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. 

BMI's Music Licensing Battle

As discussed extensively within this blog, the music industry is currently evolving to accommodate a fundamental transition occurring within music promotion and distribution. Most modern distribution and promotional methods are now digitally formatted, instead of the traditional, physical CD that was advertised and distributed by retail stores alone. As a result of this digital revolution within the music and recording industry, labels, artists, songwriters, publishers and performing rights organizations alike have had to adjust and adapt to the impending changes. 

Some of the changes have indeed been positive, yet others have caused the industry to significantly reformat its established methods of promotion, distribution, revenue generation and, most significantly, licensing. This is not meant to suggest that these industrial entities will not recover from the aforementioned modifications, however, it is meant to suggest that evident malleability and reformation must be demonstrated in order to accommodate digital restructuring. Each individual discipline within the music industry framework must strive to make themselves digitally relevant and compliant with industry trends, even if it means sacrificing their traditional protocol. 

On Monday, Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) disseminated a press release informing music industry professionals of EMI and Sony/ATV music publishing group's rights withdrawal from BMI's comprehensive musical catalog. While the withdrawal only includes selected, exclusively owned compositions that were strictly intended for digital use, the rights withdrawal is still a significant statement for music publishers and industry professionals alike. It poses particular concern to songwriters, physical music venues and webcasters who depend on performing rights organizations, such as BMI and ASCAP, to provide blanket licensing agreements and ensure that royalties are fairly afforded to all involved parties. 

The recent BMI rights withdrawal executed by EMI and Sony/ATV music publishers means that they will be in exclusive control of all affected licensing agreements and royalty rates. Which could, but not necessarily, indicate that songwriters will face diminished royalty compensation, as well as exclusive music licensing control over the concerned composition shares. All of these projected repercussions are, of course, not BMI's intention and completely out of their authoritative control. 

In fact, BMI would, obviously, prefer that these major publishing moguls leave all of their exclusive music rights in the capable hands of their performing rights organization. However, that is clearly not a reality considering the lucrative opportunities that the digital revolution has, unintentionally, afforded selective disciplines within the music and recording industry. All things aside, I believe that BMI quickly and effectively addressed a controversial issue within the music industry that could have easily affected their professional reputation. 

BMI turned an extremely sensitive issue into a positive reinforcement by demonstrating how their organization was committed to the music industry's digital solution. That, in my opinion, is the most definitive example I can give of how public relations methods are helping the music industry to adapt to the imminent digital revolution. To learn more about BMI's recent rights withdrawal and their impending music industry solution, you can visit their website.

A Promotional Tug-of-War: PR vs. Marketing

Since we have addressed the annual advertising phenomenon known as the Super Bowl, we can now move on to the "good stuff," music industry public relations of course. What else could it be? Ever since the rise of PR's popularity and increased usage, there has been an air of tension brewing amongst the public relations and marketing/advertising disciplines. Although some seasoned professionals from both arenas have looked past the petty competitiveness and recognized the potential for collaboration, the two professions remain generally at-large with one another, and most still perpetuate a subtle distaste for each other.

Is this deep-seated disfavor rooted in a fear of professional legitimacy? Possibly. Do some professionals think that the success of one discipline will eventually equate the demise of the other? Most Likely. Do some professionals from each arena believe that their profession is superior to the competition? Definitely.

Before you jump on the criticism bandwagon, this post is not intended to determine which professional discipline- marketing or public relations- is superior or more effective than the other. It is, however, meant to determine, or merely suggest, which promotional discipline is most adept at addressing the current state of the music and recording industry. I am, as you know, of a public relations educational background, therefore I am slightly partial to the public relations discipline, however, I am fully aware and respective of the many positive aspects that the marketing profession contributes to the public relations disciplines' many deficiencies, and vice versa. No profession is perfectly self-sufficient. We thrive through collaboration with other neighboring and complimentary professional disciplines. For example, where would the music video production business be without the original musical contribution of recording artists, engineers and producers? Nowhere, that's where. Continuing on...

Although the two promotional professions are very similar in purpose, they are, in fact, quite different in approach. The marketing and advertising profession, for example, is largely devoted to acquiring effective "paid-media" opportunities such as Internet, television, radio and print advertisements that promote a specific business or organization, as well as any associated products and services. This type of promotional approach has proven to be effective for various types of businesses and organizations, although it is extremely costly and, often times, difficult for many small businesses to afford.

In contrast, the public relations profession is primarily dedicated to garnering "earned-media" mentions such as newspaper articles, press releases, press conferences, trade magazine articles, interviews, industry-related publicity, public service announcements, word-of-mouth advertising and charity affiliations. This is not meant to insinuate that the public relations profession does not dabble in "paid-media" opportunities, however, it is based- in theory- on the utilization of "earned-media" promotional and publicity tactics. Now, you might be beginning to understand the ensuing competition and dissension between the two disciplines. After all, they are, indeed, both dedicated to the same purpose: promotion.

When two competing professional disciplines scramble after the same profit margin, desired commodity and end result, the potential for opposition is unavoidable. Think about it. They both want the same thing; all promotional efforts from both disciplines boil down to one, single commodity, audience and consumer approval. There is, however, one fundamental difference in the way these two disciplines measure their definition of success.

