Business & Marketing Strategy
What - you mean as in "Am I doing Angelina Jolie?"
Seriously - this was the question I was asked by a list provider recently as he got to the part of the script where he listed the benefits of their list service. If anyone asks you if you are doing SEO - run - 'cos clearly they have no idea what they are talking about!
You’re no different really – when it comes down to it – than anyone else. Even that one thing you do – the one that is guaranteed to appeal to the masses – it only hits if you’re lucky. Face it – without the story – without the visuals – without the hoopla, the gaga –why should I care about you?
Oh I’m sorry – you mean you joined a band ‘cos it looked cool: sex, drugs & rock and roll – win the label lottery and get a lifestyle in your twenties that other people never see in a lifetime. Well go borrow a time machine and go back to the 70’s and 80’s because you’re fucked.
If you hadn’t noticed there are big changes happening in the world – the tsunami of optimism that Obama rode into the white house turned out to be a mild swell crashing into the entrenched self interests of the establishment. Things haven’t gotten better – there are no new jobs, labels aren’t making money – A&R people don’t have coke budgets – aside from the Cola type and even the chicks are better educated and have greater self-esteem than you do.
Unless you happen to be “receiving” from a label exec that still has money – that dream is dead and gone – buried under two decades of excess and the same lack of foresight and responsibility that means that no-one I know has healthcare.
Excuse me – what’s that? Oh – you’re a musician – what – you’ve studied your instrument – you’ve been writing poetry and song lyrics since you were 4. You were borrowing dad’s old video camera and have been the family’s home movie maker since you first learned how to edit an audio track. You and your mates practice 4 times a week and you already have 50 friends who will swear that you really do ROCK!
Then step right up – you couldn’t have been born at a better time. Everything you need to create a life sustained by music is now in your grasp. I’m sorry – but we don’t have the shotgun approach that will accelerate your career forward 20 years and have you playing to stadiums by the time you’re 25 – but – if you’re prepared to work at it – play and practice, tour constantly and love the hell out of what you do – then maybe, just maybe you’ll stand on stage and play for 500,000 people. Wouldn’t that be absolutely fucking amazing! ;-)