I realised today that I’m a brand ambassdor for squash. Not the refreshing drink. The game where you hit a small black ball against a wall. OK, so I’m seriously addicted to the game. I play it at every opportunity and I try to learn as much as I can about it from everyone who cares to speak about it. I also like talking about it to anyone who will listen. People who know me roll their eyes when it starts. I hope they do it lovingly…
So, I got to thinking that if an artist had a few hundred people as passionate about them as I am about squash, man…. the excrement would hit the air conditioning sooner than you can say “juxtaposition”. I chose this word because I’ve had some wine and it feels like an incredibly difficult tongue twister. Moving on.
In a world where marketing and advertising messages are a dime a dozen, where we ignore everything that we aren’t already interested in or doesn’t come from a trusted source like a friend, brand ambassadors are hugely important to your career. So much so that if you don’t have them, you won’t get a career.
How does someone become a brand ambassador to your cause? It’s built on trust and belief. How do those things happen? You earn trust and develop belief over time, as a consequence of what you do and how it makes them feel.
Just as being an artist is not a matter of declaration. You BECOME an artist over a period of time. You gots to pay your dues. Or dudes, as the confused punkrocker used to think.
Have great songs. Have great recordings of them. Have a great image. Have a great live show. Have a great story to tell.
It’s not rocket science, is it?
V.