Is Marketing Really an Art?

If you understand that the ‘Job’ of Most Artists is to Inspire, Impact, Empower, and Influence….the job of Marketers should be no less, and no different.

Speaking of Marketing…have you by chance heard of Social Media….Gary Vaynerchuk maybe??? Well he, and it are kind of a big deal and the Travelling Social Media Roadshow that is Wine Library TV is finally making a stop in Calgary.  

For Most Reading this, with the exception of those living in a Cave in the Mountains of Tibet for the Past 5 years (Which Would Probably be a good Idea for some), we have come to Realize Social Media is a HUGE deal.  This Event Will be giving you the last bit of information to tip the iceberg of awareness of what this Shift is that is taking place.   And For the Skeptics?? Well it will probably Wake you right Up!!!

The Good News I bring is for all you aspiring artists and entrepreneurs: We have only hit the tip of the Iceberg with what is Possible. Certainly this is by no means a New Phenomenom, but it is a Phenomen that has nowhere to go except UP!

What Revolution??

We Live in a world Transformed by Social Technologies, that have in many ways fragmented the Marketplace.  That Said, there has never been a better opportunity for “the small guy” to make a name for themselves and bring their message to the world.  Probably the Best Example of this is Gary (@garyvee) and his Success with Wine Library TV and Vayner Media.  And Gary Certainly isn’t the only success story as Thousands of Entrepreneurs, Artists, and Companies alike, have exploded their businesses and Brands via the Web.

Social Media Is not so much one or two ‘things’, and certainly isn’t an easy space to define, let alone Monetize for the average do gooder.  But what Cant be argued, is that it represents a massive window of opportunity that exceeds traditional and conventional methods of doing business and introduces a brand new principle of connecting with your colleagues, clients and customers, both locally and globally.

This is why nearly every business on the planet, from a small solo entrepreneur to major brands to your local fish n chips shop are all rushing and jumping on social media band wagon to explore new opportunities and learn new methods of marketing in this new business age.This ‘Social Revolution’ that is upon us, and has been gaining Exponential Momentum over the past 5 years, has contributed to countless Success stories, Re-Kindled Friendships, Family Reunions, Love Stories, and Stories of Hope in a World of Uncertainty, Natural Disasters, War, Crime and Poverty.  

Not Least of the Effects of this Revolution has been on Big Business and a Changing of the Guard on all fronts.  Marketing has changed, Advertising has changed, Business has Changed, and we can thank Social Media and a Fundamental Shift in the way we communicate that has accompanied its effects.  But is Social Media Really The New Business Age?  And More Specifically the New Age of Marketing.  I tend to Think it’s a BIG YES!!!  The way we do business, Connect and communicate, Engage with our customers, Generate leads, Market and promote our brand has changed forever.  And its Time for YOU to Understand How to get in the Know.

The Art of Marketing Comes To Calgary

I became especially interested in this event based on the strong belief I hold that Indeed Marketing is an Art, and not so much a Science, as it is taught and emphasized in most schools across the globe.  My Approach To Marketing Myself, My Brand, My Vision, and My Business has certainly been an evolving art form over the past 3 years of learning from the best Thought Leaders in Social Media and Business. 

Calgary is a town that has been late to adopt Social Media as a Part of Big Business Strategy, Largely to to the stranglehold that the Oil and Gas Industry has on our Local Economy, and its Traditionalist Conservative Values.  The Reality is that for the time being, Oil and Gas Companies aren't in the Brand Loyalty and Transparency Business…But I have news for them…thats About to change BIG TIME, especially with the Recent Disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. (As A Revolutionary Im bound to have an opinion or two :) )

So for all you Cow Town People out there, small business owners, entrepreneurs, and corporate behemouths alike…Im happy to announce an incredible Marketing Event and Educational Opportunity here in Calgary on June 14th  The Art of Marketing – Canada’s Marketing and Innovation Conference.  Arguably the most important Marketing Event to come to Calgary in some time, I would recommend anyone who is in Business needs to  attend to this Event to prepare themselves for the future of Business and fully grasp the realities of the ‘Social Media Age’.

If you or anyone you know or work with may be interested in attending be sure to let me know, so we can plan to connect the day of the event.   If you include my Promotional code “LD27”  you will get a $50/ticket savings on individual registrations and $100/ticket savings on groups of 3 or more.  

