Absolute Steve

The Day Disco Died

The Day Disco Died wasn't December 30th 1979, no it was this past week beginning with the death of Donna Summers and continuing on with the passing of Robin Gibb founding member of the Bee Gee's.

Both Donna Summers and the Beegee's were the Voice behind Disco.  Donna Summers music from Love to Love you Baby to other sexually charged numbers heated up the dance floor for a decade as did the hugely successful Beegee's who's famous work on the Saturday Night Fever sound track expanded theiraudience base to world fandom.

When talking about bankable brands these two artists were truly the shooting stars of their time.  I personally spent many an hour dancing to these two individuals vocals pulsating over the dance floor throughout the late 70' to early 80's.  I still enjoy indulging  my Disco music need from time to time on such great online outlets as lastfm. 

If Donna Summers was the Queen of Disco the Bee Gee's were the Kings.  These artists not only sold millions of albums but they also brought happiness to millions of peoples lives.   To this day their music continues to bring a smile to ones face when heard over the radio or movie sound track.

A lot can be learned from these two musical brands that can be applied to any company wishing to improve their brand name.  The biggest lesson is being in the right place at the right time.  Both artists came to fame during the Disco Era.  There star factor was birthed in a very short period of time and lasted only so long then the window went away.  To be sure both went on to make more music but never would they ever reach the stardom they did during this short slice in time.

Which bring me to this: some brands have a short life span while others live for much longer.  Think of all the so called giants of yesteryear who are all but a bi-word:  Myspace is an example of a short lived Brand who is still plugging away much like a has been  pop star eeking out a living playing the tribal casino circuit. 

I for one will continue to enjoy the works of Donna Summers and Robin Gibbs, something I strongly doubt will be said for many of today's pop artists whose machine made music lacks the heart and soul found in the works of these two artists.  

Speaking of heart and soul that is what is lacking in too many of today's companies.  Unlike heritage brands many of today's companies are not even designed to last for more than a decade.   I believe the key to creating a long lasting brand will be done by companies with a heart and soul.

Here's to two great artists may they both rest in peace.

Thomas Kinkade Painter of Light The Biggest Brand in Modern Art

Thomas Kinkade Painter of Light The Biggest Brand in Modern Art has died and now the back story is being released. 

Tomas Kinkade was the biggest selling artist of the last 20 years bar none.  At the peak of his popularity his franchise based retail/art driven empire was into the hundreds of millions. 

I, like many have pictures of his hanging in my home (my wife loved his work) be they calendars, mugs or mini prints we have a few.  He like Jody Bergsma, Lucy Rigg and Robert Bateman are all big names in the modern art movement who cater to the masses.  Unlike some modern artists who cater to the few with big bucks or the obscure, these artists cater to the masses.

Commercial artists have long been scorned by critics but loved by the masses just look at the Movie Industry.  The block busters hardly ever get mention at the annual awards other than special effects, yet obscure no name movies get cited by the critics and awards givers each year.  Artist's who have a tough time making it are given government grants where artists like Kinkade and his like make a good living selling what most people want and will buy.

Kinkade created a powerful Brand within the world of art.  His tag line Painter Of Light reflected his use of light in each of his pictures.  His style was his brand, his name was his brand and his tag line was his brand.  Yes there are plenty of copycats yet his is the name everyone knows and wants.  That's a powerful brand to have and own.

His personal life like so many of us was pock marked by personal challenges and struggles with inner demons. Yet in an over pornified celebrity driven media world it is nice to see artist's such as Kinkade and others who choose to use there talent to bring light and joy into the world rather than focus on the baser things of life.  His art did not reflect the inner turmoil he lived in, instead he stayed true to his vision as the Painter of Light and millions of us will continue to enjoy his work for decades to come.

We will miss your talent.

