Cat's Mother of the Month - Stefania Pavlou
This month we thought we’d treat you to a little interview with one of our very own, Stefania Pavlou (or some of you may know her as Stefi!). We are so lucky to have Stefi as both a Cat’s Mother and on our board, not only is she incredible at what she does, she’s also super passionate about playing her part to make sure that there are equal opportunities across the music industry. Now Senior PR & Comms Manager at PRS For Music, Stefi’s had her fair share of Public Relations experience and tells us a thing or two about how she got to where she is today and what she’s learnt along the way.
Can you tell us a bit about your route into the music industry?
It was actually through dance. I had trained as a dancer and started my own amateur dance company after uni. I made a website to promote it, encouraged people to join and collaborate with us, and we performed at festivals around the UK. I didn’t really realise at the time that what I was doing to promote the dance company was PR. I was offered an internship at a creative agency and eventually looked after a breadth of clients and events across the arts, culture, and charity sectors. I moved into the music industry when I joined PPL as their PR Officer.
What does your role as Senior PR & Communications Manager at PRS for Music entail?
PRS for Music represents over 155,000 songwriters, composers, and music publishers of every level and genre, and processed 22.4 trillion ‘performances’ of music last year, so the scope of projects I’m involved in is pretty vast. It can be anything from writing financial press releases about the amount of royalties PRS paid out to its members, to writing about data, music technology, litigation, or Intellectual Property and copyright. My team also helps to promote PRS’ educational programmes which support music creators just starting out in their careers. And of course, live music events. Ultimately, my role is to communicate everything that PRS for Music champions to the outside world.
What's the most enjoyable or rewarding thing about working in public relations for you?
It’s definitely seeing something that I’ve written or pitched published in a national newspaper or broadcast on the radio or TV. It’s never boring working out what the news angle will be, or what the hook should be for an article! It’s especially rewarding when it’s helping music creators to succeed.
What common challenges or obstacles do you come across and how do you get around them?
One of the difficulties of representing such a huge range of music creators is that there are so many different interests to represent, and sometimes they can be opposing. We work with every facet of the music industry and many different trade bodies and partners, as well as members and licensees, to try and reach an equilibrium. It’s not easy.
Why is PR important? And do you think PR is essential for every organisation/artist?
PR is fundamental for every organisation and artist if you want the world to know who you are and what you stand for. It doesn’t have to mean investing in a big PR machine or spending lots of money, anything that you’re doing to promote yourself is PR, even on a small scale.
Can you tell us about a project, campaign or piece of work that you're really proud of and why?
When Covid struck in 2020, it decimated the music industry. The vibrant, colourful, lively industry and all of the wonderful personalities that come together to make it so great suffered immensely. PRS for Music quickly launched an Emergency Relief Fund for songwriters and composers whose livelihoods were severely impacted and who were experiencing financial hardship. Being part of the team that helped to get the word out there and promote this fund was an incredibly meaningful and moving moment for me. So many people worked hard behind the scenes to make it happen.
What skills and characteristics are important to have when first stepping into a PR role?
It’s cliché, but always think outside the box. PR is successful when you’re able to think creatively and see one situation from many different perspectives. That’s how you bring people together.