When Music Industry Publicity Goes Wrong

Where there is fame, fortune and publicity, there will also be ample rumor and controversy. Clive Davis and Kelly Clarkson are no exception to this rule. One would assume that an artist's recording label would be among the people who are most invested in bettering their client's career and public reputation. However, that was clearly not the case in the situation of Clarkson and her long-time record producer, Clive Davis. Considerable controversy has swirled around the release of the American Idol alum's third album "My December," which was allegedly the culmination of Davis and Clarkson's creative differences. 

In Davis' recently released memoir "The Soundtrack of My Life," he publicly ousted Clarkson's songwriting abilities and overall mental stability. Regardless of whether or not the aforementioned accusations were even accurate, the sheer fact that an accomplished, well-respected music industry executive would be willing to publicly defame one of his very own clients is utterly appalling to me. I am not going to delve any deeper into this Davis/Clarkson debacle because I am not in a position to say whose accusations were, in fact, truthful. 

This post was not meant to perpetuate rumors surrounding Davis and Clarkson's creative parting, it is, however, meant to suggest an alternative producer-client relationship that the recording industry should pattern their publicity efforts after. It would not be fitting of me to have a blog dedicated to recording industry promotion and publicity techniques if I did not address the issues of crisis communication and reputation management within the music industry. As I mentioned before, it would be very difficult to manage the careers of famous singers and musicians, who are constantly subjected to public scrutiny, without incurring any minimal reputational damages along the way. 

Armed with this knowledge, music industry professionals should prepare themselves for negative publicity surrounding their clients, all the while hoping for consistently positive publicity. Music publicists do not, however, have to fall victim to these "publicity stunts." Addressing the issues of crisis communication and reputation management is, in fact, one of the many pivotal moments where public relations is absolutely essential to the success of the music and recording industry. 

In order to avoid incurring any unnecessary reputational damages in the case of their clients, music industry public relations professionals should, first and foremost, keep a watchful eye on social media platforms and industry-related Internet publications. With all of its benefits and opportunities, the Internet can also be one of the most negative and quickly spreading rumor generators within the mass media sphere. However, if public relations practitioners are consistently monitoring client media mentions, they can respond quickly and quell any defamatory rumors before they begin. 

In the event that controversies do in fact take wings, there are steps to be taken to minimize exposure and diminish reputational damage. The key to addressing client misrepresentations and untruths is to address them head on, and with complete honesty. Public relations professionals should never "spin" or misrepresent the truth, even if it is in the best interests of their clients. Many times, the only "leg" that a public relations practitioner has to stand on, in the event of a crisis, is his or her professional reputation and, as a result, there is no client or crisis that is worth compromising such a valuable professional reputation. 

Jennifer Hudson and Adele Dominate 2013 Oscar Performances

One night, two Oscar performances, two artists and two HUGE voices. Although the Oscars are awarded based on cinematic (film) achievement, there is always a great musical performance or two to be featured within the televised event. Even though the Oscars isn't your typical musical award show, it still qualifies as a pivotal event within music industry history based on it's inclusion of musical soundtracks. Within today's struggling recording industry, more and more artists, songwriters and recording labels are relying on music royalties derived from television and cinematic exposure to supplement their diminishing revenue streams. Album sales are simply not enough to support the recording industry's increasing music production and promotion costs. As a result, award shows such as the Academy Awards are, in some cases, revered just as highly as traditional music awards shows such as the Grammys. 

If you happened to miss the Academy Awards this year, you missed two show-stopping performances from Jennifer Hudson and Adele. Performing featured songs from the latest James Bond film "Skyfall" and the 2006 musical drama "Dreamgirls," Adele and Hudson effortlessly brought the star-studded Oscar crowd to their feet. Jennifer Hudson delivered a stunning rendition of her Dreamgirls solo "And I am Telling You" in part of the Oscar's tribute to musicals. Adele also secured an Oscar win of her own for the original song "Skyfall," which she composed with British musician and producer, Paul Epworth. Check out Hudson and Adele's inspiring Oscar performances below!