Acting is Hard

For those of you who have been following me, you know I have been in the process of creating a TV Pilot.  Well I just got off the phone with director and he had some sad news for me. The last shot isn't usable.   Ouch that means an all day's worth of shooting and dozens of hours worth of practicing my lines all for nothing. Well not for nothing it is a learning experience one I have had to go through.

I have had to face the fact that acting is hard and anyone who tells you otherwise has never tried their hand at acting.  There is a reason top star's make so much money, because they can pull it off better than the rest.  They are dependable and reliable and they LOOK NATURAL on camera and that's the trick.  In filming you must act unnatural in order to look natural.  What you would normally do while having a conversation isn't what you get to do behind the lens when you are being shot.  In a normal setting you don't have a dozen or more people around you watching and instructing and filming you while you do the take a couple dozen times.  Those who hold up under the pressure are the actors who go on to make a living at what they do or not.

Most actors do it for the love of doing it, much like a musician or artist they are inwardly compelled to do it.  Most never make a living at it but they do it anyway.  As a first time actor I can attest that it is very stressful.  I have spoken with fellow actors and some can't do line acting but do just fine with ad libbing.  While others prefer hitting their marks and memorizing lines. 

The ability to memorize vast amounts of dialog and then repeating it in front of an audience and getting it right is a very difficult proposition.  That's why there are acting schools and school plays where you learn to do this stuff at an early stage in life.  Some actors on the other hand are able to come in at a later date and seem to pick it right up.  I don't know about these people, but I have nothing but admiration for anyone who can pull it off especially at a late stage in life.

So what does this mean for the project?   We are going to make the most of what we have done.  Who knows where we can go with it but at least I am further along in my growth stage than I was a year and a half ago and so is everyone else involved with the project.  I also understand why so many projects never really get off the ground or once they are completed  go no where, its very difficult making something worth while.

What does this have to do with marketing?  Well as I was talking to a new business owner marketing is something you have to do over and over again before you see results from your efforts.  The one time TV commercial or one month radio run or web run isn't enough to build traction.  Nope you have to create a plan and then work it track it and adjust it.  You get better as you do it more just like acting or creating a TV show.  It takes lots of mistakes and learning as you figure out what works and doesn't work.  That's the name of the game in acting, film making, song writing and marketing.  The best in all these categories have stumbled a lot along the way yet they keep going always learning from there mistakes and getting better as they grow.

Two Sides Of The Business Coin

There are two sides of the business coin, profits and people.  You have to have one before you can have the other.  So which comes first, profits or people?

Three ways to establishing a profitable company:

1) Bootstrap your way up the ladder of success as a sole proprietor.  The owner starts out then gets busy enough to hire his first employee then continues this process until the company becomes a very profitable company.

2) Founder finds investors who invest into company before company even takes form.  In this scenario the founder can hire on the employees she needs to expand the business quickly and grow the company into a major power house.

3) Team effort this is similar to scenario one but in this case you have a handful of individuals each with their own talents who can operate as a small business right from the start.  Think of all the Web Based companies who began this way as well as all the great rock bands.

Of course we can look at this from another point of view.  What is more important to the company? The people who work for it or the profits the people make for the company? 

People first:  This will be an award winning work place where employees thrive and grow and continue to spread their creative wings.  Mistakes and pushing the status quo are viewed as a means to an end not an end.  Thus employees are freed up to make the company very profitable. 

Profits first:  This will not be an award winning work place and employees will feel used and limited in their ability to grow.  Yes the company may be profitable but it wont be a place where people will wish to work for very long and the creativity will be very limited.

Which type of company do you work for? What type of companydo you own? What kind of company do you wish to start? What companies do you know that fall into each of these categories?

Creativity is Expressed in Many Different Ways.

Creativity is expressed in many different ways.  Recently my son Noah and his robotics team were honorer in the official First Lego League Robotics Blog for the branded hats they came up with.  You can see the pictures here.

