S4 Ep. 101 WHY MUSIC MEANS MONEY FOR YOU IN HOSPITALITY with BRIAN D'SOUZA OPEN EAR MUSIC
THIS WEEK'S GUEST IS MUSIC GURU AND SUPERSTAR DJ BRIAN D'SOUZA AKA AUNTIE FLO WHO IS CEO OF OPEN EAR MUSIC AND SWELL
ABOUT BRIAN
Brian wears various hats within the music industry – by day, managing director and founder of Open Ear, a music playlisting agency that is re-inventing the background music space, co-founder of Swell specialising in the use of sound in health; by night, award-winning DJ, producer and live performer with the alias Auntie Flo.
Founded in 2007, Open Ear works from the twin pillars of the science of music and the art of music curation. Brian has studied both subjects extensively, with a MA in Psychology and MSc in Sound Design, plus a Creative Pioneer award from the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts (NESTA). Based in London, with offices in Glasgow and Manchester, Open Ear works with thousands of businesses and some of the most respected brands in the world, including Selfridges, Dr. Martens, Westfield and many more, creating unique experiences for their customers by using music in an innovative way – with expert curation and next-generation app technology. Every week as many as 500,000 people will be listening to Open Ear playlists.
Since bursting onto the electronic music scene in 2010 when he was proclaimed as 'one of the most original production talents of recent times' (Crack Magazine), Brian has toured the world with his unique take on global music using the alias Auntie Flo. The Guardian proclaimed he was ‘taking world music into the future’ and the Wire stated he is a ‘central figure of a new strand of club music’. He has performed multiple times on BBC Radio 1, 6 Music, Boiler Room and the major festivals around the world. He recently headlined the inaugural We Out Here festival curated by the influential BBC DJ Gilles Peterson, and his 'Radio Highlife' (Brownswood, 2018) album was awarded with the SAY award for Scottish Album of the Year 2019. Brian was named Scottish Electronic Musician of the Year in 2019.
In 2020, Brian trained in Sound Therapy and established Swell, a company focussing on harnessing the power of sound and music for mental well-being. He launched a 24-hour digital radio station, Ambient Flo, to aid relaxation and focus during the pandemic. The station has been featured in The Guardian, Rolling Stone, GQ and Pitchfork.
The balance of business and creative sides of music mean Brian holds a unique place in the music industry: understanding the ways in which music affects us all on a daily basis. He has in-depth insight into the cultural impact of music from a branding and entertainment perspective, as well as deep knowledge on the physiological and psychological impact it has on our lives – both positively and negatively.
This podcast is sponsored by Vita Mojo.
About Vita Mojo:
The future of your restaurant, built together.
Vita Mojo’s all-in-one platform helps restaurants increase ATV, run more efficiently and deliver an exceptional, fully-branded guest experience. Our restaurant management platform transforms your online and off-premise order sources - including delivery networks - in one fast, reliable and easy-to-use system.
Vita Mojo is trusted by leading hospitality operators such as LEON, YO! And GAIL’s, as well as midsize and large restaurants across the UK and Europe to continuously innovate - beyond their menu. To find out more visit vitamojo.com/supersonic
Silver sponsors:
HDI - http://hdinsights.co.uk/
Since 2017 HDi have been on a mission to improve the depth and accuracy of insight for the UK food and drinks sectors. We help our clients benchmark, understand and improve their performance, and we help them make better informed property investment decisions. We pride ourselves on the depth of our sector experience and knowledge as well as the quality of our client relationships. We help.
Saved by Robots - http://savedbyrobots.com/
When we’re not eating, drinking and enjoying great bars, restaurants and hotels, we’re creating them. Inspired by our home cities of Glasgow, Paris and London, we are passionate about creating compelling brands and memorable experiences through great design, engaging storytelling and genuine authenticity.
Airship - http://airship.co.uk/
The Hospitality CRM. Centralise your data. Send tailored emails. Drive visit frequency.
