RockBox Advertising

🎅 It’s that time of year folks, and we had such grand plans to create a slick, Spotify-style recap of what’s been an absolutely brilliant year at RockBox. Full of graphics, stats, and maybe even some smooth jazz in the background. But, in true RockBox fashion, the Christmas rush had other ideas! Still, I couldn’t let the year end without celebrating some big wins and brilliant people who made it all happen. 🏢 We’ve been busy installing screens into Universities and Music Venues far and wide. Looking forward to announcing many more partnerships throughout 2025. Shoutout to the one and only Frazer Stanford for leading the charge on this — top work, mate! ✨ The return of the legend that is Paige Nicolson from mat leave was a big highlight. She’s come back and absolutely smashed it as Sales Director — as if she’s never been away. 🎉 A big welcome to Philip Mellon, who’s hit the ground running, smashed his targets, and somehow managed to review every pub in central London on the quality of its Guinness (priorities). 🌐 We’ve had the chance to work with some amazing new clients and brands this year, including Voxi, Lemsip, AliExpress, Nike, and Marshall Amps — and that’s just the ones I can remember after the Christmas party. 🔹 David Lightfoot and the marketing team finally cracked the mystery of QR codes. Turns out, yes, students do look at the screens 🤯, and we’ve been putting those QR codes to work to collect some brilliant insights. 🪜 Meanwhile, Emma Spurr has been a one-woman powerhouse, managing over 200 client campaigns from start to finish. Big thanks to all of our photographers too! 🚚 Out on the road, our man in the van, JEM Davis, has been criss-crossing the country (try 4th gear Jem!), installing new sites and changing more 6-sheet posters than he’d like to count. 🍷Last but not least, a nod to Paul Carr for continuing to do what he does best, all year, every week, most days. (networking!!) But, as always, it’s all you lovely clients who’ve kept us on our toes. True to tradition, you've saved all your biggest, boldest briefs for the week before Christmas — and honestly, we wouldn’t have it any other way. Bring on January Refreshers! So, instead of that shiny, data-packed recap we’d dreamed of, we’ll simply say this: Merry Christmas from us all at RockBox! We’re off to the pub now. See you in January, refreshed and ready to roll (more posters). Cheers! 🍻

Throughout December and into the new year, almost 50 universities across the country are lighting up their student campuses, RED! Feedback from universities shows that RED January not only inspires active students to keep moving throughout the winter, it also reaches students that would describe themselves as ’non sporty’ and ‘intimidated by team sports’, to move in a way that works for them and makes them feel good. Work or study at a university and interested in joining RED January? Would love to hear from you at hannah@redtogether.co.uk A very special thank you to Wez Merchant and the team at Strike Media for securing this collaboration, and to RockBox Advertising for their incredible RED support. Community in action!

🔊 OOH supercharges social media’s ability to drive mental availability, and in turn transfer brands and their messages to consumers’ long-term memory. #IPAO #OOHTheDigitalPrimer #Insight

"I’m proud to donate £1 from every ticket on the UK leg of The Lifetimes Tour to the Music Venue Trust so that venues like Water Rats and Scala, where I played my first UK shows, can continue to usher in the next generation of music talent." - Katy Perry We want to say a huge thank you to Katy and her team for stepping up to support grassroots music venues, artists, and promoters. The contribution from these shows will keep venues open, get new and emerging artists out on tour, and enable promoters to bring the best in new music to our communities. Tickets for Katy's tour are on general sale from 22 November via www.katyperry.com/live

Light at the End of the Tunnel - Music Venue Trust statement on the Government Response to the CMS Select Committee Report on Grassroots Music The Government has responded to the Culture Media and Sport Select Committee report on the Crisis at the Grassroots Music Venue Sector, released in May 2024. That report contained a number of recommendations from a cross party group of MPs on what must be done to protect live music in our communities. The Government response is unequivocal. As of today, it is the official policy of the UK Government that every ticket sold at an arena or stadium should contain a financial contribution that supports grassroots music venues, artists and promoters. This represents the single most significant shift in more than fifty years of British music in the basic mechanics of how the live industry financial supports new and emerging talent, the spaces which host it, and the people who take risks to present it. The response from Government in the shape of Minister for Culture Chris Bryant MP's statement and the commitments by Department for Culture, Media and Sport to see this process through is a resounding success for the advocacy, understanding and support of the grassroots music sector. The Government’s response is so robust and unequivocal in its support for you, that it is now a question of HOW and WHEN the grassroots ticketing contribution from stadium and arenas is enacted, and not if. The ball is firmly in the court of the music industry to quickly and voluntarily establish the mechanisms for delivering the grassroots ticketing contribution. MVT is at the centre of those discussions and having daily conversations with the individuals at the very top of the industry. And the message is clear - get around the table and get this done or expect a statutory levy. There are many other elements to the CMS Select Committee Report which, together, create a viable, thriving, economically sustainable grassroots ecosystem. Action on Business Rates is coming, discussion on protections in planning, development and licensing for venues are ongoing. And we have not given up on the issue of VAT rates on tickets - still the highest of any similar music making country in the world. We are working with DCMS, meeting with Government, and engaging individual MPs to continue to push on opportunities for change which can create a supportive framework for grassroots venues, artists and promoters and not one that penalises them for their work. Thank you to everyone who wrote letters to their MPs, supported our campaigns, posted, tagged, shouted or just simply told someone that this actually matters to our live music community... [cont]