Invoking ‘Nostalgia Vibes’ in Catalog Marketing

FUGA’s Senior Marketing Director Matthew D’Amico, and Mountain Apple Company’s Digital Marketing Manager Mike Pooley, explore the dynamic marketing strategies behind late Hawaiian musician and singer, Israel Kamakawiwoʻole’s catalog. “In catalog marketing, we want to invoke a vibe of nostalgia,” says Pooley.

The following is created in collaboration with Downtown Music, a company DMN is proud to be partnering with.

In a digital-first world, the magic occurs when one succeeds in preserving an artist’s legacy with authenticity. Nineteen years after Israel passed away, keeping Israel’s story alive — without adding anything to his catalog — is key.

Mike Pooley reveals how Israel’s limited archives are reimagined for modern platforms.

“The footage we have is either old school DV tapes or betas from news companies. We want to create fresh and engaging content for new audiences so we’ve digitized and upscaled the content to HD.”

“Now it fits better on widescreen and TV, also for social media use on YouTube shorts, TikTok, and B-Rolls. At times, we edit performances vertically and replace audio with sync.”

Despite Israel’s passing in 1997, Pooley has built a robust TikTok account. D’Amico believes ‘it’s breathing new life into Israel’s legacy and music.’

Most of the footage used to promote Israel’s catalog is from home video recorded by the label’s owner Jon de Mello. “With Jon’s home video stuff, it’s the side of Israel that nobody has seen. Most people have watched the Over the Rainbow video, plus maybe a few interviews. So, the behind-the-scenes stuff is really cool.”

“On social media, we use his words, his music, his performances. We tend to avoid TikTok trends because we’re using his name on the profile. I don’t know if he’d be into that,” says Pooley.

“We try to respect who Israel was as a person. So we use what he said in interviews, and the records of Israel’s conversations with our owner, de Mello.”

“I try to keep everything super short and authentic by using Israel’s words. If I add any copy to the post, I try to quote him or use something relevant from his emails.”

“We try our best to be as sensitive as possible because it’s not him, but I know he would be into it. That’s why we’re confident in doing it.”

On maintaining the intricate balance of authenticity and respect for the artist’s identity, Pooley says, “I’ve watched so much video footage of Israel and heard so many stories from Jon and other employees, I feel really close to him.”

Pooley thinks Israel would have enjoyed utilizing the capabilities of current digital technology. “He was geeky, so he would’ve loved all of this stuff. He would think it’s hilarious.”

In his role as Director of catalog at FUGA, D’Amico shares that he’s witnessed the power of one iconic track serving as ‘the gateway of discovery’ for an artist.

“In this case, it’s over the rainbow,” D’Amico says, adding, “And you do a great job of leveraging that iconic track to bring awareness to other tracks in the catalog.”

On how it all began with Israel’s iconic track, Pooley says, “We used Over the Rainbow as a flagship. And because we made that early decision to make a label channel on YouTube, we were able to utilize Over the Rainbow to get those less [famous] songs in his catalog to listeners.”

Pooley lauds YouTube’s role in the label gaining massive exposure for Israel and other artists. “In Hawaii, we’re literally farther away from anywhere else. It’s crazy how the music gets everywhere.”

Speaking about the history of Mountain Apple Company, which has been around since the late 70s, Pooley admits Hawaiian music builds an audience on its own legacy because ‘the history and culture is unique.’

“There’s an awesome Hawaiian music museum in our archives. Hawaiian music is ancient, very sensitive, and beautiful. That literally informs all of our decision-making.”

And when it comes to catalog marketing for an artist that has passed, the decisions to be made cannot be taken lightly. “With something like social media, especially to an artist who was alive before social media existed, the decisions we make are sensitive.”

Pooley adds, “What I’m saying about Israel is how we approach all of our artists, whether they’re no longer with us, or they’re just not as active.”

Since Mountain Apple Company is based in Hawaii, Pooley believes the brand also adds legitimate relevancy to the Hawaiian artist. “Israel represented his culture proudly. So we keep things fresh by using famous Hawaiian locations, plus aspects that were more in line with who he was.”

On how data and audience insights come into play for marketing catalog music, Pooley says, “Over the Rainbow is a special song. I’d love to see another track reach that level. It’s tempting to use data to get other tracks in front of people and hope that they connect with them like they connected with Over the Rainbow. But you can’t dig as deep with some of these analytics. The data is constantly changing.”

Speaking about emerging markets for Israel’s catalog, Pooley reveals that after the United States, Brazil, and Mexico, their current fourth-largest market is India.

“I thought maybe it was TikTok driving the Indian market, but I realized TikTok is not allowed in India. The algorithm is feeding them, picking up, and working.”

“When the algorithm works for you, it’s a beautiful thing. We’re seeing a larger trend in those emerging markets of Western pop music trending much higher alongside the local music. We’re seeing the same thing in this catalog, too.”

Pooley adds, “Israel would trip out on the fact that people in India are listening to his music.”

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