Prof. Lehrer's Blog is now being syndicated by Newstex/ACI Information Group

Did you ever think to yourself - Hey, Prof. Lehrer just said something interesting, and I'd like to share it?  Well now you can - legally.

I am pleased to announce that content from Prof. Lehrer's Blog is now available for licensing through Newstex/ACI Information Group.  

https://aci.info/

ACI Information Group is the world’s leading aggregator of editorially selected and curated social media and blog publications.  Their partners include CCC (Copyright Clearance Center), ProQuest, NewsEdge and LexisNexis among others.  

A search through these databases or those of ACI's other partners will allow you to locate content from Prof. Lehrer's blog dating back to its inception in 2009 and license it properly for use in your own websites/communications.

Enjoy!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

Here's wishing everyone a happy and healthy 2019

Will Absolut's second act be as successful as their debut was?

Absolut Vodka was launched in NYC in 1979 and became a huge part of the American culture -  embracing artists like Andy Warhol along the way.  

Their iconic print campaign was actually outsourced to the media it ran in.  When companies came to discuss how many pages their magazine should receive in the coming year they arrived with creative ideas in hand.  As a result the campaign remained fresh and interesting for years. 

I even remember a cousin telling me that at his university it was cool to collect the ads and display them on your dorm room walls.  Can you imagine that?  A pre-Internet viral campaign!

Sales surged from 10,000 cases in 1980 to nearly 5 million by 2000. (Gianatasio, 2015)

But nothing lasts forever and somewhere along the way Absolut lost their cool.  So, I was fascinated to read that they are now actively trying to retrieve it. 

They have chosen to begin by reintroducing themselves to NYC with a neighborhood tailored Out-of-Home campaign, meant to speak to New Yorkers.  This billboard near the High Line certainly succeeds.  

Billboards have also gone up in Hell's Kitchen, the Lower East Side, Chelsea and Midtown East.  Additional campaign elements will roll out later this year. (Monllos, 2017)

So what do you think?  Is the timing right for a come back?  Why or why not?  Is NYC the right place to do it?  What generation are they trying to reach?  How does their approach demonstrate that?  Do you think they will be able to connect emotionally with their target?  How?  Can they become cool again?

Gianatasio, D. (2015, September 28) How Blending Art and Commerce Drove Absolut Vodka's Legendary Campaigns.  adweek.com.  Retrieved November 15, 2017, from

http://www.adweek.com/news/advertising-branding/how-blending-art-and-commerce-drove-absolut-vodka-s-legendary-campaigns-167143

Monllos, K. (2017, November 13)  Absolut Reintroduces Itself to New Yorkers With Out-of-Home Work Tailored to the Neighborhood.  adweek.com.  Retrieved November 15, 2017, from

http://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/absolut-reintroduces-itself-to-new-yorkers-with-out-of-home-work-tailored-to-the-neighborhood/

 

 

Note to The Met: It's all about the experience.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, one of my favorite places on earth, currently has a $15 million deficit.  Last Sunday The New York Times solicited ideas from fans for "fixing" the problem.  So, I thought I would contribute some thoughts of my own. (Farago & Haigney, 2017)

Research shows that people who use their money to buy experiences are happier than those who use their money to buy things. (Blackman, 2014)  While people have been somewhat slow in accepting this reality, Millennials seem to be doing so in greater numbers than previous generations.  Perhaps because they are broke? 

Or maybe it's because on social media, experiences play better than things.  In an article in The Wall Street Journal about Mills and wine, one went so far as to say: "Maybe if the story was more interesting I would have liked the wine more." (Teague, 2015)

So, The Met needs to think about providing experiences that will make a good story - with photo ops.  They're doing fairly well on the former, with the "China Through the Looking Glass" exhibit as a prime example.  The mix of video with fashion was stunning.  So much so that I visited three times.  But the dramatic lighting made it hard to photograph, so I didn't share as many pics on Instagram and my art blog as I would have liked.  That's a missed opportunity.

Even if you don't want people to photograph the art, you can do set-ups within exhibits that encourage photography, similar to this one at AMC Kips Bay on 23rd Street.  

The bottom line is that your fans will help you find new ones if you let them.

One more thought.  It's interesting to hear what artists have to say about The Met's collection, but I suspect that more people would be interested in hearing what the celebrities who attend the yearly fashion gala have to say.  Surely some of them are actual fans of the museum.  

I can even envision visitors putting together a self-guided tour of their favorite celebrities favorite places - and taking a selfie or two along the way of course.

Think about it.

Follow-up:

My friend Doug saw this blog and forwarded this photo to me.  It was taken at the Kimbell Museum in Ft. Worth, Texas., when Paris Street; Rainy Day by Gustave Caillebotte was on loan from the collection at the Art Institute of Chicago  Apparently they had the same idea that I did.  They provided a life size copy of the painting with top hats and umbrellas and let people take pics.  Awesome.  Just like I thought it would be.

Farago, J. & Haigney, S. (2017, July 16)  Fixing the Met: Art Fans Speak.  nytimes.com  Retrieved July 28, 2017, from  https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/14/arts/design/fixing-the-met-museum.html?_r=0

Blackman, A. (2014, November 10)  Can Money Buy You Happiness?  wsj.com.  Retrieved May 8, 2016, from  http://www.wsj.com/articles/can-money-buy-happiness-heres-what-science-has-to-say-1415569538

Teague, L. (2015, November 5) How Millennials Are Changing Wine.  wsj.com.  Retrieved July 28, 2017, from  https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-millennials-are-changing-wine-1446748945