How much Demand Do You Bring in the Career Market?

Everyday people are looking for the next career move. Have you ever wondered where you rank amongst all of your competitors in your career?  Well Brendan Wallace, CEO of a new company, has put together an app on Facebook that helps you to know your role in the job market.

The name of the app is Identified. The purpose of the app is to allow users to find out their worth in the job market. Here’s how it works:

1. People sign in to the app on Facebook.
2. They put in their career particulars (education, work history, honors, achievements, GPA), what kind of job market they are seeking, etc.
3. The application tells them their rank according to the information placed in the system.

 

I tried this app when it came out and my results were very interesting. How do Identified come up with their answer and does their research hold water? They do their analysis based on their database of 60,000 companies that look for certain traits from their employers. The research even breaks down the schools and majors that these companies recruit from. Now, today’s applicants have a bridge between their skills on their career portfolio and what the companies are looking for.

The application is fueled through Facebook due to their younger audience. Google+ is to new, Twitter doesn’t have enough member content, and Linkedin’s audience is too old. Plus, Facebook has more members than all of the other social media sites so it only makes since that they placed the app on Facebook.

Apparently, this app is striking a considerable amount of buzz in the industry. Right now, 1500 companies use the information to assist with their hiring process, and the company already has a list of investors that has put over 5 million dollars into the application project. 

Social Media + TV = Big Ratings

     The Social Media Market has really gained momentum over the past decade. People all around loves the real-time commenting experience and viral exposure that social medial has made popular over the years.  So which market really takes a huge advantage at this real-time trend? Major television networks and their shows do.

     Yes television show programming has adopted the power of social media to boost not only their Nielson ratings but their online following as well. Mashable.com has a chart that allows us to view the top weekly 10 cable and top 10 weekly television shows that incorporates both mediums. 

     It does not surprise me that reality shows Project Runway and X Factor took the number one spot in both categories. Both shows (that uses competition in a real time game show format) feed off of their live audience and/or viewers participation to make the show interactive.  Dancing with the Stars is another example that made the cut in the Weekly Top 10.

     Reality shows like Jersey Shore and the Bad Girls Club use the social media hand in hand. Because they emulate what is supposed to be a real world experience, the drama and crazy twists and turns create a buzz on the social media sites that the shows embrace.

     There are other shows that made the weekly top 10 that either embrace traditional drama (Dexter and Big Bang Theory), Comedy (Family Guy, The Simpsons, How I Met Your Mother), and other forms of traditional entertainment that has been around for years (WWE Smackdown) that makes a major impact within both mediums of mass communication and entertainment. This form of marketing not only transcends the traditional marketing that we know and love (commercials, the soap opera era, etc.), but it also compliments the marketing that we know today. 

Putting a Business Plan Into Action

      In the last post I went over the dos and don’ts to making a successful business plan. A great business plan separates you from the individual that only dreams about his endeavors. This article will discuss three factors:

• An example to incorporating  business plan skills (from the previous blog)
• What changes did I make on my business plan.
• Important sections of the business plan.

      I took some of the lessons from Dave Lavensky originator of growthink.com and applied them to my business plan (remember a business plan is like a resume. It can always use a little tweaking). I began to start using Search Engine Optimization websites to find out what my competitors were doing to bring traffic to their sites. This information assisted me in finding the best keywords to purchase for my business this month. Compete.com and Spyfu.com are two of the most common SEO research websites. I also revamped my timeline and project management campaign. This allowed me to shorten my deadline by 35%, which makes my service more efficient.

      The most important section in my business plan that needed my divine attention is the marketing strategy. I had to diversify my sources of marketing so that I could reach my target audience with different forms of media. Although online gives my business a competitive edge, direct mailers and radio spots will enhance the buzz to the people I want to sell to.

      Business plans can be challenging but with the correct idea a well-structured business plan is a must have! It compliments your business plans with the greatest of ease and may open doors to investors, venture capitalist, and other important people. Business plans helps them to understand your marketing, project management and financial structure and possibly be a part of of your vision. 

