Norman Lebrecht: what’s the point of PR?

Norman Lebrecht asks how the once-powerful public relations business has responded to a crash in the record industry, a media revolution and the growing importance of new technology.

‘It amazes me how poorly classical PR responded to the media revolution. There are more ladies who lunch than ever before – many of them cast-offs from labels and orchestras that can no longer afford staff – and what they offer is the same old snake oil, only cheaper. Some will do an album campaign for as little as $500, a one-off that might just about cover their rent but which does the artist little long-term good.’

‘These days, an enterprising musicians can get more attention through one well-placed tweet than from a glossy brochure. Yet one PR grande dame, asked if she used Twitter, said loftily, “No, we don’t do that sort of thing in classical music.”’

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