Art Meets Commerce

Let’s face it.  Obama and his team are internet geniuses.  Since the very first eblast, I’ve been amazed at the cunning technology and first-class marketing that has been developed to shape the campaign.  Experts are saying that he’s only just begun.

Mr. Obama has said he’d like to appoint a chief technology officer, perhaps at the cabinet level, and he’s made it clear he will embrace new technologies in office — technologies such as Skype, a video tool Sieberg used to get this quote from John Tedesco, a Virginia Tech political communications professor: “(Mr.) Obama recognized that young voters are using social networking sites and social networking software, and he brought his campaign to the young voters online.”

Ultimately, according to tech experts, the most important part of Mr. Obama’s future strategy is to ensure his digital followers continue to feel empowered.

Click here to read the full article.

While trying to find bad 80’s commercials on YouTube for the upcoming Rock of Ages, I stumbled upon this guy: Brandon Nichols. I love this guy! He is an example of what all actors will have to do to get seen in the near future.
Here’s how he did it:

1. He created all of his music/video free on One True Media, then, created a free website on wix.com.

2. He uploaded his videos to YouTube and added keywords like Broadway, Musicals, etc. This made it easy to find Brandon when people searched for those terms. They loved him, and subscribed, saw other videos and then commented and responded wiht their videos.

3. Brandon used his original style and sang show tunes to the pictures of the show he was singing to. The whole thing is bizarre and really…oh, what’s the word…REAL. Something Broadway could use more of.

It’s going to be interesting to see where the industry and Brandon go next. For Brandon, if it’s not a career on Broadway, it’s definitely a career in internet marketing.

So, I saw the following subject heading in my inbox the other day: “Gangster, Writer, Rabbi — A Lower East Side walking tour.”  Because my humor is somewhat of the “dad humor,” groaner variety, the subject heading reminded me of a joke I may find myself telling one day.

I was compelled to open up the email, read it, forward it to several friends and invite them on the tour (given by the Museum at Eldridge Street).

The point?  Most people’s inboxes are full to the brim, and a subject heading is akin to standing in a crowded mob and jumping up with your arms waving: it helps to dress it up with something glittery.