This week on Life’s a Pitch, the royal “we” is talking to NYC-based classical music publicists. Everyone gets the same questions, and presumably no one has seen anyone else’s answers! Here’s Jennifer Wada, with whom I had the pleasure of working on the Hilary Hahn/Josh Ritter concert at the Metropolitan Museum of Art last spring.
Jennifer Wada is a New York-based public relations consultant in the performing arts whose clients include the Metropolitan Museum Concerts series, the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, the George London Foundation for Singers, composer Ellen Taaffe Zwilich, and conductor Kent Tritle, among others. Prior to opening her own business in 2000, she spent 18 years at Carnegie Hall, the last nine of them as the director of public relations, from 1991 to 2000, overseeing the media profile of the landmark institution. Ms. Wada is a graduate of Vassar College, from which she received a bachelor of arts degree with a major in music. She was also for many years a member of the Japanese taiko (folk drumming) ensemble Soh Daiko of New York City.
What is the purpose of a press release? And what, in your opinion, is the most important aspect of a press release? How does that element accomplish the purpose?
To convey the news compellingly – what an artist or organization is doing. If applicable, this should be done in such a way as to convey how this ties in to the artist’s or organization’s overall goals, purpose, point of view, ethos, etc.
Similarly, what is the most important aspect of an artist biography? How long should a bio be, ideally? Should it include press quotes? Why or why not?
An artist’s bio should say up top what makes him/her distinctive, and convey what is most important to him/her – ideally, these are related! – as well as the most recent accomplishments. I am a fan of having short and long versions of bios, and press quotes can serve a distinct purpose: to legitimize or bolster claims to qualities that anyone can make, particularly if an artist isn’t super well-known, and to have praise be in the words of an authoritative voice, a voice that’s not one of the interested parties.
How far in advance of a CD release or concert do you send/e mail press releases? How many times do you usually follow-up journalists after sending the release?
A month ahead for releases (though if an event has not been previously announced at all, as part of a season, for example, I like to send a notice out up to three months earlier). Some journalists will receive targeted follow-up from me.
In 2009, what do you consider successful coverage for a client’s concert? How has the definition of “coverage” changed since you started working in PR? For example, do artist’s personal blogs/websites/Twitter feeds count as media coverage?
To your second question: Clearly, there are fewer print or broadcast outlets now, more online, which of course provide much less broad, but more instances of pinpointed, exposure. And to your third question: the initial posting or feed becomes “coverage,” or serves the purpose of visibility, if it becomes viral.
Who owns the problem of selling tickets and CDs? Is it a
publicist’s job to secure press that will have a direct impact on
sales, or does some press accomplish something beyond or different from
sales? Should marketing – ticket sales, ad copy, poster design – be
kept separate from publicity, or do efforts often overlap?
Sales
are always a direct goal of any press, but exposure is valuable as much
for the visibility and impressions that it offers, and as long-term
“collateral.” Marketing and PR ideally should be symbiotic, but they
can and often do happen on parallel tracks.
When in their careers should artists hire a publicist?
Ideally, when the artist has developed specific goals and an identity.
If an artist doesn’t have a publicist, what is the best advice you can offer them for self-promotion?
There
are so many ways to promote yourself these days – but if an artist is
considering engaging in actual press outreach along the lines of what a
publicist does, I’d suggest s/he spend a little time finding out what
goes into PR work – it is possible to do it yourself, particularly in
the early stages of a career (though you may not want to or have the
time). If you do engage in it, always consider who you are talking to,
and how your materials and messages will be received – and always be
honest and clear.
How do you choose clients? Is there a set criteria in your company, or do you decide on a case-by-case basis?
I
need to believe that an artist or organization has a worthy and
newsworthy goal, and that results have a chance of being achievable. I
also need to like them!
Do clients on your roster know who the other clients on the roster are? Do they care?
In most cases they do know; it’s never been problematic.
Should
publicists run Facebook pages, blogs, Twitter accounts, MySpace pages
for their clients, or is that essentially the 2009-equivalent of
answering interview questions for them?
If the artist is directing or driving the content, OK, but if not, yes to your analogy.
If you weren’t a classical music publicist, what would you be?
A potter!