Sponsored by BBM Group, Midi Mafia will be conducting their Blazetrak reviews live on their new weekly web series, entitled “Casa Mafia,” which will be streamed on both Ustream (www.Ustream.tv/midimafia) and their official website: themidimafia.com.

Over the course of 3 webisodes, 15 aspiring artists will be given the amazing opportunity to be reviewed and showcased on the most active live-streaming website on the internet.  Submissions will be accepted via Blazetrak.com all month long (deadline: February 28^th), and 15 of these submissions will be chosen for the live events, with five artists being reviewed per webisode.

The webisodes will air every Tuesday in March starting on March 2^nd [4pm - 6pm PST / 7pm – 9pm EST].  Throughout the month of March, fans will have the opportunity to vote for their favorites via polling on themidimafia.com.  During the fourth episode of the month, airing Tuesday, March 23^rd, Midi Mafia will be interacting with fans and reviewing the poll results in order to choose a winner from the 15 Blazetrak reviews.

Ultimately, Midi Mafia will select who they deem the most talented as the official winner of the series.  The winner will receive the experience of a lifetime, including a first class flight to LA to spend the weekend with Midi Mafia working together in their studio to record and polish one track that will later be showcased on both Blazetrak.com and themidimafia.com.

For this talent search specifically, Midi Mafia will be looking for artists (all ages) that can sing and/or play instruments.  They will be seeking out a fresh sound that will be highly marketable for radio and live performances.  Users are invited to submit one original audio track that best represents his or her talent via Blazetrak, for a fee of $100 per submission.  All submissions will be graded on a scale of 1 – 5 based on the following criteria: marketability, voice/instrumental quality, and originality.

Throughout the web series, users can expect unpredictable visitors to be popping in and out of the Midi Mafia house, including some of the top names in entertainment.

All submissions will receive a guaranteed video response directly from Midi Mafia, even if not chosen for the live event.

Midi Mafia, consists of co-producers Dirty Swift and Bruce Waynne, who are known for creating some of the biggest hits on the charts today.  Their clients include: 50 Cent, Jennifer Lopez,  John Legend, Brandy, David Archuleta, Justin Beiber and Nelly, just to name a few.

For more information on Blazetrak and this special Casa Mafia talent search, please visit: www.Blazetrak.com/midimafia.

*The Midi Mafia

[Alyson Campbell for It's All Very PR]

The event was fittingly held in the old Tower Records space on 4th & Bway, which felt so desolate and sad, after being stripped of its musical inventory.  Brightening things up though, was a non-profit organization entitled “No Longer Empty” which brings temporary cultural exhibits to unused real estate throughout the city.  As such, the walls displayed a slew of musical tributes, ranging from a flock of birds made out of old vinyl records to a wall plastered with all of the magazine covers that famed wanna-be rapper, Vanilla Ice, graced back in the early 90s.

Before the panel got started, SoundCTRL announced a new contest called FlashFWD.  Here, they are looking for the top music startups that are reshaping the current music biz model as we know it.  (Be a doll, and nominate my client BLAZETRAK for this honor here).  Winner gets to attend the infamous SXSW conference, the largest music & tech conference of the year.

The panel incuded:
James Andrews – Moderator (@keyinfluencer)
Marisa Bangash – Uncensored Interview (@mbangash)
Andrew Katz – Pepsi – Music Marketing Division (@phillykatz)
?uestLove – Drummer for The Roots / current drummer on The Jimmy Fallon Show (@QuestLove)

The debate explored the not-necessarily-foreseeable new model that the music industry is going to need to adopt, as music sales continue to decline, and the consumer continues to have innovative ways to access music online for free.  For the most part, the panel agreed that the question comes down to the financier.  Who is going to finance the artist development, the studio time, the production, and ultimately, the publicity of the musical acts?  How are we going to have superstars like Michael Jackson and Beyonce without sales and thus funding?

