Wishful thinking for now, but what would an Encanto Concert Event look like? image ©Disney
When looking at the overwhelming success of Encanto with its ensemble soundtrack and music theater roots, I immediately thought; “limited live concert experience.” Sadly, no concert experience has been announced, but given the chance, here’s how I would stage and distribute the show.
Rendering of the Atlanta Beltline. ©Beltline.org
And now for something new, rental and moving advice! I’ve done quite a few moves of late so this is the first chapter in a new topic we’ll explore on this blog. Starting with the one area I’ve lived in the longest, Atlanta, Georgia also known as The A-T-L.
The Marketing Funnel is as old as.... well to be honest I have no idea how old that concept is. As I transitioned from my broadcast and digital media storytelling roles to marketing roles, the concept of the Funnel was introduced and delivered as the gospel of Marketing 101. "Develop a good marketing funnel and you will be successful!"
A wheel, built around support and customer retention in your brand keeps customers in your ecosystem. Keeping them in your ecosystem allows those customers to become your evangelicals on the ground, spreading your message outward and carrying your marketing dollars further.
Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result is never going to build your brand. One effective way to build your brand and brand audience is to show up in unexpected ways and unexpected places.
"LinkedIn? Oh yeah, we tried that. It didn't work."
Did you really? Did you really try or give up because it's not easy?
The Demo Reel is the bane of a creative's existence. They feel that their entire opportunity lies within this slickly edited video that showcases what they can do.
For me, the Demo Reel is just a business card. It's a teaser. It's NOT the one thing that will get you hired. What WILL get you hired is your portfolio.
It's time to break the Short Video Myth. Audiences ARE watching branded videos and stories that are longer than 60 seconds.
During the workday, 30 to 60-second videos rule. When relaxing and especially in the evenings, audiences use their mobile devices and connected TVs to engage in 30, 60, 90-minute video programming. Not just the big streamers, but YouTube, Vimeo and more.
All stories, all content should have a purpose. You should never create content just for the sake of creating something. "Content, Content, Content! Everyone else is doing it, they say we should be doing it. Let's get some content created!" If you're just creating content because 'that's what everyone says we should be doing,' then how are you going to measure your return on your efforts?
Sharing articles and trends constantly via an instant communications tool is not leadership. It’s the opposite and quite frankly it's lazy. Some CEOs and Supervisors feel like everyone must have the same information at the same time. It’s ok to do this once in a while, but a constant barrage of "read this!," "Lot's of great stuff in here," "Let's discuss!" leads to confusion and frustration among the team.
One of my favorite things about working in this industry is talking to people and learning their stories. And I've learned a lot of tips and tricks throughout the years for getting good on-camera interviews.
Here are a few to help you get the most out of your next on-camera interview.
One of the big aspects of branding, especially in social media today is "Authenticity." There's no better way to get authentic with anyone, than with a GoPro Vlogging rig. It's unthreatening and creates awesome opportunities to create and capture content on the fly.
Growing your 'followers' by 1 can be incredibly powerful once you understand why.
If your entire focus, your entire strategy is predicated on followers, then you're chasing popularity, or as its better known 'vanity metrics.'
As you look to retain and expand your in-house creative team, you need to understand that people are much more valuable than any technology.
All the technology doesn't matter if you don't have the right people. Once you find them, don't let them go if at all possible.
One of the best challenges in Storytelling is making the complex, simple enough to understand. There are so many processes around us that make total sense to those who understand, yet mystify those who don't.
How do you create a story to explain a process that you have no expertise in? Listening.
Delivering maximum quality content is all about planning and efficiency.
If all you do is plan your entire project, your entire process around one deliverable, you're missing out on many content opportunities that allow you to work smarter, not harder.
"What IS Personal Branding and how do I even get started?” Personal branding is essentially marketing yourself from a personal or professional perspective, and sometimes both. You have value, you have knowledge to share, your input is welcome in conversations. Whether you're brand new to an industry or a seasoned veteran, you bring value to others. Both in the written word and through videos.
Huddling on set before a scene ensures we’re all on the same page before rolling the camera.
A Daily Huddle is more important in managing a team than any meeting you’ll ever hold.
Why are meetings so prevalent in today’s corporate world? I’ve been in companies where meetings follow meetings followed by more meetings and before you know it the day is done. Not to mention one-hour meetings that stretch into three hours because either someone really likes to talk or we branch out into multiple topics that have nothing to do with the original meeting.
A powerful means of leadership, enhancing productivity and growing a cohesive team is the Daily Huddle.
One question I seem to get more than any other is "What's in your camera bag?" From the first time a picture appeared with me filming on the road, folks have been asking what I'm carrying around on my back. Now I’m happy to share a typical setup for my camera bag. With this configuration, I can film interviews, documentary / docu-reality storytelling, training, travel and the like.
With the Original Walter Biscardi in Alaska back in 2009. He never went to college but is the most successful man I'll never know.
At one time, every job description here on LinkedIn or anywhere else had a college degree as a requirement. A very slow trend has been the elimination of that requirement. In today’s digital environment I have to ask, “Why do you still make a college degree a requirement at all?”
In 2020 "Parasite" won the Academy Award for Best Picture. The film was masterfully edited using Final Cut Pro 7 which has not been available since 2010.