1. The marketing strategy
behind the album release
of KATY PERRY ‘PRISM’.
By Priscilla Jane Derricott (K1433536)
Composing and Marketing Popular Music
Alex Evans and Philip Chambon

2. Katy’s Record
Company
• Signed to Major label: Capitol Music
Group – Based in LA.
• A&R = Dan McCarroll
• CEO = Steve Barnett
• The release date of ‘Prism’ was 22nd
October 2013 because the album was
planned to have darker material than
what she did before. This release date
suited this because Halloween was
coming up by the end of that month to
target audiences who are into fun,
dark, emo stuff.
• As Matt Diehl said, ‘Our advice was
get the album out before Halloween
and do a long run into the end of the
year. Two Christmases is our
ambition.’ (Diehl)

3. Katy’s Artist Development
Manager = Bradford Cobb
Producers for the ‘Prism’ album – Dr Luke, Max Martin, Klas
Ahlund, Christian Karrisson, Greg Kurstin and Greg Wells.
Engineered by Mikkel Storleer and John Hanes.
‘Prism’ Mixed by = Serban Shenea
‘Prism’ Mastered by = Chris Gehringer at Sterling Sound.
Photography = Ryan McGinley
Album Art and Design = Mogollon
Booking Agent for Live Gigs and Tours:
Emma Banks (Global),
Mitch Rose/Jbeau Lewis (North USA)

4. Katy’s Marketing & Promoting Strategies
‘Katy Perry announced her new album via a giant gold-plated
truck with KATY PERRY.PRISM.10-22-13 inscribed across the
sides. The campaign was replicated in Mexico and also in USA
and in the UK, where Perry-branded gold plated taxi's
chauffeured artists and celebrities to the 2013 iTunes Festival
in London.’ (Kieran Thurgood, IFPI)

5.  Katy revealed that she ordered a red light to blink at the top of Capitol
Records Building saying Katy Perry. Prism. October 22nd, 2013.
 This was also done to send out Morse Code messages to people revealing
the release of her new album ‘Prism’ around Hollywood.
 Katy said: ‘See that little red light up there? One thing that people don’t
know… is that it’s been spelling out Capitol for the longest time, I believe,
and we changed it months ago and we had it start blinking out, ‘Katy Perry.
Prism. October 22nd, 2013.’ She explained. (Carson Daly)

6. ‘PRISM’ Promotion
with Music Retailers
 The album was sold on iTunes
and Amazon as a digital
download.
 Physical CD editions of the
album ‘Prism’ were available in
printed Digipaks or a Standard
CD case to buy in HMV and
Banquet Records Shops.
 The album is now also
available to buy as a vinyl
format on her website and in
Banquet Records shops.

7. Katy’s Branding & Promotion
‘A brand partnership deal
with MTV, who in turn
partnered with Pepsi
resulted in a major
promotion of PRISM.‘
(Kieran Thurgood, IFPI)
Katy Perry advertised in a crisps
advert called ‘Popchips’ to raise
more commercial awareness of
her presence as a popstar.
‘We’re doing some things in retail,
putting things together to help
raise awareness.’ (Matt Diehl)

8. Katy’s Online Promotion
Radio Play across US, UK and worldwide radio stations.
Radio Plugger – Jeremy Schilling for Road Radios
Social Media web pages help increase & sustain her fanbase.
They can tweet, follow and like her at:
www.twitter.com/katyperry
www.facebook.com/katyperry
www.youtube.com/katyperry
Katy is more in control of how she promotes and markets
herself. Katy said in a Evening Standard newspaper that
anyone can tweet her on Twitter and it goes directly to her
and not anyone else. This could also be a publicity stunt to
keep people interested in her! ??
Promoters:
Live Nation (UK, Europe & Canada),
SJM Concerts (UK),
AEG (US),
OCESA/Zignia Live (Mexico),
Dainty Group (Australia, NZ).

