Carwash Part 3: An Example From Music Publishing

In a previous post we talked about how just opening a window into a project or process that lets clients see progress in real time can be a high-value service.

And in another, we provided a very basic, stripped-down example of how this might look.

A recent article, Kobalt Changed The Rules Of The Music Industry Using Data — And Saved It, which appeared in Wired Magazine, May 1, 2015, showed how one company is using this technique to transform an entire industry.

The article describes in detail how Kobalt created a web portal that allows songwriters and artists, for the first time, to look into the previously-mysterious and confusing pipeline of music publishing royalties.

The new system provides them with valuable information about where and how their music is being played, and lets them see in real time the flow of the royalties on that music.

Consider these quotes:

“Kobalt took the position nobody wanted to take — showing what’s behind the door…” 

“With Kobalt, artists see money gathered in real time at the point at which it’s collected…”

“You go into the pipeline yourself, this thing you were never even allowed to see before…”

“Clients…use the data to learn where and when their songs are playing, and plan marketing and tours around the results. It’s yet another level of transparency that can boost income and allow artists to drill deeper into data that’s never been accessible.”

And maybe best of all:

“Even if an artist doesn’t use it, the point is it’s there for all to see, and that creates deep trust.”

What processes exist in your business where just opening a window for your clients to look through could provide an enormous value to them and boost loyalty for your company?