Record Label research 1.

Syco Music Label

Syco Music is joint between Simon Cowell and Sony Music Entertainment. Syco Music rarely scouts for new artists, as the artists they sign are usually developed through television, and has a strong focus on promoting these artists through this format. Syco Music is also run by Sonny Takhar Siobhan Greene, and together Syco works with a number of US record labels to release albums in the states and in China.
Syco television creates and produces the X-Factor, and their record label signs the winners and on occasion maybe the other contestants. Globally, more than 100 million records have been sold by all of the artists launched through the series, including over 90 #1 singles and 150 top ten records. One of Syco's most successful artists is 2006's X-Factor winner Leona Lewis, and has become one of the top female artists in the world. Her first single 'Bleeding Love' brought out in 2007 sold over 20 million worldwide, and her first album 'Spirit' selling 7 million worldwide. The most unsuccessful artist to come from Syco Music is Steve Brookstein, who's ablum sold as little as 100,000.
The company has also produced some specials for broadcast in the U.K that is usually focused on music. These include 'Take That:For the Record,' 'Westlife's:She's the One,' and 'Paul Potts: By Royal Command.' Syco Music also produced a Susan Boyle special for ITV in December 2009.

In January 2010 it had been announced that Cowell had extended his long-term deal with Sony. This will still operate under the name of Syco and it will expand it's production of television, film, music and digital content. It will be co-owned by Sony and Cowell although British retail Sir Phillip Green (owner of Arcadia) will be a shareholder and will act as Simon Cowell's advisor.

The company will retain it's UK offices in London but will also open an office in Los Angeles as Syco want to concentrate on America's Got Talent and launching the U.S version of the X-Factor in September 2011, which is said to be the most anticipated television show in the history of television.

A lot of their promotional material is done through social networking and online material. Syco have their own Facebook page and as you may know Facebook is one of the most successful social networking sites as it has over 750 million users, with users spending over 700 billion minutes on facebook per month. Therefore facebook is an incredible platform for Syco to sell themselves to their audience.

What is also extremely clever that they do is use Facebook as a platform to not only advertise their company, but have listed all the other pages that they've liked which include every artist or television show that Syco has signed or created, yet again promoting their artists and televison programmes etc. Some of Syco's British artists (for example Olly Murs) are not known over in the states. However the Syco page of facebook is avaliable for all countries to access and therefore it could be suggested that they're also promoting their artists to other countries to help them break the market over there.

Another platform that Syco uses is another social networking site called Twitter. Twitter is amongst the top ten most used social networking sites, with 106 million users and 200 million tweets being sent each day. What Twitter also provides for it's users is top trends. Twitter Top Trending topics identifies topics that are extremely popular across the world, this is to help people discover the most breaking 'news.' Therefore by having a twitter account if Syco was to become a trending topic or one of their artists were this is also an excellent platform to promote their music. Here is a snapshot of today's trending topics.

Lastly, another platform that they promote their label on is Simon Cowells official website:
http://www.simoncowellonline.co.uk/#/syco/4545731053
On his official website not only does he advertise Syco music label but advertises the XFactor USA, which Syco television advertise. However as Syco label only sign artists from television contests etc, it coincides extremely well with the Syco's music.
A screen grab of Simon Cowell Online.