I’m fascinated with QR codes and the many ways they can be used in marketing. Like 3D television, it’s difficult to make an impact when the reach and penetration is so low, but my head is spinning with ideas for the time that every hand-held device will have a QR reader or decoder.

I’ve already seen movie posters plastered all over NYC that are simply one huge QR code (wish I could remember which one it was… OK, obviously branding is an issue…).

I use the QR App by Block5 for iphone (not perfect, but free). Download it here and then snap this:

I’d love to hear your thoughts on QR codes and any ideas or success stories using them.

Yeah I know, it’s a funny little word, not very well known, doesn’t totally roll off the tongue.  So why choose to build my brand around it?

Here’s a quick snapshot from Wikipedia:

An artisan (from Italian: artigiano) is a skilled manual worker who crafts items that may be functional or strictly decorative, including furniture, clothing, jewelry, household items, and tools. The term can also be used as an adjective to refer to the craft of hand making food products, such as bread, beverages and cheese.

<pay attention – this part is important!> Manufacture by hand and with hand tools imparts unique and individual qualities to artisanal products, in contrast to mass produced goods where every one is nearly identical. Artisans traditionally work in media such as wood, ceramics, glass, common and precious metals, basketry, textiles, esparto grass, and leather.

To be honest, I hadn’t seen this entry until I just looked it up a moment ago, but look how nicely it explains Artisanal Management’s tagline and credo – Unique*Individual*Handcrafted.

You’re an artisan too, aren’t you?  Whether you’re making music, making business, or expressing yourself in a way that’s uniquely you, don’t you strive to put your personal, carefully crafted stamp on things?  I live in a creative world “in contrast to mass produced goods where every one is nearly identical” and my clients do too.

Don’t make the mistake that artisanal also means ‘small’ – ponder Lady GaGa for a moment, or even Taylor Swift.  Those two ladies started small, sure, but handcrafted their careers into the stratosphere.

And lastly, what could be better than being associated with bread, beverages and cheese?

Our friends at Full Throttle Country and Finger Candy Media invited some of the marketing mavens in the entertainment and branding worlds to look into their crystal balls and come up with some predictions for the evolution of social media in 2010.

Not to keep you in suspense any longer, here’s what I said:

“For my clients, video blogging and regular ‘webisodes’ will be a mandatory component of any marketing plan.  Not only does a piece of video content help you go viral exponentially, it gives you a great opportunity to continually shape your image and your story in a way that you can control 100%.  And, when people can see and hear you, it makes the connection to you that much stronger.”

What they didn’t print was my personal mea culpa, saying that I’m unlikely to follow my own advice since I am not a fan of the camera (which is why I’m a marketing gal and not a rock star).  However, if I’ve learned anything along the way, it’s ‘never say never…’ #RomeoVoid #CouldntResist

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – September 21, 2009 – NASCAR’s Ryan and Krissie Newman and Music Row publisher Carolyn Miller announce the formation of MPR Entertainment Group. The company launches Root 49 Records, an independent record label, with plans to release an album by flagship artist Bridgette Tatum in early 2010. The publishing arm, Root 49 Music, will also fall under MPR Entertainment Group.

Winner of the 50th Anniversary Daytona 500 and 12 additional Sprint Cup races, Ryan Newman and his wife, Krissie, met Miller in 2006 and the three became fast friends. The Newmans encouraged Miller as she launched Root 49 Music in 2008 and were there to celebrate with her when the publishing company’s first cut “She’s Country,” written by Tatum and Danny Myrick, went #1 for Jason Aldean a year later. Miller’s belief in Tatum and desire to release a full album presented an opportunity for the trio to work together. Both Krissie and Ryan will have an active role in the newly formed company residing as CEOs along side Miller.