This lead into a discussion over the notion of partnering Brands with Bands, and if the advertising companies, or the huge corporate sponsors (Hi there, Pepsi!), would be the new creatives in the business.  Brands as curators?  And whether or not marketing will impede upon the musical integrity of an act.   Andrew Katz, representative of Pepsi, quickly chimed in that this is something that Brands will have to earn.  It’s a process of building up that kind of credibility and respect, something he says Pepsi is already in the process of doing.

Other suggestions for new revenue models ranged from music superstars being paid to tweet, having digital music listening charge like a utility bill would, and even one mention that Blazetrak is solving the problem!

My favorite moment of the night was when Questlove was talking about hip-hop not having any credible acts with major $$$ budgets backing them before 1992.  At which point his eye conveniently caught the Vanilla Ice exhibit, and he cracked up, thinking about how it was manufactured rap acts just like this, who helped to bring hip-hop into the mainstream.   Questlove’s insight, passion, and humor added a thoroughly enjoyable touch to the evening’s discussion (read: huge crush).

What do you think is the next sustainable model for the music business?

**All photos courtesy of Random Night Out’s Nick McGlynn

*The Panel (from left to right): James Andrews, Marisa, Andrew Katz, Questlove

*The audience, during Q&A (I was sitting directly in front of the guy asking the question, how am I not visible?)

*Nate Casey, co-founder of Blazetrak.com, chatting with Questlove

*The lovely Emily Gannett with Social Diva, Peg Samuel.

*The SoundCTRL board members w/ the Panelists

[Alyson Campbell for It's All Very PR]

The mixed-media pieces of work ranged in sizes and price, all very brightly lit in shades of pinks and blues, featuring hearts, flowers, rainbows, ice cream cones, and even Amanda’s beloved French Bulldog, “Pearl.”  The exhibit also introduced Amanda’s first foray into sculpture work: a mannequin up-ended and covered in mixed-media, being used as what Amanda has dubbed a “post-modern flower pot.”   Perfectly matching her works of art, Amanda was clad in Betsey Johnson from head to toe, including a vintage Betsey dress, black Betsey leggings with bright pink roses, and leopard print Betsey stilettos.

Guests included: Tia Walker (Celebrity Lifestyle Blogger of The Quest for “it’), Gordon Ho (Photographer for Scallywag & Vagabond), John Simon (of JohnSimonDaily.com), Kim Weling (of New York Cool and Fashionably Petite), Martha ‘Lela’ Alburquerque (Editor-in-Chief of LelaLuxe.com), Tinka Milinovic (European Pop Star), several staffers from Betsey Johnson downtown & uptown, and Amanda’s rocker boyfriend, Jon Weber (of Rock of Ages and The Orion Experience).

Guests sipped on red and white wine and indulged in her multi-colored sugary display including mini-cupcakes, customized M&M’s and hard candy known as “bling, bling rings.”

With about half of “Precious Things” selling out on opening night, the remainder of the pieces will remain on display through October 31^st, 2009.   For more information on Amanda Dolan and her private commission portrait services, check out www.AmandaDolan.com.

*All photos courtesy of Belkis Carrasco, and available here.

(this photo is courtesy of JohnSimonDaily.com)

[Alyson Campbell for It's All Very PR]

Although this is a blatant client plug, I am a genuine believer in this service, and the inherent shift it is going to encourage as the music industry adapts to the digital music age.

Check out this cool ‘how to’ video from G4TV to see Grooveshark in all its’ glory:

[Alyson Campbell for It's All Very PR]

Here is Joe’s article, which you can also read directly, here.

How To: Plant An Item in Page Six

“The NYC Realty Guide: A Better Way To Buy Real Estate,” is a 5-minute lesson into the intricacies of the New York City property market, leaving you astute and informed.  The video was written and narrated by Rob himself, and the motion graphics were handled courtesy of AMP3 PR’s design shop: AMP3 Creative.

