Each time Universal/MCA Records issues a new musical release, a mad scramble to create and distribute background materials to the media was on. Demand for new releases hinges on consumers being deluged by news stories, on-air mentions and promotional videos about the new release. It is the media kit, a compilation of materials including visuals of CD covers, play lists, press releases, artist photographs, press clippings and background information, that fuels new release promotion. A wealth of multimedia assets have to be quickly searched to create, assemble and distribute the media kit.

At Universal/MCA Records, the needed materials resided in different computer- and paper-based systems, making the creation, production and distribution of the media kit a painful, expensive and time-consuming process. In the competitive world of music promotion where timing is critical, Universal/MCA Records decided to search for technology that would speed the process.

The kind of technology solution that Universal/MCA Records needed would unify the multimedia asset types now held in disparate systems, streamline the process of creating a media kit and ultimately improve the accuracy of the kit as well. Access to the new system would have to be simple because marketing professionals with a range of computer skills needed to be able to use the system. In addition, Universal/MCA Records wanted the new system to be operational in just six weeks.

Universal/MCA Records selected B2B Technologies, an e-business expert and Microsoft Gold Certified Partner, as its technology specialist on the project. B2B Technologies recommended that Universal/MCA Records use a central repository to manage its multimedia assets. The central repository would help ensure that all the marketing specialists who needed to create the release-specific materials would be using the most accurate and up-to-date promotional elements. To ensure ease of use, B2B Technologies built system access around a Web browser and the company's existing intranet, minimizing the need for staff training.

As a result of the new system, marketing specialists can now create media kits on the fly for any Universal/MCA Records new release in a matter of minutes.