What I mean is this, specifically: to create an ad featuring an artist, the manufacturer must first arrange and pay for photography, layout the ad materials, then schedule, place and pay for the ad space in trade publications, or in some cases, consumer “fanzine” pubs aimed at guitar players, etc.
This can be very expensive, especially in terms of pro audio budgets, starting with $1,500-plus photographer fees all the way up to six figures for full-page ad placements to cover a season’s or a year’s worth of magazines.
ROI?
The manufacturer must sell a ton of gear based on that endorsement campaign to really see a return on investment.
Now, it can be argued that all this is simply branding, and if that manufacturer is not seen running ads with current artists, then they are simply not visible to their market.
But if all the manufacturers are doing this within a given market, are any of them really creating differentiation? I’m not sure.
A final word to the aforementioned engineers, techs and managers who are working on behalf of artists with respect to endorsements: strive to develop long-term relationships with manufacturers based on trust and the two-way street of giving and getting.
It’s really the best for all parties involved. Products get better, sound gets better, your artist wins, and the manufacturers win.
Go ahead, call me an idealist…