Response to a Washington CEO Question...

Washington CEO magazine posted the following on their site...

How do you think Washington State should promote itself?

The state has had a few false starts in promoting itself to both in-state and out-of-state tourists. The current advertising campaign may help, but it's only a start. What can we do? How would you sell Washington? More ads? Multimedia road shows? A new slogan? (Just kidding.)

So This Was My Response....


"How should Washington market itself? Let's start with concept, then execution.

I moved out here over a year ago now, and thus my wife and I have a pile of relatives from Chi-town that float into SeaTac to visit about every five days or so. What I hear from all of them... "I never knew how beautiful this state was." There's an awareness issue here, most outsiders see Seattle as damp and dreary. Visitors quickly notice the thriving music scene, rolling San Francisco-esque hills, dash of wild west, winter sports, the cuisine scene... wine country... you name it. We have all of the benefits of California with a little less sunshine but a lot less attitude.

Part of the problem is that most mass media that has brought national awareness to Seattle is not really Seattle-centric. Does Grey's Anatomy and Sleepless in Seattle really the heart of Washington? Sort of. Movies like Singles or programs like Twin Peaks and Northern Exposure have faded into memory, which were much more honest in their version of quirky northwest lifestyle.

Many campaigns have be structured around the whole "all you can do is right here" package. California is recently doing just that in their television advertising. The state of Virgina also did a diversity push, which was geared towards budding filmmakers, their claim... our individual counties looks like a lot of other states. You'll have California, Nevada, Maine and Florida all in one region. So yeah, it's been done before. But in the tradition of Mircosoft we can take something that has been done and do it differently.

The message is simple, Washington is an exciting place has a lot of stuff happening, and you should be a part of it. Like San Francisco in the 60s, New York in the 70s, Los Angeles in the 80s.... this is the big thing now. We need to be larger than life. We're progressive, fun, exciting, with a lot of brainpower. See major plays tested before they hit Broadway, see bands before the make it big, snowboard down Mt. Rainer, know the latest and greatest before it hits the rest of the country. Many companies test their products here because we're so d*** picky. Use it to an advantage. Forget rest and relaxation... this place is like an espresso shot to the soul. In fact... that's a good starting point.

Execution, this is Microsoft country. Let's look at the internet. It's already a buzz generator, let's channel it to make Seattle the place where it's all coming from. After all, you can download music and plays... but you cannot experience them live online. Use the internet as a teaser for an up and coming happening destination. Gear the message to "look what you're missing by not being here." In a climate where Obama can rise to power by soliciting "change" and "hope," it says people want something new. The trick is to find inventive ways to present the information in a way where it says "seeing in online just isn't enough." Look at how "Improv Everywhere" promotes New York every time they pull a wacky stunt.

In short, we're exciting. Since so many connect Seattle with grunge it's a good fit, and it's true. We have the capacity to pull this off, we just need someone to tie it together."

Latest Art Projects

Working on a new series of paintings, for a show that's going to be highly conceptual. Right now I'm in the early stages of developing 10 to 12 paintings as a series, a sort of visual album. Each painting will also have a piece of music created for it, so you'll get sight and sound together as one experience. The details are a bit sketchy I know, I'm not sure if there will be a full song per painting, or just sonic noises, word art... it depends on how it all comes together. The working title for this show is "Surviving the Image."

Also, just because one can't be avant-garde enough, I'll also be developing an interactive portal / art project for Foster's Cafe this summer. Web design for the sake of web design? Perhaps. But I believe it will provide a great opportunity to explore new territory on information and how it can be presented visually on the internet. More on all of this as it develops.

Moving at the Speed of Now

I'm working on my next big blog, a theory in which the speed of technology is too quick for traditional forms of corporate and community organization. In short, in a world of text messages we've grown past the concept of two hour "meetings."

As a primer, here's a 20 minute lecture from Fora Tv. Gordon Knox discusses Darwin, Web 2.0 & the Role of the Amateur at the Web & Where 2.0+ conference hosted by Northern California Grantmakers.


View Darwin, Web 2.0 and the Role of the Amateur on FORA.tv

Schlock Art: Why A Modern Artist Suffers

Thanks to technology we have an abundance of imagery at our disposal. We can view art from all time periods, even though we miss the details that the originals can offer, like brush strokes, texture and so on. It can be a paradise for the modern artist that wants to explore new territory, and yes... there is new territory to be discovered. I personally like to paint information overload, but spacial relations, multi-dimensions, string theory, and such all provide stomping grounds for artists that want to pioneer into the unknown.

So what's the problem? Simple, the press likes to glorify the crap. Pregnant Britney Spears statues, floor flags, human bodily fluids on religions figures and horse head eating maggots all get the ink these days. It's obnoxious because it is lousy art. And yes, this is not an opinion, this is fact. Projects that only invoke uncomfortable feelings and shock value do not live up to high standards, just as much as a smiley face sticker or a $39 print at Target. These are one-trick ponies, that cheapen the industry, and it is time the art world gathers the finest in the industry and penetrates the consciousness of the everyday citizen.

And there are plenty of modern artists that stir the imagination. They are not getting the press, except the occasional PBS series (ART 21) and such. A good place to start is the Phaidon Press book Vitamin P, a 352 page visual treat for those that want to see what modern art can truly be without the excessive use of boobies and vulgarity.

And for those looking to expand a career in the arts, which you can do... there are plenty of online resources to get you started. The Art List is a monthly newsletter listing art contests, competitions, awards, juried art shows, art grants, calls to artists, and other opportunities.

