The other day I was talking to an artist who was interested in promoting her work, but wasn’t quite sure how to get her art out there, or what steps to take. During the conversation I mentioned the word “brand.” Silence followed.
“I’m not a brand,” she insisted. “I’m an artist, not a brand. I don’t want to be a brand!”
I prepare for this whenever discussing marketing with fine artists. I toss the word “brand” out intentionally, as one would a grenade. I generally wait until the artist is fully engaged in the conversation excited about where her (In this case she was female, but I’ve had the same reaction from males) art could go, how we could promote her work, the various creative ways we could build bridges between her and the public, and how we could utilize the media to get her art in front of collectors, investors, gallery owners and the public at large. She was excited as we reviewed the possibilities.
I then took a deep breath and let it fly.
“PR is the most effective marketing tool we can use to help establish your brand,” I said.
Watching her expression, I realized I had made a direct hit.
She cringed. The conversation came to a screeching halt and she adamantly exclaimed, “I am not a brand!”
I could have used such words as style or mark. Those usually don’t elicit the same overwhelming negative response, but it wouldn’t really make any difference.
A rose by any other name.
When I talk to filmmakers, or musicians, or authors about their brand, the conversation seldom skips a beat. They understand, accept and keep moving forward. It is the nature of the marketplace.
So, even the term brand makes you cringe, so be it, but realize it is a reality. You can use another term that makes you more comfortable, or come to terms with the fact that once your art enters the market, a brand is being created.
My advice is to be as creative in defining your brand as you are in creating your art.
The upside is that you have a choice, you can either get involved in your marketing, public relations and promotion and help shape and influence your brand and how the public and the market views you, or you can passively let your brand be shaped for you.
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