Business Plans Do's and Dont's

Everyday people come up to me and ask me questions on how to make their business a success.  I noticed that when I ask them to put it in writing that’s when the conversation stops.  A business plan for your company, service or idea is imperative if you want to own your business. I find it wise to follow some of the individuals that have been successful and see what they have to say about business, planning.

Mark Cuban is noted as one of the most successful entrepreneurs in the world.  A self made billionaire, he is the owner of the Dallas Mavericks and has sold businesses worth millions of dollars to companies like Yahoo and Compuserve. One of his blog posts goes over what you should NOT to do in a business plan.

            For starters you should always show some sort of investment in your company. It can be as simple as building a website and buying a $10 domain so that when you submit your business plan to investors it shows that you invested in your business. Of course, It’s understood that you don’t have funds, but when you build a business you have to show that you invested ALL that you could possibly could.

             Dave Lavensky is known for his expertise in business plans worldwide. Although he is known for his business plan help blog growthink.com , he has successfully practiced what he preached by starting many internet-based businesses.

In one of his blogs he suggest that we should:

1.)     Plan- Planning is an essential key to any business plan.  Sticking to a game plan will  save you time, money, and possibly a headache or two.

 2.)     Get better information- Especially if your business plan has a lot of competition. Investing in great information sources can set your business plan to a higher parallel than the rest. And it may possibly make your business plan more successful overall.

 

 3.)     Using the right tools-  This is self-explanatory. Using the correct tools can polish you business plan and help your time management capacity.

In the next blog posts we will go over how these tactics work in action. Be sure to follow this blog. Until next time.

Blackberry = The Better Phone for Marketing?

I’ve had recent discussions with my peers in regards to my Blackberry. Be advised that my good coworkers and friends have jumped on the iphone 4G bandwagon. Everyday I get the business about why they think the iphone is better.  However, the Blackberry series by Research In Motion has been a staple when it comes to the business smartphone. So, I decided to do a study and compare the two best phones that Apple and RIM makes and take a opinionated approach on which is better.

The iphone boast the following key features:

• A full touch screen keypad.
• 5 megapixel camera.
• Integration with other apple products (MacBook, ipad, etc.) through the use of their cloud system (available next year).
• Two versions available 16 and 32 Gigabyte version.
• Only available with two carriers (Verizon and AT&T).
• One serious App System.

The Blackberry Torch carries these features:

• Full “qwerty” keyboard both touch screen and physical.
• 5 megapixel camera.
• Superior e-mail integration.
• 4  Gigabytes of device memory with a Micro SD slot that can hold up to 32 gigabytes of memory
• Only available for AT&T. (other Blackberry models are available for all carriers).
• Detachable battery with extended battery life.

Now I’m not a professional when it comes to these two phones so I decided to check out Technobuffalo’s You Tube page to compare and contrast options.

The iphone is known for its Internet speed, higher resolution screen, call quality, and great apps. The Torch is known for its great battery life, text and e-mail functionality, and reception. The Blackberry is a better phone for marketing and business, but Apple did a better job of marketing their phone. It’ still comes down to what you’re using the phone for in my opinion.

 If you’re looking for a phone that is made for fun, internet browsing, and functionality with your other apple products then iphone is for you. If you’re looking for a phone that give you traditional business marketing feel, longer battery life, and great e-mail and navigation capabilities then the Torch is phone. Leave comments and tell me what do you think? 

Picture sources:

http://www.redmondpie.com/iphone-4-hd-aluminum-unibody-9140590/

http://blogs.blackberry.com/2010/08/blackberry-torch-interview/

Source:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5z68o1a5zlc&NR=1&feature=fvwp

http://us.blackberry.com/smartphones/blackberrytorch/

http://www.apple.com/iphone/

The True Power of Search Engine Optimization

I love to hear news when the underdog beats the big guys at their own game by using marketing techniques and technology. Recently, a small Swedish record company known as X5 Music Group has been leading the charts in classical music distribution. This company has defeated giants like Universal Music Group in this genre of music. So how does a 43-employee company bring shame to one the biggest names in the music industry?

