(CelebrityAccess) Forbes recently talked to Marcie Allen, founder of MAC Presents and a guru of sponsorships for touring. Allen noted that music sponsorship has tripled in the last 15 years, fuming from $550 million when she founded the company to $1.5 billion today, and she predicts it going to $10 billion in the next five years.
Some of the highlights from the interview:
Allen was asked if she sees herself on the branding side or the music side. Her response:
I consider myself one of the few people that has a foot in both worlds. I don’t consider myself more in the music industry or more in the branding world, I consider myself in both worlds. And I think that’s really what sets apart my agency for the past 14 years, just because there are so few people that understand the music industry, have relationships with managers and agents and promoters and labels and attorneys and publicists and then also understand the branding world. I don’t care what anyone says, they’re still two completely different languages.
When asked about how music sponsorship has changed, Allen responded:
If you look at music sponsorships and brand partnerships they’re exploding right now and it’s because millennials and now Generation Z are completely different and they want more tangible experiences. Look at all the brands that are involved with festivals. Now you’re seeing much more creative partnerships where it’s a win-win on both sides. Take for example, Khalid, we cut the deal last year, right before American Teen dropped, March of 2017 with Forever 21. It wasn’t a big-money deal but it was gigantic because you couldn’t even put a price tag on all of the media that Forever 21 was doing around the globe and in their 800 stores.
Asked what challenge keeps her going and excited, Allen said:
First and foremost the dream artist is Adele. I tried to, we submitted a huge offer to her and she passed. Not only am I a music fan of her, but I think she’s unlike anything we’ve seen in 25 years. I have had the opportunity to work with The Rolling Stones, Foo Fighters, some of the biggest artists in the industry. But that was one I was very sad that I didn’t have the opportunity to work with.
Full interview available here.
