CONTACTS                                                 

Ken Sunshine (212) 691-2800                           

Susan L’Ecuyer (856) 596-2221               

  NARM Refines Focus And Strategy As
 “The Voice Of Music Retailing”

  Marketing, Lobbying, PR Firms Partner With NARM On 
Branding And Advocacy Initiatives

        As part of an overall re-branding effort fueled by the organization’s renewed commitment to stronger advocacy for the interests and continued vitality of the music retailing community, the National Association of Recording Merchandisers (NARM)
has announced that the tag line, “The Voice Of Music Retailing,” will soon appear on all Association materials, along with a redesigned logo. 

      NARM’s Board of Directors approved the tag line following a meeting in June at
which it discussed recommendations from a strategic analysis of NARM’s current brand, programs and services, and a review of its member needs assessment completed by Alexandria, Virginia-based Marketing General. 

      “The Board concluded that while our acronym is a well-known brand, and our current name still makes sense, adding this tag line would better reflect our role in the industry and a tighter focus on music retailing,” explains President Pamela Horovitz.        

      NARM’s member assessment also found that the needs for information and advocacy have grown dramatically.  

      “With our mandate to address digital distribution issues becoming more pressing
than ever, the Board decided that our efforts to preserve a healthy retail marketplace must be enhanced by providing timely research and technical data, fostering dialogue with the content community, and making sure our views and positions are heard loud and clear in the courts and in Washington,” Horovitz adds. 

      The Association has retained The Dutko Group, a full service Washington, DC-based public policy management firm named by Fortune magazine as one of the “Top 10” lobbying firms in the nation. 

      “Dutko staffers have worked throughout the legislative and executive branches
of government,” notes Horovitz.  “They know how to build strong and effective relationships that can outlast the occasionally divisive environment of a Washington policy debate.”  

      The Association will also revive its Political Action Committee, and longtime
PR advisor, New York-based Ken Sunshine Consultants, will have a higher profile as part of these new branding and advocacy initiatives. 

      NARM serves the music retailing community in the areas of advocacy, networking, information, education, and promotion.  The Association’s more than 1,000 members include retailers, wholesalers, distributors, and suppliers of products and services.

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