Many may think creativity is limited to artistic endeavors but this assumption would be false.  Creativity can be found in almost everything we do, from stylized automobiles to product design and even its packaging.  Creativity is used in branding of a company or a team.

When was the last time you stopped and looked at a cardboard box?  Next time you are at the store look at all the cardboard stands.  Examine the portable file boxes you purchased and folded together to make a rigid box to hold 50 pounds worth of files.  The ability to create a box is a very creative endeavor. 

Building a company is creative, selling something is creative and so is manipulating the stock exchange.  Creativity is who we are and it comes out in everything we do.  The next time you make an excuse for a mistake you made, you are guilty of creating. 

Creativity is a reflection of God, the Bible states we are made in His image. Thus the fingerprint of God is upon everyone of us and that's why we are creative.

When God is "removed" from our life by God haters, the end result is blandness.  Just look at the former Soviet Block Countries and the type of buildings they made.  Look at the cloths etc.  Now take a look at the things around us that lack color and creativity, does this bring comfort and joy or is it depressing? 

Creativity when allowed sets the spirit free but when it is a reflection of a tormented mind it reflects misery and hopelessness.  Thus the aim of a good designer is to break free of dullness and create inviting elements which energizes the mind. 

The best in creative design be it hats used by a Robotics Team or the latest smart phone can and will be a determining factor in thier overall success or failure.

Here's to creativity!

How To Make a TV Show, The final segment has been shot!

Well I am able to bring you an update on my How to Make  TV Show series.  This past Saturday we wrapped shooting for the last of our segments.  We spent all day Sunday in a very small room crammed with people and lighting as we worked through the 5 minutes or so of material.  What I think should take an hour or so usually takes many hours and some tense times.

As much as I have my lines down I still get side tracked and have to repeat my lines numerous times until I get it right.  Then it's on to the second set of camera positions until we get them down then its on to the third set of camera positions and so fourth until my Producer and Director feel good about what has been done then and only then are we done for the day.

Speaking of Producer and Director we may work as a collaborative but when it comes to getting the shoot right they are in charge and I am no longer a collaborative but a tool in their hands which they need to operate correctly so they get what they want to have happen come off.  Its only after I am done for the day is the tension gone and we can once again speak as equals.  Don't think for a moment that actors of any stripe unless they are also the producer or Director of any said show are treated any different they are just tools to be used much like the lights and camera just much more capable of screwing up things.  The other members who assist are also cogs in the machine called a production crew.  Everyone has role and they need to do their very best or we have to do it again until it's right. 

Next stage is spending time inside the studio doing post production begins.  This is where we began inserting all the images which will be used to back up what the characters will be speaking about throughout the show along with any voice over work for best sounding delivery per various portions of the show. 

Music - I will meet with a friend in about a week or so to begin work on the Theme Song.  He is a great artist who wants a crack at working with us.  I look forward to work with him.

I also know we have a few establishing shots which our Director of Photography will need to shoot, fortunately they will be stills with no one in them but the setting where each segment is to be located.  

There is so much that goes into creating a 22 min TV show - hundreds of hours just for a half hour worth of entertainment.    That's why a big budget movie costs tens of millions of dollars.  Watch the screen credits at the end of the next movie you view and you will see over a hundred names scroll by.  Watch the end of your favorite TV show and witness how many names are listed 30 plus for most.  Everyone gets paid so you can see it is not a cheap proposition to produce a 22 min show much less a 120 minute movie.

A big thanks to all the On Site Crew who have made this possible, you know who you are and will all get credit where credit is due.  To the remainder of the team, see you in the studio!

Learning From Sears New Social Media Engagement Plan

I just read a wonderful article at Forbes.com by Brandon Gutman where he interviews Mark Bonchek, SVP of Communities and Networks for Sears Holdings. In the article, Mark shares how Social media is being used by Sears.  At one point the guest stated the following: 

“In the past, brands could control the message. But not any more. Marketing has become like a political campaign. Every message gets thrown into the social spin cycle. This is a big change for marketers trained in traditional advertising, with its focus on segments and channels. Marketing is now more about sociology than psychology. Brands need to focus on the social context of their customers’ lives. Do they create a sense of social identity? Can they create social currencies that help customers connect with each other?”

