As an artist, success is usually fuelled by people talking about you (hopefully for all the right reasons). A strong campaign will stimulate these conversations and bring you closer with audiences who believe in what you do.
In order to do that, we need a story to tell.
The most common misconception we come across as publicists is the belief that the act of releasing music is the story. Whilst this might be true for a very small handful of legacy acts, for most artists the music itself is simply the reason for us to spark the conversation and rarely the topic.
“Hi,
Great track.
Thanks,
Goodbye.”
With thousands of tracks released every single day, we need to know why you decided this was the track to release, why this was the moment. We need to know how you made the music. And most importantly, we need to be able to encourage those lovely editors, writers, and journalists that there is a reason that they should care.
After all the noise, egos and hype, it’s all about the story.
Discovering this narrative and navigating the big question of reputation and relevance comes from deep, insightful research – a process that we believe is the framework of every compelling campaign.
Neighbourhood was formed in 2013 and even in that short time our working day has changed a lot, but we have tried to stay true to what we believe makes us stand apart whilst keep pace with the disruption and progress that PR is known for. It’s often assumed that the world we inhabit is only a post-factual one, one of Fake News, and alternative facts, and thus the music industry is one where talent is clouded by marketing, polluted by visual power. What chance does an emerging artist have?
Music journalism, is being slowly replaced by punchy info, click bait news, and snippets of tracks – all turbo-charged by influencers on Instagram. Don’t even get us started on Web3. Stories have become ‘content’, news organisations have mutated into ‘platforms’ and yesterday’s long-read four-pager has been shrunk to fit tiny newsfeeds lying dormant across the bottom of our screens.
So why is the story so important?
Erosion of trust, a shifting digital landscape and a homogenisation of culture are all factors threatening an artist’s voice; yet everyone loves a good story, be it moving, educational or inspirational – they make you get up and do something.
If we can make someone feel something we are halfway to making them actually do something.
Some of the most successful publicity campaigns are the ones that have retained this curiosity over many years. For artists, it’s individual relationships that count, and artists should avoid the tendency to use their increased social reach to try and ‘advertise’ their way out of that responsibility. Behaviour is on public display, so fan base interaction is imperative now more than ever. The ‘story’ that you will find us so obsessive about offers a way to give meaning to ideas, opinions, and values.
A story can express, rather than dictate – we focus less on what it is we are pitching and more on why it is important.
Years ago, bands, artists and DJs could hide behind expensive public image campaigns, billboards, and visual strength. But now, thanks in part to social media, they need to connect more than ever; genuine dialogue and a human story are essential to creating meaningful, powerful content.
In 2024, success or failure depends not just on what you say or what you produce, but on who you are.
What’s your story?