      Typically, music is re-mastered and distributed on CD’s and maybe even sold iTunes. X5 music group redefined the way that the music was marketed and they did this with no new artists and no CD sales.

   

      The company did the following:

·       Landed distribution deals with the record companies that own the rights to the classical music (Mozart, Beethoven, etc.).

·       Started making digital compilations of the classical music.  These practices may seem normal but it’s the way the company marketed the music that set them apart from the competition. 

·       Titled their compilations to attract certain mini target audiences by using titles like “Top Ten Classical Pieces to Brighten Your Day”. 

·       The company utilized the technology of search engine optimization to sell the music on Amazon.com and iTunes. Keywords like  “Classical” were in every title. This helped X5 reach clients who really doesn’t have a clue or inquires about classical music on the web.

X5 beats the big distribution competitors by using search engine optimization to their advantage. Other companies are using SEO to boost their company up on the search engines so that they have the opportunity to be close to the top of a search engine website (like Google, Yahoo, Bing) when their keywords are searched for on the sites. This kind of technology is a cost effective key component for small businesses that are trying to be discovered on the Internet.  It also may give your business the opportunity to achieve your marketing and company goals.

A new way to promote your band comes to Facebook

Facebook has been known for its ingenious ways that it allows people to socialize and market with each other. Now Facebook challenges Myspace again by opening the doors for artists that are looking for ways to communicate with their Facebook fans. They are doing this by allowing third party companies to create band page apps for their site.


One of the best ones that artists use today is rootmusic.com. This website creates an application that can be added to an existing Facebook fan page. Once installed the artists can use an array of different marketing options that will allow an artist to increase their exposure on the social media site.

The first thing that the application does is pull all of the existing information from the Facebook fan page and adds the information to their new rootmusic.com page Rootmusic is free to all users. It does have some options that artist will have to pay for in order to use. The free options include tracks that can only be played when fans like the artists band page, mailing lists, banner services, a place to tell their find about their concert and tour dates, and many more. Their paid features include an enhanced background system, banners that will allow the artists to add video content, and even a widget that will allow the artists to sell their music.

Rootmusic.com and other band pages like them allows artist to have the opportunity to have a crisp, professional, and different look on Facebook while also increasing their content from their fan base. Indie artists will benefit from this most of all because of the lack of big money that a mainstream artist may have access to. Mainstream artists enjoy a cost effective approach as well and has yet another tool to reach out to their fans. And the fans are happy to have another outlet to connect with their favorite artists on Facebook.


Source: rootmusic.com

New Audio Technology Is Combating Piracy

Everybody knows about the problems with piracy of music today. Record companies have attempted to use many tactics to try to prohibit piracy. They have tried everything from suing the people who practice mass piracy to forcing litigation on sites such as napster.com and limewire.com. But no one has ever attempted to change the format that is used to purchase and share audio content until now.
Music DNA , a company best known for their Music GPS App on the iphone is researching a new file format for music that will allow enhanced content to be added to a artists song. Band/artists bios, concert dates, ticket prices etc. will be able to be included with the song or album recorded in this new digital format. But what really makes this format different is the fact that if the file is downloaded illegally then the file will now work and all you will hear is white noise. This will be a huge game changer in the record industry because for the first time ever a company is trying to solve the piracy problem with innovation instead of litigation.

Of course all other audio formats will still be available to the public. MP3’s, MP4’s, wav’s and other formats are not going anywhere which could give a breath of fresh air to the indie artists that use these formats to expose or leak their music to the public as a marketing tactic. But rest assured that when (not if) this advancement in technology is released the record companies would stop at nothing to obtain and implement this new audio format. It could mean the survival of the record company. Plus, it will also allow artists to create a more detailed brand identity that can be used to increase their target audience or fans that really appreciate their music weather they are introduced to the artists/band for the first time or they are true fans of their work. Only time will tell how this will affect the overall outlook for everyone.

Source: http://www.makinitmag.com/articles/file-format/move-over-mp3-theres-new-file-format-town.html

Intellectual Property 101 Just don’t do it

There is a lot of access to other people’s information over the Internet about other people’s property. Society protects their work by the use of copyrights, trademarks, patents and trade secrets. However,  people still try to attempt to steal the intellectual property that is not theirs. I learned a lot about this by listening to the Entertainment Law Update Podcast.

