Tween group Girl Authority ready for big time

NEW YORK (Billboard) - Nine girls make up teen act Girl Authority. And they are ready for their close-up.

Like the Slumber Party Girls -- another act looking to connect with tweens -- Girl Authority debuted last year. Unlike the Slumber Party Girls, Girl Authority is not an integral part of a three-hour block of Saturday morning TV (CBS). Also unlike the Slumber Party Girls, Girl Authority does not have the backing of a major label, brand-management firm DIC Entertainment and AOL kids destination KOL. Yet Girl Authority has sold more CDs than the Slumber Party Girls -- much more.

According to Nielsen SoundScan, Girl Authority's self-titled debut (Zoe/Rounder) has sold 73,000 copies, compared with just 11,000 for the Slumber Party Girls' launch album, "Dance Revolution" (Geffen).

Scratching your head? You're likely not alone.

"People think exposure is king," says Tina Wells, CEO of teen marketing/consulting firm Buzz Marketing Group. "But it's about the connection. Girls must relate to the members of the group -- of the tribe -- otherwise there is a disconnect."

Also, Wells continues, "How good is the music? Too many people equate tweens with gimmicky. Don't underestimate the smarts of this demographic. You can't take anything for granted with this age group."

To illustrate, Wells points to the Disney Channel's worldwide smash franchise "High School Musical." "It's not gimmicky, tweens can relate to it."

And tweens are apparently relating to Girl Authority. With the recent release of the group's second album, "Road Trip" (a mix of originals and covers), the relationship, as well as the Girl Authority brand, is poised to only grow.

What makes Rounder executives and Girl Authority manager Michael Pagnotta, president of Reach Media, confident is the group's sturdy foundation. "We all agreed Girl Authority should succeed as a recording act first," Pagnotta says. "You must build the band first -- the music and the act -- and then the brand."

Don't forget, Pagnotta continues, "branding requires an audience to leverage." He should know. Up until one year ago, Pagnotta managed the lucrative careers of Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. At their peak, the Olsen twins attached their names to more than 50 product categories, resulting in hundreds of products sold around the world.

Pagnotta says Girl Authority reminds him of the Olsens' early days when there was no mechanism in place. He says it took the Olsens a long time to build an audience. "They'd been working since they were 6 months old," Pagnotta says. "For 15 years, there was real audience-building. Branding is about trust. Patience can be the best marketing strategy."

Between albums, Rounder never lost sight of extending Girl Authority's reach beyond its Boston home turf, says Elissa Barrett, VP of strategic marketing at the Burlington, Mass.-based label. "In fact, New York is our largest market," she adds. "When they're not in school or in the studio, they're touring."

With the "Girl Authority" CD, the group partnered with Saks Fifth Avenue's specialty retailer Club Libby Lu. This time around, the act has united with the Girl Scouts (a live concert at its 90th-anniversary celebration in Boston) and popular teen book series "Beacon Street Girls" (the group will be written into an upcoming book).

Direct-response TV ads for the new album, which includes a bonus DVD, began airing March 6. The following week, the video for the lead single, the

Vince Clarke-penned "Let's Get Together," will exclusively premiere on Yahoo.

Between school, homework and a career in music, 14-year-old Girl Authority member and ninth grader Jacqueline remains just a girl. "Girl Authority differs from other groups because we're younger and we make family-friendly music," she says. "Our new album is even more appropriate for younger kids -- and their parents can listen to it, too."

Reuters/Billboard