Public Relations in the Music Industry
When digging deeper into the music industry it may seem like a high-paced, aggressive, and intimidating place. After doing a lot of research, I’ve determined it’s all of the above. To take the step from being the local “somebody” to being introduced as the international icon, it’s essential to take some creative risks — which can be very frightening.
So what makes one artist more successful than the other? Talent? Sure. Networking? Sure. Money? Yeah, probably. Amazing PR? Definitely.
The music industry is a saturated and crowded place — how are you going to stand out while in the shadows of Kanye, Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, and Harry Styles? Yes, there are several key factors leading to an artist’s success, but PR plays a bigger role than you could ever imagine.
PR in the music industry is critical: once artists build their audience, they need experienced PR teams to assist with creating campaigns that have influential messages and creative tactics. Ideally, an artist’s fans will keep following along and demanding more. While doing some investigating I found this great article from Sandbox that includes information from 2015’s best music campaigns.
Some examples of PR in the music industry featured in the article include:
• Fifth Harmony’s #5HGirlsCan campaign on social media in order to engage young girls and reinforce the importance of individuality. The campaign successfully increased their social media followers by 50% and increased engagement by 100%. As a result, their Capital Summertime Ball performance was the most viewed in the event.
• One Direction partnered with Google, Twitter, and Apple in order to create a campaign that used a virtual space on Google Maps to release exclusive content to fans. This virtual room provided a platform for fans to connect with members of the band and stay updated prior to the release of their fifth album, Made in the A.M – following the campaign, the album was made #1 globally.
• Taylor Swift’s campaign for Bad Blood allowed users to create their “alter ego” by uploading a photo of themselves on the Bad Blood website. The fan’s uploaded photo was transformed onto the cover of the single. The result: the campaign increased their social media engagement and overall clicks to the 1989 album from the website.
Sure, it’s easy for bigger artists to gain access to experienced PR teams in the industry, but what about artists who have yet to be discovered? It’s important to cover all your bases while trying to expand your audience. When doing so, try to think of yourself as a “brand” instead of a band — this distinction will help you make decisions regarding your “brand” image. This means being involved on social media, with local promoters and influencers, along with actively using low-budget promotion tactics for shows or new music. This includes flyering, postering, and using guerrilla marketing.
At the end of the day, if we didn’t have PR in the music industry, we might not have the influencers we have today such as Halsey, Miley Cyrus, Ed Sheeran, and Lana Del Rey. PR professionals deserve just as much praise as the artists themselves. Publicity is a key factor that can turn an ordinary person into a globally recognized icon.
About Victoria
Victoria Walenga is a senior at Grand Valley State University majoring in Communication Studies and minoring in Advertising and Public Relations. She is currently serving as an Account Associate for the Fall 2017 semester. Victoria has gained experience in the music industry through her internships at The Intersection and Electric Forest Music Festival. She will be graduating in December and hopes to pursue a career in the entertainment industry. You can reach her on Twitter and Instagram @victoriawalenga.