Rainmaker Publicity: Lessons From 8 Years In the Marketing Trenches
Anne Freeman, – Music Dish
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