Toggle - http://www.usetoggle.com/
Hospitality Commerce. Start selling gift cards, experiences and retail products from your website, with Toggle. A service built alongside operators, to do the heavy lifting for you. We’ve built Toggle to overcome the challenges of setting up gift cards within your hospitality business.
ABOUT MARK MCC:
Mark McCulloch is one of the leading food, drink and hospitality brand and marketing minds in the world. Mark has over twenty years brand, marketing, digital and social media experience holding senior and board-level positions at lastminute.com, Barclaycard, YO! Sushi and Pret A Manger. Mark co-founded multi-award-winning brand and marketing agency WE ARE Spectacular in 2012 which is still going strong today. Mark is now fulfilling his lifelong ambition to live and work by the sea in Brighton where he is a Virtual Chief Marketing Officer and Brand Strategist for the best hospitality, tech and B2B brands in the UK and beyond. Mark is also a popular thought leader, speaker and broadcaster, the highlight of which being in 2018 when Mark began podcasting and his Mark McC Supersonic Food Marketing podcast hosting guests including the greatest digital mind in the world Gary Vaynerchuk plus music legends Fatboy Slim and Alan McGee (the man who discovered rock band Oasis). Mark’s podcast has been downloaded hundreds of thousands of times and has reached the top 10 in the UK iTunes business charts and is a regular Top 100 podcast in multiple countries around the world helping educate, entertain and inspire both the marketing and business community. Mark is also the Campaign Director for Hospitality Rising which is an 'Be The Best' army style campaign for hospitality to help solve the hospitality recruitment crisis forever.
For Consulting, Non Exec Director, Speaking, Hosting and Podcast queries contact
mark@supersonic.marketing
07881314385
This podcast is sponsored by Vita Mojo.
About Vita Mojo:
The future of your restaurant, built together.
Vita Mojo’s all-in-one platform helps restaurants increase ATV, run more efficiently and deliver an exceptional, fully-branded guest experience. Our restaurant management platform transforms your online and off-premise order sources - including delivery networks - in one fast, reliable and easy-to-use system.
Vita Mojo is trusted by leading hospitality operators such as LEON, YO! And GAIL’s, as well as midsize and large restaurants across the UK and Europe to continuously innovate - beyond their menu. To find out more visit vitamojo.com/supersonic
Our SIlver Sponsors are:
Airship and Toggle
&
Saved by Robots:
Saved by Robots are passionate about creating compelling brands and memorable experiences through great design, engaging storytelling and genuine authenticity.
Visit Savedbyrobots.com to get in touch
About Mark Mcc:
Mark McCulloch is one of the leading food, drink and hospitality brand and marketing minds in the world. Mark has over twenty years brand, marketing, digital and social media experience holding senior and board-level positions at lastminute.com, Barclaycard, YO! Sushi and Pret A Manger. Mark co-founded multi-award-winning brand and marketing agency WE ARE Spectacular in 2012 which is still going strong today. Mark is now fulfilling his lifelong ambition to live and work by the sea in Brighton where he is a Virtual Chief Marketing Officer and Brand Strategist for the best hospitality, tech and B2B brands in the UK and beyond. Mark is also a popular thought leader, speaker and broadcaster, the highlight of which being in 2018 when Mark began podcasting and his Mark McC Supersonic Food Marketing podcast hosting guests including the greatest digital mind in the world Gary Vaynerchuk plus music legends Fatboy Slim and Alan McGee (the man who discovered rock band Oasis). Mark’s podcast has been downloaded hundreds of thousands of times and has reached the top 10 in the UK iTunes business charts and is a regular Top 100 podcast in multiple countries around the world helping educate, entertain and inspire both the marketing and business community. Mark is also the Campaign Director for Hospitality Rising which is an 'Be The Best' army style campaign for hospitality to help solve the hospitality recruitment crisis forever.
For Brand & Marketing Strategy & Consulting, Non Exec Director, Speaking, Hosting and Podcast queries contact:
mark@supersonic.marketing
07881314385