Social Media & Music PR
A public relations approach to the music industry: raising brand awareness through two-way communication and transparency

Social Media & Music PR

A public relations approach to the music industry: raising brand awareness through two-way communication and transparency
Elyse C. Tan Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA

Abstract

This textual analysis of social media and its role in music public relations investigates North America’s largest outdoor music festival, Bonnaroo, and explores online coverage of the festival’s public relations tactics. I uncover some of the elements employed in its Internet-based social media and online journalism that facilitate interaction between the publics and Bonnaroo to help increase brand awareness and cope with crisis. A key question I aim to address is whether social media, Twitter and Facebook in particular, can give greater utility to influence the processes that create, reflect and transmit awareness via the Internet. Key Words: social media, Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, crowdsourcing, blog, interactive journalism, participatory journalism

Introduction
The progressive migration of information to the Internet has created a trend of public relations practitioners using social media to further promote brand awareness of their clients. It has made it possible for one person to communicate with hundreds or even thousands of other people about products and the companies that provide them (Faulds & Mangold, 2009). Social media is revolutionizing music public relations as it reaches out to a broader audience while encouraging and facilitating public participation. AC Entertainment and Superfly Productions created Bonnaroo and used Twitter and Facebook to gain brand awareness and facilitate audience participation with musicians in various campaigns. Together, public relations and social