Phineas T. Barnum, the 19th century American showman and circus owner famously said “There’s no such thing as bad publicity”. Mick Jagger said “As long as my face is on page one, I don’t care what they say about me on page seventeen.”

Businesses can find success through controversy. And while they receive negative press, the businesses attract enough consumers to suggest that the scorn has provided a form of free advertising.

Many industries survive bad press and below are just two examples.

“Robert Smith & Associates is a digital marketing and public relations firm that was started by its namesake in 2000. Smith characterized the business as one where you can make a lot of money, provided you don’t have a big office with dozens of redundant employees.

He said that many members of the media regard public relations representatives as paid pitchmen who don’t believe in what they sell. But his company is doing just fine anyway, thank you very much. “I am between $500,000 and $1 million, with a few deals in place to hit $2 million in 2014,” he said.”

Houston real estate broker Sissy Lappin says she has sold over half a billion dollars’ worth of property. Despite her success—or perhaps because of it, she said, she has had to fight the preconceived notions that many people harbor about her profession.

I was at a conference last month and a man asked me what I did,” she said. “I told him I was a real estate broker and he remarked, ‘Oh, a bloodsucking vampire.’ I hear negative comments about being a real estate agent all the time, about how over 70 percent of people don’t trust us, and we are ranked above politicians but below bankers in ethics. I have developed a thick skin through the years.” (CNBC)

Nearly thousands of bands will migrate to NYC in October where they will perform on numerous stages at CMJ, competing for attention . They’ve booked many shows as possible hoping to gain new fans and that blogs will take notice. We took notice of the Dallas indie rock band Valise. The indie quarter performed alongside Death Cab for Cutie, Local Natives, Family of the Year, and Copeland and will join Macy Gray as direct support for her headlining US tour.
stephanie@thecatalystpublicitygroup.com, matt@thevanguardroom.com

Brooklyn-based duo Secret Weapons released the new track ‘Something New’. The track was produced by Alex Aldi (Passion Pit). They recently played to a sold out Bowery Ballroom, and will be performing CMJ in NYC. Although Secret Weapons is relatively new to the scene, their first offering is very promising.

Mediocre talent like Miley Cyrus has been hogging the spotlight for the last several months. Good news has come. Adele is set to release a new album ’25’ for November 20th, and she will dominate. She will take over top 40 radio, she will be booked for late night appearances, and expect to see her at the Grammy’s.

Adele notes “I don’t make music for eyes, I make music for ears.” This will be a sigh of relief for the fans who have only seen celebrity skin for the last two years.

The new album is the last on Adele’s Sony/XL deal. It’s been reported that she has inked a new deal with Sony, valued at more than $50 million.

Kings favorite buzz act Saltwater Sun has just released the new song ‘Making Eyes’. They are climbing up the Hype Machine Chart & landed on Spotify’s ‘Fresh Finds’ playlist. The new single is taken from their forthcoming debut EP ‘Wild’, which is set for a November 2nd release via London label Hand in Hive.
tristan@handinhive.com

‘Making Eyes’ – infectious, loud, & energetic…this West London based five-piece will make lots of noise in the coming months.