universal positive – Page 8 – Unique insights and actionable ideas from The Darnell Works Agency’s daily quest for greatness.

Sales expertise for creative entrepreneurs…

May 14, 2024March 25, 2018 by Roger Darnell

universal positive readers already know that I’m a big fan of author, speaker, and advisor David C. Baker. By visiting David’s website, you can find information on his books, upcoming events, and much more.

If you haven’t already read it, I also encourage you to review this candid interview with my dear friend Lisa Cleff Kurtz, who is a philanthropist, education and arts activist, and a bona fide rainmaker.

Many other noteworthy experts also offer sage business development advice that you can easily find online… often for free. Here are five more that are definitely worth subscribing to right away.

Great to know: Lisa Cleff Kurtz, Philanthropist, Education and Arts Activist, and Rainmaker

February 15, 2018February 15, 2018 by Roger Darnell

Editor’s note: Nearly two decades ago, my fate was forever altered due to a chance encounter with the then-San Francisco based creative industry rainmaker, Lisa Cleff. After several months of her mentoring me in the field of sales, I was hired by high-tech PR firm The Terpin Group, thanks almost entirely to her recommendation. When The Darnell Works Agency launched in 2000, not only was she a main client and collaborator, her referrals have resulted in more than a dozen vital DWA client relationships… including those at ATTIK, CBX, PLUS, PostWorks and Sid Lee, to name but a few. Naturally, shining a light on this phenomenal luminary is a great honor for me, especially since the interview itself was conducted by her daughter, Zoe Lindgren, a rising NYC creative in her own right. For your further enjoyment, I also highly recommend this great interview by Timothy Huang, who spoke with Lisa in 2016 about her career – and her role as a star board member of A.R.T. / New York.

How did you get your start in your career?

Read moreGreat to know: Lisa Cleff Kurtz, Philanthropist, Education and Arts Activist, and Rainmaker

Marketing Imperatives: Center Everything Around Your PR Strategy

May 14, 2024August 3, 2017 by Roger Darnell

I have a longstanding working relationship with a CEO who recently changed jobs. Coming into his new company, he told me that his mantra was this: He intended to center every marketing initiative around PR strategy. In virtually every industry, I’m seeing many wise marketing industry leaders endorsing this idea. Another prominent example from the past several years comes from Jason Harris of San Francisco- and NYC-based Mekanism, where in an interview with HubSpot.com, he described his agency’s framework for creating shareable content.

“Our approach is to always think about the PR headline. Why will the idea, content, innovation, etc., travel? Why will people care, and why will they want to talk about it and share it? If there is no PR headline, the idea won’t be shareable. That is our goal on every project.”

The video I’m embedding with this article perfectly demonstrates the increasing focus on PR, presenting the 47-minute “Content & Storytelling: Is the PR Landscape Shifting?” session from the 2014 CDO Summit in NYC.

Media Spotlight: Creators

May 14, 2024July 26, 2017 by Roger Darnell

Creators was VICE’s arts and culture platform, covering every aspect of the creative process. Its mission was to make art more accessible to a wider audience with diverse voices reporting on emergent arts and artists.

From sculpture and light projections to street art and dance, the platform’s curators and contributors immersed themselves in cultural hotbeds and travel to the far corners of the globe to explore the spectacle and color of making art today.

Read moreMedia Spotlight: Creators

Sharing Secrets: Public Relations Expertise

May 14, 2024July 19, 2017 by Roger Darnell

The publishers of Campaign, a leading business media brand serving the marketing, advertising and media communities, offer an editorial on their website entitled “What’s the secret of a long ‘marriage’?” In that, former Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO chief executive and current CEO of Girl Effect Farah Ramzan Golant offers these wise words: “The key to long-term client relationships is constant reinvigoration…. You should constantly be looking at how you can do things differently, keep freshening the account teams and stay ahead of the game.” As a communications consultant providing ongoing, dedicated counsel to a small roster of clients, I firmly believe in these vows. Among many activities aimed at ongoing education and innovation, I regularly participate in webinars being presented by industry thoughtleaders, adopting the best ideas and lessons into my arsenal. One in particular, presented by five-time published author and entrepreneur Deirdre Breakenridge entitled “Eight Techniques of the New PR Champion,” began paying dividends immediately.