“We have watched Bridgette grow over the past few years and she has a natural talent, a strong voice and driven nature,” says Krissie Newman. “Our business experiences, as well as Carolyn’s amazing accomplishments with her company, can only fuel the momentum surrounding Bridgette. We look forward to a long career in country music.” Ryan Newman adds. “Krissie and I are involved in all aspects of my racing career – from marketing and promotion to creative and PR; we can help bring new opportunities to Bridgette’s already skyrocketing career.”

Root 49 Records names Nancy Tunick of Grassroots Promotion and Larry Pareigis of Nine North Records to lead radio promotion; Jules Wortman of Wortman Works Media & Marketing as head of public relations and Michelle Fiddler of Artisanal Management for head of marketing.

“Integrity is first and foremost what I look for in friends, and I can now say that those friends are also my business partners,” says Miller. “To have the marketing sensibilities that come with running a long-standing NASCAR team; whose love of music and winning equal mine, I knew we would make a strong team.”

Bridgette Tatum is currently visiting radio stations across the country promoting her first single, “I Like My Cowboys Dirty.” The rockin’ anthem has been winning critical and fan approval. From Roughstock.com, “With this one song Bridgette Tatum, who co-wrote Jason Aldean’s ‘She’s Country,’ has set herself up as an artist truly worth paying attention to. Hell, with that husky vibrato-filled voice of hers, she may even become country music’s own Pat Benatar or Joan Jett or Nancy Wilson. ‘Cowboys Dirty’ should be but the first of quite a few hits for Bridgette.”

# # #

www.root49music.com
www.bridgettetatum.com
www.ryannewman.org

For all the flack the MTV VMA’s received this year, I thought I’d go against the grain a bit and talk about how the show was actually successful.

I was one of those teens who was glued to MTV when it was a newborn.  I loved the VJ’s, didn’t care that the videos were bad and made no sense.  There was some excellent programming at the time -- Andy Warhol’s 15 Minutes and The Basement Tapes to name a few.  Plus, they had incredible promotions -- anyone remember when Jon Bon Jovi gave away his house? (Full disclosure -- Hey JBJ, I grew up in Sayreville, NJ too!!)

It’s easy to bash MTV over the years, less innovative musical programming, making the world of music small instead of expansive.  But.  I watched this year’s VMA’s.  Not live, mind you, and not on TV, but on their website as I selected which highlights I wanted to see.  Kanye, Taylor -- whatever, no need to beat that dead horse.  Here’s where it all turns around.

Lady Gaga -- Paparazzi performance.  I’ve only heard her on Z100 radio, just the dance-y hits.  Hadn’t heard this song before the VMA’s.

My reaction: “Whoa, what the hell was that??  That song was pretty damn good.  Hey, she can really sing!  Refreshing to see a performance that was theatrical, intriguing and more than a little bizarre.”  I read in one of the descriptions that the performance was based on the same theme of the music video.  Music video??  Well I had to see that right away too!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZlBjzXjfMU

Reaction: “Jonas Akerlund directed, awesome, he did amazing videos for Madonna.  Hey -- that’s Vampire Eric!  Hmmm, looks like he’s a good kisser…OK I digress.  Back to Gaga.  Great f’n song, and the video took it to a whole new level -- as videos should.”

Now I want to know more about her.  Bought the album on iTunes.  Would like to see her live.  All because of the VMA’s.  Radio airplay made me familiar with her name, but it was her performance on the VMA’s the brought me into the world of Gaga.  Congrats MTV.

The cobbler’s son had no shoes, which means that I – as a marketing consultant – had no official website.  This was temporarily OK when I was working with people I already knew, or who had been referred directly to me.  Now that my business has (thankfully) grown beyond the ‘friends and family’ network, I was completely embarrassed the other day when a potential client asked for my website.  ”Um, it’s still in dev…” (I lied.)

Can you say bucket of cold water?  Wake up call?  I tell folks all the time just to get a website up to use as a home base.  It doesn’t need to be perfect or fancy, it just matters that people can find you and reach you.

Too often, we have great ideas and advice for others, and we don’t give it to ourselves.  I’m now walking the talk.