When are people going to learn to “Just don’t do it”? People are just waiting for you to try to infringe on their companies, business, and invention because they either feel betrayed or they are looking for a huge pay check. I was listening to one podcast about the movie Hangover 2 where one of the actors in the film has a tattoo that looks identical to Mike Tyson’s tattoo, not knowing that the artist that created that tattoo on Mike’s face had the design copyrighted because it’s his original work. The tattoo artist’s lawyers were on the producers back before you can say, “punch out”.

Then we have the pirates such as Joel Tenenbaum an individual who downloaded one too many songs for free. The record companies sued him for whopping 675k, which is now reduced to $67, 500 (that’s still a lot of money if you ask me).

But the story also goes on the other end as well. On another podcast, they spoke about John Elway. He is trying to get a restaurant to change their name. What is the name of the restaurant now?  It’s called Elway’s. Unfortunately for the all-star quarterback there’s nothing he can do but send him kind letters asking them to change.

The only real problem in my opinion is we never saw not one of these court cases go all the way to judgment. One of the parties always ends up settling. This keeps a real judgment off of the dockets for us to go by. Or they just get dismissed. Either way, I don’t have to wait to see what happens to know what happens. I will be sure to safeguard my company with the necessary protection and also govern my company with an iron fist when it comes to my intellectual property.

Source: EntertainmentLawUpdate.com

Podcasts http://feeds2.feedburner.com/entertainmentlawupdate

Episode 17:  Can Kanye write songs 140 characters at a time?

Episode 21 – Tough Cookies and Heart Attacks

Entertainment Law Update – Episode 9

Be Careful How You Market Your Artists and Your Entertainment Business

     In today’s entertainment society one can say that it seems like were running out of ideas or ways that we are able to become creative. Every time you make a move somebody is going to court claiming, “they thought of that first” or “where’s my money for that move”.

     Copyright infringement and trademark acquisition are two of the most challenging issues that entertainment artists and companies face today. For example, artists can have similar sounds with different chords such as the Joe Satriani vs. Cold Play case. Where Joe claimed that Cold Play used his song, “If I Could Fly” without permission, which ended in a settlement for Joe. Artistic concepts, and ideas in today’s entertainment world are extremely claustrophobic when it comes to originality and the use of the work.

    Fox faced being sued by Scholastic Entertainment because Fox placed one of SE’s shows on another Fox station, which SE felt was breach of contract. It wasn’t until they found out that they were being paid by a third party as well that SE attempted to sue Fox for copyright infringement.  SE did lose this battle and appealed it, but they did not renew their contract with Fox.

     In regards to today’s trademarks, the battle is very similar. Today Subway continues to fight to trademark the word “footlong” for their company. If they win the trademark battle no other restaurant in the nation will not be able to market the word “footlong” for their subs (or anything now that I think about it).  The problem is that Subway is already issuing Cease and Desist order for other restaurant chains. And the restaurant owners don’t like it. Now they are trying to sue Subway claiming that the word footlong is a general word in the English Dictionary and can be used in any advertisement. Although Subway is not an entertainment company other Entertainment companies exercise the same practice today. For example, John Witherspoon trademarked the phrase “Bang, Bang, Bang”, which is known from the Movie “Boomerang”.

    The American Humane Association threatened and was seeking legal action against the people that made the Grammy Winning Film, The Kings Speech. The line, “No animals were harmed during the production of this film” was used as a disclaimer. Although this movie was produced overseas, it was sold at the American Box Office. Since the producers never asked for rights (or certification mark) to use the phrase the AHA was coming after them.

     The moral to this post is. No matter if you make lyrics to a song, have a new business idea or have a catchy phrase be sure to trademark and copyright your work or idea. In today’s society, people will try (and can) sue you if they feel that you stole or infringed on their rights as an artists or entrepreneur. Or if your not protected, they can steal your work, idea and rights and use them against you. The day of just having a firm handshake to seal the deal is over. Now the handshake is accompanied by an agreement, contract, or a legal document that gives you the immunity to be creative, own your ideas, and receive royalties for your efforts or reputation.

