Artisitc and Social Responsibilty

As we mourn the death of Whitney Houston, who was and will remain one of music’s greatest talents to grace the microphone we must learn the lessons behind every story.  I believe we were about to witness an artist who was making a comeback and take back control of her life.  We know that she has just finished taping the remake of “Sparkle” which is to be released in August was quoted as a comeback for Whitney Houston. (Argusleader.com)

Whitney was a pioneer in the height of her career who broke barriers and encouraged other stars to follow their dreams.  Now we begin to see new breed of artists and executives who are beginning to be artistically and socially responsible such as John Legend, Tyler Perry, Oprah Winfrey and more.  Being in the limelight now comes with a responsibility to empower and enlighten the masses with your gifts and talents as well as helping those less fortunate.  In order for music to evolve in the next phase there must be social and artistic responsibility, which is the same that we expect out of leaders whether in business or politics.

The spotlight is not about just increasing sales but more importantly increasing your message and mission.  I believe Whitney came to the realization that her presence and influence demanded a responsibility and many near her stated that she was on a comeback trail.  On set many stated that she was on time, ultra professional and knew her lines. (Thedailybest.com 2012)  I believe that the new artist will understand the responsibility of their audience not just in the sense of marketing and sales but the social and artistic responsibility to their audience and fans. 

If an artist understands their true mission and fulfills that through the realm of music then an artist will understand that in order to fulfill the mission they must remain focused.  If the mission is simply just selling more music then the artist will always chase sales.  But if their mission is a larger cause then their mission and work to fulfill their part to empowering and bettering our society will guide them.

 

Reference:

Argusleader.com 2012 Houston’s ‘Sparkle’ movie sticking to August Release retrieved on February 19, 2012 from http://www.argusleader.com/article/20120216/ENT/302160008/Houstons-Sparkle-movie-sticking-August-release

Thedailybeast.com 2012 The Saga of Whitney Houston’s Last Movie ‘Sparkle’ retrieved on February 19, 2012 from http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/02/13/the-saga-of-whitney-houston-s-last-movie-sparkle.html

Reviving your Online Presence

Earlier in my career I was not a fan of online marketing since I though naively that it was not important.  I was stuck in the methodology of print advertising with magazines and flyers since cell phones had not dominated the market.  I conducted my business earlier seeking magazines to place ads in that would garner viewership and potential clients.  As I evolved I learned the power of a website, online advertising and marketing but did not see the big picture of an actively managed website.  In the graph below you can see the Internet as an important source in the early 2000's compared to books, television and radio. (e-vangelie.blogspot.com 2012)

When websites such as MySpace, Facebook and other online sites came to play I totally ignored the emergence of social networking and marketing.  I thought who would want to put their business for everyone to know and update their stats so people can keep in touch and failed to see the diamond in the rough.  The key was that “people would see” should have been the trigger that captivated my mind to understand the new consumer and customer. 

I am not one to broadcast my personal business online but I now see what young tech execs were seeing which was the gold coast of the information highway to reaching new customers.  Businesses began allocating more and more resources to cultivate this new arena and more consumers created the demand for online advertising and an effective online presence. 

I understand now that having a website posted in cyberspace will not get the attention of anyone if you are not actively managing and doing due diligence to ensure your site is getting the traffic and reaching your potential customers.  I am now learning the importance of SEO or Search Engine Optimization.  This is important since it improves the visibility of your website within the free, organic, editorial or natural listing on search engines. (Searchengineland.com 2012)  I also learned the importance of keywords so people can find your site over the competition.  This is really a long way from just getting your website on the web to now taking time and care to understanding your audience and ensuring you are reaching them.  If this is the beginning of the Internet what will the future unveil, only time will tell?

Reference:

E-vangelie.blogspot.com 2012 Good news in digital age retrieved on February 5, 2012 from http://e-vangelie.blogspot.com/2005/06/internet-users-importance-of.html

Searchengineland.com 2012 What is SEO/Search Engine Optimization? Retrieved on           February 5, 2012 from http://searchengineland.com/guide/what-is-seo