Traditionally, the marketing discipline has been primarily dominated by sales and figures. As a marketing professional, if you don't meet your sales quota for the month, you are, as they say in the business world, "history." Public relations, on the other hand, is largely dedicated to building and maintaining strategic relationships so that organizations, as a result, are able to either progress or preserve their positive reputation, as well as garner coveted third-party endorsements. Word-of-mouth advertising, often embodied in the form of third-party endorsements, can be witnessed within any issue of a local newspaper, Internet blog, social media platform, trade-appropriate magazine or consumer review. 

Complimentary mentions and business plugs composed by unbiased, non-affiliated third party personas are, without a doubt, publicly perceived as more credible than self-promoted advertisements. Ponder this for a minute. Would you believe something, for example, that the brand Taylor Guitars says about their own products or would you, instead, believe something that a credible, seasoned studio guitarist said about the guitar itself? I thought so... we'll go with the unbiased third-party endorser. Similar to the previous example, these so-called "third-party endorsers" are in no way coerced to provide their product testimonies (unlike paid celebrity endorsers), they are, in fact, willing participants in the promotion of a credible, reliable brand that they have personally come to trust through experience.     

As a result, it depends on what, in particular, your business or organization is looking for when it comes to promotion. Do you want "the sales" or "the reputation?" The money or the relationships? Personally, I believe that increased sales win the race, but a sound, positive reputation wins the marathon, every time. Again, this is just my personal opinion, and not a corroborated scientific theory. It basically all boils down to one thing- you have to decide what's best for you and your organization. Whether that decision delivers you short-lived fame or eternal glory is entirely your prerogative. 

In my next post, I will suggest which promotional discipline- marketing or public relations- is best suited for the current condition of the music industry. 

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What Music Industry?

As a rookie blogger, it has taken me a little while to get accustomed to this whole concept of broadcasting my thoughts to the entire world. Although I sincerely doubt the majority of the blogosphere is even remotely interested in this blog's topical content, the idea of my personal opinions being etched in virtual “hyperlinked stone” is quite intimidating to a writer/journalist by trade. All apprehension and personal constraint aside, I determined that the best plan of action would be to simply rip the proverbial “cyber Band-Aid” right off.

If you have had a chance to read my introductory post or check out my About Me section, you have probably already gathered that I am a public relations practitioner by trade, and a music industry enthusiast by choice. Although my specialty is crisis communication and reputation management, very little of my educational background has anything to do with the music or entertainment industry, aside from a minor in Vocal Performance during my undergraduate work. My fascination with the music and recording industry stems from a childhood devoted to mastering every musical instrument in sight, honing my vocal chops and developing a deeply-rooted appreciation for timeless, traditional music that was far beyond my adolescent years.

It was that same devotion to music and the preservation of the traditional recording industry that prodded me to attend graduate school. I already knew that southern Mississippi’s educational opportunities would lend me nowhere near the master’s degree in music business that I had always desired. However, I determined that I would settle for a degree that was closest to music business and would, hopefully, one-day get my “foot in the door” down on Music Row. The next best degree, in my mind, that would help me to advance my career in the music industry was public relations and communication. Bare with me, I promise I’m getting to the point…

As I started to form and mold my research interests while attending graduate school at the University of Southern Mississippi, I began to realize the significant lack of research dedicated to the unidentified and unexplored research chasm, more commonly known as the music and recording industry. Sure, there were stacks upon stacks of hardbound books in the library covering the ins-and-outs of the recording industry, but they were all dated back to the 70s and 80s when the music industry was booming. With the occasional exception from 1990, there was virtually no substantial recent research to be found on the music and recording industry. Where were the peer-reviewed journal articles and trade publications that can be found, at the touch of a keystroke, for almost every other legitimate profession?

The answer was simple. They did not exist. While I was writing my first formal graduate research paper concerning public relations and its impact on the music industry, I literally thought I was going to pull out my hair when trying to compile academic sources for a proper literature review. Why? There simply were not any appropriate sources available. There may have been an occasional journal article written concerning music, but they rarely addressed the inner-workings of the recording industry or its methods of artist publicity and record promotion.

Why is there such a lack of current academic sources concerning the music and recording industry? I believe that the recording industry, as a whole, has grown silent in light of a daunting new digital music age that has granted consumers unlimited access to music through digital online libraries, like Apple’s iTunes for example. These so-called “digital music libraries” have, one-by-one, silenced traditional recording labels by threatening the very legitimacy of the recording label itself and, as a result, virtually silencing their professional voices. As a result, the music and recording industry has amounted to nothing more than a tribute and faint reminder of a once powerful and influential industry mogul.

The good news: the music industry does not HAVE to remain silent. Instead, the music and recording industry must learn how to empower itself by reinventing its traditional methods of distribution and promotion in light of an increasingly digital music market that is, most definitely, here to stay. In my next post, I will elaborate more on this eminent crisis within the recording industry and offer a few suggestions that will help the music industry learn to embrace, instead of fear, this new digital music revolution.

Welcome!

My name is Ashley Cockerham, and I am the creator and moderator of the "PR Spin" on Records. A graduate of Mississippi College's Communication Department, I am currently a public relations graduate student at the University of Southern Mississippi. As an aspiring public relations practitioner specializing in crisis communication and reputation management, I developed the idea to create a blog tailored to developing innovative new public relations tactics that are relevant to the entertainment and music industry. 

This blog will feature effective advertising and public relations methods that are applicable to both the music industry and the public relations profession in general. The purpose of this blog is to reinvent the traditional, marketing-based promotional methods currently employed within the music industry by providing alternative, and often more effective, public relations tactics. The thoughts and ideas displayed within this blog are my own personal opinions, and not the opinions of my employer. Please stay tuned for more posts!