9. Katy’s Social Media
 Katy is the most followed person on Twitter and is in 100% control of
how she promotes herself on Twitter as Meredith Gardner at Capitol
Music Group says:
“Katy’s really authentic and that’s what makes her Twitter so
powerful. She tweets in her own voice about what she’s seeing
and doing. She’s also good at surprising her fans, jumping on
Twitter for an impromptu Q&A or sharing Twitpics of what she’s up
to.’ (Gardner)

10. Katy Perry has an official website at: www.katyperry.com
that she uses to sell and advertise her music. It includes:
Latest new release,
New videos,
Length of this campaign = 2 years because Katy is
still Touring around the World. Currently performing in
Europe & the Far East making her success on going.
Music & Merchandise Store selling ‘Prism’ Album on
CD, Vinyl, T Shirts, Buttons, Bag, Jacket, fleece and
a onesie.
Easy accessible contact details through social media
links and sign up box to receive mail.

11. Katy’s Press and Publicity
Katy Perry live on TV
performing her first
song from the album
‘Roar’ on The X Factor
in the UK (2014).
Katy Perry recently
performed at a sports
show such as the NFL
Super Bowl opening
ceremony in the US
(2015).

12. Katy’s Press Clippings
 Katy Perry has appeared in many
magazines & newspapers with
pictures and articles by journalists.
Most of them involved an interview.
 Katy’s latest featured magazine is
Elle that is out now, March 2015
where she talks about becoming a
fashion icon as well as a rockstar
and personal experiences of
dressing up from a young age.
 Some of her images online are
registered using ‘Getty Images’ to
stop people breaking her copyright.
 Katy has an instagram to make her
pictures look better. Visit:
www.instagram.com/katyperry

13. Katy appeared in the Evening Standard Newspaper the next day after
one of her performances at the O2 Arena. This was a review of her
performance on the night of 27th May 2014, which was the same night I
went to see her perform live. This review was written by a journalist ‘John
Azlewood’ who was also at the scene of the concert that night. This gave
her publicity and advertised her other 3 more performances at the O2
Arena.

14. Katy was featured in the local TIMEOUT Magazine with a written and
recorded interview with another journalist named ‘Michael Cragg’. As you
can see he has written out every question he asked her with every
answer she gave. Katy’s performances at the O2 Arena were also
advertised again.

15. Diehl, M (2013). Katy Perry’s Executive team On ‘PRISM’ Roll-Out: Steve Barnett, Martin Kirkup, Greg
Thompson In Their Own Words. Available at: http://www.billboard.com/biz/articles/news/legal-and-
management/5762987/katy-perrys-executive-team-on-prism-roll-out-steve (Accessed 14th March 2015)
Gardner, M (no date). Case Study: Katy Perry: A Global Phenomenon. Available at:
http://www.ifpi.org/katy-perry/php (Accessed 14th March 2015)
Daly, C. (2013). Katy Perry Used Morse Code Months Ago To Reveal ‘Prism’ Album Release Atop Capitol
Records Building. Available at: http://amp.cbslocal.com/2013/10/15/katy-perry-morse-code-prism-capitol-
records/
Perry, K. (2015). Katy Perry’s Website. Available at: www.katyperry.com (Accessed 7th March 2015)
Perry, K. (2015). Katy Perry’s Twitter. Available at: www.twitter.com/katyperry (Accessed 7th March 2015)
Perry, K. (2015). Katy Perry’s Facebook. Available at: www.facebook.com/katyperry (Accessed 7th March
2015)
Perry, K. (2015). Katy Perry’s Instagram. Available at: www.instagram.com/katyperry (Accessed 7th March
2015)
Perry, K. (2015). Katy Perry’s YouTube. Available at: www.youtube.com/katyperry (Accessed 7th March
2015)
Perry, K (2014). THE PRISMATIC WORLD TOUR. Concert Programme.
Azlewood, J. (Wed 28th May 2014). Cartoon Katy, The Perfect Popstar. Evening Standard, London, p. 7
Cragg, M. (2014)The Timeout Interview Katy Perry Top Kat. Timeout, London, p.20-22
Bibliography