Our story.
Dream Big was founded in 2015 by Award-Winning Music Industry Marketing Executive Hannah Ladner (née Hannah Dudley).
Having relocated from London to Nashville, the company launched to support the forthcoming live album ‘Adrenaline Baby’ and US tour for Johnny Marr.
I had previously worked with Johnny’s management as Head of Digital at Warner UK, where I helped drive innovation, new revenue streams and digital strategy across Warner’s catalog (Rhino), frontline releases (East West Records) and Label Services division (ADA). Campaigns included Robert Plant, Danny Brown, Bette Midler and Johnny Marr.
Where it began.
My first music industry job was at EMI in London, focused on digital marketing, social strategy and advertising for artist campaigns across EMI’s catalog (The Beatles, David Bowie, Pink Floyd), Disney franchises (High School Musical, Tron Legacy), Blue Note Records and frontline projects (Iron Maiden, blur).
I launched and managed social profiles for these artists and was part of the core team that helped surprise the world with The Beatles’ launch on iTunes and Pink Floyd’s Spotify debut and their memorable Dark Side Of The Moon 40th anniversary campaign.
I drove comprehensive fan engagement and data acquisition campaigns for the label’s roster, including email marketing, website management, social ads & posting calendars, merch, playlisting, seasonal and anniversary campaigns.
Favorite campaign?
I spearheaded the digital marketing around blur’s 21st anniversary ‘blur 21’ campaign. It began with their Outstanding Contribution award and performance at the 2012 BRIT Awards and culminated with their momentous headline show in Hyde Park for the London 2012 Olympics Closing Ceremony Concert.
I built fan-focused initiatives around each moment, helped reposition the band and launched their remastered catalog and celebratory box set, achieving in excess of £1 million sales at launch.
Initiatives included launching offline to online art exhibitions, first-of-a-kind artist apps, interactive and immersive websites, merch and email marketing strategy and global tour marketing initiatives.
We found creative ways to repurpose ‘lost’ content to engage new fans and oversaw the remastering of ‘forgotten’ releases, working closely with the band’s team and Frank Arkwright at Abbey Road Studios.
We joined the Country Music world.
In 2016 I joined Sony Nashville as VP Marketing & New Business, overseeing all marketing, partnerships and international strategy across their award-winning Country roster.
I launched #1 albums and new artists, including Maren Morris’ GRAMMY-winning debut ‘HERO’, Kane Brown’s multi-platinum self-titled debut and Miranda Lambert’s GRAMMY-nominated ‘The Weight Of These Wings’.
I implemented marketing plans, award strategies (including Maren’s first CMA, ACM and GRAMMY wins), ads (radio, outdoor, digital, print), social and consumption strategy, events (showcases, festivals, artist tours), international plans and brand partnerships, including the Sarah Cannon Cancer Institute (Brad Paisley), Bud Light Dive Bar Tour (Old Dominion), FIrestone and Dr Pepper (Kane Brown).
We joined a Digital Agency.
I led the Global Marketing Strategy team at UK-headquartered digital agency WMA and launched their Nashville presence, helping to drive agency strategy and new business.
For almost four years, I delivered innovative, creative and award-winning marketing campaigns for artists as diverse as millennium parade, Donovan Woods, Old Crow Medicine Show, Ingrid Michaelson and Louis Tomlinson.
It’s all about Creative Control.
Having learned from the greatest at the most powerful major labels in the world, my focus has shifted to helping artists retain more creative control and where possible, a bigger portion of their own rights.
From Dream Big’s first client Johnny Marr, through to subsequent consulting and full time roles working with artists as diverse as John Doe, Yot Club, Rett Madison, Jive Talk and Andrew Combs, we’re hyper focused on helping artists navigate the ever changing world in an honest, strategic and creative way.