Agent for the Arts

New Acts in Town

It's not often that you hear of successful artists moving away from the hubs (New York, Los Angeles, Boston). After all, when you spend so much time building a network in a big city, why would you want to leave it behind? Probably because it's not about the network, but its the artwork that brings happiness.

That's part of the reason why a couple of experienced artists have moved to Corning, NY - and they're looking for ways to weave themselves into the small-town fabric while maintaining the Hollywood limelight.

Marc Jackson is a professional composer and custom songwriter who works in film, television, and advertising with clients in New York City and Los Angeles. His music has been featured in movie trailers for Michael Clayton, Enchanted, Harold and Kumar 2, and Transporter 3, in addition to compositions for TV, DVD features, and much more.

His wife, Jennifer Li, is an accomplished choreographer who also has a wide range of clients across the country. Her collaborations include American Dreamz for Universal Pictures, Upright Citizens Brigade Theater in LA, Cornerstone Theater Company, and the Comedy Central Stage.

Marc and Jennifer have been actively seeking to connect with local artists, advertisers, and media outlets in their new Upstate New York community... a wonderful testament to their respect for artwork and desire for a better quality of life.

Check out Marc's Website, or read his bio on IMDB. Jennifer's page can be found here - also worth a good look!

 

Hopefully, with the housing market spinning out of control and technology making it easier and easier to work from anywhere in the country, more artists and business people will realize that Upstate New York isn't such a bad place to call home!

Sean Lukasik is a Creative Agent / Marketing Professional in the Elmira-Corning region of Upstate New York. He is President of Twin Tiers Young Professionals and a coordinator and consultant for Pipeline 4 Progress. Check out Sean's monthly column in Twin Tiers Business, published by the Elmira Star Gazette.

Creative Economy

The economic outlook of late has caused many companies to rethink their spending. For some reason, marketing and advertising budgets have gotten the short end of the stick, while more resources are dumped into "fail-proof," data-driven plans.

The problem is that creativity might be the only way for some companies to dig themselves free. Conservative is the new risky. "Playing it safe" means imminent failure. But creativity doesn't have to be expensive.

Check out these ads from Eskom (sustainable development) and Durex.

    

The ads aren't colorful or flashy - they're just clever. There aren't a lot of printing costs associated with these, and, in fact, the Eskom billboard is saving on electricity.

The same can be true for your own marketing efforts. Make them simple, but clever. Don't worry about getting commercials on every television and radio station in the world - you can blast them out to the right audience through free media like YouTube or Facebook. Build your brand on Twitter rather than the New York Times; that way, you know only the people who are really interested will find you.

The line between advertising and PR is getting blurry, but the bottom line is clearer than ever - spend your time and resources on creativity, and word of mouth will become the greatest marketing tool of them all.

Sean Lukasik is a Creative Agent / Marketing Professional in the Elmira-Corning region of Upstate New York. He is President of Twin Tiers Young Professionals and a coordinator and consultant for Pipeline 4 Progress. Check out Sean's monthly column in Twin Tiers Business, published by the Elmira Star Gazette.

What is a Creative Agent?

My business card says that I'm a Creative Agent. What does that mean?

The boring explanation is that I'm a Marketing Communications (MarCom) Consultant.

From Wikipedia:
Those who practice advertising, branding, direct marketing, graphic design, marketing, packaging, promotion, publicity, sponsorship, public relations, sales, sales promotion and online marketing are termed marketing communicators, marketing communication managers, or more briefly as marcom managers.

The more interesting explanation comes when you break down "Creative Agent."

Think of a travel agent - someone who figures out where you want to go and what you want to do when you get there. A travel agent finds the best means of transportation, hotel, and activities based on your own needs and requests.

As a Creative Agent, I build the best designs, messages, and overall brand based on the needs of your business. Then I deliver them as efficiently as possible to your target audience.

Check out SeanLukasik.com for a breakdown of some specific services. Or send me an email if you'd like to find out how I might help your business. And if you have any suggestions on how to edit my "elevator speech," please share!

Sean Lukasik is a Creative Agent / Marketing Professional in the Elmira-Corning region of Upstate New York. He is President of Twin Tiers Young Professionals and a coordinator and consultant for Pipeline 4 Progress. Check out Sean's monthly column in Twin Tiers Business, published by the Elmira Star Gazette.

Selective Hearing

I ran into a friend at a coffee shop recently who was out of the office to "get away from the noise." As soon as he said that, I started noticing the sounds of the espresso machine, conversations in the corner, the song on XM radio, and employees shouting between the kitchen and drive-through window. Funny as it sounds, I knew exactly what he meant.

