ABOUT SUSAN
Sure, it says ‘publicist’ on Susan Busse’s business card. But her real passion is being a storyteller. No, she’s not the writer-in-residence kind of storyteller. She’s the sort that works with great clients to trumpet their brands to the world. In fact, she recently won the 2017 Western Canadian Music Award for ‘Impact in Music Marketing', in addition to picking up nominations in 2016, 2018, and 2020. She was also nominated for ‘Industry Achievement’ at the 2018 and 2019 Saskatchewan Music Awards.
Susan has worked with all manner of musicians, artists, film companies, festivals, and businesses, to great success. Like the time music clients The North Sound were interviewed on CBC’s q with Tom Power, when fine artist Denyse Klette was interviewed during the pandemic on CBC’s The National, when Belle Plaine covered the front page of Arts & Life in the Edmonton Journal, or when Carrie Catherine was featured as ‘Ms. Chatelaine’ in Chatelaine magazine. She’s worked with clients like internationally recognized Cirque du Soleil and Sasktel Saskatchewan Jazz Festival, and corporate patrons like The Saskatchewan Institute of Medical Simulation and Village Guitar & Amp. Her clients have an impressive list of awards and nominations from the Canadian Folk Music Awards, Western Canadian Music Awards, Saskatchewan Music Awards, Summer Solstice Indigenous Music Awards, Saskatchewan Arts Awards, YWCA Women of Distinction Awards, SABEX Awards, and more.
Susan was born and raised in Biggar, Saskatchewan before moving to Saskatoon, where she earned her Bachelor of Commerce degree in Finance. She has previously worked in both the financial and the film industries, which gives her special insight to the world of publicity. She is also plugged in to various arts organizations, having been Treasurer for SaskMusic for six years, and sitting on a variety of grant juries for organizations like CARAS (The JUNO's), FACTOR, Creative Saskatchewan, and the Western Canadian Music Awards. She is currently a member of the Saskatchewan Professional Marketing Association, MENSA Canada, and SaskMusic.
The key to Susan’s success is that she really does care about the people she is working with and their projects, becoming an invested partner. You feel that connection when she’s looking you right in the eyes as you’re explaining your next big idea to her. In what can sometimes be a cutthroat world, that ‘look you right in the eyes’ collaboration is as rare is it is crucial.
Contact Susan to discuss consulting, campaigns, or publicity training. She delights in working with clients from all around the world, although most live in Canada and the United States!
Note - many clients receive marketing funding from grantors such as Canada Council for the Arts, Creative Saskatchewan, FACTOR, the Saskatchewan Arts Board, Manitoba Film & Music, Toronto Arts Council, and more to pay for public relations services.