Record Revelation: Daily Inspiration

Whew, what a weekend! Busy doesn't even begin to describe it. Graduate school has been eating my lunch these days. In spite of all the craziness, I had an epiphany this weekend that I felt was worth sharing. As a public relations master's degree candidate, I spend quite a large portion of my day writing, researching and formulating ideas for public relations campaigns. As a result, I am constantly trying to stimulate creative concepts and ideas within my writing and research. 

There are many days that I feel that my thought processes and writing abilities are extremely lacking in "creative" direction. However, I have begun to realize that, often times, that doubt is actually rooted in a deep-seated fear of failure, rather than an objective evaluation of creative dimension. As a result of this "revelation," I try to make a daily conscious effort to minimize negative or critical thoughts that may cause me to shift my focus from the true objective: creative direction. I assume that I am not alone in this creative struggle against fear, so I have included a few inspirational quotes (see below) that have helped me to overcome my negative misconceptions of my professional abilities. 

As you begin this week, make a pledge to banish negativity and embrace positivity and creativity in all of your daily thoughts and activity. A chronic "fear of failure" does nothing but cripple an individuals' natural given creativity and chance for opportunity. Leave me a comment and share any similar struggles that you may have experienced, as well as any inspiration that you have found to be helpful. 

George Straight: Sixty for Sixty

George Strait, often referred to as the "King of Country," has easily one of the most accomplished careers in the history of country music, if not music in general. With an impressive 59 number one hits to date, Strait holds the artist record for the most number one singles in any musical genre. Neither Elvis (18  #1's) or the Beatles (20 #1's) even come close to touching Strait's lofty record. In his 32 year career, "King George" has sold more than 68.5 million records, including 13 multi-platinum and 33 platinum records. 

This year, the three time Entertainer of the Year announced that he would be embarking on his last and final tour, a tour he aptly named after his hit "The Cowboy Rides Away." In honor of his two-year long farewell tour and inspiring record of 59 number one singles, fellow country artists and loyal "Strait fans" have banded together to ensure that Strait's newest hit single "Give it All We Got Tonight" becomes his 60th number one single before his 61st birthday on May 18th. Their social media campaign, entitled "Sixty for Sixty," is already making waves on many of the most popular social media platforms, making it one of the largest social media music promotion campaigns in music industry history. Check out the following "Sixty for Sixty" campaign video to hear what well-known artists Blake Shelton, Carrie Underwood and Dierks Bentley have to say about the iconic music legend. 

In order to achieve their number one goal before May 18th, they need YOUR help to promote the single "Give it All We Got Tonight" on social media. Tweet using the #60for60 hashtag and your tweet alone could help George Strait gain his 60th number one single. Be a part of the social revolution that will help make music history and share the 60 for 60 logo (shown below) on Facebook and Instagram. 

For more information regarding the 60 for 60 campaign, visit their campaign website. Make sure to purchase a copy of Strait's latest single "Give it All We Got Tonight" on iTunes or at your local music retailer. All image rights belong to George Strait, MCA Nashville and the Sixty for Sixty campaign. 

Country Goes Social: Featuring Jason Aldean and Carrie Underwood

As I explained in my previous post, public relations and grass-roots media efforts are one of the quickest ways to garner attention and generate buzz within the music industry. Well it seems that two country artists and one awards show have taken that very same advice by increasing their social media engagement with their fans this month. Jason Aldean, Carrie Underwood and the ACM Awards show have recently delved just a little bit deeper into the vast world of social media. 

