Below is a transcript of an interview with Melissa Kucirek, publicist for Jade Presents written by Taylor Mims for the article, “17 to Watch in 2017” in Amplify.
Describe a typical day on the job.
I’ve purposely forged a career for myself that is mostly media relations, but for some clients I’m in charge of buying advertising and monitoring ticket counts. And, I have a few clients that I’m in charge of booking gigs for. So, needless to say, my hat can change in a matter of 10 minutes. I think anyone in the concert industry can attest to the idea that you might have a plan to start your day, but it can take a detour quickly. I do the worst first; then I charge through my to-do list.
What is your top goal or priority for 2017?
My top 2017 goal is to double the amount of interviews placed compared to 2016 for each of my clients. It’s going to be a fine balance to find interviews that are worth it for my clients and enhance their ticket sales. I have many story ideas that I’m mulling for higher profile magazines, and I need to do a better job of crafting these pitches.
What is one way that technology has changed or enhanced your life?
Omaha is home and it presents its own unique challenge not being in a bigger market. I enjoy Twitter and have been lucky to connect with some journalists that route, as well as Facebook. My livelihood is about connecting and reaching out on as many platforms as I can. As a marketing director, I’m seeing lots of shares and click-throughs that aren’t necessarily translating to sales. I do very little print buying anymore, and for shows like Odd Squad Live, we have to reach kids on their tablets.
What advice would you give someone just getting into the industry?
My advice is to recognize that you never know where someone might end up. Just because a journalist is working the feature section on a smaller e-zine today, five years from now they might be the talent booker for a national talk show. I would also suggest attending professional development opportunities like the Event and Arena Marketing Conference. I’ve found this group of people to be incredibly helpful and more than willing to share experiences.
What’s one thing people would be surprised to learn about you?
I decided to take some time off from curling with the Aksarben Curling Club (Aksarben is Nebraska spelled backwards and the neighborhood where I live) and took up improv comedy. I adore it and get to be weird when I’m not otherwise being weird.
