//LOVE ME// Experiential Hedonic Music Marketing and Its Effect on Purchase Behavior, Fandom, and Artist Branding in The 1975’s Tumblr IRL Initiative

In February 2016, alternative pop band The 1975 partnered with social media site Tumblr in an initiative called Tumblr IRL to promote the launch of their sophomore album, i like it when you sleep for you are so beautiful yet so unaware of it, through unique interactive marketing strategies emphasizing personal interactivity that enrich the fan experience in ways only a few other artists have even begun to consider. Through researching experiential marketing, identity signaling, fan communities, artist branding, and the effects of social media on fandom, I argue that this event combined various phenomena to maximize the fan experience. I will analyze the results of a questionnaire and depth interviews with fans who actually attended the event to discover the effect of the interactive element of this promotional technique.