The Rockwood Perspective, or:
Branding Crucial for ALL!
by Christina Shipp
I’ve been lucky enough to have had great experiences with “survival jobs” in this town, usually working in the glamorous restaurant and bar industry that keep this big apple juicy. For the past year, though, I’ve been blessed with the best job of all, working in a small music venue on the LES called Rockwood Music Hall. As an artist, I love the fact that I get to work in another branch of the Entertainment Industry here in this great, eclectic city: the Music Biz. Six shows a night, seven shows on the weekends, Rockwood has broadened my knowledge of the industry, how it works, and who’s Savvy enough to play the game. I’ve seen a lot of shows roll through that little stage. And I’ve had the pleasure of seeing how some bands and performers manage to take off, grow, and keep filling rooms to make their money.
Just like our business, the Music Industry is changing. It wasn’t that long ago that bands would gain a following, get a great manager, and sign to a Record Label that would brand the band, figure out how to package them, and start selling that Brand to the masses. But times they are a changin’. With the death of the record label, more and more bands are relying on themselves to package and sell their product. We’re seeing more start-ups and independently produced records and shows, because it seems easier and more achievable than securing a great record deal.
How does one band distinguish itself from the rest, and deliver a consistent product to keep their fans coming back, buying their albums, and selling out venues?
How does an actor distinguish himself or herself from the rest and deliver a consistent product to keep the casting directors calling them in, the producers buying their product and creating fans?
Like I said, I’ve seen a lot of shows with top-notch musicians. But there are a few that stand out. Just like we all know MANY talented actors. But who are those that are consistently working? How do YOU stand out? The talent is not the product, see, YOU are.
Now more than ever, this Branding work is crucial and invaluable to ALL artists and performers. Unfortunately, a lot of artists don’t do this work, and rely on the perspective of others’ to determine what their product should be. But branding, in essence, is determining what you are at your core, naming it, and promising to deliver that consistently. It’s a promise that you and your band will consistently deliver the very thing that makes you unique and different than every other band in the world. It’s a promise that you Savvy Actor will consistently deliver the very thing that makes you unique and different than every other actor in the world. Because once you do the work to determine who you are and what you’re selling, you can let everything else go. Gone are the days when you worry about pleasing everyone and being all things to all people. You can simply be the person, the band, and the actor that you are, without shame or fear. You are your own Brand, your own Product, and so you can deliver that again and again without fail.
And that, my dears, is how you stand out from the rest. And THAT, my dears, is how success is won.
