I just ordered Hugh MacLeod’s Ignore Evereybody: And 39 Other Keys To Creativity – simply because of the farcical treatment the folks over at Brand Autopsy gave it.

I LOVE IT!

More-so, I love the segment that they chose to feature.  The Sex and Cash Theory – something I think anyone that considers themselves as “Creative” can identify with (in any timbre).  (feed readers and Facebookers, click here to see the video – it’s a RIOT!)

After you stop laughing, think about YOUR Sex and Cash paradigm.  How much of the work you do is simply to “pay the bills,” and how much is “sexy?”

If you’re like me, your career is probably leaning a tad bit to the “pay the bills” side.  Okay, it sleeps, eats, and craps on the “cash” side with a little window to the “sexy” side… sigh. (Really, boss, if you’re reading this, I love my job.)

What do you think it would take to push your career a little closer to the “sexy” side?  One more post?  One less spreadsheet?  Another hour with the iPod on 10?  One more doughnut before that board meeting?

Just a little food for thought.

Keep Cooking (sexy creative)!
Andrew B. Clark
The Brand Chef

It’s happened again.  Another failed attempt to reformulate a dysfunctional communication model has been rejected by readers, commuters and, well, basically everyone on the planet.

Back in January, I found an interesting fact on journalism.org that illustrated dramatic declines in readership of traditional newspapers, magazines, as well as viewers and listeners of Television and Radio.

My answer for the declines in readership, viewers, and listeners: “Blogs, baby. Blogs! (of course I went into more detail than that…)

But one story eeked out a glimmer of hope for this “old fart.” It was The Printed Blog.

On January 27th Joshua Karp (Twitter: @theprintedblog) launched a twice-daily free PRINT newspaper in Chicago, San Francisco, and New York City. The content he published was solely from BLOG content!

This was a venture that I’d invested a tentative faith into – something that just might start the traditional media ship to turn… nope.

On July 7th, Mr. Karp published a letter on The Printed Blog stating,

Despite a significant personal investment on my part, and the additional support of six or seven credit cards, we were unable to raise the minimum amount of money required to reach the next stage of our development. This was a difficult decision for us, but the financial reality of the situation demanded that we suspend further publication immediately, and indefinitely.

Read the full post here.

… AND ALL IN SIX MONTHS? Wow AND Ouch…

What went wrong? Were there ever benefits to having blog content republished in print in the first place?  With the ease of access to social media channels, via G3 networks and wireless expansion, did Mr. Karp continue to move forward with his model? Or was his grip to traditional print simply a mistake?

When asked “What would you do different…” by Nicholas Kinports, over at Admaven, Karp’s myopic response summed up his trouble quite clearly.

I would launch exactly the same business, but I would focus like a laser on one neighborhood, … I’d make a local … edition successful, and prove that I could generate revenue to cover my costs. Then, I’d expand, slowly …, until I was putting them under windshield wipers of cars in the Google parking lot.

And the crux to his failed plan…

The only, reluctant tweak to the concept I wish I had included was a social network. … I was wrong. That’s a component that was missing from my plan.

Certainly was…  He didn’t strategically target and plan for exponential growth…   and didn’t plan that his target as well as his source was constantly moving…

But you have to give Karp credit for his attempt to marry traditional media with an ever-changing, ever-expanding monster like blogs and social media.  I’m sure it was something like lassoing a hydra.

What do we take from this?

Can traditional media survive?

I live in a pretty “traditional midwestern city.”  Des Moines, Iowa is feeling the pinch from the online world and making GREAT strides with converting traditional channels to emerging media outlets, but sometimes, I fear, not fast enough.

The news sources I grew up on are dwindling faster than my hair line; and even my parents (in their mid 60′s) have canceled their subscription to our only daily print newspaper in lieu of “newer” media and news-on-demand sources.  I haven’t listened to anything but satellite or streaming radio for over three months.  My kids have NO idea what the nightly news is, nor do they seem to care.  Wikipedia and their MySpace accounts keep them as informed as teen and pre-teenagers need to be (they think).

So where do we go from here? How can traditional media like print newspapers, magazines and radio survive the change?  Do you have a solution?  Should we just watch it die, or is there a light at the end of this tunnel? (don’t go into the light, Carol Ann!)

Food for thought.

Until Next time…

Keep Cooking!
Andrew B. Clark
The Brand Chef

Before you delete that “junk mail,” you may want to reconsider…  And here’s why…

I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t get a lot of email through my Studio 24 site. I rarely look at it and it’s grossly out-of-date. When I do get email from there, it’s usually SPAM.  So, out of habit, I hit “delete” – without even reading!

REALLY BAD IDEA…

Recently, I almost messed up a HUGE opportunity for the Brand Chef blog to be included in some pretty heavy company.  It was a simple oversight, but looking back on it, I realize what a monstrous gaffe it would have been.

