Galleries – drop the jargon

Charity by Damien Hirst.
Photo: Louisa Davison

Art text can often leave audiences scratching their heads and wondering what the blazes they mean.

The Independent ran an article (Why it’s time for galleries to drop the jargon) a couple of weeks ago about tongue-twisting but often repetitively impenetrable language used by galleries, from the exhibition-on-cafe-walls to the power houses of the Tate.

This is something I’ve been banging on about, well, since I started marketing for theatres and art centres. The worst offenders seem to be contemporary art and dance, probably because they are trying to put into words what is indescribable through verbal language – we are to be interpreted, enjoyed and challenged through the medium of art or movement.

And often because the copy is written before the exhibition or dance piece is even created…

Be positive in your marketing

Negative marketing rarely works. To use a negative message you really have to know your stuff – be an expert in the rules to break them.

I had a conversation today with a friend who was organising a flash mob to inspire people to be more proactive about climate change.

She wants to use the event to engage with people on a one-to-one basis (or: ‘go out and talk to people’) on what more they could do to have a positive effect on the environment because, she said ‘it’s fixable.’

This kind of positivity is so important. Not just for climate change, but for any form of communication.

Become great at your own marketing

It’s why a lot of people have signed up to our news list.

And we’re happy to share tips and advice on this blog and give away free guides.

But nothing beats a bit of real life learning, and the ability to ask – how does this work for my business? Will this plan fly?

So we’ve organised a Secret Agent School course:

Marketing for Beginners
Tuesday 29 May 2012 10am – 4pm

http://www.secretagentmarketing.com/pages/secret-agent-school.html

Here’s my card…

Picture courtesy of Pakorn at http://www.freedigitalphotos.net

Be honest, what do you do with the dozens (hundreds?) of business cards you receive in a year? Become a customer? Bin them? Put them in a box? Or do something constructive with them (by which I do not mean build a house of cards on your desk in a quiet moment)?

One of my favourite novels is American Psycho by Brett Easton Ellis, a biting satire on greed and consumerism. In one scene the protagonist, Patrick Bateman, a Wall Street executive, and his yuppie cronies are comparing business cards, each trying to out-do the other with typefaces, embossing and the shade of white card their printer has used.

Apart from their obsession with such trivia, the joke is that the cards – like the faceless stockbrokers themselves – are indistinguishable from one another and only demonstrate their self-interest.

“I don’t believe in good ideas” – Discuss and Do event

 ”I don’t believe in good ideas,” said Gavin Eddy, director of Forward Space and award winning business mentor, speaking at yesterday’s Discuss & Do festival event in Frome, Making it as an Entrepreneur.

So what’s the big problem with good ideas? Why are they the bane of entrepreneurialism?

Because, Gavin explained, they – or the lack of them – is the excuse people use not to start their own business. Or because they are worried their big idea will fail.

And here is why he thinks you don’t need a ‘good idea’:

Who made you the bloomin’ expert?

My name’s Pete, and I’m an expert.

I’m hired to write positive news stories about businesses like yours, and when those articles appear in the press my clients look at me with a combination of admiration and stunned disbelief.

To me, of course, it’s easy: ask questions, write answers in notebook, craft answers into sparkling editorial copy, send to newspapers, bask in glory on my blog, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.

Ask me to put up a shelf, though… actually, don’t. I didn’t say I was an expert in everything.

Now I’d like to share my expertise with you:

You can promote your own expertise to raise your profile, build your credibility and, ultimately, win you new business.

Don’t call me dear

Found out today that the spam filters don’t like emails to be addressed ‘Dear’.
Our most English and polite start to a letter may mean our emails end up in the junk folder. The world is all upsidedown!
My postmaster Grandfather will be spinning in his grave…
So it’s ‘howdy’ or ‘hi’ or maybe even ‘dude’. Actually I don’t really recommend ‘dude’ unless you have a email list full of teenagers.

Read more at
http://kb.mailchimp.com/article/how-do-i-set-default-merge-values-like-dear-customer

Gu Gu love you

I attended James Averdiek’s talk at the Swindon Business Show today.

He is the founder of Gu chocolate puddings; rather expensive but utterly delicious, found in Waitrose, etc. The business value increased from £0 to £30 million in seven years.

After getting fed up trying to launch Utterly Butterly in Belgium (they weren’t interested in margarine and thought the name was fraudulent) James had an idea for his own business, inspired by his addiction to chocolate and the Belgium attitude to ‘dieting’ – same gorgeous food, just tiny portions.

Swindon Business Show

Alongside the solicitors, accountants and financial services (though don’t get me wrong – these services are indispensible!) you meet some really unusual and innovative businesses.

The stand-outs for me today were:

Gibbons Gardening who gave me a packet of meadow seeds and had a conversation about how wrong it is to weedkiller nettles. And anyone who has a monkey for a logo can do no wrong…

e-motion electric vehicle company who sell electric bikes. This may be the way forward for someone like me who lives in the middle of the countryside.

Red Penguin consulting for having a randomly coloured animal as a name.

CS Handwriting Analysis – though I was too frightened to show Christina mine…

Young at Heart – who will do an artery age check to see if you are furry on the inside

Inner Flame – who do team and confidence building through fun activities for 14-19 year olds

Solomon Training – who help unemployed people with their basic (and beyond) maths English and IT skills.

Severnprint for their total commitment to quality and eco-friendly printing (and because they gave me lots of free notepads).

And also: Frank Stobrawe from PAT Testing Services who gave me (dare I admit it) some handy tips on marketing via Amazon and QR codes!