For more information, visit www.TheNYCRealtyGuide.com, and if you’re looking to buy or sell in NYC, do what’s good for you–pick up the phone and call Rob: 212-792-9289.

Have a look and let us know what you think in the comments section below!

[Alyson Campbell for It's All Very PR]

Built by Culture Jam Labs and Warner Bros Records, this virtual listening party will give fans the chance to hear the entire album in exchange for one tweet on the release date.   Fans can enter the party by turning their social Twitter updates into digital currency–essentially purchasing a ticket to the event with one tweet.   The event will be hosted exclusively at http://twitter.theused.net.

Suggested twitter message: “You can listen to the new @wearetheused album #Artwork today for 24 hours only at http://twitter.theused.net.  One tweet gets you in!”

Once inside, fans will be able to stream the album, see other fans participating in the listening party, and be among the first to purchase the album on iTunes, Rhapsody or TheUsed.net.

Artwork is the fourth studio album from Reprise Records artists The Used.  Early critical acclaim for the Matt Squire-produced Artwork has been effusive.  Outburn (which the band currently graces the cover of) praised its “humbling ability to sound scrappy and raw while being perfectly polished and huge,” while Alternative Press states “The Used have delivered not only the definitive album of their career but arguably one fo the best records you’ll hear in 2009. 4 1/2 stars.”

NightTime w/ Marcus Goldhaber
at The Night Hotel
132 W. 45^th Street (between Bway & 6^th)

Thursdays (Now through July 2nd, 2009)
6pm – 9pm (2 Live Jazz Sets: 630pm & 8pm)
$10 Cover
1^st Floor Lounge & Atrium

www.NightHotelNY.com
RSVP to: NightHotel@AMP3pr.com

*Some things can only happen at NIGHT…

[Alyson Campbell for It's All Very PR]

As such, I thought I would take this moment to also shamelessly plug why AMP3 is ahead of the curve, and discuss some current hot topics circulating within the PR scene.

Unlike many of our more archaic competitors who are currently struggling to incorporate social media and web 2.0 into their existing business models, and are, for the most part, outsourcing these services to new media specialists, AMP3 was born into this era, and knows nothing but the integration of these incredible new media tools into our active PR campaigns.

Enter stage left: PR 2.0.

I have heard countless discussions in the past 9 months, all begging the question, “Is Social Media killing PR?” And if you know what you’re talking about, you know the answer is NO, Social Media is actually making PR more effective, more powerful, and more accountable than ever.

Today, I was invited to give a “speech” at the RTV (Rose Tech Ventures) Incubator, a weekly Friday Luncheon hosted by @innonate (Nate Westheimer), that brings together a group of entrepreneurs, primarily with Web Start-ups, to discuss various topics that relate to their businesses, and today, that topic was PR. I do have to say, it was a bit intimidating being the one female in a boardroom full of very established men, but I thoroughly enjoyed the conversation and found the Q&A portion most interesting. They really grilled me on the merits of PR and through this, I was able to learn more about how PR is viewed in their eyes.

While making some notes, pre-speech, it got me thinking about what’s currently relevant…

At AMP3, PR 2.0 means the fusion of traditional PR tactics with social media technologies. Gone are the days of wasteful physical press kit compilation and blind outreaches to unassuming media folks. Today, there is no excuse, and if you’re embracing social media, there are a few incredible tools that can be used to your advantage. PR 2.0 goes a step beyond just creating accounts on all of the various mass and niche social networking sites. Without giving away all of my tricks, vaguely, PR 2.0 can mean:

1) YouTube Pitching – why wait to score that elusive editorial deskside? Have your client film a direct elevator pitch to a specific reporter using your handy dandy Flip Video YouTube Cam, introducing themselves and getting right to the heart of their story. Then, send the private YouTube link with a minimally invasive pitch, and voila, you’ve now successfully put a face to a name.

