Perception is Truth.

One of the things that intrigues me the most about marketing and any communication via the media is how manipulated the truth can be.

As contrived as this may sound, there are good AND not-so-good aspects to this paradox.

Many would reply that the most obvious way marketing and advertising manipulates the truth is to get people to buy things that they don’t necessarily need.

My reply? That is not the purpose nor intent of advertising at all and if it was, advertising would no longer drive sales as the public would become more and more resentful of this type of "Yellow Advertising" and its blatant manipulation.

Initially advertising was strictly geared at informing the masses of what was available to them. Advertising is now about its entertainment value. How memorable it can be in our overstimulated, fast-paced lives.

Advertisers are near miracle workers as they now must select the right target audience, come up with engaging, relevant, entertaining ads, that drive sales, and don't have the slightest information that could be perceived as misleading because millions of critics armed with blogs, web sites, online profiles, and email will let the world know just how fallacious their claim is.

Not at all a good look for the advertiser or the client and is avoided at all costs.

The Internet has awakened the general public to just how little a public image reflects who a person ACTUALLY is.

Case Study 1 - Britney Spears: I for one always knew she wasn't the classiest of the classy, but it seems that many of her adoring fans were wrapped up in her record executive produced persona and were shocked to see just how trashy she really could be.

I'd love to see just how well her image consultants can get her out of this one. They've already began making moves to reconcile her image by blaming her erratic behavior on her boyfriend, Sam Lutfi. He's allegedly been drugging her. Niice move PR execs.

Case Study 2 - Myspace, YouTube, and Facebook Profiles: We are are getting more and more obsessed with ourselves. Digital cameras, cell phones with video capabilities, and online profiles have allowed us to pick and choose what we feel are the best parts of our lives and put them on display for the world to see.

As honest as you try to be on these profiles, who is really going to put on display our day to day struggles and strife? From the outside, its seems that we always take the perfect photo, in divine duds. Attend the best parties, events, and concerts with the most beautiful of friends.

Digital cameras and online profiles essentially allow us to craft our lives and delete any trace of imperfection.

As a marketer, you learn that who you are perceived to be is to some extend more significant than who you actually are. Crafting this image and presenting yourself in the best possible light is the key to positive first impressions and to a solid reputation.

The hard part then becomes to differentiate your true self from the crafted image and realizing when this image crosses over from simply putting your best foot forward into promoting falsehoods.

OBAMArketing

"In the unlikely story that is America, there has never been anything false about hope."

I am an UNABASHED Barack Obama supporter. With that said, the political marketing surrounding his campaign has been superb.

If you haven't already, take a few minutes to check out his Web site.

Supporters can create customized profiles, upload photos and video, network with other Obama supporters, sign-up to attend or publicize their own Obama watch parties and events, fundraise and publicly track the results.

BarackObama.com even allows you to connect directly to BlackPlanet, Facebook, MiGente, LinkedIn, AsianAve, and FaithBase to name a few.

Capitalizing not only on the pivotal young vote, but also on today's tech savvy, early adapters, and trend setters, this site structure has been instrumental in progressing Obama's grassroots and viral marketing campaign efforts.

All other candidates are relying on the campaign tactics of the past and will find it hard to slow Obama's momentum.

Obama's momentum will only build from here. This is what the Internet and global interconnectedness has done for the world of viral marketing. Information, good or bad, is disseminated to the world in nano seconds.

The Obama campaign is not only promoting a candidate, they are heads of a movement.

This movement, they say, is what the American public has been longing for and from the looks of things, they are absolutely right.

The movement spin in itself is ingenious. Not (at all) to trivialize its validity, but how else could you get the finicky, cynical, individualistic American public to unite behind a candidate?

You make that candidate embody progressive change, a divergence from the status quo.

Obama has hit his stride, I predict that only a misstep on the part of his own campaign will disturb his chances of being the democratic nominee or if Hillary can manage to get the FL and MI delegates seated and at this point that seems a bit far-fetched.


SIMPLY FOR YOUR ENJOYMENT-

Will.i.am "Yes We Can" Music Compilation:




Original Obama "Yes We Can" Speech:

Entertainment Marketing Prowess

I'm thoroughly impressed with Jay-z's new video for his third single, "I Know" off of the American Gangster album.

The video, directed by Philip Andelman and starting up-and-coming actor Zoe Kravitz, daughter of Lenny Kravitz and Lisa Bonet, is a refreshing change to the monotony of over-done and artistically mundane standard rotation videos now on the airways.



The video does not feature Jay-z himself, but tells a story that is intriguing and draws the viewer in with his lyrical narration.

Jay-z's marketing of his own brand, Def Jam, and his newest protege, Rhianna is noteworthy and continues to stir me.

For me, this piece is the next level in the evolution of music videos from cheesy literal interpretations of musical lyrics to true-to-life snapshots with artistic value and is reminiscent of Michael Jackson's innovation and forethought when he introduced the epic music video.

With Jay-z, Kanye West, and Lupe Fiasco at the helm, this new style of music video is sure to drive album sales.

