Moderator: Todd Goldstein, AEG Live
David Helfant, Deep Rock Drive
Adam Grayer, Jagermeister.
Greg Janese, Paradigm
Kevin Lyman, 4 Fini
Andy MacIntyre, GMR Marketing
Lori Sale, ICM

Todd Goldstein, Andy Macintyre, Greg Janese, Lori Sale, Adam Grayer, Kevin Lyman and David Helfant

Where corporate sponsorships used to leave bitter tastes in the mouths of artists, the rules have changed.

Now there are ways to build lasting relationships between brands and bands without the cheese factor.

These days, bands and tours could never make it on their own, and that's where carefully selected corporate partnerships can make the difference.

"There used to be a time in the '70s and early '80s when it was the most negative thing to align yourself with a company," Jagermeister's Adam Grayer said. "Now, it's such a necessary evil. It's understandable that there's a brand for almost everyone, depending on who you are, so you try to align the right people."

Kevin Lyman of 4 Fini agreed the days of corporate America being the enemy of punk rock are over.

Kevin Lyman

But choosing the right brand for an artist or tour shouldn't be a quick decision.

ICM's Lori Sale explained that corporations are looking for deeper, lasting business relationships with artists and that can only be accomplished by getting to the core of the artist.

"In representing the artists, you find out what's the essence of the artist," she said. "If they were a brand, what would they be?"

However, in pairing artists with corporate sponsors, caution needs to be taken to make sure that the corporate message doesn't overshadow the act.

Lori Sale

Successful branding deals, including the Warped Tour's long-lasting relationships with Vans and Playstation, Beyoncé's joint venture with Samsung cellular phones and the Axe Body Spray tour with Ludacris, were cited.

Part of the reason those deals worked so well was because they met the expectations of not only the artists involved, but the corporations as well. "It's no longer about, 'Give us some money and hang the sign,' it's more about the integrated relationship," Paradigm's Greg Janese said.

GMR Entertainment's Andy Macintyre explained that sponsors like to know they're getting bang for their bucks out of sponsorships.

"From an agency perspective we're concerned where our money's going," Macintyre said. "I can look at Kevin's tours and I see where the money's going. You know, 40 acts, eight stages, cheap ticket. From our perspective, I think we need to do a better job making sure that our money is being allocated to try to support talent and keep costs down."

And with the decline of the re-cording industry and the economy in a period of downturn, corporate sponsors could very well help to keep bands and tours afloat.

"Ultimately, brands are going to control music," Lyman said. "Record labels are dead."

AEG's Todd Goldstein agreed.

"You can look at companies like Starbucks, Target, Best Buy, AT&T, Verizon and Sprint," he said. "Not only are they embedded into the DNA of the music, but at the end of the day, they're aware of the dollars and cents."