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.