EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES AND INTERACTIVE MEDIA
Emerging Technologies And Interactive Media: Senior Vice President • Vice President • Director (multimedia/business Development Or New Media Technology)
JOB OVERVIEW
Executives in this department manage and direct marketing efforts of artists and the company on the Internet and through new technology. Camille Hackney directs strategic planning and implementation of marketing campaigns on the Internet. Daily tasks include running the label's web site, maintaining a presence for label signed artists, developing relationships with various Internet companies for cooperative marketing opportunities, and finding other new technology avenues to promote the company and its roster.
PREREQUISITES
To succeed, you must have people skills and a thirst for knowledge. You need to combine creativity with an understanding of new technology, the Internet, and marketing.
A DAY IN THE LIFE
On one particular day, Hackney arrived early to begin work on three different marketing plans—one for Busta Rhymes, one for Phish, and another for Ween—deciding whether to have a music download or a contest promotion. She attended a brainstorming meeting with other marketing executives to solidify plans for a big Busta Rhymes Internet event, then had a meeting outside the office with an Internet company about a Phish cybercast promotion. In the afternoon, she took conference calls regarding new technology, interviewed candidates for an opening in her department, met with the A&R staff about music for the web site, and dealt with a problem with the company that hosts the web site. That evening, she attended a Tracy Chapman concert and met with her afterward to talk about her upcoming AOL chat.
POINTERS FOR THE JOB SEARCH
“Get to know what the music business is all about—that is fundamental. Ask people at all different levels what they do and how they do it. Read about the music business. Do your homework on the Internet, whether it's looking at various music-based sites or reading Wired or Silicon Valley or Interactive Age, any of those journals. Read up on what's going on technology-wise in the music business. Anyone who comes in with a strong knowledge of the music business—how it's traditionally run—and is on top of technology and how it can change the way the business runs, has a pretty powerful information base to walk into any job interview with. You have to pay your dues, though. Most people start as interns.”
CAREER TIPS
“There are a lot of people in the music business prepared to do whatever they need to do to get in. Whenever I interview somebody, I like to see that kind of passion. You don't have to have gone to business school. What a lot of people like to see is that you love the music business and everything about it. That will take you far.”
“There are new outlets, new .com sites, popping up every day. You really have to, not only keep on top of those, but know how to use those tools to create a new and different marketing plan for artists.”
THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT THIS JOB:
“The music business has been around for decades, but technology has only been combined with music for about five years. Because technology is a new division, it's difficult, sometimes, to get the resources needed. People understand that it's an important part of the music business and it will fundamentally change how we do business in the future, but I struggle to get access to resources, whether that be human resources, monetary resources, or hardware and software. This is one of the things that makes my job difficult.”
THE BEST THING ABOUT THIS JOB:
“I love the learning that I get to do in this job. The Internet is changing every day. My challenge is to keep on top of things. I read at least three different newspapers and at least 50 different magazines every week. The magazines range from People to Interactive Age and all points between. I try to keep on top of what's going on marketing-wise, Internet-wise, and technology-wise, so I can apply that to what I do. That's the part I love. In general, I love the energy in the music industry. It is very similar to Wall Street. People work really hard, but they also play really hard. It's never boring. I actually enjoy coming to work.”
CAMILLE HACKNEY, VICE PRESIDENT MULTIMEDIA/BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, ELEKTRA ENTERTAINMENT
The launch of MTV on her thirteenth birthday proved prophetic for Camille Hackney, who spent her high school and early college years playing bass and guitar in an all-girl band, and dreamed of being a rock star. Not knowing how to get into the music business, or even what jobs existed, she studied economics at Princeton, and after graduation, took a job on Wall Street as a financial analyst for Merrill Lynch. Hackney soon realized that she was in the wrong line of work, and enrolled in business school. While taking classes, she worked in the marketing technology group of HBO cable network, where her varied interests in television, music, and technology converged. “Working at HBO got me into the entertainment field. I sort of started to realize there was a business behind the music.”
During her two years at Harvard Business School in Boston, Hackney called everyone she could in the music business. Many of those calls turned into 15-minute informational interviews where she learned about different career opportunities. “I would call people up and say, ‘I'm in school, I don't want a job, I just want to find out what you do.’ ” With a clearer idea of what jobs were available, she got an interview at Elektra Records through a friend of a friend. Hired in 1995 to do business development, her interest in technology led her to explore the potential of the Internet. After two years, she was promoted to vice president of multimedia market development. After label mergers and restructuring, Hackney was promoted to senior vice president brand partnerships and commercial licensing for Atlantic Records.
CAREER TIPS
“No fear,” states Marc Geiger as the reason for his success. “A vision and a love for what I'm doing is what drives the passion and the aggression.”
It is important to read the major music trade magazines like Billboard and Pollstar, but also read about new developments in technology and trends in the entertainment industry in general.
Additional topics
- EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES AND INTERACTIVE MEDIA - Alternative Marketing: Chief Operating Officer
- EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES AND INTERACTIVE MEDIA - The Internet And Digital Music
Job Descriptions and Careers, Career and Job Opportunities, Career Search, and Career Choices and ProfilesCareers in the Music BusinessEMERGING TECHNOLOGIES AND INTERACTIVE MEDIA - The Internet And Digital Music, Emerging Technologies And Interactive Media: Senior Vice President • Vice President • Director (multimedia/business Development Or New Media Technology)