MEMORANDUM

Date: 7/11/2012 To: Michael Petryshyn, Luba Vasilik From: Elizabeth Cheong Subject: Communications Proposal Following a few weeks of interacting and learning with Riot Fest, it has become apparent that Riot Fest is one of the most anticipated and dedicated punk rock festivals that come through Chicago during the year. Since 2005, Riot Fest has brought some of the most notable and legendary alternative acts to Chicago for a weekend to remember. It started from a simple twoday festival at the Congress Theatre in Chicago to expanding the festival to a three-day carnival at Humboldt Park and spreading out to Philadelphia, Toronto, Dallas, and Brooklyn. Clearly, every single year has trumped the last. The advantage that Riot Fest holds above the other annual music festivals held in Chicago such as Lollapalooza and Warped Tour is that it keeps in the punk rock roots. Riot Fest emphasizes the legendary Chicago punk scene circa the 1970s and refuses to book any bands that dont represent the punk lifestyle (read: pissing off the powerful). The organization is small: consisting of only six permanent individuals that work year-round to book bands and venues and plan marketing efforts. The only help it receives is through its partnership with North Coast Music Festival and its expanding street marketing team. This is exemplary of the do-it-yourself mentality of the old Chicago punk scene. However, in 2012, it is critical to have effective and efficient communications throughout the organization, whether it be in between the team or out to the public. There is no central place or headquarters where Riot Fest employees and interns can come together and update each other or discuss problems. Therefore, ticket sales problems with partners tend to arise because nothing is in a central location. For example, we recently had problems with The Alley selling our tickets without documenting how many they sold and only giving us a fraction of what they sold. As of right now, the presentation of Riot Fest through social media outlets is scattered. The Facebook and Twitter accounts do not reflect the Tumblr and that represents a problem in the online personality of the brand. In turn, that also has an effect on the offline reputation of the brand because it is all connected. What people learn from the social media of the brand is reflected in how they see the actual organization (Schawbel 151). Throughout the year, the accounts are barely updated to maintain an authoritative hold in the Chicago music scene. Social media can impact an organization by transparency and authenticity in online conduct which, encompasses clarity and truthfulness in terms of who the practitioner is representing and the purpose of their online engagement (Bridgen 63). It is important to be interacting with fans throughout the year so that they know that Riot Fest is always listening and working to improve their experience. With the expansion of Riot Fest, the growth of the core team is imminent. If a communication problem is evident now, it will definitely become a real problem in the future. In order to remedy the problem, it is important to have a central place where all employees and interns can come and discuss problems and brainstorm ideas. It doesnt even have to be an office, per se. In addition, it might also be helpful to have one person in charge of social media in general so that everything is in sync and all updates will be made together. Starting out as a humble effort with a small team to bring great music to Chicago, Riot Fest has truly proved itself as a mainstay in the music scene. With great expansion and greater

competition, it has remained true to itself and will continue to be one of the most anticipated events in many years to come. Works Cited Bridgen, Liz. "Emotional Labour And The Pursuit Of The Personal Brand: Public Relations Practitioners' Use Of Social Media." Journal Of Media Practice 12.1 (2011): 6176. Academic Search Complete. Web. 11 July 2012. Schawbel, Dan. "Create Your Brand." Me 2.0: Build a Powerful Brand to Achieve Career Success. Print.

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