Review: Hyfn.com

Digital Marketing companies are becoming a dime in a dozen these days therefore it takes a fresh perspective on the market in order to gain recognition on the web. Hyfn.com is a young, west coast company rooting from building mircosites for punk rock labels. Their rebellious and off-the-wall ideas captured the attention of corporate giants because like their punk predecessors, they didn’t follow suit with their digital marketing peers. Now, they build social applications for well-known brands by striving to connect with consumers in innovative ways. They use ambient advertising techniques online to cut through the clutter and spread the word about a product or company. They have worked with Nokia, Wendy's, the Grammys, and Warner Brothers.

My favorite project they’ve completed has been a microsite for Warner Brothers hip-hop group New Boyz centered on the release of their album Too Cool To Care. The microsite allows visitors to type in the URL of their favorite website and graffiti on top of it using a paint toolbar. The user then has the option to post it to facebook, twitter, etc. The band's emblem appears at the bottom right corner in order to promote the album. See my creation below:

"Pretty Google Swag"

So how does this apply to our artist roster? Using this company to help promote our artists’ album releases, special concert DVDs, or even tours could capture the attention of an audience not in our normal reach...especially if these sites get circulated into social bookmarking sites such as StumbleUpon or Diigo. I think there are especially possibilities in a tour microsite in order to create a hub for all the buzz around live shows and to keep fans engaged beyond their one night experience with an artist.

Hyfn.com does a great job of capturing the "brand" of the artist and using that to cultivate an interactive center for new/existing fans. Even though Hyfn is no longer a company driven solely by music, it’s evident in their work that they are still Rock-n-Roll.