2) Twitter Pitching – while following the daily antics of all of your friends as they tweet is more than fun, don’t forget to use the search function on Twitter as well. Repping a healthcare client? Type in healthcare, and see who else is talking about it. Then, get @ them, with a relevant link or helpful passage. Twitter is the definition of the traditional snowball effect, so use it.

3) Tailored (and I mean, really tailored) Pitches – If you want to get a really juicy story surrounding your client, you need to consider each and every reporter you pitch, and today, thanks to a little someone I like to call Google, there is no excuse for not doing your homework. If you’re pitching the Arts & Culture Editor at USA Today, read up on her past articles (the print edition is now digital, too, and thus searchable), understand her audience and her tone of voice, and when you reach out to her, really consider why she, specifically, should care and show her that you’re up to speed. Better yet, provide her with content that you know she needs. When she recognizes that you are truly talking to her, she’ll take your ‘call to action’ seriously, and the result will be tangible.

4) Blogging – at AMP3, all of our publicists double as bloggers as well. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer, right? This is a really unique way to sit on the editorial side of the table. Now, we’re able to offer our warm contacts coverage, thus creating value in the media marketplace. If you’re linking to other bloggers (and please, link share generously), you are making yourself more current, accessible and indispensable. This helps when it comes to cross-promotion and synergistic opportunities for your client.

5) Resources! Along with the blogosphere and the social media boom comes and unbelievable amount of free resources for publicists and entrepreneurs to capitalize upon. Knowledge is power, and by keeping up with sites like ReportingOn.com (which is basically the Twitter of the Reporting world, sharing in 140 characters or less what reporters are currently writing about and allowing you to contribute relevant content as a result) and BeatBlogging.org (a site designed to help reporters hone in on their specialty “beat” using social media, and thus helping PR people to better understand the who’s who of the media world), you can really know who you’re talking to and have access to warm coverage opportunities. For those of you looking to go it alone with your PR, there is also PitchEngine.com (which helps you to generate a Social Media Press Release) and YourPitchSucks.com (which helps you to find a pitch that, well, doesn’t).

I’ll cut off the PR 2.0 talk here, because like the internet, the opportunities for PR using Web 2.0 technologies are infinite, and I’ll end with what I think was the most interesting question posed to me at the luncheon today.

Question: What would the benefit be to hiring an outside PR firm? Let’s say most PR firms cost upwards of $10K per month, and perhaps we could get a boutique PR firm in the $5K – $10K range; we’re still looking at upwards of $60K a year. Why not bring in an in-house PR person on that $60K+ annual salary, and have them on your team?

My Answer: …. My Answer is 3 pronged:

1) Resources. PR firms have a surprising amount of overhead. There is more to PR than just paying someone who knows what they’re doing. In order to effectively pitch you, your PR person needs access to ridiculously costly resources, including media databases and clipping services (to only name a few) which have weighty annual memberships fees. Add these costs to the salary you’ve allotted, and it might not still seem like a steal.

2) Thinktank. Keeping the PR team in-house means that they are part of your corporate structure and thus part of the focused thought-process of your company. Going with an outside firm brings the “two heads are better than one” theory into play. At a boutique agency like AMP3, though you’ll have your point-publicist who will be your “go to” guy, you also have the unbiased approach of an entire firm of publicists who will be privy to your project thanks to our thinktank set-up, and able to come up with out-of-the-box synergies, contacts and ideas that need their own breeding ground to materialize.  Sometimes that outside-looking-in perspective on what’s press worthy about your brand is valuable.

3) A niche beyond your niche. Chances are, if you have an in-house PR person; they’ll know your specific industry, and they’ll know it well. For example, if you sell designer jeans, chances are your in-house PR person will know the niche fashion media from top to bottom. But with an outside PR firm, collective resources across multiple accounts and previous experiences are compounded. So, if I am repping this same jeans company, I may also be in really tight with the business editors at mainstream publications due to other business-centric clients and interactions, and be able to say, “hey business editor – let me tell you about this interesting company than manufactures jeans” – and business editor might not only run the story from an entrepreneurial perspective, but also offer to refer me over to the fashion editor, creating a double-whammy effect .

