218 !!Chapter 13
panies is that advertising has rarely resulted in direct sales but has created
awareness of their companies, helping to procure new relationships.
Public Relations Firms
Some companies hire public relations firms. It is their job to interest jour-
nalists and editors to publish articles about the music company; they also
try to obtain publicity in additional mediums. The best exposure is in trade
magazines such asAdvertising Age(the ‘‘bible’’ of the advertising indus-
try). Trade magazines publish the names of suppliers that have worked on
specific commercials. For example, they will list the product, the advertis-
ing agency and producer, the copywriter, the art director, the editor, the
composer, the music company, the director, and the name of the director’s
company. The information is usually published weekly. Potential employ-
ers read this information and contact suppliers they find of interest. Word
of mouth results from public relations.
Company History
A short company history should contain a list of current and previous cli-
ents in addition to a short bio about each composer and/or jingle writer.
This serves as an introduction to potential clients. Include a company bio
when submitting demonstration reels.
Trademark Protection
A trademark is a symbol or a name that identifies a company or manufac-
turer and is registered with the government as a form of protection. Music
houses often trademark their name and company logo. After establishing
an image, they want their image protected so that other companies cannot
infringe on their trademark and image.
The application process takes approximately 18 months. Information
and application forms can be found on the Internet at http://www.uspto.gov.
Attorneys specializing in intellectual property apply for and clear trade-
marks. Since it can be difficult to clear a trademark, it is best to hire an
attorney.
Trademarks can be exceptionally valuable. For example, the Coke
trademark is worth $69 billion (the shape of Coke’s bottle, among other
things, is trademarked); the Disney trademark is worth $32 billion. This is
not to infer that a music house will have the same value, but after spending
time and money to establish an image, it is best to be protected.
Agency Negotiations
When discussing business, reps normally contact agency producers. Pro-
ducers generally request a detailed budget from music companies. Some-