When Brian Walton released his first album, “Made in the Shade,” in 1993, record companies handled A&R, booking, and fan relations. When the music industry underwent a massive transformation in the early 2000s, Brian’s record company dropped many responsibilities, including fan relations, and handed him a fan contact list with no guidance on how to engage them.
While he explored various platforms—anyone recall the MySpace era?—it wasn’t until he signed with K&P Enterprises in 2010 and handed over his fan contact list that his community felt truly re-engaged. When Brian signed with publisher HarperCollins last year, they immediately got to work on his identity and reputation, providing fans with updated photos and information about the award-winning producer/composer and recording artist.
With Brian’s work in Hollywood putting him on the fast track for prestigious awards, the sense of urgency to re-engage and reorganize the Walton’s Mountaineers Fan Club has been cranked up to 10. Now, with a spanking-new charter, Tanya Mellons will continue to chair international and US operations, while Tim Yo will direct Asia-Pacific (APAC) operations and Klaus Neumann will head European, Middle East, and African (EMEA) operations.
Previously, the Walton’s Mountaineers Fan Club functioned independently with minimal support. The Mountaineer board’s goal is to clearly associate Brian’s fan club with Brian himself and give it the tools it needs to serve the fanbase effectively. To do this, they enhanced Brian’s official website with community features, allowing fans to register and access free perks such as VIP passes, exclusive photos, and news. The team adopted an ‘opt-in’ system, giving fans control over the type and amount of information they receive, while also enforcing strict privacy rules to safeguard fans’ personal data.
In addition to the officially chartered communities, many independently managed communities and blogs discuss Brian’s work. The charter aims to support these groups through a worldwide outreach program that offers unified messaging, ensuring the roughly 250,000 Brian Walton fans receive the latest news and materials.
And that’s only the beginning. As the board gets to work, stay tuned for many new and exciting updates, fellow Mountaineers!
