Rising Star is our monthly column in which we meet the industry’s brightest new talents. Here, client solutions manager of entertainment at Meta, Natalie Kelly, talks us through her music business journey so far…
How did you get your first break in the music industry?
“In my third year of university, I spotted an opening for a Google marketing summer internship on LinkedIn. After applying and getting an interview, I spent lots of time researching and taking a free online course to learn more about marketing with Google. That internship opened the door to my first graduate job at Meta. Again, I researched everything I could to better understand the role. My biggest advice to young people is to take risks, apply and prepare as much as possible. I now co-lead Meta’s partnership with The 93% Club, an amazing social mobility organisation that helps to close the gap for state school students like myself to be able to find incredible careers.”
Could you sum up what a typical work day is like for you?
“As cliché as it sounds, no day is typical at Meta. My main goal is to drive music discovery on our platforms, which can be anything from a quick brainstorm call to thinking through strategies for marketing. Recently, I have led efforts for our teams in London to help grow direct-to-consumer revenue for artists, helping set up merchandise D2C campaigns and getting the foundations right for long-term sales. I also love getting involved with projects around augmented reality. The best days are always the face-to-face meetings in workshops and brainstorming new ideas.”
What is the key to Meta’s relationships with the music industry?
“We are committed to bringing music to people where they’re already connecting with friends, fans and artists. I love spending as much time as possible in listening mode, hearing about new artists and thinking through ways to amplify their music. This is a fast-paced and innovative industry, so I try to bring new ideas to the table, while always focusing on scale and making sure the recommendations I make can help labels to quickly improve their day-to-day marketing with us. Establishing trust is key.”
Is there one artist project you’ve worked on that you’re most proud of?
“I loved working on Bastille’s catalogue campaign for EMI and being part of the team that created a mixer AR effect across albums for their Give Me The Future release in 2022. Similarly, I was proud to help George Ezra and Columbia connect online and offline, using AR technology to bring his album cover and posters to life and creating a unique audio and visual experience for new and established fans.”
Why does the music industry need Meta when there are so many new platforms emerging all the time?
“Meta is the biggest community in the world, with 3.8 billion users coming to our platforms daily. It is also the No.1 place where people come and follow creators across all social media. This is a huge opportunity for artists to connect with their audiences and lean into all our different formats – from Reels and live Q&As, to Stories and beyond. There has been a surge in demand for merchandise and vinyl in music in recent years, and there is a huge opportunity there for artists to come to Facebook and Instagram to use our performance advertising tools. I think they have been underutilised by the industry so far.”
NATALIE’S RECOMMENDED TRACK: Little Simz – No Merci
