Company’s longevity built through diversity of services, recent expansion
(Nashville, TN – April 26, 2010) When Jeff Walker started The AristoMedia Group in 1980, the compact disc was still in development, the World Wide Web was a decade away and the digital download hadn’t revolutionized the music industry yet.
“No one could have predicted our industry would be where we are today when I started this company thirty years ago,” says Walker. “I’ve witnessed so many changes over the last three decades – I’ve seen the industry turn completely upside down, in fact – that change seems to be part of the norm, now. Digital technology has permanently altered our business, and a lot of that change is positive, but it sure has made things interesting these last few years!”
Walker started Nashville-based The AristoMedia Group in April of 1980 as a singular PR firm, but over three decades the company has developed into a multi-faceted media, marketing and promotion company that houses a half-dozen specialized departments. These divisions include Aristo P.R. (publicity and PR) AristoVideo (video promotion and marketing), AristoWorks (new media), AristoVision (Christian video promotion), Marco Promotions (secondary radio promotion) and Marco Club Connection (dance venue marketing).
Walker also operates a domestic and international consulting business, Jeff Walker & Associates, founded a digital label, GMV Nashville, in 2007 and most recently, established a video content and EPK distribution service called DownCast in 2009.
“The last five or six years have been particularly challenging, but the positive result of that has been another period of expansion within the company. Our club department, Club Connection, has really grown with many recent Country chart-toppers featuring more dance-friendly material, and our digital label has filled a niche for a number of artists where a traditional label doesn’t suit their needs. DownCast is our most recent addition, and we’ve just expanded that service to include distribution for book new release materials ,” says Walker.
Senior VP of Promotion and Marketing, Craig Bann, has witnessed many changes in the industry as well during his more than 20 years with AristoMedia.
“Now more than ever, it’s a time to be proactive in the music industry,” Bann says. “The digital landscape continues to even out the playing field between established and emerging artists, and as a result, many new media and marketing opportunities have been created.”
Walker’s efforts to promote international Country artists in the U.S. have facilitated the company’s expansion as well. Born in Australia, Walker has tirelessly advocated the globalization of Nashville-based music. AristoMedia has hosted its own annual global showcase in conjunction with the CMA’s Global Artist Party for the past several years as a prelude to the CMA Music Fest in June each year. The company also publishes a digital, quarterly international newsletter that is distributed to more than 7,500 recipients worldwide.
As The AristoMedia Group celebrates its 30th birthday in the music business this month, Walker remains characteristically upbeat.