Here's a Link to the info on this Event, and a Brief Introduction/Promotional Video

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ct9LYWTT01g&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

Would Love to hear you're thoughts….Do you think Marketing Has become more of an Art form Now than in the past??

 

 

 

 

 


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The Act of Writing – The Reader

by Warren on April 24, 2010

Published on April 16, 2008 in Warrior of Light.

“There are two types of writers: those who make you think and those who make you dream” says Brian Aldiss, who made me dream for such a long time with his science-fiction books.  Thinking about his sentence and my work, I decided to write some columns on the subject.  In principle I believe that every human being on this planet has at least one good story to tell his neighbor.  What follows are my reflections on some important items in the process of creating a text.

The reader

Above all else, the writer has to be a good reader.  The kind that sticks to academic texts and does not read what others write (and here I’m not just talking about books but also blogs, newspaper columns and so on) will never know his own qualities and defects.

So, before starting anything, look for people who are interested in sharing their experience through words.  I’m not saying: “look for other writers”.  What I say is: find people with different skills, because writing is no different from any other activity that is done with enthusiasm.

Your allies will not necessarily be those that everyone looks on with admiration and says: “there’s nobody better”.  It’s very much the opposite: it’s people who are not afraid of making mistakes, and yet they do make mistakes.  That is why their work is not always recognized.  But that’s the type of people who change the world, and after many a mistake they manage to get something right that will make all the difference in their community.

These are people who cannot sit around waiting for things to happen before they decide on the best way to narrate them: they decide as they act, even knowing that this can be very risky.

Living close to these people is important for writers, because they need to understand that before putting anything down on paper, they should be free enough to change direction as their imagination wanders.  When a sentence comes to an end, the writer should tell himself: “while I was writing I traveled a long road.  Now I can finish this paragraph in the full awareness that I have risked enough and given the best of myself.”

The best allies are those who don’t think like the others.  That’s why, while you are looking for your companions (not always visible, because meetings between the reader and the writer are rare), trust your intuition and don’t pay any attention to others’ remarks.  People always judge others using the model of their own limitations – and at times the opinion of the community is full of prejudices and fears.

Join those who have never said: “it’s finished, I have to stop here”.  Because just as winter is followed by spring, nothing comes to an end: after reaching your objective, you have to start again, always using all that you have learnt on the way.

Join those who sing, tell stories, enjoy life and have happiness in their eyes.  Because happiness is contagious and always manages to keep people from being paralyzed by depression, loneliness and troubles.

And tell your story, even if it’s only for your family to read.

The pen

All the energy of thinking is eventually shown in the nib of a pen.  Of course, here we can substitute nib by ballpoint, computer keyboard, or pencil, but the nib of a pen is more romantic, don’t you think?

To get back to the theme: words eventually condense an idea.  Paper is just a support for this idea.  But the pen will always remain with you, and you must know how to use it.

Periods of inactivity are necessary – a pen that is always writing ends up losing the awareness of what it is doing.  So let it rest whenever possible, and concern yourself with living and meeting your friends.  When you return to the business of writing, you will find a happy pen with all its strength intact.

Pens have no conscience: they are an extension of the writer’s hand and desire.  They serve to destroy reputations, make us dream, send news, trace pretty words of love.  So always be clear about your intentions.

The hand is where all the muscles of the body, all the intentions of the person writing, all the effort to share what he feels, are concentrated.  It is not just a part of his arm but an extension of his thought.  Hold your pen with the same respect that a violinist has for his instrument.

The word

The word is the final intention of someone who wishes to share something with his neighbor.

William Blake said: all that we write is the fruit of memory or the unknown.  If I can make a suggestion, respect the unknown and look there for your source of inspiration.  The stories and facts remain the same, but when you open a door in your unconscious and let yourself be led by inspiration you will see that the way to describe what you have lived or dreamt is always far richer when your unconscious is guiding the pen.

Every word leaves a memory in your heart – and it the sum of these memories that form sentences, paragraphs, books.

Words are as flexible as the tip of your pen, and they understand the signs on the road.  Sentences do not hesitate in changing course when they make a discovery, when they spot a better opportunity.

Words have the same quality as water: they go around rocks and adapt to the river bed, sometimes turning into a lake until the depression has filled up and they can continue their journey.

Because when words are written with feelings and the soul, they do not forget that their destination is the ocean of a text, and that sooner or later they have to arrive there.

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