Sources:

http://caselaw.findlaw.com/us-9th-circuit/1484106.html

http://www.entertainmentlawupdate.com/2011/03/episode-18-of-beauty-queens-and-footlong-sandwiches/

http://andyontheroad.wordpress.com/2009/09/13/joe-satriani-v-coldplay-settles/

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-20031887-504083.html

   

I Love Good Music... But where did it go?

                 One of the questions that I’ve been asking lately is what is better, old school music or today’s music.  Many people I personally asked answered “old school music” 3 to 1. The music back in the day was recorded and performed with live musicians. Their creativity was unparallel.  And many of our past artists had a true desire and love for the artistry of music.  So how do we adopt some of the qualities that artist and musicians had from the past and incorporate them to today’s music in all genres?  And when I ask this I don’t mean by sampling tracks or remixing older songs. I mean going back to the grass roots of originality and creativity.

                   Some of the solutions I came up with is so simple yet difficult to.  We have to take it back to live recordings with live instruments (this pertains to mostly hip-hop and R&B) Maybe even go back to having listening groups like Barry Gordy did when he invented Motown Records. Another thing that changed is the lack patience when it comes to making good music. In the past, artists didn’t really have a choice due to getting all of the musicians together, recording the music no matter how many takes they had to do (remember there was no autotone or Protools in those days), mixing and mastering the album, and then wait for distribution which was vinyl. Could it be that artists today just don’t take the time necessary to make a good album or is it the record companies that are trying to rush the entire process?

One good thing that is happening is that independent artists are at an all time high. Due to the advances in technology, independent artists can get as much exposure if not more than the artists that are with today’s record labels. This allows the indie artists to have more creative control with their music in regards to originality and timeliness. Some artists are even leaving their record label to become indie artists so that they can have more control of not only their creativity, but also their intellectual property and royalties. No matter how it is done its going to be interesting to see if we can get back to the quality of music that we grew up on and be able to once again enjoy good music.   

        

Source: http://www.iol.co.za/tonight/music/no-risk-no-gain-ask-tuks-1.1083717

Gurellia Marketing For the ESPN GAMEDAY Commercial

I just wanna let you know that you can have fun doing what you do.

Interview with Dex Maggett CEO of The Firm Security

A lot of people have expressed the concern of how to negotiate major deals in today’s industry. People have wonderful ideas but fail to make money on their creativity, artistry and ideas. I took the time out to speak with Mr. Dex Maggett. His portfolio includes but is not limited to CEO of the Firm Security (a executive protection company for record labels, movie stars, politicians, and whoever can afford his services), Owner of Praise Him Events (a Christian based entertainment company), and Owner of The Network (a one-stop-shop for clients seeking event planning). Here’s what he had to say.

In today’s Industry what do you feel is the clients strengths and weaknesses when it comes to negotiations?

Well that depends.  Most individuals have major issues with asking for what they want and need for their product or services to take flight and make money. Others don’t know the true value of their product or service.

What do you mean? Please go into detail?

The industry is developed to break a client down just enough to build them back up. This allows a negotiator to lower value of the client’s product or service.

How can the client avoid this from happening?

They must present the facts and vision in way that shows professionalism and passion without showing emotion.

Can you give us an example?

Of course, one of the deals that was “on the bubble” for the Firm Security was a regional contract with Radio One. We did our homework on the radio company (finding out their need and wants) while also volunteering our services for their humanitarian events.  When it came down to meeting with them they knew that the first offer they gave us would only pay for the operational cost for The Firm Security   and leave us with very little net (well as least I knew it).  We had to stick to our credentials of being a executive protection agency with over 15 officers that either retired from the military and law enforcement, having a proven track record with other clients, and handling large events. Not to mention, the insurance policy worth millions of dollars backing us in case something terrible happened to any member of our staff or anybody at any event that they put together to compliment their insurance policy.  We knew no other company had what we had. We also knew that Radio One, as well as other huge companies, love protecting their investment. In this case, we assisted in protecting Radio One from litigation from any event we were involved in and we expressed it in the most professional manner.

