By Bertil Laursen, journalist
It’s a small, almost intimate gathering that has assembled this morning for SPOT+’s panel debate “The Sound of UK Publicity”. No microphones are needed – but the words from the stage carry weight. On the panel sit two of the UK’s most experienced publicists: Tom Mehrtens (Satellite 414) and Michelle Kambasha (KP Communications), guided by moderator Carolina Echeverri from MXD.
Both agree: Publicity and visibility in the music industry require more strategy in 2025.
“TikTok has a chokehold on our industry,” says Mehrtens dryly, adding that traditional press can no longer carry a campaign on its own.
“We’re storytellers – we’re the artist’s voice,” he explains. “But we’ve also become a kind of private director, working strategically with every single public output from the artist.”
Michelle Kambasha, who works both as a publicist and writes for outlets such as The Guardian, emphasizes that especially export artists often misunderstand what a publicist actually does.
“A publicist works with press – not with shows. You don’t invite journalists to write about a concert. I mean, we do invite them, but we hope they’ll write about the music,” she says, adding: “For export artists, having a publicist isn’t always important. Honesty and attention online are far more crucial.”
The British media landscape is in flux. Several major outlets have shut down, and jobs in music journalism are disappearing. Mehrtens tries to put a positive spin on it when asked about the current state of things:
“I’ll try to be positive… but a lot has changed.”
Both publicists highlight that timing, planning, and collaboration are essential.
“The best campaigns happen when everything aligns,” says Mehrtens, stressing the need for a cross-disciplinary approach – from press to radio to social media.
And one thing is clear: A publicist isn’t a fix-all solution.
“You don’t need a publicist,” says Mehrtens bluntly. “But you do need a manager if you have a publicist. I don’t do the manager’s job.”
Though the conversation is low-key, the points are clear: The modern publicist is both strategist, storyteller, and gatekeeper – but success requires the artist to be active and present throughout the entire process.
Press isn’t just about getting articles – it’s about crafting a narrative the audience can believe in.
Photo: Line Svindt
Af Bertil Laursen
Det er en lille, næsten intim forsamling, der denne formiddag er mødt op til SPOT+’s paneldebat “The Sound of UK Publicity”. Ingen mikrofoner er nødvendige – men ordene fra scenen bærer vægt. I panelet sidder to af Storbritanniens mest erfarne publicister: Tom Mehrtens (Satellite 414) og Michelle Kambasha (KP Communications), guidet af moderator Carolina Echeverri fra MXD.
Begge er enige: Publicitet og offentlighedens synlighed i musikbranchen kræver mere strategi i 2025. “TikTok har et chokehold på vores branche,” siger Mehrtens tørt og tilføjer, at den klassiske presse ikke længere kan bære en kampagne alene.
“Vi er historiefortællere – vi er kunstnerens talerør,” forklarer han. “Men vi er også blevet en slags private directors, der arbejder strategisk med hvert eneste offentlige output fra artisten.”
Michelle Kambasha, der både arbejder som publicist og skriver for bl.a. The Guardian, understreger, at især eksport-artister ofte misforstår, hvad en publicist gør.
“En publicist arbejder med presse – ikke med koncerter. Man inviterer ikke journalister til at skrive om et show. Jo vi inviterer dem, men så håber vi, de skriver om selve musikken,” siger hun og tilføjer: “For eksport-artister er det ikke altid vigtigt at have en publicist. Ærlighed og opmærksomhed online er langt vigtigere.”
Det britiske medielandskab er i opbrud. Flere store titler er lukket, og job i musikjournalistik forsvinder. Mehrtens forsøger at sige det positivt, da han bliver spurgt om status:
“Jeg skal prøve at gøre det positivt… men meget har ændret sig.”
Begge publicister fremhæver, at timing, planlægning og samarbejde er afgørende. “De bedste kampagner sker, når det hele spiller sammen,” siger Mehrtens og peger på nødvendigheden af, at man arbejder tværfagligt – fra presse til radio og sociale medier.
Og én ting er sikkert: En publicist er ikke løsningen på alt.
“Du behøver ikke en publicist,” siger Mehrtens kontant. “Men du har brug for en manager, hvis du har en publicist. Jeg gør ikke managerens arbejde.”
Selvom samtalen er lavmælt, er pointerne klare: Den moderne publicist er både strateg, storyteller og gatekeeper – men succes kræver, at kunstneren selv er aktiv og til stede i hele processen. Presse handler ikke kun om artikler – det handler om at skabe et narrativ, publikum kan tro på.
Foto: Line Svindt