Only 4 days ago on February 19th, Jason Aldean tweeted a picture that would ultimately change the music industry's entire approach to social media. In honor of the weekly Twitter trend #ThrowbackThursday (even though the tweet was sent on Tuesday) and his newest single "1994," Aldean posted a photo (shown below) of himself dating back to his early years in 1994. Along with the candid shot, Aldean included the caption, "OK, guys: THIS is what I looked like in #1994. REAL cool, huh?" Aldean's highly anticipated song "1994" is a tribute to many popular artists and smash hits from the 90s country era. 

What Aldean did not expect, was for his one, photo-embedded tweet to trigger a viral "Twitter epidemic" of fellow country artists and fans tweeting their favorite 90s pose to his Twitter page. Country artists such as Luke Bryan, Keith Urban, Dierks Bentley, Kix Brooks, Tim McGraw and Lady Antebellum's Hillary Scott all joined in on Aldean's "Throwback" fun. Today, nearly 4 days later, Aldean is still receiving tweets and 90s poses by the droves. 

This example alone demonstrates the significant impact that strategic social media efforts can have upon fan loyalty, as well as record and concert sales. Now, thanks to one, single tweet that took only minutes to compose, millions of people all across the nation will be scrambling to get their hands, or keyboards, on a copy of Aldean's latest album, "Night Train." Hats off to Aldean and his genius PR team for this brilliant example of social media promotion!

Similar to Aldean, Carrie Underwood has also taken it upon herself to start a "social media revolution" with mere photos as well. Instead of using the popular Twitter platform, Mrs. Underwood has decided to be a "game changer" within the music industry and begin using the hot, new photo editing and publishing app, Instagram. Since joining on February 14th, Underwood has already racked up more than 52,000 followers on the photo sharing platform. 

While Underwood has only committed to following a mere six people herself, including Oprah and Lady Antebellum's Hillary Scott, she has, however, fully committed to regularly uploading pictures and, as a result, giving the public a "little glimpse" into her personal life. Underwood has already photo documented her lunch (a veggie burger, of course), her dog and a highly popular picture of her backstage, wearing an oxygen mask (apparently necessary in the case of high altitudes). Sheesh, talk about getting personal! Apparently Underwood's fans are also oxygen mask fans, because that picture alone garnered more than 10,000 likes within the span of one day. I might even sport an oxygen mask if I thought I would get that much attention! Way to be social, Carrie!

The Academy of Country Music (ACM Awards) has also recently joined the social media revolution that is spreading like wildfire within the music and recording industry. In a news release earlier this month, the ACM's announced that they would be introducing a new type of award presenter this year called the "fannouncer." The "fannouncer" (coined by a CMT writer) is selected from among self-submitted videos of fans announcing their picks for this year's "Entertainer of the Year" award. 

If you happen to choose the correct winner of the 2013 "Entertainer of the Year" award (which is based on fan votes), you and your video could have a chance to be featured live on the 48th Annual Academy of Country Music awards! For more information regarding the contest and video submissions, please visit CMT's website.

Thanks for tuning in to this edition of "Country Goes Social!" Leave me a comment and let me know if you have any other excellent examples that you would like to see featured within the next edition of "Country Goes Social."

Generating Buzz: Music Industry Promotion and Publicity

As a mainstream public relations practitioner and communicator, I receive quite a few inquisitive looks, misinterpretations and negative comments when I begin discussing the topic of public relations within the music industry. Most people who are uninvolved with the inner workings of the recording industry are completely unaware of how records and concert tickets are sold and promoted, much less how artists and recording labels actually generate their revenue. The general public is often guilty of assuming that music naturally sells itself and positive artist publicity simply "falls from the sky." Entertainment industry public relations practitioners and recording industry professionals, however, know that the previous assumption could be nothing further from the truth. 

In the past, the recording industry did rely heavily upon sheer album sales and marketing-based promotion to support their growing revenue streams. This, of course, was long before the highly competitive, digital music market had emerged, and music was still solely distributed by local, homegrown record stores and corporate retailers. In today's overpopulated, every-man-for-himself music market, basic marketing and advertising methods will simply not generate enough album and tour sales to support the recording industry's shrinking digital profit margin. 

