When Aaron Ford used to dream of working in the music business, he never imagined the turns his career would take. But these days Aaron doesn’t have time to get starry-eyed, even if a famous face is around. As a marketing coordinator for Sony/BMG, Aaron's job focuses on retail marketing for the music label. He's out there he promoting artists and records at music stores all over South Florida, which means he definitely runs into the occasional famous face, and has even found himself saying, "Holy crap, that was Billy Joel.”
It’s Aaron’s job to stay on top of new releases and figure out which markets are strongest for that music through word-on-the-street research. Sony/BMG executives expect Aaron to keep them updated on the market interest via photo recaps and reports. He also regularly meets with district managers, sets up in-store promotions, and works directly with visiting music artists. For instance, “we had Outkast come out last week. There’s no way for them to get a feel—if there’s excitement in the market—unless I’m constantly giving them information about it.”
When Aaron crosses paths with famous recording artists he needs to be the picture of professionalism, because “these promotionals have to go off perfectly, and you don’t have time to be star struck.” Recently, Aaron’s skills were tested when Fiona Apple came to town. Two contest winners won a chance to meet Fiona when she came to Orlando to open for Coldplay. Aaron played a key role in making the event go smoothly, even escorting the contest winners backstage to meet the popular singer.
Aaron says the ability to connect artists with their fan base is one of the most rewarding aspects of his job. Often, especially with lesser-known bands, Aaron's job is the key to bringing the music to eager fans. One of his favorite projects to date involved the promotion of rock band Tool. “They have a fan base that’s kind of dormant,” Aaron explains. “So it’s really about making sure people know [their CD] is coming out. I have to make sure the message is repeated, that it gets exposure.” His tactics can involve in store displays, CD promotions, as well as “Win Tickets to the Show” contests for fans. As usual, the marketing paid off for Tool. The band’s May 2nd release sold 600,000 copies its first week. “It broke records,” he says. “And that’s with a progressive avant-garde rock band with very little radio play.”
To put the right spin on his future in the music industry, Aaron signed up for Full Sail’s Recording Arts and Entertainment Business programs, where he developed a strong interest in the marketing aspect of the music business. While in the Entertainment Business program, Aaron took a temporary position with Sony/BMG promoting local bands to the college market. “I worked with a college radio station at Rollins College and did special promotions at UCF. Just anything that hit the college market.” After he graduated, Sony/BMG picked him back up for his current marketing position in South Florida.
Although he still loves getting behind a recording console in his spare time, Aaron is jazzed about working this side of the music biz. He enjoys seeing how his hard work pays off for deserving artists, such as the once independent band Modest Mouse. “They existed in the indie world and college market. But four months after the latest album, they are on the screen at Best Buy." Moving from small time college-radio marketing to working with top recording artists has motivated Aaron for success in the business. Already, “I’m taking over the next level from what I did before,” and there’s no end in sight.
