Scaling their systems up to respond to the demand was no problem for Fender because their infrastructure was built for it. The first 100,000 new subscribers had no impact on their systems, which gave them time to scale up to handle additional growth. Their subscription management platform had been specifically designed and tested to accommodate the additional demands on customer service and video delivery that would be required by rapid growth.  

From a customer perspective, Fender Play began providing additional original content, which became available seven days a week, including live programming through Instagram, Facebook, and remote sessions on Zoom. Topics included gear rundowns and special lessons for kids, and, most recently, some Billie Eilish ukulele tutorials. “Music is a solace and a therapeutic,” says Kaplan. “It reduces anxiety and it’s good for the brain.”

With so much of their digital success driven by video content, Fender made an investment in production quality a priority from the beginning. Their state-of-the-art production studio in Los Angeles produces an evergreen content library of over 3000 videos that is organized around curriculums and teaching. With so many additional subscribers, the company is now looking at different ways to organize the content to keep people engaged longer and enhance discoverability.

All that interaction with the content has paid dividends in terms of data, though it comes with challenges. The ebbs and flows of user volume, trial starts, and usage patterns changed dramatically during the pandemic. “With so many people at home, both kids and adults, guitars are being dragged out of closets and from under beds—people want to play and learn,” says Kaplan.  

The company’s push for direct customer relationships during the pandemic has also been a win for their retail partners. With lockdowns and retail closures, Fender’s independent and national dealer network faced headwinds. The goal of Fender Play has always been to help retailers adapt to digitalization and subscription business models. Reinforcing the brand via the online community is a win-win for retailers, who are going to be in that much better shape with all the additional usage of Fender products during the pandemic. Ultimately, if Fender Play helps sell more Fender products, retailers will benefit. 

In terms of subscription business KPIs—time to first lesson, lesson completion ratios, overall engagement—all the metrics are pointing up. Fender Play has had more than 200% increase in engagement on social channels, with over 10% growth in terms of the numbers signing up through that channel. 

Now, Fender is in the process of converting the free trials into paying subscribers.

“Our customers’ relationship with our products and with our service has undergone the biggest fundamental shift in four weeks that I’ve ever seen,” says Kaplan.