fair music - Interview with Eirini Cheimoniti
fair music - Interview with Eirini Cheimoniti
Fair music: Open the horizons
Eirini Cheimoniti is a profound specialist in corporate social responsibility. with mica – music information centre she talked about real and sustainable added value, significant risks and innovation at affordable prices.
As far as you know the initiative "fair music", what do you think of its
main goals?
To my understanding the initiative “fair music” aims to safeguard benefits both for the musicians and the global community: working for the just recognition and remuneration of the musicians as well as for their access to the world markets, it targets the autonomy and independency of musicians. The achievement of these targets clearly implies the achievement of diversity and freedom in music, creating benefits also for the global audiences.
What is your personal view on "fair music"? What aspects make any kind of music a fair music?
In my view fair music stands for the music that has been created and produced in the context of freedom and respect for the musicians and the global audiences. This includes the openness to global markets for all musicians, the safeguarding of musicians’ rights via contracts and also the structured promotion of diversification in music.
You made your degree in corporate social responsibility, which in the last years has become a major issue in the globalised world. As it is a very complicated issue, but on the other hand is broadly discussed in media, where are the biggest misunderstandings or simplifications dealing with the topic?
Corporate social responsibility is a major issue during the last years. Sometimes we tend to regard social responsible behaviour by the companies as a favour they do. This is one of the greatest challenges we need to overcome, as considering the corporate social responsibility as an opportunity to build a win-win relationship will open the horizons for real and sustainable added value for both the companies and the society. In such a framework companies do not have to face any financial risk. On the contrary they can leverage opportunities social responsibility offers and grow.
How difficult is it for a specialist like you to make people believe that
social responsibility does not necessarily mean to waive
commissions/earnings and lose money?
The abovementioned misunderstanding has created a link between corporate social responsibility and financial risk. It is not easy to change this perception, but it is feasible if one takes into consideration the needs of both sides. This means many things, among which: working on the different aspects of a project in order to make it both socially responsible and financially sound, effectively presenting this project to the company focusing on the considerations they have, referring to examples which prove that projects answering the needs of both the company and the society can contribute to business growth and profit increase. Making it happen for both is not so difficult, we just need to engage the right people to such processes and to think holistically.
In the past many big players used certain social responsible projects for
greenwashing other actions. Is there an exact borderline between serious effort and bare instrument? And should we even care about these differences as long the result is fair/fairer than before?
My simultaneous answer would be that as long as some value is created, we should regard the result of such actions as positive. However, thinking about it more broadly and at a mid-term base, I would say that such phenomena cannot build the base for a social responsible society. Much more, acting as examples, they involve significant risk for the future of corporate responsibility.
Do you think "Fair Music" should be mainly based on the free will of its
participant or should record-labels be determined by law?
Taking into consideration the bargaining power of each side, I think that the first steps should be done in a pre-determined framework. This should gradually change, as balance between the different factors is achieved, ensuring the existence of free market.
How could both parts - jurisdiction and NGOs - work together to make sure, the circumstances, in which music is produced, are fair?
My assumption is that it is a matter of willingness to work together effectively, as in reality the interests of these two parts are not conflicting, but complementary. Close collaboration between the two sides at each and every step of the project execution to make sure the mutual alignment and agreement at every detail will decrease the possibilities of future disagreements.
What do you think has to take place for getting a win-win situation for both musicians and audience?
Satisfying the core needs of both sides is the criterion for the achievement of a win-win relationship between the musicians and the audience. Investigating consumer behaviour, one would say that innovation (ex. access to new types of music from all over the world as well as new, more convenient ways of distribution) at affordable prices would be enough to satisfy the audience at first place. Answering the artists’ need for fair music with all special aspects this may imply, while maintaining focus on the above priorities for the audiences could be the base for the beginning of a win-win relationship.
The global players of music industry face a monthly increasing pressure, because markets emerge and vanish at the same time. Do you think a change of their plans in terms of social responsibility would also need new market models? Or is it just a question of willingness?
It is sure that new market models are being and will keep being developed, as the economic environment changes. Actually this is not a matter of choice, but a matter of evolution. In this environment the development of social responsible plans should take place aside and not instead the existing plans of the companies. Otherwise the execution will be too complicated for the corporations, creating an expected dissatisfaction and preventing the excellence of the initiative. A step-by-step change, showing respect to the difficulties that any modification creates to the day-to-day business will be more welcome by the corporate world and will contribute to the safeguarding of a fruitful collaboration.
Do you see a possibility for musicians and record-makers of being social responsible not only out of ethic reasons but also because being social responsible can help gaining profits?
Yes, indeed. Social responsibility is a need born in the market. Any need that comes from the market implies the existence of business opportunities and thus business growth and profit increase. Companies will only gain from leveraging these opportunities.
Every change is based on awareness of certain problems. How can we enhance the awareness what really good quality is?
I am afraid that this usually takes time and acquires significant support. Here the collaboration of the companies is crucial, as they can afford to support relevant projects. A marketing strategy that may enhance the feasibility of this initiative is to begin with a niche market, i.e. targeting a smaller group of people and then expanding the idea to more people with the help of the first small group who could act as influencers.
In many ways music has lost its value. How could value be bought back? And do you see a chance of bringing back value by being responsible?
I think that value is always there, but it does not always reach the mass market. I am not an expert on this issue, but I believe that as long as a strategy or behaviour (ex. social responsibility) creates innovation (ex. diversity in music), it will definitely lead to business success, reaching the mass audience and giving more visibility to “value”.
Do you think a fair music-label could work on the same or comparable level we know from fair trade-products?
It could be possible, but special aspects related to arts have to be seriously considered. What’s very positive in such a choice is that the fair music-label can use the learnings of the fair trade initiative, keep the success factors and work on the areas for improvement. This way it will build its success on an already developed base, gaining time and knowledge.
Eirini Cheimoniti
After finishing high school in Crete, were she was born and raised, Eirini Cheimoniti moved to Athens in order to study Management and Business Administration in the Athens University of Economics and Business. She worked in Coca-Cola Hellenic for one year and then moved to Paris to do an internship in the International Music Council. This experience was followed by one year in HEC Paris, where she did her Master in International Business. During her studies there, she had the opportunity to obtain a “Certificate in Social Business – Poverty and Enterprises”. This was her first structured experience in the world of Social Business, which she found extremely interesting at all levels. During the last year Cheimoniti is working in the Marketing function of Procter & Gamble. Travelling and getting in touch with communities of different regions of the world is among her most important interests.