The truth be told, talent simply isn't the measure of success anymore. With all of the opportunities for exposure and publicity that digital distribution and the Internet has afforded the music industry, it has also become somewhat of a double-edged sword, rendering a very limited music market overrun with innumerable, self-made hopefuls garnering for the same portion of the market as the legendary music icons. In most cases, the only way to "stand out of the crowd" is to generate enough "buzz" surrounding the artist and their music through innovative public relations methods and grass-roots efforts. 

Through the use of the Internet and social media, public relations practitioners and publicists have more weapons in their "exposure arsenals" than ever before. Although many artists have successfully handled their own public relations and marketing efforts, most large-market recording labels have learned to rely on the power of exposure and third-party endorsements garnered by experienced, entertainment industry public relations firms. With the evident decrease in album sales, recording labels have no choice but to turn to the avenues of media relations and social media marketing. 

However, not all media relations and public relations efforts are created equal. The key concepts that lead to success within music industry public relations, for example, are quite different when compared to techniques used within mainstream public relations work. Effective media relations within the music industry are dependent upon a keen knowledge of the inner-workings of music industry publications and news outlets. Public relations practitioners must be familiar with journalists covering music industry beats to determine whether or not their particular client or story is suited for that respective journalists' news assignment and expertise.

The real secret to generating music industry buzz is learning to harness the influence of social media by engaging influential bloggers and fans. By reaching out to professional music industry bloggers, freelance bloggers and fan sites, public relations professionals can garner coveted third-party endorsements through album and concert reviews, as well as engage loyal fans that will generate album buzz through word-of-mouth marketing. With an engaged fan base and loyal social media following, music industry buzz can be generated surrounding a new album release within a matter of mere days.   

With the right buzz, recording labels can quickly build a loyal fan base, generate positive publicity surrounding an artist or album release and, last but not least, increase record, concert and merchandise sales significantly. As a result, it seems clear to me that public relations-rooted promotion is the obvious choice for a struggling music and recording industry. The recording industry should harness the power of both traditional and new media to their benefit, not their eventual deficit. It is for these reasons that I strongly advocate an industry-wide shift from marketing-based promotional and publicity methods to promotional techniques that are strongly rooted within the public relations discipline. 

On the Record: Randy Houser, Easton Corbin and Jon Wolfe

Instead of focusing on just one particular artist, similar to previous editions of "On the Record," today's edition features several "up-and-coming" male artists that, in my opinion, will play a large part in shaping the future of country music. As much as it pains me to admit, many of the influential, male country legends such as George Strait, Alan Jackson and Garth Brooks have begun to pass on the traditional, "hat act" torch down to newcomers as their legendary careers begin to wind down, or in the case of Garth Brooks, come to a grinding halt. With the retirement of Garth Brooks and an upcoming 2-year farewell tour from George Strait (don't worry, he still has ongoing plans to record new music), it seems as if the "legends" are stepping aside to make room for promising new artists, such as the ones featured within this post. The concern, however, is whether or not the artists that choose to step up and "fill the boots" of past legends actually share the same musical vision and appreciation for traditional country music as the ones that came before them so harmoniously demonstrated. 

The following male country artists are three artists that I, personally, believe are capable of filling the iconic boots of the legendary artists that have paved the path for so many talented artists, both male and female, to travel through on their musical journeys to stardom. Regardless of whether or not you appreciate the following artists' personal taste in music, it would be difficult to argue that their musical taste is rooted in anything but traditional country, which is also one of the many reasons why I'm a fan of their music. 

The first of the featured artists, Randy Houser, is a native of Lake, Mississippi, where he first began his career as a singer-songwriter in a local band. Penning hits such as Trace Adkins' "Honky Tonk Badonkadonk" and Justin Moore's "Back That Thing Up," Houser quickly garnered attention after his move to Nashville as both a talented singer and songwriter. Now enjoying the success of his recently-released third studio album, "How Country Feels," Houser is beginning to feel comfortable in his own skin. Priced at a mere $9.99, "How Country Feels" is a definite bargain, boasting 15 individually creative tracks. 

