IPM Roma 2013- Brands, Parties & Promoters: Daniel Cross
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Skrufff are pleased to be supporting next week’s annual IPM conference in Rome and as part of our link-up will be running a series of Q&A with some of the key characters involved in this year’s event. http://www.ipmrome.com
Record-Play CEO Daniel Cross is the ‘Global Music Manager for the Adidas group and Reebok’ alongside numerous other blue chip fashion clients and will be appearing on IPM’s second brand/ music/ synching session ‘Do I really need to marry you??’
The panel will be asking questions including ‘Are brands becoming promoters (e.g. Red Bull Music Academy, Heineken Jamming Festival, Cornetto Summer of Music)’ and even more pertinently ‘who needs who?’
The Barcelona based Brit knows what he’s talking about.
“Music and fashion have always been intertwined you just need to look back to the Sex Pistols and Vivien Westwood,” he points out.
“What I find particularly interesting is where musicians and producers are becoming more outward facing entrepreneurs who not only speculate in the music industry, but also get actively involved with relevant brands including those which in traditional marketing terms were known as FMCG brands- fast moving consumer goods).”
“In this case the artists are effectively endorse themselves to be the faces of their own companies, be it in clothing (Liam Gallagher – Pretty Green) or alcohol (Ne-Yo and the Malibu jv), which allows them to monetize their own profiles and their social media channels for example,” says Daniel.
“So, I am very interested to see musicians taking a more open-minded stance with regards to creative output as well as approaches to revenue generation around their own ‘brand’ and 3rd party brand collaborations.”
Skrufff: What exactly does being the ‘Global Music Manager for the adidas-group and Reebok’ involve? How central is club/ nightlife/ DJ culture to those activities?
Daniel Cross (Record-Play): “The role involves hooking the brands up with music for their commercials as well as artists to associate with in marketing activities and content production. Dance music in its various formats, for better or worse, has moved closer to the mainstream in recent times, therefore DJ culture, clubs and electronic music in general is much more pertinent, it resonates with pop culture, and pop culture is where brands want to be.”
Skrufff: What’s the best way for DJs/ producers to connect with brands these days? What are some of the benefits: and pitfalls/ risk such arrangements can bring?
Daniel Cross (Record-Play): “Brands are interested in a pretty wide range of approaches that connect them with artists. The obvious ones are the live scene and product placement (obviously dependent on the DJ’s profile). However with newer platforms like mixcloud opening up use of music there is plenty of scope for curation, mixing and playlists.
Social media activities are becoming more prevalent for both the artists and brands, so credible ways of amplifying a brands message via the artist’s social media channels is always going to stir some interest as well.”
Skrufff: What kind of music do you like personally? Are you, or have you been in the past, a DJ?
Daniel Cross (Record-Play): “Fortunately I have a pretty varied music taste, but I am really enjoying seeing convergences between genres especially electronica’s integration into rock, pop and urban. The commercial rise in trap and bass music is getting exciting too. Also, currently I have to admit, I am super impressed with the electro and urban that’s coming out of Brazil, it’s really grabbing my attention. (https://soundcloud.com/cult-cartel/sets/brz-electro-bass) and no, i dont dj or play music to anyone publicly.”
Skrufff: Anything else to add?
Daniel Cross (Record-Play): “Well, from working with musicians over the past 10 years I have to say, first and foremost you have to be making music for the love of it not for the (distant) potential to get rich, its a long and rocky road!”
