Classical labels, take note! This is about the fourth time this week I've heard about albums being issued (and re-issued) on vinyl, which further proves my theory that the way to make something cool is to go back and do it the way it was originally done. Example: chamber music in chambers, not on big stages. The press kit version of Hilary's Schoenberg/Sibelius album actually made it look like the CD was a vinyl (it was square and thick), and two out of the five trendy music site writers I sent it to told me they got really excited when they … [Read more...]

I love political campaign e mails. There's such a sense of urgency and drama. I got one this morning that said, "Own a piece of this movement by making a donation of $25 today." Own a piece of this movement. Boom. Yes. I even like how they're addressed - there's no "Dear Potential Subscriber" or "Dear Patron" or even "Dear Amanda E Ameer"; it's all "Amanda --". I'm like yes, what's up, how can I help you? Also, I appreciate them suggesting $25, a specific, manageable amount that I don't really have to think about. Where is the sense of urgency … [Read more...]

I was reading my August 2008 issue of Vanity Fair on July 9, and was surprised by this news in Gail Sheehy's Hillary Clinton campaign post-mortem:Clinton's people had no idea how excited a whole new cohort of voters would become by a youthful figure who tapped into their vital hunger for change from the ground up. Obama started cultivating these new voters at low-cost events. The turnout amazed even his own team. What began as I.M.'s and campus meet-ups developed into a genuine social movement. Such was the hubris of Hillary's team that they … [Read more...]

Every Friday, I'll post an interview with someone far more knowledgeable than myself on specific marketing and publicity subjects. This week, web producer Alex Sturtevant on The Elusive Yet Omnipresent Banner Ad. Alex Sturtevant is a Producer at NYC-based agency thehappycorp global. He is the lead for many digital projects for clients such as Cadbury-Schweppes, Miraval Resorts, Idealist.org, and Brooklyn Brewery. Alex also managed the creative for the 87th Annual Art Directors Club Awards Gala, and has previously worked for clients including … [Read more...]

Playbill Radio uses one of the oldest tricks in the book: puppies to sell your product. When you're in a Playbill that includes Cheyenne Jackson's headshot, these are the things you have to do to get noticed. … [Read more...]

Last.fm, an internet radio/concert listing/social networking site based out of the UK, launched an artist royalty program this morning. According to Wired's Listening Post blog, a percentage of the advertisement dollars (err, pounds) will be given to artists when ads appear next to their streaming music, regardless of an artist's position in the industry (signed, unsigned, managed, unmanaged). By virtue of having to track the numbers for payment purposes, it seems artists will gain useful marketing data from this initiative as well. From an … [Read more...]

Justin Davidson and Perez Hilton remind us that classical critics aren't the only journalists losing their jobs.In addition to The Chicago Tribune cutting 80 of its 578 newsroom jobs over the next two months, the Tribune corporation is apparently selling Long Island's Newsday, the Chicago Cubs and Wrigley Field. Between this and the Starbucks drama last week, maybe classical music has finally become mainstream. … [Read more...]

Last week, I walked by an Abercrombie & Fitch store, stopped, turned right, and started to walk inside. What the Joshua Bell is wrong with me, I thought:  I don't like Abercrombie clothes, I'm already late for a meeting, and there's no obligatory hot preppy "greeter" guy at the door. It just felt so cool to walk in. Literally cool. The doors were wide open and the store was pumping AC into the street. Fancy hotels pull similar stunts in the winter: you'll be hustling along, face-in-scarf, and then, all of a sudden, angels are singing … [Read more...]

When it comes time to promote multi-genre performance projects, publicists have to make a choice: which section do I pitch the story to? You only get one critic from one section, so choose wisely!This is not to say that whomever a publicist chooses to approach about a performance will actually review it (a girl can dream...), but an "angle" decision must be made before starting the process. For example, each Wordless Music Series concert features a classical chamber music group or soloist and an indie rock/electronic band or performer. One … [Read more...]