I've always wondered how products get placement within other products' ads. For example, 30 Rock is in featured in both Netflix and Hulu ads: The iPod print and television ads not surprisingly drive me nuts: how do they choose which artists' songs and cover art to feature on the Nano, etc. screens in their ads? I've certainly never seen a classical album featured...Which is why I was pleasantly surprised and impressed to see pianist Simone Dinnerstein's new album cover on the eMusic subway and MetroNorth ads:I asked her publicist if she or … [Read more...]

New York City subway stations are, in theory, prime for marketing because they're unavoidable; most of us need them to get from point A to point B, multiple times each day. That said, beyond standing and waiting for trains to come, people aren't paying attention to their surroundings when walking from outside-to-train-to-train-to-outside. Consequently, ads in subway stations have to be extreme enough to warrant stopping one's sprint-walk, pausing one's iPod, and possibly missing the next train. Two friends and multiple strangers e mailed and … [Read more...]

I received an e mail from a woman at the UK-based management company Harrison Parrott this morning, and this was under her title/phone number/address in her auto signature:News Flash: The BBC Symphony Orchestra have just announced Oliver Knussen as their new Artist in Association, the three-year appointment consolidating his long relationship with them as a composer and conductor. Full press release >>  More news >>I assume everyone at Harrison Parrott changes their signature as news about their artists comes in, and I think … [Read more...]

I went to buy tickets to So Percussion on the Joe's Pub website, and this was the show description: So PercussionPrice: $12 9:30 PM - March 12  Show Description A one-year New York Magazine subscription, a $9.97 value, will be included with your ticket purchase for this show! Feel free to click here for more information. Brooklyn-based percussion quartet, So Percussion, who Billboard calls "astonishing and entrancing" and the New York Times calls "brilliant", will be performing selections from their ongoing project City Music, an … [Read more...]

(Via You've Cott Mail)Anthony Tommasini, chief classical music critic for The New York Times, is answering your questions until Friday the 13th! E mail him at askthetimes@nytimes.com. There's a nice healthy bio before the Q&A; it would be great to have bios for all the critics in the arts section, I think, so readers (and publicists) can learn where the journalists are coming from in their reviews/features without having to comb through Wikipedia like I do obsessively. This bit from his bio is interesting in light of the earlier discussion … [Read more...]

I stand pleasantly surprised by the Grammy live pre-telecast. It worked without a hitch and looked lovely. Here's our girl:The presenter said he gets "1 minute" for the classical awards every year. He also said that this kind of music "is your friend when times are hard" (I....guess?)  and to "grab Hilary" if you have any questions at all about classical music. Thanks dude: I'm the one who's going to end up fielding those. … [Read more...]

Each week, I'll post an interview with someone far more knowledgeable than myself on specific marketing and publicity subjects. This week, Goldstar CEO and co-founder Jim McCarthy on sitting in half-full audiences, going genre-less and why you don't actually gotta having a gimmick. Jim McCarthy is the CEO and co-founder of Goldstar and the Editor of Live 2.0. He's a decade-long veteran of the Internet and e-commerce business, starting with GeoCities way back when "myspace" was something you told somebody you needed when you wanted to break up … [Read more...]

Further to my post about e-programs, look at this 09-10 e-season brochure from The London Philharmonic Orchestra! You can flip through it online, download as a PDF, and/or e mail it to a friend. Having spent 20 minutes playing around with it this morning, I can officially say it's the first orchestra season brochure I've read cover-to-cover -- or, perhaps more accurately, page 1/68 - 68/68 -- in years, if not ever. And it cost zero dollars ($0) for them to get it to me. Thanks to Ronen for the link. … [Read more...]

As someone who has been known to Photoshop a few images in her day, I have to brush-tool draw your attention to La Cieca's top-notch Aretha Franklin Inauguration Hat/George Man-of work: This is excellent, excellent Photoshopping. … [Read more...]

The (now not so) new Carnegie Hall programs are fantastic. I've been meaning to write this since seeing Jean-Yves Thibaudet and Orpheus there in October, but my scanner has been on the fritz. I was reminded how much I liked said programs, however, on Sunday night at the Kurtag recital (um...go Steelers?) and promptly repaired my scanner for this purpose. Such nice bright colors in the calendar section! Gives the hall the opportunity to highlight specific concerts in an aesthetically pleasing fashion without using wasteful and noisy program … [Read more...]

I was just (remortgaging the house I don't have and) buying flowers online, and this popped up: I'm always "chatting" with Verizon reps, too. Sometimes they suggest I call the 800-number with my question, but often they're quite useful online, and I don't have to listen to hold music. I'd love to see a presenter box office live chat option. "Need help picking the perfect concert? Let one of our experts help you. CHAT NOW." That way, venues could have trained box office representatives who work from home. Call them "experts", too - not … [Read more...]

A journalist friend forwarded me the following press release, and it is funny stuff:Pittsburgh, PA, January 29...The trash-talking has already begun. Pittsburgh Opera and Arizona Opera (with locations in Phoenix and Tucson) have embraced the mortal combat of the Super Bowl with a fervor befitting, well, opera."Everyone knows how passionate Pittsburghers are about the Steelers. It goes without saying that we had to find a way to show our true devotion to our team," said Christopher Hahn, Pittsburgh Opera General Director, who today threw down … [Read more...]

Yikes - it has been a long time since I posted an interview. We have some really good ones coming up, though, I promise. For those of you just joining us now, every week I get my act together, I'll post an interview with someone far more knowledgeable than myself on specific marketing and publicity subjects. This week, Naxos of America Press and Media Manager Paula Mlyn on selling records without actually selling records, that famous Naxos album art, and networking, networking, networking.Paula Mlyn is the Manager of Press and Media for Naxos … [Read more...]

There are still TWO SUPERBOWL AD SLOTS LEFT!!For the bargain basement price of $2.7 million dollars, one of them COULD BE YOURS!If you get one, you'll be in the good company of Cash4Gold. … [Read more...]