How Crimson Rocks Raised $165K for Charity in 2022 With Black Keys & Extra – Billboard

A social affect tech platform lengthy aligned with the music business has discovered success on the iconic Crimson Rocks amphitheater close to Denver, elevating cash and consciousness for greater than a half-dozen non-profits working with almost 30 artists and comedians in 2022. 

Based by CEO Brandon Deroche in 2015, Propeller was initially created for the band Incubus to assist increase cash for his or her basis and educate donors in regards to the varied nonprofit teams the inspiration was supporting, Deroche explains. It was designed to advertise “a deeper stage of involvement from the followers,” past charitable giving, he continues, educating followers on the best way to assist causes by volunteering, advocacy work and contacting their native legislators.

“Followers might need recognized {that a} greenback per ticket from the present they attended went to a very good trigger, however they don’t at all times know who the group is and what that group does,” Deroche says. “It’s a missed alternative to show these followers into supporters of that trigger. And that’s an enormous side of what Propeller tries to do – present schooling and understanding of the alternative ways followers can take motion.”

The purpose for a lot of non-profits, Deroche says, is to broaden their advertising and marketing efforts to a youthful viewers, which is tougher to achieve within the present media panorama. By working with Propeller, non-profits are capable of faucet into the energetic fan bases of many artists, he explains.

The choice to companion with a venue was half of a bigger effort to broaden Propeller’s footprint and meet several types of audiences and artists. Whereas Deroche was searching for the correct venue companion, the city-owned administration crew behind Denver’s Crimson Rocks amphitheater was additionally searching for new charity-based companions to broaden the venue’s personal affect. After averaging about 80 reveals a yr for the previous decade, Crimson Rocks had gained approval to host 200 concert events in 2022 and was searching for methods to create a extra significant expertise for its rising viewers.

“We acknowledge that artists need to have an effect, and venues do too,” says Brian Kitts, director of promoting & communications at Crimson Rocks. “When Propeller got here alongside and mentioned they may match the venue with the artist and the group, we felt prefer it was the whole package deal.”

Propeller linked with each performer from the greater than 200 concert events at Crimson Rocks in 2022, providing every the chance to assist a explanation for their alternative with particular activations together with unique post-show meet and greets, memorabilia and facet stage viewing entry. That included an after-party with The Black Keys and Molson Coors for followers who took motion to assist Save The Music, with 100 winners chosen from the viewers at Crimson Rocks and chartered by way of personal shuttle buses to a secret dive bar location. 

“They make it very easy for me to indicate up, take part and lift consciousness and just a little bit of cash for a very good trigger,” says comic Bert Kreischer, who gave away free tickets and airfare to see his present at Crimson Rocks in September in an effort to lift cash for Local weather Motion Now.  

Earlier than every present, a brief video is proven encouraging followers to take motion for the prospect to win a ticket improve. Propeller additionally operates an interactive sales space with a prize wheel on Crimson Rock’s higher deck part to interact followers. 

In whole, Propeller interacted with greater than 95,000 music followers and raised $165,784 in its first yr, “a really spectacular first yr right here at Crimson Rocks,” says Kitts.

Propeller covers the prices of the activations and getaways included within the promotions it runs and collects a price from every charity and non-profit it represents. Deroche says Propeller can be again in 2023 and is trying to broaden even additional.

 “We discovered rather a lot,” Deroche says. “We really feel like we barely scratched the floor on what’s potential there. Subsequent yr we want to go rather a lot greater with our efforts and actually dive in and apply all the pieces we’ve discovered.”