With his "true-to-roots," infectious country sound, Houser is destined to success with this radio friendly, every-track-for-its-own record. Clear standout hits for the upcoming spring and summer seasons are sure to be found in "Runnin' Outta Moonlight" and "Sunshine on the Line." Other noteworthy tracks are "The Singer," "Power of a Song," "Along for the Ride," "Shine" and his hit single, "How Country Feels." His duet with the fabulous country vocalist, Kristy Lee Cook, in "Wherever Love Goes," however, is sure to rank highly amongst the wildly popular country duets such as Jason Aldean and Kelly Clarkson's 2010 hit, "Don't You Wanna Stay." All in all, Randy Houser's "How Country Feels" album is a consistently solid, country record that demonstrates, track after track, that it is more than capable of being both a traditional and radio friendly album. 

Floridian Easton Corbin released his sophomore album, "All Over the Road," along with the album's first hit single, "Lovin' You is Fun," in January of this year. Corbin has been extremely successful in his short-lived career so far. With two number-one singles, "A Little More Country Than That" and "Roll With It," already under his belt from his first album alone, it is evident that Easton Corbin is not playing games when it comes to his musical career. Just after coming down off the major success of his first album, Corbin was already back in the studio hard at work on his second album. 

After listening to Corbin's sophomore studio attempt, I think this album will be equally as successful, if not more successful, than his 2010 debut album. With clear chart-toppers such as "Dance Real Slow," "Are You With Me," "This Feels a Lot Like Love" and "I Think of You," Corbin's rookie success is likely not to waver in the near future. Flirty, playful singles such as "Loving You is Fun" and "All over the Road" have already experienced radio success since the album's initial release. Easton Corbin's "All Over the Road" is a grounded, expertly-perscribed country record that is destined for radio success and industry notoriety.  

While perusing the iTunes music store during my weekly "shopping trip," I came across a new face that I wasn't familiar with, so naturally I "had" to check it out. What I expected to come out of my computer's speakers was completely opposite to the deep, traditionally twangy vocals that I heard gliding through my speakers. After I recovered from the initial shock, I began to think, "this guy sounds familiar!" Or does he? In reality, I had never actually heard any of Jon Wolfe's music, however, the reason I found his sound to be so familiar was because he sounded very similar to somebody else, someone I listened to quite frequently. 

If you, like me, are a newbie to Jon Wolfe and haven't yet been exposed to his music, you are probably wondering where I am going with this detailed description of Mr. Wolfe's sound. You want to know why I am so enamored with this artist? Because as much as I hesitate to say, his signature sound is very reminiscent of George Strait's early music and vocal ability. It's actually quite a startling realization, at first. 

Regardless of his vocal inclinations, Jon Wolfe's album, "It All Happened in a Honky Tonk," is a classic, western-swing/honky-tonk-esque album. With standout tracks such as "The Only Time You Call," "I Don't Dance," "I'll Take my Chances" and "Something to See," Wolfe is surely to make a lasting impression with this album from Warner Music Nashville. However, the tracks "Two Out of Seven," "That's Not Very Texas of You" and "Play Me Something I can Drink too" sound like they literally fell straight (no pun intended) out of a George Strait (now you get it!) record. And believe me, as a George Strait worshipper, that is NOT something I say every day. Regardless of Mr. Wolfe's current standing within the industry, I predict that Jon Wolfe will be someone that we hear a lot more about in the near future. 

Thanks for tuning into today's edition of "On the Record," please stay tuned for more upcoming posts about the hottest new music/artists on the market. You can find any of the previously mentioned albums on iTunes or at your local music retailer. All image rights belong to the respective artists and their recording labels.