Finding Matches
We’re not representing any artists, so it’s not like I have to plug in an artist to make it work. When a brand comes to me, I’m going to look at what their KPI’s [key performance indicators] are. I’m going to look at their target demo. A lot of times, it’s different from what they think their target demo is; people think they’re something they’re not. And then we find out what their overall vibe is—what’s the thing they’re going for?
Fulfilling Goals
We’re not about straight sponsorships. Mirrored Media did a year-long campaign with Metric around their new album, Synthetica, and Acura’s new car, the ILX. Metric had never done a brand partnership deal before. They’re super indie and did not want to do that. It’s more than just the money for them. At the time, Metric wanted to do their largest tour ever. They wanted to sell out Radio City Music Hall and be No. 1 on the charts. They wanted a crazy stage show they couldn’t afford on their own with 3-D projection map staging and sound reactive instruments. I was able to morph the campaign Acura wanted into that to give [Metric] what they wanted.
Crazy Creative
Each campaign is unique. We’re not plugging into a model and spitting out a result. At the end of the day, we’re a creative agency. We have fun brainstorms where no idea is too stupid or crazy, then whittling those down to the heroes.
At Comic-Con, Mirrored Media did a party on the USS Midway. The logistics behind working with the Navy, the city of San Diego, Port Authority and Comic-Con itself to throw MGMT, Grimes, Bad Suns, Cathedrals and Cold War Kids on an aircraft carrier was crazy. All of our staging went up missile elevators. It took an amazing amount of time.
Sponsorship Deals for Baby Bands
For TuneCore, we did something called TuneCore Live, where we gave monthly concert series nationwide with acts most of which are completely unknown. We picked some awesome talent and did a daily concert at the Anaheim JW Marriott.
We’re always open to working directly with artists. We’ve worked one-on-one with independent artists many times. It just comes down to the budget and what they’re trying to do.
Team Effort
For some reason, there is a stigma around asking for advice, that it’s a sign of weakness. I don’t think so at all.
Also, you don’t need to do it alone. What helped me become successful was helping create authentic relationships. That inspired them to believe and want to help me, but also invest in my success. They wanted Mirrored Media to succeed and brought us some of our largest clients. I’ve never paid a sales team and we’ve worked with some of the largest artists and brands in the world.
Find Your Own Endorsement
Have conversations and don’t be afraid. Major brands have people who can easily be found on LinkedIn and through email. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen an artist get to work on a campaign because they reached out and introduced themselves to the CEO.
Create Cool Moments
Trust yourself. As an artist, people are paying attention to you because they love what you are creating. Stay true to that and your fans. Don’t think of production value in the sense of cost. It’s just something that’s going to create that moment in time that connects you with your audience and they’re going to want to share. It doesn’t have to be something you spend a bunch of money on. Lucy Schwartz did an acoustic set in a bat cave at Runyon Canyon that spoke so well to her brand and music. It’s moments like that where an indie artist can capitalize and go viral.
Years with Mirrored Media: 6
Clients: Red Hot Chili Peppers, Shiny Toy Guns, Imagine Dragons, Skylar Grey, MGMT, Eagles of Death Metal, Dropkick Murphys, Macklemore, Bea Miller, TuneCore, Warner Brothers Records, Soundtrack Your Brand, Hollywood Records, Interscope, Island Records.
For more information, visit mirroredmedia.com.
