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Coachella from My Couch

by Rachel Chandler.
Published on April 22, 2016, at 7:15 p.m.

With the way technology is today, you don’t even have to go to Coachella to be at Coachella. I have never been to this popular music and arts festival, yet I still feel like I’m sitting on the hot, dusty fields of the Empire Polo Grounds in Indio, California, every year.

If you have not already been informed by your social media feeds, the two-weekend Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival of 2016 is in full swing. According to an article in Billboard, its first weekend has already broken record attendance.

Courtesy of Alan Paone via https://commons.wikimedia.org/
Courtesy of Alan Paone via https://commons.wikimedia.org/

So, why is Coachella so distinguished?

Besides the fact that Coachella is stationed near the historically famous city of Los Angeles, swarming with the most famous celebrities and socialites, there is a lot that goes into the branding of the festival itself to make it one of the most popular in the world.

The rise
Each year, Coachella sets a new record in growth and attendance. Its first festival was held in 1999 with an attendance of 25,000, but the production took the next year off due to a weak turnout and financial losses.

Boy, was that misstep left in the dust.

In 2001, Coachella stepped back in with dominance in mind. Since its initial festival in 1999 to 2012, daily attendance went up almost 400 percent. Last year, 198,000 tickets were sold and the festival grossed well over $84 million.

The hype
With such a digital-demanding generation, visual content — and a lot of it — is essential. Coachella has a strong social media presence and does a great job targeting its young, bohemian enthusiast audience. By implementing strategies such as giveaways, TBTs and performance promotions months before the event, Coachella keeps its followers (not so) patiently awaiting the highly anticipated festival commencement.

Oh, and you can’t forget the flashy Welcome Box, which I’ve only seen via Snapchat of course. Just days before hitting the grounds, attendees receive pleasant packages containing their wristband, welcome guide, calendar and virtual reality headsets — a marketing tool in and of itself.

Courtesy of https://coachellavalley2016-californiamusic.rhcloud.com/coachella-2016-box/
Courtesy of https://coachellavalley2016-californiamusic.rhcloud.com/coachella-2016-box/

The experience
In the midst of the social experience Coachella brings, the music and art components of the festival are what truly bring everyone together. This festival keeps things new and fresh, always adjusting to the “changing ways music is being consumed.”

With live YouTube videos, further efforts have been made to engage those who could not attend the festival. Who knows, with the virtual reality movement at work we may see live-stream VR footage in the near future.

So, you can’t attend Coachella either? Looks like your chances of hanging out with some of the hottest celebs around are out. You’re also missing out on the perfect opportunities to establish a notable cyber-identity. Don’t worry too much, though. If you’re anything like me, you’ll learn to survive the glorified Woodstock experience through your digital screen.

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