Of course, there are two sides to every coin, and I am certain that in-house PR folks everywhere have their merits, too.

Well, my train is now rolling up to my destination, and this long-winded article was a 40-minute train ride will spent for me.  If you made it to the end – thanks for reading!

A very big thank you again to Nate and the RTV crew, for extending the invite today.

And if you’re not already, start following me on Twitter: @AlyAMP3.

]]> http://itsallverypr.com/2008/11/amp3-20-goes-live-and-pr-20-takes-flight/feed/ 0 http://itsallverypr.com/2008/10/marcus-goldhaber-in-store-cd-signing-jo-malone/ http://itsallverypr.com/2008/10/marcus-goldhaber-in-store-cd-signing-jo-malone/#comments Thu, 23 Oct 2008 21:44:13 +0000 alyson http://itsallverypr.com/?p=430 Last Night, we pulled off an amazing event for my client, singer/songwriter Marcus Goldhaber.

Jo Malone, the British perfumery now owned by Estee Lauder, was so kind as to host an In Store CD Signing & Live Performance in anticipation of Marcus’ forthcoming CD, “Take Me Anywhere,” hitting stores in November.

The flagship store, located in the historic Flatiron Building, closed down their shop for the evening for our private party, welcoming guests in for an evening of pampering and (over) indulgence. As Marcus Goldhaber & The Jon Davis Trio took the stage to provide relaxing jazz music for the eager audience, all-natural dark chocolate macaroons by Holistic Living Now were passed around (a perfect complement to the free flowing champagne).

The Jo Malone staff was on-site offering fragrance sampling and fragrance combining tips as well as full hand and arm massages to the guests as Marcus signed exclusive advanced copies of his soon-to-be-released album “Take Me Anywhere”.

Event goers departed with a sense of renewal and charming Jo Malone gift bags with mini samples of their delicious products (the Vitamin E Lip Conditioner is a must-have!). Marcus’ Official album release party will be held on November 10^th, 2008, and the album will be available on iTunes and Amazon thereafter.

All-in-all it was the perfect cross-promotional collabo of relaxation and rejuvenation, if I do say so myself.

*Singer / Songwriter Marcus Goldhaber

*Janelle Hickman, Publicist for Victoria Secret, and Adrien Field, Editor of My “It” Things

*my buddies Celebrity Blogger Tia Walker of The Quest for “it” with Nichelle Stephens of Keeping Nickels and Cupcakes Take The Cake (who I’ve affectionately dubbed “The Cupcake Connoisseur”).

*Delectable Treats by Holistic Living Now

*Marcus mixing & mingling with his fans

*My clients from the early AMP3 era and founding Partners of Shark Meat Records and The Green Music Alliance: Darren Ockert and Armando Ortiz

*Kim Weling of Fashion Tribes & New York Cool with Patty Hughes of IMG Fashion Week & Curvy Girl Style

*My buds Erin Gell & Adam Dunstan, deep in convo (Adam are you making bunny ear “quotations”?)

*A fellow publicist and brand new blogger of “My Life On and Off The Guestlist” enjoying some pampering with a Jo Malone signature arm massage.

*Mother / Daughter look-alike: Celebrity Blogger Tia Walker of The Quest for “it” with her mom, Peggie Walker, Executive Editor of The Quest for “it”

*Another Mother / Daughter look-alike: Jackie of AMP3 PR with her Mom (and Dad).

*My crew: Ryann Ferguson, Jenny Blase, and Alonso Dominguez enjoying the bubbly.

*Marcus & The Jon Davis Trio performing

*All photos by our friend & Photographer Belkis Carrasco ~ via AMP3 PR.

[Alyson Campbell for ItsAllVeryPR.com]