On Oct. 14, the Media Management Association welcomed Juan Paz, senior director for digital strategy and marketing at Sony Music Latin, to discuss trends in the Latin US/LATAM music market.
Despite the dramatic physical-to-digital changes in recent years, Paz remained bullish about the prospects of the music industry and stressed the important role that social media plays in the modern music era.
“The current way artists and fans are connecting to each other only means new opportunities,” says Paz.
His superstar clients, including Pitbull, Marc Anthony, and Romeo Santos, use social media to interact and engage with their audiences.
The Colombian-born and Westminster-educated marketing manager said that deciding how, when, and where to engage the public is becoming increasingly significant in the music business. “My job is to amplify the message.”
Paz also described the four-step digital marketing approach used at Sony Latin Music. First, the music has to “reach” people—typically through Google, YouTube, and Spotify. Second, artists have to “engage” their audiences on social media, such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Third, artists try to “convert” or monetize their content through paid subscriptions or download purchases. The final step is “evangelization”—or the creation of super fans to help promote the artists on their social media accounts. Paz noted that it is almost impossible to “convert” instantaneously.
As Paz spoke, his passion for his job, the industry, and most importantly, music became evident. He explained that he wakes up every day and goes to a job he loves. A musician himself, Paz felt that he is living the dream—combining his passion for the art with his savviness in marketing. As the meeting neared its end, Paz requested an extra 10 minutes to answer questions. No one in the audience left, a rare occurrence for an MMA meeting and a testimony to Paz’s inspiring and insightful presentation.
