Case Study: Universal Music Group Nashville achieves ACM Entertainer of the Year win and 20% record sales boost with NetBase Quid

How UMG Nashville Used Netbase to Help Luke Bryan, Entertainer of the Year, and Increase Record Sales by 20%

Universal Music Group Nashville faced a high-stakes challenge when Luke Bryan was nominated for the fan-voted ACM Entertainer of the Year: winning would boost record sales, but success depended on inspiring large-scale fan voting. Past campaigns relied on gut instinct, so UMG needed clear, timely insights into fan behavior, competitor activity, and what content would drive votes.

Using NetBase social analytics to track mentions and trends for each nominee minute-by-minute, UMG discovered competitors were front-loading their efforts and quickly reallocated resources to do the same. The shift produced a campaign spike that held through the voting period, delivered the ACM win, increased Luke Bryan’s record sales by 20%, and established a data-driven, real-time social marketing approach that improved efficiency and reduced risk.

Universal Music Group

Tony Grotticelli

Director of Digital Development & Analytics