So what happened after that?

Lets just say that we landed the deal and now my kids don’t have to worry about paying for college.

So if you had to share some words of wisdom to the people reading this blog, what would you say?

 

Do your due diligence with everything regarding not only the people you plan on doing business with but also why your product or service will benefit them. Never lose your cool and keep your tact and professionalism at all times. Role-play with your business partners, friends, family, and/or anybody you trust. The more perspectives you get on why your project won’t work will help you find answers to why your project will work. Preparation and research is fundamental in negotiations because in the industry you will be tested.  Believe me.      

I didn’t want to draw this post out too long but I wanted find answers that people ask me in regards to negotiations. I hope this helps. If you have any other questions regarding negotiations please feel free to leave your questions in the comment section of this post.  Until next time.  

Marvel is Crushing the Box Office in 2011

     While other movies are at the box office fade to black and lose its luster, Marvel Entertainment have been making blockbuster after blockbuster. The Iron Man series continues to be a success with Iron Man 2 and following behind Iron Man 2 is Thor for the Spring 2011 Debut.  The 2011 summer movie will be none other than Captain America. And if you can’t see where this is going, Marvel will also be making the movie “The Avengers “ which includes Iron Man, Thor, Captain America and possibly the Hulk!

     Not only are they leaving no prisoners at the box office, they have a history of keeping great stocks in the past. Their rise to success was all done because they have over 5000 comic characters at their disposal. Marvel decided to make movies off of the same characters that made them money in comic books in the past. This idea was a great success, especially when the started adding advanced digital effects and action packed scenes.  Add a little star power like Nicolas Cage who starred in Ghost Rider or Robert Downey Jr. who played the leading role in Iron Man 1 & 2 and you have a formula for success. Disney acquired the company in 2009 and they have been growing stronger since then.

          I think that Marvel has found the formula to capture the kid in all of us by recreating the stories of the comics that we know and love. This kind of marketing is great as well as rare because their product can appeal and be identified by to the young and old. The movies they made have also rekindled their merchandising. From Fighting and adventure video games   to the roots of comic book sales, Marvel’s movies is an essential part to the re-kindling of their brand.

      

Source:

 http://marvel.com/news/story/3493/marvel_movies_assemble

http://www.google.com/finance?q=NYSE%3AMVL

Looking For a Way to Fund Your Projects?

 

     Recently people have been coming to me with great marketing and business ideas.  Everything was perfectly set in place . They have their target audience, strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats, location, return of investments, cost, etc. They are only missing one element. Funding is one of the most challenging goals for anybody’s project. It’s difficult to find an investor who believes in your dream enough to shut up and put their money on the line for your efforts, until now.

     Kickstarter.com is a website where a lot of today’s small business owners, creative minds and individuals with a dollar and a dream finds their outlet for funding in the areas of  music, film , photography, and  any project that deals with the arts in a convenient, simplified manner. People place their project on kickstarter.com with a brief description of their vision and/or campaign. Then people that are interested make pledges to that project. In return the investor receives a keepsake or item of value from the event or project. The project must reach their funding goal within a certain amount of time or the funds or goods to the investors do not transfer.

     For instance, lets say I’m seeking funding for a short film and I need to raise $3000 dollars within 45 days. I would simply do the following:

1. Go to kickstarter.com

2. Follow the tutorials and place my project for display on the site

3. Give something back to the investors in return for their pledge (in this case, a copy of short film on DVD for a $10 pledge, a copy of DVD signed by the director for a $20 pledge and so forth).

4. Pray that I make my $3000 goal within the goal time frame that I placed on kickstarter.com.

If I make or exceed my goal then up to  10% of the goal goes to kickstarer.com to   transfer the goal funds into my paypal, or checking account and I send the DVD’s out to the investor’s that pledged on my project . If I don’t make my pledge goal then no DVD’s or funds are exchanged and I owe nothing. 