Our offices don't really seem conducive to productivity these days. The empty white walls, the hum of the copy machine, occasional phones ringing, and quiet (if any) music... it's like a symphony of boredom. We've been taught and trained to multi-task, so it almost seems like a distraction to have complete silence. Even libraries have become technology and media hubs, prompting studies on whether or not to abolish the traditional "code of silence."

So if you find your office less than inspirational, first talk with your co-workers and see if they agree. Then try bringing in a few distractions - turn up the radio, add a company chat program on each computer... whatever fits your brand personality.

• Erin's Awesome Blog points out some of the quirky office decorations that work for her.

• Dixon Schwabl Advertising and PR Agency has a slide that goes from the top floor to the main entrance.

• Employees at Partners + Napier share their ideas and thoughts on a dry erase board that wraps around the walls near the "lunch area."

What are some other ways to liven up the office environment? I'd love to hear your comments - please share below!

Sean Lukasik is a Creative Agent and Marketing Professional in the Elmira-Corning region of Upstate New York. He is President of Twin Tiers Young Professionals and a coordinator and consultant for Pipeline 4 Progress. Check out Sean's monthly column in Twin Tiers Business, published by the Elmira Star Gazette.

EveryFest is an ArtFest

Last month, the Corning Gaffer District, Finger Lakes Wine Country, and the ARTS Council of the Southern Finger Lakes hosted Palate, a week-long celebration of wine and food. The organizations sold all-inclusive passes to a collection of premiere events that captured the heart of the region, and of course, since Corning is one of the top arts communities in the nation, there was also a celebration of art.

It made me wonder why every good festival or event shouldn't be a celebration of art, particularly from local artists. Organizations could reach out to 3D artists for centerpieces at their dinners, non-profits could decorate their fundraisers with locally-created paintings and murals, and businesses can highlight local musicians at their company picnics.

I know it's not the next big idea to hit the marketing world, and most of you are probably doing much of this already, but what are some ways to really celebrate the art that's incorporated into your event?

Sean Lukasik is a Creative Agent and Marketing Professional in the Elmira-Corning region of Upstate New York. He is President of Twin Tiers Young Professionals and a coordinator and consultant for Pipeline 4 Progress. Check out Sean's monthly column in Twin Tiers Business, published by the Elmira Star Gazette.

Face Time (not Facebook)

Social media continues to sweep the marketing world, but it's not (yet) time to forget about the original media outlets. Though they're not as popular with younger generations, local newscasts, radio morning shows, and newspaper features still hit the mark with baby boomers. And it's all content that can be reproduced on the web through YouTube, Facebook, and each station or paper's website.

The best part about real media exposure is that it's still free. If you can think of a good reason why the rest of your community should hear your story, then by all means, share it. But don't abuse the privilege - if you're not sure what you want to say or you don't think others will really care, then don't make face time with your local media. Every time you put yourself out there, you add another piece to your brand. If you don't sound confident or important, it's going to affect the perception of your viewers, listeners, and readers.

Seth Godin does a great job at describing the difference between publicity and PR. It's easy to get publicity, but be careful about jumping at the opportunity if you don't have a good story to tell. Drafting, editing, and telling that story is really the heart of public relations.

If you're in need of some good storytelling skills, check out the resources available on the web. The Center for Digital Storytelling, International Storytelling Center, and this post from Marketing Interactions are all great places to start!

Also, check out this video, which is the latest publicity for Twin Tiers Young Professionals featuring the author of this blog, Sean Lukasik.

Sean Lukasik is a Creative Agent and Marketing Professional in the Elmira-Corning region of Upstate New York. He is President of Twin Tiers Young Professionals and a coordinator and consultant for Pipeline 4 Progress. Check out Sean's monthly column in Twin Tiers Business, published by the Elmira Star Gazette.

Make It Easy

I got an email today - a friendly reminder that daylight savings time started soon. It was a nice gesture, and the sender hoped I would see (or better yet, print out) the business card he attached to the message. Too much work.

If the ultimate goal is to get your card in my rolodex, attach a vcard instead of a jpeg. It's a little more work on your end, and a lot less on mine. The best way to earn a new customer is to make your product or service the easiest decision they've ever made.

Content vs. Design

It's probably time for a new website, unless you designed one last week... and even that could be out of date! It's like buying the latest, greatest cell phone on the market and seeing an ad for the new model as soon as you get home. So how can you prevent this?

First of all, remember that it's the content that people are looking for. If your design takes too long to load, is impossible to navigate, or draws attention away from the copy, it's not gonna fly. There's nothing more annoying than visiting a website and searching for the link that says "click to enter" or "skip intro." It looks fancy and entertaining, but there are ways to integrate those things into the home page without adding steps for your visitors.

At the other extreme, templates and blog sites are cheap, but they convey the same message about your company. "Bare-bones" designs don't support your brand and don't show your image or personality.

So where's the happy-medium? Does your website provide a nice balance of content and design? I'd love to hear your comments!