***

On a quiet Sunday morning, over a bowl of Grape Nuts and a cup of coffee, I decided to weed out my in-box – after over a MONTH of negligence…

You know how it goes…  Facebook notice…  delete… delete…  Twitter…  delete…delete…delete…  SEO Guarantee…  delete…delete… I was in a pretty good groove!  “Special” offer…  delete… delete… “Need a Date?”…delete… delete…

and then…  BrandManagement.com… de-HUH?… I had to pause.

I read it again. “A Message from BrandManagement.com”

Edward Mance, Co-founder and CEO of BrandManagement.com sent me an email.  Odd. But odd because of the long path his message took…

Edward found me through my old blogspot blog, and subsequently through the form on the Studio 24 web site.  This simple fact shows that he made a concerted effort to contact me.

With the push of a button, the story could have ended there. But it didn’t.

As I opened the email and read, my jaw about hit the counter (thank God it didn’t, my mouth was full of partially chewed Grape Nuts)…  Brandmanagement.com was being launched in late May, and according to Mr. Mance,

” …a significant element of the site will be comprised of leading thought writers’ most current, daily/weekly works.“

And he continued on to say,

“In short, we love the blog entries on your site, and we would love to republish those entries on the BrandManagement.com site as they become available on your site…”

Wait a minute… Me? I had to read it two more times and once to my wife, just to clarify who it was really addressed to…  Not only was I honored, but I was astounded that someone else (besides me) thought I had something of value to say.

As I reviewed the site, I realized that Mr. Mance was including The Brand Chef in a pretty darn respectable group of branding consultants, professionals from advertising agencies, the marketing communications field and respected commentators and branding advocates – people that I’ve read and respected for years – Oliver Blanchard, Anna Farmery, Tom Fishburne,  Katie Konrath, Laura Ries,  Dan Schawbel, and Chris Wilson just to name a few!  Go here to see a full list.

I immediately gave Edward my contact information, my RSS feed and anything else he asked for (could have asked for my first-born son, I would have considered it).  And, low-and-behold, the site was launched, on schedule, and there I was, right next to some of the biggest names in branding commentary and blogging.

What’s my return?  Self respect.  And click-through traffic has jumped a bit, but the sheer fact that I was included is return enough for me (honestly).

So, as a direct message to Edward Mance, Thank you!

My lesson learned from this?  Be careful what you delete from your inbox, because opportunity may be knocking – albeit quietly.

Keep Cooking!
Andrew B. Clark
The Brand Chef

We have a long weekend coming up and I wanted to pick your brains for some good reading material. In recent years, I’ve constantly tried to keep a handful of books on my “To Read” list, but lately I’ve had trouble finding the time to search out and discover new material.

So, I’m leaving it up to you.

What have you read lately that…

A. Inspired you to be a better person
B. Motivated you personally / professionally
C. Made you laugh / cry
or
D. Twisted your idea of… (insert topic here)

Get it? I want you to give suggestions on what should I read next.

In turn, I’ve listed five of my all-time favorite books for you – with the idea that when we share knowledge we become a better community.

Orbiting the Giant Hairball, Gordon MacKenzie
Always the top of my list… Originally given to me by my friend and mentor, Mike Wagner (White Rabbit Group / Own Your Brand). It’s a fun, yet startling eye-opener that will inspire you to rethink how creativity can be integrated into the “corporate world.”

The Brand Gap, Marty Neumeier
Kind of an obvious one – seeing as though I’m The Brand Chef – but it’s seriously the base of my branding perspective and one of the most dog-eared book in my collection.

Made to Stick, Chip & Dan Heath
Ever wonder why some ideas “Stick” and others fade away like last week’s meatloaf? Chip and Dan Heath have created a wonderfully structured path to assure the “stickiness” of your next idea, marketing plan, or advertising campaign… Constructed from academically-tested theories and proven methodology, they take the techno/psycho-babble out of the equation for all of us to put to use in our next campaign. (Trust me, it was hard enough for me just to write that…)

Running With Scissors, Augusten Burroughs
One of a handful of non-business books I’ve read this year, “Scissors” is painful and amusing all at once. In a masterfully crafted memoir, Burroughs narrates some of his own personal triumphs and failures growing up in a… well… dysfunctional family (to put it mildly). Emotive and disturbing, Burroughs’ writing shows you a perspective of mental illness, alcoholism, and dysfunctional family-life that very few get to see.

When the Game Is Over, It All Goes Back in the Box, John Ortberg
Have you ever wondered your fate in honest, realistic, and spiritual terms? Ortberg, using the “game of life” as a metaphor for our “earthly” lives, neatly sorts out what’s fleeting and what’s permanent in God’s kingdom. Being “Master of the Board” is not the point. Winning the game of life on Earth is a temporary victory… Not my typical read, but an eye-opening conversation that contrasts well with my venture into Augusten Burroughs’ world.

As you can see, I have a pretty eclectic reading list. I welcome all ideas / genres… And I look forward to your suggestions. I will report back as soon as I’ve pick one…

Until next week…

Keep Cooking!
Andrew B. Clark
– The Brand Chef