Rainmaker Publicity - Lessons From eight Years in the Marketing Trenches with Rhonda Kelley

An interview w/Rhonda Kelley and Rainmaker Publicity celebrating eight years in business, having represented over 600 independent artists and record labels.

Boston, MA (PRWEB) March 8, 2005 -- Rainmaker Publicity is a Boston-based, independent publicity company that specializes in representing independent artists. A full-service publicity company founded by Rhonda Kelley, Rainmaker Publicity works in print, broadcast, and electronic media, developing publicity campaigns for its artist clients via "previews, reviews, features, special events, news items, and other strategic campaign tactics." Rhonda Kelley and Rainmaker publicity is celebrating eight years in business, having represented over 600 independent artists and record labels. I interviewed Rhonda recently to tap into her hard-earned expertise to learn more about the publicity business and the role it should play in an independent artist's career.

(The Aspiring Songwriter) Congratulations, Rhonda, on celebrating eight years in the publicity business! Before we start our discussion, please take a moment to explain to us the difference between publicity, promotion, and marketing.

Rhonda Kelley: Thank You! It is quite an accomplishment in this highly competitive market. I feel very lucky that I am still loving it as much as I did when I started in 1996. As for the terminology, it is very simple. Marketing is about sales, retail, product placement and positioning. Publicity is about press including magazines, newspapers, webzines and television. The goal is attention, visibility, and buzz. Promotion is a huge umbrella that can include all of the above, as well as radio, street teams, mailers, posters, etc.

(The Aspiring Songwriter) Thanks for the explanations. Rhonda, tell us about Rainmaker Publicity - describe the clients that you typically represent, for example.

Rhonda Kelley: There are no typical clients for us. I love many music genres. When I am looking at a potential client, I am looking for a CD that I can connect with. But, I am also looking at the press potential. If the music is too unusual or quirky, then it won't get picked up by most press outlets and I really can't give them their money's worth. I also won't take on a client if the CD is older than a year; I would rather wait for the next project. If a client has unreasonable expectations and goals (i.e. this campaign must translate into a record deal), I won't work with them.

(The Aspiring Songwriter) What aspects of publicity does Rainmaker Publicity provide for its clients?

Rhonda Kelley: Our goal is to get as much press in as many press outlets as possible for our clients. Before starting a press campaign, I hand pick certain editors, reviewers, and freelancers that I know will appreciate that genre of music and that specific CD. I may have eight writers at "Billboard" that do reviews for me, but in my opinion, only three that I would decide to send a CD to for those reasons. It really is not a numbers game in publicity; it is about knowing your market and knowing your writers.

(The Aspiring Songwriter) How did you get started in the publicity business?

Rhonda Kelley: I literally fell into it. I had taken some time off from my marketing job in radio and created a television show called EDGETV (on the ABC Affiliate). It was a monthly special program where I featured musicians like The Cranberries, Aerosmith, and Harry Connick Jr., as well as other entertainment pieces. I had to do my own P.R. because I couldn't afford to hire someone else. Apparently, I did a GREAT job because soon local bands were calling me asking for my help, and it just took off from there.

(The Aspiring Songwriter) What compelled you to form Rainmaker Publicity and to focus on independent artists and bands?

Rhonda Kelley: When I started Rainmaker in 1996, there were not many independent public relations firms out there focusing on the unsigned band. It was a small niche then, but one where I knew I could make a difference. I made the deliberate decision then to concentrate on the developing musician, not the established one. I felt (that independents) needed an advocate more, and they do.

(The Aspiring Songwriter) Rhonda, I'd like to talk about publicity from the artist perspective. Artists often struggle with decisions about whom to hire for their team, when to hire them, and (frequently) how to pay for them. At what point in an artist's career should publicity and hiring a publicist become a "must do" rather than a "would like to do"?

Rhonda Kelley: Anyone who has chosen to work with a publicist from the first CD will tell you it was the smartest decision they made. You can spend $30,000 on a CD and it can be the greatest work you've ever produced but, if no one is taking notice of it, it just sits there. All indie bands need a publicist today. It is usually the first hire because until you have press (i.e. validation) and a press kit, you really can't impress radio music directors, labels or booking agencies.

(The Aspiring Songwriter) Once the decision to hire a publicist is made, what's next? What steps should artist take to "sell" themselves to publicists?

Rhonda Kelley: No selling needed. It isn't about selling or angles, it is about the CD, the music. When I fall in love with a CD, I HAVE to tell the world about it. It's just that simple. I either get it or I don't.

(The Aspiring Songwriter) What is a good way for artists to find publicists who specialize in independent artists, for example?

Rhonda Kelley: You can Google Indie Publicist and you will be amazed! I also have great referrals, as do other indie publicists. What to avoid. In my opinion, those companies that provide radio, retail, publicity, CD manufacturing, posters, street teams ... basically the one-stop shopping companies... in general are not specialists/experts in each field. Best to go with a radio rep that just does radio well, a publicist that does press and all things related to press, and so forth.

(The Aspiring Songwriter) What are the essential criteria that you look for when sorting through the press kits of all of the artists who request your publicity services?

Rhonda Kelley: We get over 100 press kits in here monthly. We pick six to eight on average. It is essential that I am able to connect with the music and transfer that enthusiasm over to the reviewer. When you pay a publicist, you are paying them to act as your mouth piece, your broker. It has to be genuine.

(The Aspiring Songwriter) Rhonda, managing artists' expectations of what a publicist can and cannot do for their careers must be one of the more difficult challenges that publicists face. What are some common misconceptions that artists have about publicity, and do you have suggestions as to how publicists should address those misconceptions?

Rhonda Kelley: Publicists want to get as much press in as many magazines, newspapers, and webzines as possible for their clients. Musicians hire us because we have direct access and relationships with hundreds of reviewers, editors, and freelancers. Our job is to make sure that the written materials and photos that go into the press kit are top notch. Our priority is to get the CD in the hands of the right reviewers for that particular genre of music. I am lucky in that I have a choice to pick the best of the bunch and therefore my recommendations to those reviewers, editors, and freelancers are noticed.

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