Jon Eisenberg of Blackspy Marketing offers a unique approach to marketing that focuses on connecting music lovers to their favorite artists. He works with bands locally and nationwide, giving music lovers and fans an opportunity to promote their favorite artists and festivals. Eisenberg works exclusively in the street team grassroots marketing realm, working with local music enthusiasts and fans to promote shows and events in their community.
This type of marketing allows music lovers to become brand ambassadors for live music by promoting their favorite bands in return for tickets to the show or festival, backstage passes or other comparable perks. Street team members contribute by putting up posters and flyers in hip, high-traffic areas and using their social media reach to promote upcoming shows and events.
Eisenberg was introduced to this style of grassroots marketing when he worked as a street team member while in college at The University of Tennessee in Knoxville. He graduated with a sociology degree but found himself drawn immensely to the music industry. “Street team promo was a hobby that turned into a passion that turned into a full-time job,” Eisenberg said. “I got to promote my favorite bands in college and I thought that was the coolest thing ever.”
Eisenberg started Blackspy Marketing in 2011 and has worked with over 1,000 street team members nationally. The idea to begin his own marketing company came to fruition when he moved from Knoxville, Tennessee to Boulder, Colorado for a music internship. He worked with Madison House and a few months later, SCI Fidelity Records where he got hands-on experience of what it was like building and working on street teams. It was when he started working with a couple of bands that he got the inspiration to build something of his very own.
“During my internship, there were moments where I felt like I could do things differently,” Eisenberg said. “But I wasn’t in a position to do or act on those. Getting my feet wet with the music industry internship gave me the confidence to want to start something.” Eisenberg started Blackspy 13 years ago and it has been his full-time job ever since.
Getting firsthand experience and making mistakes helped Eisenberg realize that he could do something bigger and succeed on his own. “I don’t think that I always thought I would be successful but I had the proper tools to succeed,” Eisenberg said. “The situations I put myself in set me up for success.”
Eisenberg has a close relationship with AEG Presents Rocky Mountains and Live Nation Colorado, which connects his company to a wide variety of national touring bands. This gives Blackspy and its street teamers the opportunity to work more shows and build more robust marketing campaigns locally and nationwide. “We’re grateful to team up with Denver’s best including Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom, Ophelia’s Electric Soapbox and CoClubs (a family owned group of nightclubs in Denver), Church Nightclub, Club Vinyl, Bar Standard/Milk Bar and 1134 Broadway.”
When it comes to choosing who to promote, Blackspy Marketing is very selective with who they work with, and will only promote artists whose core values go along with the brand’s identity. “Your ‘Yes’ is much stronger if you’re able to say ‘No,’” Eisenberg said. Although he promotes and enjoys almost any variety of music out there, his favorite genres of music to listen to are bluegrass, jam bands, funk and EDM. “Building community is definitely something that I cherish. Music inspires me to connect with like-minded people and new music and art drives creativity as well. It inspires me to chase the next best thing.”
A day in the life of Eisenberg’s busy schedule includes connecting with artists, marketing teams & festival producers, building new street team campaigns and strengthening ones he’s currently working on. You may find him at his home office packaging posters and flyers to ship around the country or reaching out and connecting with local street teamers alongside the top employee of every month: his dog, Simone. Right now, Eisenberg and the rest of Blackspy Marketing are working on promoting regional music events around Denver, including Rise & Vibes and Bluegrass Festival at Tico Time River Resort (40 miles from Durango), Rhythms on the Rio in Del Norte, Colorado as well as some non-local events like Solshine Reverie, Lightning in a Bottle, Bonnaroo Music Festival, Secret Dreams and Annapolis Baygrass Festival.
There aren’t many other full time street team & grassroots marketing companies in the Denver area, which makes Blackspy Marketing unique.
For music lovers, Blackspy’s grassroots concept gives them a memorable and interactive opportunity to participate with a festival or music event in their community. “Music marketing is a labor of love,” Eisenberg said. “And because I have such a passion for live music, going out to see new bands and connecting with friends makes my job that much easier.”