     This website is effective because of the all or nothing approach that they use which is ideal for the individual that wants to fund a project but has no capital of their own. Millions of dollars have been pledged to various projects on kickstarter.com, which places this website on the top of my list in regards to marketing any projects of the arts. 

Source: kickstarter.com

The Importance of Networking With Clubs and Organizations

As some of you know, I am the Ambassador of Praise Him Events, which is a gospel entertainment, company located in Baltimore, Maryland. One of the key factors of growing a business is to be affiliated with different clubs and organizations. Doing this will diversify your business portfolio and put you in touch with like-minded individuals who may help your business grow. One of the organizations that caught Praise Him Event’s eye is the Gospel Music Workshop of America. 

The Gospel Music Workshop of America is an organization that was founded by Dr. James Cleveland in 1967. Every year they have a conference that consists of workshops for all that is engaged in Gospel music

However, this convention is much more than just a musical workshop. This organization has years of experience in putting together the “who’s who” in television, radio , production, management, promotions, etc. They even have a numerous amount of Gospel choirs. All that would like to participate in the choir can rehearse, sing, and fellowship. This convention is a week long, which gives people plenty of time to network and practice.

            Praise Him Events involvement with this organization is a essential part to the mission and vision of the company. Once Praise Him Events join the Gospel Music Workshop of America we will immediately get involved with the organization and assist with their mission. While we are assisting GMWA we will foster new relationships as well as enhance the relationships we already have with other individuals with like interest and common goals. This will result in a high possibly increasing our client base and alliances with other Gospel organizations, exposure on GMWA's newsletters and websites and giving back to GMWA.

           In conclusion, It is a wise move to join a organization with like interest when it comes to building your business. This is usually the missing element to most businesses. If this part of marketing is not implemented it could impede if not halt your progress in becoming successful.     

New Lessons Learned in Marketing.

I am well versed in brand recognition, branding, viral and social marketing. One could even say that it’s a God giving gift to be able to understand and execute a successful marketing campaign on numerous occasions.  A wise person once told me   there is no such thing as the perfect sale.  Since one of the functions of marketing is to sell a good or service to the masses its safe to say that you always have to continue to learn your craft in order to evolve.  Dan Cobley helps put the grassroots theories of marketing in perspective

            I loved the way that Dan Cobley, the Marketing Director at Google, explained how marketing and physics have some the same principles in his speech on ted.com. Although physics is not my area of expertise his story taught me three things:

1.  1. Try to find out what people in the world  “actually “ do instead of what they say they do.  Many people will say they do one thing but do another if you can tap into the audience’ s true behavior in regards to what they are buying then half of the battle is won.

2.     

2.  2. Understand that the bigger the company the harder it is to diversify or change the product.

3.     

     3. Guard you and your company’s reputation for life because it only takes one observation (or opinion in some cases) that will send you and your company down. No matter how much time, money or, effort you put into it.

            Dan inspired me to look the art marketing with a different perspective.  By using examples that has been proven by laws of science he defined some of the staples of Marketing 101.  In my opinion, Dan’s theory is if it can be proven in science it can be proven in marketing. This is a lesson and a concept that we can all learn from. Thanks Dan Cobley .





Picture source :http://www.ted.com/speakers/dan_cobley.html

The New Way to do Super Bowl Commercials

If you weren’t able to catch the Super Bowl last week you missed out on a very good show. And I’m not talking about the battle between the Green Bay Packers and the Pittsburg Steelers. I’m talking about the battle for the number one Super Bowl Commercial .

What’s even more ironic, both of the commercials used dogs for the main and supporting cast. Anheuser-Busch came back from a two-year losing streak with their Bud Light commercial, using dogs posing as humans to show why the King of Beers is still the life of the party. They share the crown with the  Super Bowl Pug by Doritos with a advertisement that won the Crash the Super Bowl Competition that Pepsi Max and Doritos held online. Bud Light has been known for funny Super Bowl commercials in the past ( I really wish they would bring back the Bud Bowl ads) but I must give kudos to Doritos and Pepsi Max because they decided to let America come up with commercials in a contest format to create the best commercial possible.  I feel that when you let the people decide on what is the best you cannot go wrong and Doritos and Pepsi Max embraced that concept. It also shows that A Super Bowl commercial does not have to be a secret to be successful. 

