2 – James Page, Head of Marketing for Cambridge City Council Cultural Services Bio.

Appendix 3 – Aneta Pilcikova, Marketing Officer for Cambridge City Council Cultural Services Bio

Appendix 4 – Freya Pryce, Marketing Assistant for Cambridge City Council Cultural Services Bio

Appendix 5 – Sam Ormiston (Me), Senior Venue Assistant at Cambridge Corn Exchange, Composer/ Producer

Appendix 6 – Stylistic features of six genres that may be used in this project.

Appendix 7 – Initial email from myself to James Page outlining the project details.

Appendix 8 – Flow chart of the process that will be taken for each video/ track.

Appendix 9 – Audio/ visual example of current stock audio used for ‘Music in the Parks’ event 2025.

Appendix 10 – Example of current views on Instagram posts for the Cambridge Corn Exchange Instagram account.

Cambridge Corn Exchange (2025) cambridgecornex [Instagram]. https://www.instagram.com/cambridgecornex?igsh=andjYXYwY25peTFr [Accessed 03/12/25].

Appendix 11 – Email from Thomas Thurbon, General manager of Cambridge Corn Exchange outlining the issue of the lack of young people attending venues.