This statement can be offered up for all Media of today where individuals create fan sites and blogs and facebook pages where they gather and chat about the latest in whatever.  We are the news, we make the news etc.  Instead of the corner store where everyone hangs out and shares opinions we hang out at our favorite social site. Instead of relying on professional critics we become our own critic via Amazon and other on line book sellers with tools which allow readers to write comments.

As for Companies and socical media lets take a took back for a moment:  A casebook study in social engagement would be the Harley-Davidson Motor Company who created the Harley Owners Group out of thin air.  This is pre World Wide Web.

By creating the H.O.G. they built a community in which to be active engaged member of (if you own a Harley, that is).  By creating the H.O.G. they created a commonality that exists with H-D owners, they provided membership and the rights of membership. They provided Company sponsored events, rallies and rides, they have engagement of riders who can write in and contribute to the exclusive HOG monthly magazine.  The company offers every kind of Branded product under the sun which continues to create co-hessian and ownership of their brand even by those who don’t own a Harley!

Taken one step further all the H-D dealers participate in the very same social context, by providing weekend meet ups, free coffee and BBQ’s along with swap meets and monthy parties open to all members and non members alike.  The Dealership is where H-D riders meet and then set out for rides or just hang out and talk about all things H-D.

When was the last time any car dealership or other manufacturer ever did this?  Yea they have Corvette clubs and such but these are not company owned.  H-D kills it in the social context.  Today on top of what they have done, they are also working hard on the new media front with the H-D site being one of the highest ranked sites for a company.  They also have facebook, etc.

As for Sears, they have always offered 24/7 service it’s called catalog sales as well as in store sales. In the old days everyone had a Sears catalog in their home. You would order from it and it would be delivered to your home or to your nearest Sears. As a side note how many young men caught their first glimps of a womens breast while pawing through the bra section of these catalogs? 

As a child I loved going to Sears, when we came through the front doors of the Bellingham, Washington Sears store we were greeted with good feeling smells coming from the candy and treats case.  I would always beg my Mom or Dad to buy me some heated red skin peanuts or chocolate covered raisin.  Even as a teenager with his own car, when I was near by I would make a point to stop in and buy some warm peanuts.  This built into me fine memories of shopping at Sears.

Don’t forget the local Barber Shop, it was and still is in some cases the scocial hub of the small towns across America. It was where retired men or young men alike would hang out and read the latest magazine and chat about the latest goings on.  You could stop in any time and hang out even though you didn’t need a haircut.

In deed the idea of offering information and engaging customers through education, assistance and shared interests has been around as long as the barber shop.  It's just now we can do it 24/7 on a global scale and the owner of the business doesn’t have to be a part of the ongoing conversation just a facilitator who joins from time to time much like the Barber. 

What many call new, is just a re-framing of what has always been, the only exception being, we are  expecting it to happen a lot faster than in days past and that’s the real problem facing companies and marketers alike.  Thinking that we can build a monster following in a short time is crazy stupid, it takes years even decades to build a trustworthy brand.  Even in today's fast paced market people want to know you will be around for a while before they will invest a lot of time in you excluding the latest pop star or movie sensation. When it comes to building a trusted brand it still means offering quality all the way around and something distinctive your competitor isn’t offering.

Recycling Hits

Have you ever wondered why so many artists recreate and put out a newer version of an old hit movie, play or song?  One music group will get a home run single from the original song only to have it picked up later and re-played by 1, 2, 3 or more bands.

In the movies we see Scooby Doo a 70’s cartoon recreated into a hit live action movie. Or Mission Impossible a 60’s TV show turned into a hit movie franchise.  What about such songs as Pretty Women put out by Roy Orbison then recreated into a hit by Van Halen?  Think of the retelling of Annie get Your Gun and hundreds of other examples.

