My Journey
Mary L. Datcher is a journalist, marketing, and brand specialist in the areas of the field, conceptual and entertainment marketing. Growing up in Chicago, Ms. Datcher has enjoyed a prominent career in the music and entertainment industry for the past 31 years. During her tenure, she has held positions at WGCI FM (Chicago), BMG Distribution, UNI Distribution (Universal Music Group), Def Jam Music Group, and George's Music Room, and in 1992 she formed On the Street Promotions and Marketing (OTSP). OTSP specializes in executing field and event marketing programs with its primary focus on the music industry.
Within three decades of the company’s duration, OTSP has worked with 300+ companies, consulting and developing marketing campaigns, producing national and local events, branding lifestyle concepts, and music artist development.
In 2004, she co-founded the world-renowned Core DJ Retreat, transitioning to form the Global Mixx DJ Retreat in 2005—currently known as the Global Mixx Music & Film Forum. Global Mixx Music & Film Forum was created to bring business education and seminars to aspiring professionals and students seeking a career in the entertainment, arts, and film industry.
Over the years, the company has produced several music-driven events that have included celebrated industry leaders such as Kanye West, Jaheim, Kindred the Family Soul, Bilal, Eve, Eryka Badu, Jill Scott, Chingy, Wu-Tang Clan, Faith Evans, DJ Tony Touch, KRS-One, Grammy-Award winning artists, Luther Vandross, Common, Naughty by Nature, NBA star Antoine Walker and the list goes on.
Mary Datcher has guided her company on projects that have included political clients-- Commissioner Jerry 'Iceman Butler, Congressman Bobby L. Rush, Chris Kennedy, and Alderman Walter Burnett, Jr., and many others. Corporate clients have included—Jeep, American Family Insurance, Gentle Hair Treatment, Tanqueray, Baileys, Nike, KBA Marketing/Draft Worldwide, Salem (RJ Reynolds), Seagram Americas, K Cider, Target, Cingular Wireless, UBO, Warner Bros. Records, RCA Records, Sony Music Group, Motown Records, Def Jam Music Group, Effen Vodka, Frontline Marketing, Geffen Records, New Music Seminar, Hidden Beach Recordings, DreamWorks, Crown Royal, Baileys, and Martell Cognac.
In 2012, Global Mixx Media Group was formed to expand the agency’s services beyond the entertainment industry cultivating branding concepts and field marketing projects for nonprofit organizations.
As the former Managing Editor for the Chicago Defender, her stories have included the 2016 presidential races, statewide and local politics, hard-hitting investigative stories, community and entertainment profiles that have engaged interests and feedback from readers across the country. In 2018, Ms. Datcher helped launch Bronzeville Life, a cultural and lifestyle publication produced by The Chicago Defender Charities--producer of the Bud Billiken Parade. As then Editor-in-Chief, Mary continues to cover news breaking stories, political features, the arts, and cultural profiles around Chicagoland.
In 2020, Ms. Datcher transitioned from overseeing U.S. Representative Bobby L. Rush's as Campaign Manager to working as District Director for the 1st Congressional district into May 2023. She joined APS and Associates, a full-service public affairs firm as Vice President of Communications. Mary continues to provide guest commentary and editorial contributions highlighting hot topics in culture, entertainment and lifestyle along with speaking engagements.