Build An Artist, Build A Brand

Build An Artist, Build A Brand

As the music industry continues to shift and develop new methods of creating revenue, many have looked to alternatives to the traditional label deal. The introduction of Artist Nation, Live Nation’s artist promotion division, has opened the door to a number of interesting new possibilities. The company has courted some of the industry’s biggest artists, including Madonna and Jay-Z and has entered into unique partnerships that encompass the management and promotion of their recordings, live performances, merchandise, and more. In essence, Artist Nation has perfected the “360 deal” by bringing to the table all the assets at its disposal, including radio, sponsorship and marketing.   

Of course, emerging artists have not been invited to this lucrative table. So other companies are utilizing similar models to develop and promote new talent.  This week we spoke with Nan Cassidy of Tunesmith Entertainment. Tunesmith began as a website showcasing the talented array of promising songwriters in Nashville. In time the company has grown into a national organization that discovers, develops and nurtures talented songwriters and artists from all over the country. 

Tunesmith has recently instituted its "Build an Artist, Build a Brand" division to foster corporate partnerships for talented new artists.  “Our Build an Artist, Build a Brand concept using corporate partnerships as music distribution bases and performance opportunities is the future of the business,” says Cassidy.  “
Corporate America can be a good friend to the music industry and play a larger, more lucrative role in the future of music.”

Cassidy and her team research artists and potential corporate partners, looking for the perfect fit.  “It’s essential to provide companies with the right music/artist combination,” she continues.  This is particularly important when seeking sponsorships for new artists who don’t bring millions of fans with them.

“These deals work if both sides benefit mutually,” says Cassidy. “We have to consider not only what they can do for us, but what we can do for them.  For instance, in a recent negotiation with Boot Barn, they pointed out the promotional value a deal with them would bring to our artist, and we were able to bring to their attention the revenue streams and advertising value of utilizing our artist.”

“Our artists are available for a wide range of promotional activities, including in-store appearances and/or performances, radio remotes, and the use of the artist’s likeness on in-store product promotions, e-mail blasts, and social networking campaigns, activities a major artist might not be available for.”

Cassidy calls herself a “mission-oriented negotiator,” concentrating on the interests motivating each side. “When we began, we would submit big budget proposals.  But we learned that these companies did not want to put a lot of money behind a new artist.  We learned that emotions are a very big part of these negotiations. When you believe in a project, you want others to see what you see, to persuade them that your idea has merit. And conversely, the sponsors want you to know where they’re coming from.”

She works hard to produce a final package that is fair to both sides, including points generally anticipated, but adding accommodations unique to the potential sponsor. 

“We spend a lot of time building a relationship with the company.  It is important to know the person you’re dealing with, and a key component of any negotiation is to build trust on both sides.”

Cassidy notes that for her, a negotiation is successful when it creates a lasting two-fold relationship that “provides support for new artists and achieves strategic objectives for participating companies.”