Career resuscitation advice from The Branding Diva, seconded by yours truly

May 14, 2024July 16, 2017 by Roger Darnell

I am very fortunate to have a lot of friends. These days, with the impact of the economy continuing to wreak havoc on many industries and a lot of lives, I’m regularly hearing from many of them who suddenly find themselves unemployed. While this is definitely a scary situation, I stand ready with encouragement and a handful of smart ideas that are proven best bets when it comes to finding great career opportunities. Clearly, Karen Post, a.k.a. The Branding Diva(R) has the same mindset. An international authority on branding matters and the author of the best-selling books Brain Tattoos and Brand Turnaround, Karen’s blog post entitled “Puking Pink Slips? Jumpstart your personal brand today” takes my personal rah-rah speech to new heights. Do jump on over to read it, and below, also consider my paraphrased and slightly adjusted listing of her spot-on career-rejuvenating suggestions.

Brand thyself

March 11, 2024March 27, 2017 by Roger Darnell

For years now, career counselors, management consultants, self-help gurus and many others have encouraged us to apply the concepts of brand management to ourselves. For anyone who is beginning this daunting process, just getting going can be a big challenge considering how much advice there is to be found. Bearing that in mind, I wanted to provide some guidance. First, I invite you to check-out the video playlist I’ve embedded above, which will help you get a handle on the main ideas at work here so you can begin applying them to yourself. The playlist also includes several more in-depth presentations, including a complete course in Personal Branding Education.

Below you’ll find several excellent articles that will allow you to get fully up-to-speed. Finally, for a couple of examples of how everything can add up once you’ve successfully applied these lessons, I invite you to check-out the web presence for author Bret Easton Ellis at http://BretEastonEllis.com. On a more personal note, you might also be interested to see http://RKDarnell.com.

150 Media Stream Experiential Installation Debuts in Chicago, Calls for Future Artistic Submissions

March 11, 2024February 15, 2017 by Roger Darnell

Featured artist: Kurt Kaminski. Photo credit: Nick Ulivieri, http://nuphoto.com

CHICAGO – Having opened its doors in Chicago on Feb. 13, the 150 North Riverside Plaza has unveiled the 150 Media Stream, a digital art installation unlike anything in the United States.

The lobby of Riverside Investment & Development (Riverside)’s stunning, 53-story office tower designed by architect Goettsch Partners will serve as 150 Media Stream’s permanent home. A transit-oriented development located alongside the Chicago River in the West Loop, the award-winning project’s flagship tenants include the global headquarters of renowned investment bank William Blair and Company, iconic hotelier Hyatt Corporation, Navigant Consulting, as well as the Chicago office of Kansas City-based law firm Polsinelli. The project also includes a dynamic restaurant concept by Four Corners Tavern Group and restaurateur Brendan Sodikoff.

Commissioned by Riverside and curated by Creative Director Yuge Zhou, 150 Media Stream’s display concept and physical structure were designed by McCann Systems in cooperation with media firm Digital Kitchen. McCann Systems then led the design-build process, with specialized creative agency Leviathan engaged to produce the initial artistic content.

Sharing secrets: Smart planning and production for marketing content

March 11, 2024January 13, 2017 by Roger Darnell

Ever since hearing that failing to plan is a sure plan for failure, I have been a firm believer in taking the time necessary to diligently and intelligently lay out plans for anything I’m seriously aiming to accomplish. When I attended the ReCourses New Business Summit (NBS) back in 2012 thanks to David C. Baker and Blair Enns, I witnessed a new approach for how creative businesses and professionals can change the way they handle sales. My understanding on the secret is this: The key is to think and operate like a publisher. Along those lines, naturally, the business model requires successful handling of content. The NBS lessons were very timely for me, as you have seen here; I have deep admiration for innovative publishers of all sizes, and as time moves forward, I hope to follow the best of them and achieve my own version of greatness.

Over the past two years, this idea of content marketing has really caught fire, so for anyone beginning the planning process of fathoming these types of practices and putting them to work in new ways, you are in luck. It’s my pleasure to share five different highly qualified paths toward brilliant content marketing – each of which is focused on helping to facilitate solid thinking and planning.

Sharing Secrets: Prioritize, Maximize, and Rise, Through Science

March 11, 2024August 26, 2016 by Roger Darnell

Hard pressed for time? Me, too. Maybe that’s the reason why it seems to be getting harder and harder to be productive. Working in the Creative Industry as I do, too often, each nudge forward is met with two new delays. Making progress is definitely possible, but the battle to be successful is constant, even for those of us who are adept at being agile and persevering at scale.

By and large, my clients create premium content… which is mostly audiovisual data of the highest caliber. Luckily for us, the market for this premier subject matter is on the rise in countless ways. For me in my role as a press agent – which spans strategic marketing, writing, artistic development of premium audiovisual content, cross-channel marketing leadership, media relations and customer service expertise – even despite abundant complications, the means of marketing are becoming more refined.

To help us all focus and succeed in the time we have to work with, here are five innovative Creative Industry ideas aimed at optimizing our energy and efficiency.