JM, I wouldn't get the work if I didn't manage the entire business communication spectrum. These projects are less than 15% of total milling of marketing communication projects for the organization.

It all starts with research (employee, current customers and local population). We roll that info into the overall Strategic plan.
From that, we do a MARCOM plan; a very detailed budget detailing timelines, materials used, budgets, etc.

That master document is used to manage all internal and external organization activities, of which music gives me an advantage, in terms of the final product, but, frankly could be eliminated, with minimal negative effects.

Sadly, you're right. The day of the $5,000.00 30-60-10 local jingle package is long gone.

There are ways to do it, but it's TOUGH.

R.

Hey Russ,

Do you think there's much of a future in jingles (music for commercials)?

With all the free copy right music and automation I wonder if that is having (or will) an impact on real composers? Just curious....

I have created a market for my product and built the cost into the over-all marketing budget and production costs.

The bottom end of the market now uses needle drop music that is a easily edited. Most of my top end stuff has lots of sound samples....truck and jet engines, loading ramps, truck loading sounds, so much so that sound effects are as important as any resemblance of a tune.

I'm booked for a year out and have turned down three out of 4 projects, mainly because I only work on projects I totally control.

Friends who do it differently are telling me they are having trouble hanging on.

R.

Russ: You certainly have carved a niche with taking as much control of the project up front. This makes your service much more comprehensive. That's basically how we did business over the last 15 years of our run. We took control of a large portion of Community Banks and Credit Unions Ad budgets. We'd provide jingles, copywriting, TV production, media buying and newspaper advertising. We'd get money up front for a particular package. This would give us operating capital. Unfortunately, the jingle business became very competitive and was difficult to get any money up front. Plus prices were dirt cheap.


Good luck with your current business model...sounds like you got a good thing going.


JM