Why is this done and why are so many of the newer version hits as well?

Because good art is good art and once it has a proven track record you can update it and use it again.  The things that made the original great are still there to become a hit again.  Of course there are disappointments such as the retelling of Planet of The Apes. I for one vote the original heads above all others.  The reason?  The premise of the original Apes movie was totally unexpected and the ending nailed you between the eyes.  Any other version misses this altogether thus misses out on the original premise and focuses on making the apes look more real and less about the origianl impactful story line of the original.

Bottom line hits are bankable to those who hold the purse strings as in studios and investors.  When it comes to creating entertainment the bottom line is the bottom line, and that’s one reason we see such things happening.  The second reason and less well known is many artists be they, movie producers or musicians enjoy the challenge of retelling an old story in a fresh way.

Regardless of the reason, I for one have enjoyed seeing or listening to older hits transformed into new movies and music hits. 

Long live the retelling of an old story in a new way.

Stop making judgments until you know the facts The Trayvon Martin Case

Stop making judgments until you know the facts, The Trayvon Martin Case.

You would have to live under a rock not to be aware of the Tryvon Martin case.  I will not comment on the case because I know nothing whatsoever regarding it, other than what 
I have heard in the news.  Yet armed with the very same information I have, there are people  rioting, looting, marching in the streets and demanding "justice".

Wow do ever live in strange times.  All too often people today will hear something and then react with an outcry of some type, yet have no earthly idea of the REAL FACTS behind any of what we are hearing or seeing on our TV or Computer screens.  It is all hearsay and nothing else, and we all know how reliable hearsay is, don't we?  Remember back to when you were in high school and a false rumor was spread about you? Yea it hurt, real bad, because you knew it wasn't true.

The epitome of good marketing, is to connect a companies product with its targeted audience through well thought out persuasive words and images designed to convince you, the buyer, that my product is the best choice.  We know this when we watch or read an ad. 

But when it comes to news, everyone buys into what the talking heads purport to be true, without realizing these talking heads and the networks they work for, are in the business of selling air space. The more people glued to the radio or TV station the more revenue dollars they can get from their advertisers.  Thus the news world, is not about truth as its more about stirring up controversy to keep you glued to their station.

When I see and hear people screaming for justice without knowing any facts the image of a linch mob comes to mind.  If you know your history you know Lynch mobs formed under wrongful information and ended up hanging many an innocent.

Instead, let's take our que from the Wisest One to ever inhabit this world of ours, who said the following: Judge not, less you be judged... in the same manor you judge others, you too will be judged!

In other words: keep silent and not act as the judge, but allow the Law take its rightful course.

The Monkees a Brand Minus One

The Monkees a Brand minus one

The passing of Davey Jones member of the iconic music group The Monkees have brought a lot of Monkees fans out of the woodwork.  Why?  Because the Monkees Tv show and subsequent music was a moment in history that made quite an impact in the lives and hearts of Baby Boomers.  The Tv show was short lived compared to many others,  but thanks to syndication and the continual airplay of their music the Monkees have continued to live on for decades long after they parted company as an official group.

What isn't said is how each member coped with life after the group parted ways.   From what Ihave read, each member went on to lead a very productive life apart from their Monkees days.   I believe DavyJones was the only member who continued to perform as a musical artist where the rest went onto various other jobs.

The Monkees were a TV Land band, made up actors and musicians who eventually out grew their keepers and went on to create their own music and even a movie in the mold of Help.  The Monkees began a movement which was later copied by bands like The Sweet who also started out playing other writers music then went on to become their own writers and wrote some killer songs.

The Monkees Brand will be remembered as a fun brand, which brings a warm smile and a good feeling to its listeners. That's a great way to be remembered something all Brands can learn from.