Band Aid: Do It Right
Jul 1, 2008 12:00 PM, By Randy Fuchs
LEARN THE APPROPRIATE WAY TO APPROACH GEAR MANUFACTURERS FOR ENDORSEMENTS
After playing bass in high school and DJing at my college radio station, I worked at the Plush Amplifiers factory, at Sam Ash as a salesman, did synth clinics for Oberheim, toured as a bassist and worked for rep firm New Breed Associates. I then started what became a large sales-rep firm, Crescendo Associates. I repped a lot of companies — Audio-Technica, Mackie, DigiTech and CAD, to name a few — and about seven years ago I sold my firm and started Artistrelations.com.
Because I was in so many areas of the music business, I have a good handle on what musicians want. Years ago, I noticed that quite a few advertisers basically said the same thing — that their product is the best. I believed that the readers became jaded with every brand being “the best.” Musicians didn't believe what they read. I felt that getting famous and respected users would go a long way to getting out the message about product quality.
How can an artist/producer pitch you?
There are certain minimums that companies are looking for. First of all, the artist must bring value to the manufacturer. The ultimate goal of artist relations is to raise brand visibility and impact sales for the company. Also, bands have to realize that this is a business; it's not just about making great music. Each company we work with has different objective — not subjective — ways in which endorsing artists are qualified. The general rule of thumb is that the artist must be signed to a label (nonvanity) and have management. Just because you gig every weekend is not a reason for a company to give you an endorsement. If you gig a lot, you should develop a relationship with your local retailer and support that relationship. Artist Relations is not looking to take business away from a retailer or compete with them.
What's your day-to-day routine like?
My staff and I have internal meetings and weekly meetings with the companies we work with. We go over goals, products to focus on, how the company and our artists can benefit and feedback from the field. We also spend a lot of time backstage at shows meeting with our artists — as many as six shows in a week.
Some artists feel entitled to receive free gear. Obviously, an endorsement is a relationship. What should an artist expect to give back?
The first thing they need to realize is that not every company gives free gear. Some companies have multitier artist deals; some have the same artist pricing for all endorsers. Even if a company has a policy where they get gear at no charge, it's not free. The artist has responsibilities associated with getting that gear, even artists who purchase gear at artist pricing. Companies like to get a photo and quote on the product — something real for the artist that resonates with the musician who reads it. They also like to have the artist talk about the gear in interviews, use it onstage or have it in photos of their studio. In some cases, they will want the artist to write presets for a product or appear in a print ad.
What are the dos and don'ts of making contact with A&R reps for manufacturers?
It's fine to mention your MySpace page (and Website), but don't tell an AR person that they should go to your MySpace page and look up information — you need to supply it to them. The more useful information that is at the AR person's fingertips, the better your chances. As an Artist Relations Director, it is my job to serve the artist, to try to find a way to say “yes,” but we need your assistance in justifying it. AR doesn't need to know that you played trumpet when you were 7 years old, but we do need to know who you tour with; what label you are on; if you have a video on Fuse, MTV or BET; if you're performing on national TV, etc.
Some producers get a taste of success and think they can kick back and watch the offers roll in. What's important to do in order to stay in the game?
You need to network at appropriate events. I recommend all full-time musicians and producers join NARAS. It's one of the most important things you can do, and it's not expensive. You can join at Grammy.com.
If you're a producer, contact your favorite producers and find out who is managing them. Get your resume to your local studios and let them know you are available and what you have done. Sometimes a studio in your area might not even know you're local. It's important to let people know that you are accessible and available. And I know this might sound corny, but it's also important to be nice to everybody; it goes a long way.
Also, let people know that you can work in more than one genre. There is a great engineer/producer I know, James Wisner, who worked with Nas, R. Kelly, Diddy, Ludacris and Elephant Man, but he wanted to expand into rock. He wasn't known for that, but he put it out there, and this year he was Grammy-nominated for Toots and the Maytals. The point is to put yourself out there and let it be known what you do versus just what you have done.
What are some turnoffs in the way you've been approached by bands?
Once in a while we have someone who contacts us with an inappropriate sense of entitlement. They feel they deserve an endorsement because the girlfriend's cousin jammed with Rufus in 1975. Sometimes an artist is unwilling to commit to giving us the assets or receivables that we are hired to get from the artists.
I recently received an e-mail that said “I was told you might be able to get me some deals on gear.” We don't get people “deals on gear,” and that's not the attitude that AR people can work with. We do endorsements in return for value for the manufacturers we represent, which in turn gives value to the artist.
On the other hand, sometimes an AR guy thinks he's a rock star and won't call you back or follow through with what they said. You just have to be positive and find a company that will work with you. If you're a signed artist and have something positive to offer a manufacturer, with some patience, you can make it happen!
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