What Bands Can Learn From The Failure Of Occupy
Monday, November 21, 2011 at 9:59AM 
I have always taken pride in stirring the pot a little. I love hot button issues because it is something so many can relate to. But before I connect the dots of this topic, I think I need to make a few things clear. Because so many can't wrap their heads around using a hot topic as an example, the weaker minds tend to confuse the example with the point. So it might help things if I make a few things clear about my feelings on this topic.
First off if you think Occupy is a bunch of jobless hippies you are not paying any attention at all. Jokes that even hint at that only make you look like a clueless moron. The truth is that there are Marines out there who think that this fight for their country is more important than the one they did on the battlefield. Their are people with jobs who are sucking up all their vacation hours to be a part of this.
Second, the Occupy movement is not against business, corporations, profit, or even capitalism. The Occupy movement is against corruption. The Occupy movement is against crony capitalism. Do you know the difference? Until you do please shut your trap.
Third, the Occupy movement has failed. Yes I know I will piss off both sides with this article, but everything I have said is true. Why did it fail? No leadership is the movement's biggest problem. Just like with most local bands that fail, there was a horrid marketing strategy. That little thing with the finger waves to say if you agree with something or not? That and the drum circles make it look like nothing but a bunch of dirty hippies who need to just take a shower and get a job. It sent the wrong message. There are so many local bands that have the same problem. They lack one central message with their brand. Like it or not everything is marketing and everything has a brand no matter if you want to acknowledge it or not. If you do acknowledge it, you can control it better. Both local bands that go nowhere and the Occupy movement have this same problem. There is a message they want to put forth that gets buried because they don't want to acknowledge their brand and the marketing that needs to happen for that brand to do what they want it to.
Local bands love to play the same clubs every weekend. It feels safe. If they are good enough they can be a big fish in their little pond. It feels good. But they end up milking that cow for too long and when it runs out of milk they just get dust. They waited too long to start working on the next step and fizzle into nothing. The same thing happened with Occupy. They where doing really great getting people's attention standing their ground at the local parks. But there was no strategy to it. There was no end game. They waited too long to set up the next step because it felt good to just keep doing what was working. That failed local band and Occupy should have planned for the next step while they had people's attention. Never rest on your laurels. Always plan for the next step no matter if you are in a band or in a political movement. Strike while the iron is hot!
As I said already in this article, your brand is everything. Marketing is a major part of everything. Strategy is always top priority. Forget these rules and you will always fail. No matter if it is a band, a political movement, or anything else in life. So go work on your strategy. Both of you!
Band Advice, Mark's Brain, Occupy in commentary, music 
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Top 20 Ways Clients Annoy PR Pros
So many of your have heard me rant about my two most important rules of music industry PR. What!? You haven't? Oh, well those are as follows then: 1. Do not call a video "viral" just because it is on the internet. Your video is NOT viral upon release. It is "viral" when it goes "VIRAL" you twit! 2. Do not say it is a "leak" if it comes from an offical source. Do you not know what the word leak means you moron?! So that is it. If press agents could remember those two rules it would really help my blood presure. However, the other side has spoken and I have to agree with this entire list.
Credit for finding this great article goes to the mighty Amdanda Cagan of ABC PR. Seriously, she is pretty awesome and you should contact her if you need a press agent. We personally have dealt with #9 so this list rings extra awesome for us I am sure.
Notice how I didn't post the entire article? Well, that is because you should...
READ THE FULL ARTICLE BY CLICKING HERE!
I got permission to do this by the author right HERE.
Refill the cup of coffee, take a deep breath, and know you're not alone.
1. No, we don’t know every journalist everywhere across the universe — not that it matters, anyway. Even journalists whose weddings we were in have turned down our pitches occasionally.
2. A good publicist doesn’t have to be based out of New York or L.A. to be effective. Ever heard of this crazy thing called email?
3. Few things actually warrant a press release…
4. …but a creative PR professional can still brainstorm ways to achieve your goals without one.
5. Stop insisting we call the media. Most of them hate this and specifically request we only contact them via email.
6. PR is not free advertising. PR is not free (or cheap), period.
7. Don’t ask us to pitch an idea and then not make yourself available for an interview. If you want the press, we need you to be ready to talk to the media at a
moment’s notice.
8. What matters most to you may be totally irrelevant to a journalist. Remember that it’s what they think is important — not you — that matters in the end.
9. Publicists cannot control the end product. It is unethical for us to ask to see or proof a copy of the story beforehand, or dictate what the reporter can and can’t say. This will backfire — trust us.
10. Social media is more than Facebook and Twitter.
This is HALF the list...
READ THE FULL ARTICLE BY CLICKING HERE!