Cool article from DRUM! about endorsements

That was a very cool article. I had a discussion with rep at NAMM and he totally emphasized the service side, and it made way more sense to me than people panning for some kind of gear deal. I wasn't looking for a deal but he was nice to give me the run-down on how it worked for his company, which is how Bermuda has already said - you provide exposure for the company, and they help you. I hope more people read this article.
 
Great article. Sticky this and Bermuda's FAQ, and we might catch three or four percent of the questions before they're asked =)
 
Good article, & certainly as I understand it. The free or discounted gear is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of cost to the manufacturer, & in terms of value to the artist. Many often forget that global artists need a company with global reach. I'm often asked why we don't have any big name endorsers. Well, there's many reasons, but our lack of ability to service globally at short notice is certainly one of them.

Yes, the artist has to like the brand, but frankly, there's a raft of players out there who value other aspects of the "deal" way above actually liking the instrument, & a sizeable minority who couldn't give a damn about the brand. I meet artist relations & other industry people involved (logistics, techs, etc) quite regularly, & we all know who those guys are. So, next time you take notice that a certain player endorses a certain brand, think deeper than the optics!
 
I had a young drummer that opened for us a few years ago who had recently signed an endorsement deal with a custom drum maker out of Sacramento, Ca that has since gone out of business. At the time he was still waiting for his kit to be built and he was bestowing the virtues of this drum company upon me. During the conversation I asertained that:

He had never played a set from this company, but he liked how they looked.
He recieved a small discount on the drums he purchased, but more importantly his picture would be on their website (along with hundreds of other "endorsers")
He would recieve no support once his drums were delivered.
He prefered to play a 4 peice but could only afford a 3 peice. He also could not afford a snare so he would continue using his current snare.
He payed over $3500 for this "dream kit" Which was basically a Keller bass drum and two toms with the paint job he wanted.

I felt bad for the guy so I told him it sounded great and wished him well. He was actually a very good drummer and his currrent kit sounded great, which somehow made the whole thing worse.
 
keep it simple said:
Good article, & certainly as I understand it. The free or discounted gear is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of cost to the manufacturer, & in terms of value to the artist. Many often forget that global artists need a company with global reach. I'm often asked why we don't have any big name endorsers. Well, there's many reasons, but our lack of ability to service globally at short notice is certainly one of them.

Yes, the artist has to like the brand, but frankly, there's a raft of players out there who value other aspects of the "deal" way above actually liking the instrument, & a sizeable minority who couldn't give a damn about the brand. I meet artist relations & other industry people involved (logistics, techs, etc) quite regularly, & we all know who those guys are. So, next time you take notice that a certain player endorses a certain brand, think deeper than the optics!
Click to expand...

over here Andy, ditch that "bacterium york" fellow, he's a bit of a trouble maker, and I'll jump ship from Mapex.....
 
Good read. I loved the comparison between the endorsement and record signing. It doesn't mean you made it, only that now you're on your way.
 
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