Steve Rifkind - The Street Team Concept

The Street Team Concept

The Street Team promotional model as pioneered by Steve Rifkind is based on the simple principle of word of mouth advertising coupled with the touchstones of what makes "urban cool.” The street team is fundamentally based on knowledge of the urban subculture on the part of the marketer and what the potential consumers relate to. "Nobody should put out a record before they know what the street thinks." Says Rifkind.

The main promotional techniques used by members of a street team mirrors the hip-hop subculture of graffiti. This can include posting bills or stickers in areas that are not designated for them or hard to reach places, or stenciling spray painted images or messages in high traffic urban areas. Other common street team practices include giveaways of promotional products (CDs, T- shirts, posters, etc.) at events (shows, basketball games, hip-hop battles, etc.) "We create the biggest buzz we can by building it one step at a time" said Rifkind.

By focusing on the trendsetters of urban cool culture; the rappers, DJs, and street hustlers, and knowing the best places to promote their artists (clubs, on college radio, street corners, record stores, at shows, etc.), Rifkind and SRC were able to make inroads into urban markets that many mainstream advertisers had a hard time getting to. "You can't reach America's youth with off the mark radio ads or insulting television commercials," Rifkind has said.