View The Art List Online

It is the job of the artist to awaken the public of new visual possibilities, the more eyes and ears, the more enlightened we all become.

Chris Anderson and the Free speech.

I had the opportunity to watch WIRED editor-in-chief Chris Anderson speak at the 2008 Economic Insight in Seattle. His subject... giving away items in your business for free, to lure customers into purchasing other commodities. This is nothing new. Much of what I heard reminded me of something my art teacher Steve Sherrell once said... that the 19th Century would have more in common with the 21st century. As for the Free Speech, I won't go into too many details, you can find those by clicking directly to his story.

View Anderson's article 'Free! Why $0.00 Is the Future of Business' on WIRED

Let's face it, the 20th century was a weird fluke in terms of business. The idea of a parental corporation that took care of its employees was noble and naive. How could GM ever expect to take care of all those former employees and their rising medical costs? I truly feel bad for the baby boomers, they've had the carpet pulled from under their feet during every critical moment in their lifespan. They had a choice between college or Vietnam. Their women's liberation efforts were rewarded with adjusting the economy to a two-person income. And when it was time to retire, many had the pleasure of watching their 401K's disappear. And then 9-11 and another war that seems like it's fought for the wrong reasons. No wonder the boomers are distraught.

I want to enforce the notion that everything we knew about the world between 1950 & 2000 was a hiccup in the timeline. It's back to business of survival, and fortunately we have new technology on our side. Thanks to the small cost of internet storage (referred to in Anderson's speech), we can now reduce online costs to virtually zero. And if you read his book The Long Tail, you know how Amazon.com and other on-line stores thrive on the simple face that since they don't have to turn around physical items on valuable retail shelf space, they can offer gobs of merchandise aimed at the niche markets for reasonable costs.

If I had one complaint about the speech, it was that I didn't really learn anything that I hadn't already read in his book and his article. The one true highlight was his play-by-play on how Ryanair can offer plane tickets for free, by weaving in lots of 'ala carte' costs. There's something to this, especially with a downturning economy and a Generation X that thrives on experiences. I like this business model as well, because it emphasizes responsibility. Obviously, the more responsible passengers will be rewarded by spending less. It's a good example of an airline doing good, for a bad one... watch PBS Frontline's take on marketing and how they examine the downfall of Song Airlines.

Is free the future of business? Perhaps... I personally think there's a different word for it. It's COMMUNITY with a dash of EXPERIENCE.

More later.

The Ground Floor

There have been some misconceptions, some bad karma, some seedy compromises, and broken promises over the last few thousand years or so that have wrecked the simple notion of marketing and sales that you almost have to include the frowny face icon in any discussion. Example...

Today we will discuss new techniques in marketing :(

Now, let’s take a moment and discuss why this is so. First, we need to look at the definition of sell as described in the Webster’s Dictionary which is as follows...

Sell (n) transitive verb
1: to deliver or give up in violation of duty, trust, or loyalty and especially for personal gain : betray —often used with out
2 a (1): to give up (property) to another for something of value (as money) (2): to offer for sale b: to give up in return for something else especially foolishly or dishonorably c: to exact a price for
3 a: to deliver into slavery for money b: to give into the power of another c: to deliver the personal services of for money
4: to dispose of or manage for profit instead of in accordance with conscience, justice, or duty
5 a: to develop a belief in the truth, value, or desirability of : gain acceptance for b: to persuade or influence to a course of action or to the acceptance of something
6: to impose on : cheat
7 a: to cause or promote the sale of b: to make or attempt to make sales to c: to influence or induce to make a purchase
8: to achieve a sale of

Foreboding, isn’t it? Selling has become a bad word because human beings have generally sacrificed dignity over higher profits ever since the invention of currency. Misrepresented crappy products and services have always been a major problem for suckers born yesterday. Now it is different. These days, nothing exposes a bad product better than great advertising. If you build up a product or service that doesn’t deliver, you might as well file for Chapter 11 and pass out resumes, assuming your reputation hasn’t been truly damaged. And information technology has made the bad guys easier to spot.

This leads to a fabulously overused term known as “selling out,” which is generally used under two circumstances...

1) The individual accused of selling out has in fact obviously cashed in their dignity to create mass-appeal, short-term, unfulfilling work that will eventually fade into obscurity,but in the process will generate a ridiculous amount of money.

2) The person accusing someone else of selling out is in fact upset that they weren’t joyously handed a successful career right after snagging a bachelors in Liberal Arts. Thus, anyone doing better than themselves must obviously be selling out.

That second group causes more trouble than they intend to. Simply put, they feel anything with an ounce of success must be corrupt, and honesty is only established by the lessons learned through complete failure.

America has become a polarized nation of extremes, almost to the point where a simple political debate can be dangerous. Ever since the fractions of a second after the big bang, the universe fails to be composed of absolutes, and today is no exception. In fact, to think in simple black & white terms is not only outdated... it is dangerous. We must start thinking on all levels, perspectives and viewpoints if we want to survive, let alone advertise efficiently.

Therefore, let us say it is perfectly fine and just to desire a successful career. One can achieve great heights without hurting others, and without crippling ourselves with self-indulgence. We can learn to live within our means. The “buy less, live more” movement so championed by Adbusters is already seeping into this overextended generation. And if you are into advertising, you can be unfairly labeled as untrustworthy. You are selling something, and nobody likes to be sold to. Society has dealt with hundreds of years of sellouts and bad business transactions. Like heartbroken lovers, there needs to be dialogue between you and your client base, to arrive at a mutual understanding.