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TOMS Shoes creator, Blake Mycoskie, is featured on CNBC as an entrepreneur.

Public Relations within the Music Industry

The following is an informational interview with Michelle Roche, owner of Michelle Roche Media Relations. Her company specializes in all aspects of publicity within the music industry. In addition to managing tour press for various musical artists and festivals, Ms. Roche also takes on promotional projects for DVD releases, such as Adult Swim's Aqua Teen Hunger Force.

What made you choose the music industry to establish your career?

I’ve been around music my entire life. I grew up around it, being involved in chorus and going to shows in during college. I went to journalism school. I wasn’t very savvy about the industry at that time, though. I feel like today’s generation is much more in tune with how the music industry functions. My goal after college was to go into advertising. I started out working at a TV station. Later, as a manager at a jazz club in Atlanta, I realized I could take my passion for music and the skills I’d learned in journalism to create a career in the industry. So, I kind of stumbled upon the career.

In addition to those you’ve already mentioned, what jobs and experiences led you to your current position?

My background in the service industry helped a lot. I was a server and, later, a restaurant manager at a fine dining facility in Atlanta. Like I said, I also worked at a television station for two years. I spent a year doing advertising sales. All of these experiences provided me with great public relations skills. I was then an independent publicist for two years before working for five different record labels. I eventually ended up at Capricorn Records, working with multiplatinum bands and artists. After leaving Capricorn, I started my own company, which is where I’ve been for more than seven years now.

If you could do things all over again, would you choose the same career path for yourself? What would you change?

I would change very little. If anything, I would start earlier. For instance, I would have gotten more involved with music in college. I would have worked at the college radio station, written about music for the school paper and interned as much as possible. It was good to have the managerial skills that I received from other jobs, so I wouldn’t change that aspect.

What do you find most challenging about your current job?

The most challenging part of owning my own company is the financial aspect, such as dealing with taxes and billing. It’s also a challenge deciding the most effective use of my time and maintaining a balance between work and a personal life.

What are the most and least rewarding aspects of your job?

The most rewarding is definitely being my own boss and having the opportunity to travel whenever I want. I usually travel five or six weeks each year. It’s also nice to have respect within the community as a local business owner. The down side of owning my own company is that no one pays for my vacation time and benefits, which would be the least rewarding aspects.

How is the economy affecting your industry?

The music industry was already struggling before the economy went downhill. Since music and entertainment are top U.S. exports, I would say that the industry is no worse now that it was before. The ones suffering the most as a result of the economy are the music venues and the touring artists, since people don’t attend shows and purchase merchandise as much as they normally would. On the other hand, the publicist aspect of the industry is strong because it’s a necessary service for every artist. They will usually cut other expenses from their budget before getting rid of their publicist.

How do you see this type of job changing in the future?

My job evolves on a daily basis. I’ve been doing more consulting for internet marketing and online promotion. I’ve also been doing more promotional projects for DVDs, since they tend to be bigger than music. There has also been a change in attitude as far as the type of media coverage that may be considered press. For example, I now keep records of blog posts and webcasts that feature the particular artist or band, in addition to traditional newspaper articles.

Do you have any special words of warning or encouragement as a result of your experiences?

Internships, internships, internships! I think you should have several internships while in college because employers are looking more and more for graduates to have real world experience. Also, I would pay close attention to the length of the internship and the knowledge that can be gained from it. For example, if your internship was only two months, I know that you only received two-months-worth of experience, as opposed to a longer opportunity that would allow for more hands-on experience.

TOMS Shoes

I first heard about TOMS Shoes from a friend who had attended a "Style Your Sole" event at someone's apartment. The concept behind this young company is what really caught my attention. Why would someone create a shoe business that gives away just as many pairs as it sells?

The answer to this question came to me later as I earnestly researched our new client for my public relations capstone class at the University of Georgia's Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication. The class consists of completing an entire public relations campaign from the initial research stages to the final implementation and evaluation. Who would have thought that my assigned client would be this exciting company that I was already somewhat familiar with? Sporting the new pair of TOMS I had eagerly requested for Christmas, I began my investigation of this intriguing young company. Several YouTube videos later, I was HOOKED!

For those of you who aren't familiar with TOMS, their policy is to donate a pair of shoes to a child in need for each pair purchased on their Web site or in their stores. It didn't take me long to discover that TOMS Shoes could revolutionize the way that corporate America does business. By developing a nonprofit sector to supplement the efforts of this commercial company, TOMS has created the "perfect storm" to contribute to international community development. What an incredible way to connect American commercialism with a global need for shoes!

Since it began in May 2006, the company has given over 115,000 pairs of shoes to children in places like Argentina and South Africa. TOMS Shoes also allows its supporters to get involved by going on a "shoe drop" through their nonprofit sector, Friends of TOMS. These shoe drops allow passionate volunteers to experience what it's like to give someone their first or only pair of shoes. This video can better demonstrate the TOMS initiative and the life-changing experience of a TOMS shoe drop.