Daniel Shroff Photography

Hearing from professionals deeply embedded in the music industry always offers a potent dose of reality and inspiration. Samii Taylor’s talk was a particularly engaging exploration of a dynamic career that has seen her navigate the intricate worlds of music PR and now, strategic marketing at Universal Music’s Decca label. What struck me most was her journey of continuous learning, adaptation, and the proactive leaps taken to align her work with her passions.

The Foundations: Early Hustle and Finding Her Niche

Samii began by recounting her early aspirations in performance at Leeds College of Music (now Leeds Conservatoire). However, she shared her pivot towards Music Business, driven by a burgeoning interest in the industry’s mechanics rather than the prescriptive nature of performance courses. It was inspiring to hear how she actively sought experience even then—running the university magazine, organising local shows, and even flyering for Future Sound. These foundational experiences, balanced with part-time retail work, painted a picture of someone determined to immerse themselves in the industry from the ground up. Her story of securing unpaid PR internships with firms like Hush PR and Kate Stewart PR in her final year, and the tough decision to leave them for financial reasons, really resonated as a common early-career dilemma.

Navigating the Capital: Entertainment PR and a Major Label Leap

The narrative of her move to London and securing a paid entertainment PR internship at KPPR highlighted the importance of leveraging networks. Her three years there, working on diverse projects including comedy tours and the PR for the iconic puppet Sooty showcased a period of significant skill development. The subsequent challenge of being furloughed and losing her job during the COVID-19 pandemic was a stark reminder of industry volatility. Yet, it was this setback that led to a pivotal moment: reconnecting with Sasha from Hush PR, who was then at Decca Records. Samii’s decision to take an internship at Decca, despite her prior experience as a publicist, underscored a strategic mindset focused on re-entering the music sector and learning within a major label environment.

Her time in PR at Decca was clearly formative, from adapting her communication style for music PR’s “more serious” nature to co-leading the high-pressure Diana Ross comeback album campaign. Working on major artists like John Batiste further solidified her expertise.

The Strategic Shift: Embracing Music Marketing

What I found particularly insightful was Samii’s proactive transition into music marketing within Decca. She described this move as being driven by her love for strategy—the “why” and “how” of a campaign. Her analogy of a marketer being like a “puppet controlling a chessboard,” coordinating various label teams, vividly illustrated the multifaceted nature of the role.

The Erland Cooper “buried tape” campaign was a standout example of her innovative and strategic marketing work. The sheer creativity involved—from the initial concept of music decaying in the earth, to the fan-driven treasure hunt, the creation of unique, eco-friendly vinyl with pieces of the actual tape, an award-winning documentary, and even a music video at Stonehenge—was astonishing. It wasn’t just marketing; it was crafting a multifaceted narrative and experience around an artist’s unique vision, ultimately leading to a classical number one.

Samii Taylor’s talk was a compelling reminder that a career in the music industry is rarely linear. It’s about embracing the pivots, learning from every experience, and strategically aligning your skills with the industry’s evolving needs. Her journey is a fantastic example of resilience and an intelligent approach to building a meaningful career.