#167: Boy Bands, Sea Turtles, and Social Media Campaigns with Cassie Petrey

Podcast
Written By Joey Held

When Cassie Petrey was a mere 12 years old, she created a newsletter for the Backstreet Boys that reached fans worldwide. She’s parlayed that fangirling into a highly successful career, playing a role in social media marketing for several major artists, including those very same Backstreet Boys, Camila Cabello and Britney Spears.

Cassie is the co-founder and co-CEO of the marketing and music management firm Crowd Surf. Cassie is a Forbes 30 Under 30 and Billboard 30 Under 30 recipient and a massive fan of sea turtles, which is just a lovely combination.

We’re chatting about how to make it as a musician with no connections, using TikTok to your advantage, and some of her most memorable social media campaigns.

This episode is brought to you by Banned Camp! Hosts Jennifer and Dan read through a book that's ended up on a banned list and determine whether the ol' ban was the right move. It's quirky, delightful, and a whole lot of fun. Check it out here.

Highlights of our conversation

  • How Cassie put her fangirling to work when she was just 12 years old by creating a Backstreet Boys fan newsletter. (4:21)

  • Cassie’s favorite Backstreet Boys song and how she helped the newsletter grow. (6:00)

  • How to make it in the music industry with no connections and no experience. (8:20)

  • Ways to use TikTok to your advantage as an artist — even if it scares you. (10:54)

  • A dive into a silly 90s music video and a pondering into the backstories behind different video shoots. (12:49)

  • The most memorable social media campaigns Cassie has worked on, including fan-centric things with Britney Spears and Fifth Harmony. (14:53)

  • Looking at people that are highly critical of artists and why it’s never a good idea to bash musicians or their fans. (16:16)

  • Some of our favorite album promotions and a fun in-person campaign Cassie has worked on. Plus, why creating the story offline helps you build it online. (19:43)

  • The social platforms we miss the most and why MySpace was such a good platform for music discovery. (24:12)

  • The joy of sea turtles and why they’re wonderful. (26:11)

  • Cassie’s top three underrated boy band songs. (30:20)

Where to find Cassie Petrey

Follow Cassie on Instagram.

Visit the Crowd Surf website.

Joey Held
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#168: Pooper Scooper Stories, Lawn Care, and Growing Your Business with EJ McCoy
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#166: Turning Your Creative Skills Into a Business with Evan Price