Connecting The Sixx Dots

Jacobs Media’s Keith Cunningham weighs in on what you can expect from Nikki Sixx at this year’s Jacobs Media Summit 13 in Austin, Texas:

Summit13_Nikki_250 What Nikki Sixx knows about branding and the rock audience that you might not, is what we aim to find out when he joins us at Summit 13, on September 18th, in Austin.

Why should you make the trek to Austin to see this session?

Sure, he’s touched more rock fans than any of us could ever dream of and his storied past is compelling. But we see Nikki as not just a wildly successful and talented rock star, but as one hell of a businessman, too. As I like to put it, he knows how to “connect the dots” to all platforms – and extend and evolve his brands in ways masters like Ries & Trout would admire.

This is something everyone in radio should be thinking about: Figuring it out, evolving, and extending our brands to other platforms, in meaningful and strategic ways.

Here are just a few examples of how Nikki Sixx has connected some of his dots:

His best selling book, The Heroin Diaries, connects to a soundtrack, a band, a charity he formed, video, countless interviews, and a world tour (with even more connecting to come).
Motley Crue’s new single, “Saints of Los Angeles,” connects to the front men from Trapt, Buckcherry, Papa Roach and Sixx: A.M.
Trapt, Buckcherry, Papa Roach and Sixx: A.M. connect to CrueFest.
CrueFest and its artists connect to the label Nikki heads, Eleven Seven records. The tour also connects itself to many other things like the Rock Band video game and Guitar Center, for example.
Nikki’s image and style connect to the clothing line he runs with Kelly Gray, Royal Underground (which can be found at Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, and Bloomingdale’s, among others).
Nikki is the unofficial leader and brains behind Motley Crue. That brand, as we all know, has done the unthinkable for most ‘80s hard rock acts – they’ve evolved numerous times, remained relevant for over 20 years, and have connected countless multi-platform dots over two decades. That takes brains and talent.

There’s a lot more we’ll discuss with Nikki at the Summit, like what he’d do if he were elected the “President of Radio.” (Whoops, I just connected a dot to another Summit session, sorry). And you’ll have the chance to ask him a question or two via text message.

Finally, the Summit started out as a Rock-centric event that has journeyed to diverse themes, from management to technology. With Nikki, the Summit returns to its Rock N’ Roll roots. We’re sure to hear a wild Nikki Sixx story or two, like him being arrested on the bullet train in Japan for throwing a bottle of Jack Daniels at some poor sap.

But this won’t be the predictable session with a rock star about sex, drugs and rock & roll. You’ll meet a very smart businessman who has done more than most when it comes to reaching the rock universe and being successful. And he has strong opinions about the radio and music industry, and how its brands can get better. It’ll be fun and productive.

See you at Summit 13 in Austin, Texas.

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Fred Jacobs

President & Founder at Jacobs Media

Fred Jacobs founded Jacobs Media in 1983, and quickly became known for the creation of the Classic Rock radio format.

Jacobs Media has consistently walked the walk in the digital space, providing insights and guidance through its well-read national Techsurveys.

In 2008, jacapps was launched - a mobile apps company that has designed and built more than 1,300 apps for both the Apple and Android platforms. In 2013, the DASH Conference was created - a mashup of radio and automotive, designed to foster better understanding of the "connected car" and its impact.

Along with providing the creative and intellectual direction for the company, Fred consults many of Jacobs Media's commercial and public radio clients, in addition to media brands looking to thrive in the rapidly changing tech environment.

Fred was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2018.