The Musings Of An Opinionated Sod [Help Me Grow!]

A household name. Not just in America, but around the World.

It was pretty good … but the most interesting part of it was the interview with the manager.

Specifically how he described what he was there to do:

He said: “My job is to do one or two things that change your life. Not ‘good moves’ but change your life”.

And while they turned out to be arguably more focused on their own fortune than the artists they represent, it cannot be denied they achieved exactly what they said for the band in question … helping turn them into the biggest band in the world for a period of time. An accolade they have managed to forge into a long-lasting career that sees them continue to be at the top end of their industry.

Now of course, there’s a lot of things that go into achieving success like that.

Songs.
Talent.
Drive.
Concerts.
Fans.
Distribution.
Copyright ownership.

But a good manager has a huge influence and role to play in all of this … which got me thinking.

What if clients saw their agency partners as people whose role was to do the same as this manager?

To help them fundamentally change the trajectory of where their business is rather than continually communicating – and reinforcing – where they are.

Dramatic change, not incremental.

OK, there’s some clients who actually do that – and a lot more who think they are, but are doing the opposite – but the reality is for all the talk of ambition and change, so much of it what is done is about keeping things exactly where they are.

Part of this is because of the influence of ‘industry guru’s’ who have positioned themselves as business liberators when really they’re more insurance salesmen [made even more hilarious by the fact the vast majority have never created any actual creative work or built a brand of note] … and part of it is because of a narrative that’s been going around that suggests agencies care more about taking clients cash through excessive timelines and pricing.

As I’ve written before, this attitude is more bullshit than fact … shaped by a procurement process that doesn’t value quality of work – just the price of it – and a corporate attitude where the expectation is complicity not challenge.

Of course that doesn’t ignore the fact some agencies have also played their part in creating this situation by devaluing creativity, devaluing training and agreeing to whatever gets them the revenue – regardless of the consequences – which just reinforces what a mess we’re in.

It’s why I loved that managers quote so much …

The goal being to create the conditions to be ‘the exception’ by being exceptional..

Not ‘a little bit better than before.
Not ‘a little bit better than those around them’.
But to fundamentally change the context and rules of the game.

Champions, not just players.

Of course, it’s easier said than done … but I’ve had the pleasure of seeing it in action up-close-and-personal through Metallica’s management, which is why I know it can be done and I know you can increase the odds of it being able to be done.

Because in their case, what they’ve helped achieve is remarkable.

Put aside the fact they have worked with the band for almost 4 decades. Put aside they’re the most successful music management duo in music history. And think about how they’ve enabled 4 old men – who write what can best be described as ‘mass niche’ music – not just continue to live at the forefront of popular culture, but do it in a way where their creativity is deeply respected by all.

Hell, they’ve become the second most successful American group of all time.

OF. ALL. TIME.

But it’s even more than that … because they’ve also helped the band find new ways to push, explore and expand what they do with their creativity and how they can do it.

Incredible.

Of course, none of this would be possible without the band having the hunger and desire to keep pushing, but their relationship – and trust – of their managers is a key part of what enables it to be possible.

Which is why there’s a couple of things Peter Mensch – one half of their management team – said to me that has had as much impact as the quote that inspired this whole post.

1. “Our job is not to market the band, but to protect their truth”.

2. “We’re not paid to kiss their ass, we’re paid to tell them the truth”.

And maybe that’s a couple of the reasons why Metallica have been able to build a business and a brand [even though they would hate those terms] which is wildly more successful –culturally and commercially – than many brands who spend tens of millions trying to be.

Not just because music connects to people in ways brands rarely can, but because many brands don’t actually know who they are and don’t want to listen to anything that asks questions of them, they don’t want to acknowledge or accept.

So it’s little surprise an agency can change a brands life when brands so often choose to delude themselves with where they currently are … where their version of a relationship is based on how much you cost and how easy you are to deal with, than the quality of the advice and results you help them gain.

For all the systems and processes our industry has latched onto in a bid to prove our credibility and method behind our approaches … how many brands can we say have fundamentally ‘changed their life’.

One?

Ten?

One Hundred?

Certainly not as many as you would expect from the US$87 billion dollars spent on market research in 2023 delivered.

Which is why I leave this post with another music reference … another perspective that had a profound affect on me.

This time it’s from the band – albeit they were more artists than musicians – The KLF, who not only captured what I believe defines a great manager, a great agency and a great brand … but what also creates the chance for someone, anyone, to properly change their life.