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Think about Live Earth

Think about Live Earth on 7-7-07
Just think about it. A global concert and awareness event. This is a major step in converting the idea of global climate and environmental change from a mere pipe-dream to reality. I did some quick math calculations and with Live Earth concerts showing at 8 worldwide locations, with an average of 100,000 expected attendance per venue, and tickets being sold for an average of $100US each: ticket sales should soar past $100 million USD. If you factor in worldwide media coverage of this event I don’t even want to look at the numbers of people who will see the event via television, radio, and the internet. I have a feeling this event will blow Live Aid of 1985 out of the water in terms of widespread coverage and contribution. Live Aid was a globally covered concert put on to raise funds for famine relief in Ethiopia.

I wish I was able to afford tickets because I do believe it is for a good cause and also the music artists performing at the NY concert are a once in a lifetime collaboration. Smashing Pumpkins, The Police, Dave Matthews Band, Roger Waters, Kanye West, and Bon Jovi– just to mention a few. And, yes, Al Gore is a major player but we don’t need to think about that.

Just think about it

World without billboards…

What would a world without billboards and physical advertisements look like? It would look weird. See for yourself. Sao Paulo, Brazil passed a law banning all outside advertisements by a 45-1 vote.
Max Kalehoff via his OnlineSpin blog brought this story to my attention. Walking through the city [I did this virtually via Tony de Marco's flickr photos, 'see for yourself' above.] empty billboard frames and newly painted buildings are immediately eye catching. We are accustomed to outdoor advertising so much that without it their is a void. I wonder if it should be filled with something? Maybe art?

I know our good friend, Andy Warhol, would not be satisfied with such a legislation. In fact, I think he would be the person to start a revolution in advertising, AGAIN! Paintings up on billboard frames, not to advertise a product [albeit the artist's product, again Warholian consumerism].

The funny thing is I’ve had Warhol on my mind for the past couple days. It is interesting how this story came up just in the nic of time. Warholian consumerism, mentioned above, is fitting for an advertising based artistic movement in this decade. Wow, the possibilities! A giant billboard of "Starry Night" replaces the huge MTV logo, pretty soon the internet would follow suit as it usually does. Web2.0 styled logos replaced by watercolor, ink, pencil, and lacquer artwork. I should stop kidding myself, we are in the middle of an artistic movement; the popularity of web2.0 stylings and blog layouts is rising on the web. I should know that logos, digital graphics, banners– these are all art; some of this art is mine

Wow, I seem to have went full circle in this post. Anyways just check out Max’s article.

Invaluable news from our beloved Boulder source

I’ve known about it for years. Delved into it every now and then for kicks. But until now, I don’t think I have ever been hooked.

UNVEIL: The Onion News Network– America’s Finest News Source now in video

The ONN will be generating hilarious content in a ’serious’ light based on current events yesterday, today, and tomorrow. I was reading the CBS news article on ONN and The Onion’s Pres. Sean Mills who said, "We want as many people to see our news reports as possible … We can work out a deal with YouTube when they’re ready."
This is awesome! More skrag to add to the catapult preparing for the launch of Murdoch Video United [my take on an expected collaboration between media giants to create an online portal for their content]. I would hope, though, that Mills as well as others at The Onion do not take this jump lightly. It is a major move for them, possibly breaking into the ranks of loyal viewers of Jon Stuart and Steven Colbert.

"I think there is a demand for a 24-hour news
network that isn’t a parody like ‘The Daily Show’ … People want to get
the truth with a level of seriousness and integrity that only the Onion
can bring." –Mills says characterizing the show as a serious, traditional network news source. I believe they will go live this coming Tuesday, April 3, 2007.

Ahh UMaine and the RIAA, draw steel!

The wonderful RIAA is at it again. Sending out subpoenas right and left. This time to students of the UMaine System. The UMaine site reports that the RIAA has sent the school letters to forward to 23 students informing them of their option to settle via online website p2plawsuits.com for an apparently lower cost as opposed to taking it to court. UMaine is not the only school by far. The RIAA has notified hundreds of schools and thousands of students of their intent to pursue those who download copyrighted music with subpoenas and lawsuits. UMaine has stated they will not hand over the names of the students to the RIAA nor will they deliver the notifications to the students. This is AWESOME! It is in their very right to declare such. Student information is protected underneath FERPA [Family Education Rights and Privacy Act]. UMaine has no responsibility to be the RIAA’s messenger. However, looking out for their students, they have made the notifications available for pick up if the students so desire to. Righteous! Good for you, UMaine! Stand your ground, privacy is gold!

In this day and age, BUYING music is close to unheard of [at least in my circles]. You never hear, "HEY, did you buy so-and-so’s new cd?". Its all about, "Have you downloaded such-and-such song?". The implications of downloading music are few and far between. Sure, the artist doesn’t receive that percentage of your sales anymore and the RIAA may try to sue you; but what is wrong with downloading copyrighted music? The artist I would say is in quite the position. Their music which costs them money and effort to produce and create is now being spread freely on the internet. They are not getting paid for what they do. This is clearly a problem. The solution is well, far from perfect. Artists must partner with online music sites to provide downloads for a price. This reduces their profits as well as sufficient information to market their music.

I will leave you all with a simple question for this post. What, if anything, can artists do to gain their source of income back? Should they put an emphasis on merchandise? L-P’s? Marketing? What would be a good base to fall back on [besides getting another job]?

I will continue this post and possibly even start a series, "Subsidize Privacy?"

Starbucks expands their scope, after calling for a return to “roots”

Well well well … Starbucks is signing a one-album deal with Paul McCartney on their Hear Music record label, NYTimes reports. I seem to recall a big hub-bub about Howard Schultz, the chairman of Starbucks, calling for his company to return to their niche, coffee, coffee making, and coffee innovating. John Moore from Brand Autopsy with Paul Williams of Idea Sandbox together began a series of posts concerning the Starbucks outcry by Schultz for a return to its roots. They touched on the idea of Starbucks marketing music to its customers. John said:

"What about books and music? Neither links directly to coffee. Yet, the
company has been successful in selling both. Three weeks ago Starbucks
began selling a memoir by a former Sierra Leonean child soldier. So
far, the company has sold over 62,000 copies of this book.
(Folks, that’s a lot of books!!!) Starbucks has also been very
successful in selling CDs of established artists like Ray Charles and
emerging artists like Antigone Rising. Rumor has it the company will step deeper into the music business by forming its own record label, Starbucks Records, and release Paul McCartney’s next CD."

Well, now they are delving deeper into the music business. I wonder how it will turn out. Good for business? Bad for coffee making? Branching too far from the plant? [Coffee plant!]

So now, Mr Schultz, I have a question for you. By furthering Starbucks as a record label, are you keeping true to your request to return to the core?

More to come later, my Calculus class is calling my name.

Stand Aside

on Marketing, Media, and Technology

Think about Live Earth

World without billboards…

Invaluable news from our beloved Boulder source

Ahh UMaine and the RIAA, draw steel!

Starbucks expands their scope, after calling for a return to “roots”

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