The Logistics of a Phenomenal Event

Just as important to the success of an event as the vision, planning, and promotion are the logistics and flow of the event.

Many-an-event has left a sour taste in my mouth because of poor:
(1) Crowd management
(2) Security
(3) Traffic control
(4) Food or bar SERVICE
(5) Parking or valet SERVICE

Most snafu's involving the above mentioned logistics are on account of the event planner not anticipating and planning for a large turnout.

Never underestimate your promotional efforts and appeal.

Plan for a huge response and even a modest turnout will garner rave reviews.

Event logistics, or as I see it, the marketing of the event DURING the event, is just as important, and may even be MORE important than the promotional communications before the event.

What is communicated (or promised) about an event before it takes place is one thing, but what the event actually turns out to be (or what is delivered) is a completely different story.

What is delivered is what makes or breaks an event and its promoters.

A well executed event will create a Buzz about the event and the Hosts and will initiate word-of-mouth marketing, one of the most effective and coveted forms of marketing.

Just as important as the logistically elements mentioned above, is my NUMBER ONE SUGGESTION for a phenomenal event - Venue Accessibility.

Make sure your audience can FIND YOUR VENUE with ease and it is close to major thoroughfares. As intuitive as this may seem, a nice venue at a good price may distracted you from the venue's TERRIBLE location.

Happy Planning!

Promoting vs. Marketing

Members of the communications world, like myself, tend to forget that not everyone has a thorough and all encompassing understanding of the intricacies involved with marketing.

A very interesting point was brought to my attention, today. In response to an email blast I sent out to the connects, spotlighting R&B singer Joe's performance at Barchetta on the Bay this Friday. I was met with an email asking if I "was a promoter, now?"

To which I responded, "Nope, I'm a marketing consultant."

While promotions is a pivotal aspect of marketing, promoting in itself will fail to deliver the response and/ or results that a thorough marketing campaign will.

"Promoting" is a limited pastime that requires little to no understanding of audiences, strategy, timing, or approach. A promoter simply puts information out into the universe and hopes that it sticks.

A marketer on the the other hand, has an understanding of what events will appeal to which audiences and how to grab that audiences attention. How to present information in an appealing and interesting way and where and how to delivery that info.

So, no I'm not solely promoter, but I do play one sometimes.

www.kMelanie.com

Between meeting with clients, blogging, the day gig, and the daily grind of life, I somehow find time to work on rough drafts for the K. Melanie web site. I stress to my clients the importance of a presence on the web.

Not only does it give the public a way to find out more information about you and your services, but it builds your brand as reputable and reliable.

A sustainable marketing campaign must include a system for the public, at their convenience, to contact you and to find out more information about you, your event, service, business, or whatever you may be promoting.

A greater amount of information can be relayed to a prospect via your web site and that info will be better received as the prospect sought out that info. The prospect plays a more active role in the information exchange.

A well built web site will speak volumes for your services and your brand. Do not overlook this essential promotional tool.

With my own web sites, I’m primarily concerned with color and contrast, lines, user friendliness and functionality.

My background in web design, HTML, and graphic design help me understand how these elements interplay to create a well designed, functional web site.

Promoting the Grown & Sexy

I'm very excited about the latest developement in the saga that is the K. Melanie new venture.

I've arranged yet another business meeting with a potential partner to discuss taking on some aspect of promotions for his weekly party at Barchetta on the Bay, a beautiful venue in North Bay Village (Miami, FL).

By day, Barchetta is an Ristorante Italiano, and by night (weekend night that is) It is that place to be for the "Grown and Sexy". Sophisticated, young urban professionals, flock to this water front venue for good times, music, refreshments, and good friends.

I can confindently say that I have the network that would push this weekly event to the next level. Now all that's left to do is to make it happen.

The Verdict.

Very productive business meeting, today. Up for discussion was the vision for my very own, K. Melanie Marketing Consultants and my colleagues firm, Design Dorm and how we could merge those visions into a mutually beneficial working relationship.

In order to facilitate our business partnership and to maximize our efforts for both new ventures, we decided that Design Dorm, primarily handling graphic design work, when needed would bring K. Melanie on board for marketing, publicity, and promotions aspects of a project and K. Melanie would bring Design Dorm on board for their graphic design and branding expertise.

Made clear during the meet, was the direction we wanted our firms to head in and how we could help each other reach that goal.

With any new venture, it's imperative that you reach out and network with fellow entrepreneurs who share your visions and build that network necessary to help you reach the vision for you venture.

A great step was made today.

...And Then There Was Light.

This Sunday, I've arranged to meet with a potential K. Melanie business partner. While I have the business side of things fully under control, I'm not opposed to sharing and concepting creative ideas to enlighten and grow the design services of K. Melanie.

The gentleman that I'm meeting with, I've worked with in the past and have been very impressed with his creative/ graphic design abilities. We've know each other since our days roaming the University of Florida campus where we both were very invovled in our respective sects of college life.

Excitedly, we'll meet to see if our visions for our life's work somehow coincided. I'm a firm believer in compatibility, even in working relationship. And while we worked fine together in college, things may have commanded new meaning as we are out slaving away at our current 9-to-5's.