All of the advertisers put forth their best effort. From the little kid in the Darth Vader outfit that learned how to use the force on Volkswagen’s new Passat to dealing with the chimpanzees with parking issues in the Careerbuilder.com commercial. And for the first time in Super Bowl history two commercials tied for the number one spot.

          

         Four commercials in the Crash the Super Bowl campaign made it to USA Today’s top ten Super Bowl ads.  These same commercials were voted on by the people on their website and was on their website for people to view weeks before the football game.  The individual that invested $500 to create and film the Doritos Pug commercial is now a millionaire, a great prize for such an accomplishment, and now has the opportunity to work in Doritos’s marketing department.

Source:
http://www.usatoday.com/money/advertising/admeter/2011/super-bowl-ad-meter/43271432/1 

http://superbowlads.fanhouse.com/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpjaOUjUPUc

Picture source: http://www.superbowlofsocialmedia.com/   

Don’t Forget Your Roots

Because of the dawn of the information age we can receive information on a global scale with a click of a button. Websites, e-mail’s, and Social media sites have become a part of our everyday lives. These advances in technology have changed the way we market our business, ideas, and products.  Or has it?  There is sill some traditional ways of marketing that will never fade to black and it is imperative that we implement them to continue to brand ourselves.

One of the staples of marketing is direct communication. Although the message is slow to reach the masses direct communication is still one of the most informative communication tools out there. Nothing beats receiving information from a well-trusted source face-to-face. People use websites to market themselves but nothing beats a CD- Rom or a DVD when marketing with clients. The content you can sore is tremendous, you can keep the audience interested in your topic brand or product and your marketing can be presented with out any interruptions or bandwidth skips that the Internet may have.  Your files can be presented with true digital quality. Plus, everybody either has a DVD drive on his or her computer or a DVD player at home.

The business card or professional flyer accompanies direct communication with tangible information about one’s business.  In some countries, the business card is still carried with a high level of respect (especially in Japan).  This marketing literature can be full of information that your customer needs about your business or event.  And last but not least, regular snail mail is still critical to making sure that and marketing literature is given to the right person. There are still services that the mail system offer that makes the customer sign for certain documents guarantees delivery.

In conclusion, we should allow the foundational aspects of marketing to accompany today’s advances of communication.  “We all heard the saying, “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it”. I encourage you to use one of these concepts and see if it works for you.

Source:  http://blog.discmakers.com/2011/01/dvds-for b2b/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+discmakersblog+(Disc+Makers+Blog)

Where did the Real Artists go?

Music marketing in today’s society

     I was speaking to a music group on campus today that asked me “ why do all music sound the same”?  “I miss the time when people were artists”.  I feel that that is a very good question. Many artists in all genres of music are losing the artistic side of music for two reasons.  Executive individuals in the music industry may change them or the money changes them.  They quite possibly never have any real artistic talent to begin with. I feel that the independent artists and music groups may give hope to bring back the creativity to the music industry for the following reasons.

      Social media websites give indie artist a mass social appeal.  This enhances the opportunity for the artists to show their creative side. They also have the opportunity to create a following on a worldwide scale. Myspace Music could very well be the leader for independent artists. Now indie artists do not have to be signed to a record label to generate revenue for their music.

     Because they haven’t been exposed to the executive side, the indie artist can show pure passion in their music.  It is true that the executive music companies due have tenure in developing artist. But Artist such as Ray Charles created genres of music during a time where artistic expression was looked down upon my record companies.  Some managers and executives may not be focused on an artist growth on the creative scale. 

     One thing is certain Indie artist is bringing a new creative aspect in music that has never been experienced before.  And they have new opportunities to express themselves everyday.  Youtube, Myspace Music, Facebook and many other social media networks as well as other websites that allow society to have a musical experience that hour forefathers could only dream of.  I would love to hear your opinion on how you feel.  

     


Picture Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/pokadotmedia/