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Now you'd think this wouldn't be hard, since, as a commenter noted, those faces are smiling up at businesspeople across the Upper Midwest from this Madison ad in the latest Prairie Business Magazine:
But since Monday, no one has been able to identify the five people presented as the faces of Madison's Heartland Technology Center. It would appear that instead of promoting economic development Madison with the faces of our own technoentrepreneurs, the Lake Area Improvement Corporation spends its (our?) money on stock photos of a Clay Aiken cousin and four other people who have never been to Madison.
What gives? Some possible explanations (in order of increasing likelihood):
- Brett Kearin, Matt Paulson, and other budding local entrepreneurs were ready for the photo shoot—suits, ties, laptops, the works—but then balked at the LAIC's request that they each pay $250 to help the LAIC recoup the costs for film and advertising.
- The LAIC suffers from an Upper Midwestern inferiority complex, thinking that Madison folks just aren't pretty enough to sell their own town, so we need to resort to outsiders and professional models to present "our" best face to the rest of the world.
- The LAIC fails to grasp that, in today's marketing world, authenticity is everything*. From my December commentary on the comely yet inauthentic MadisonSD.com spokesmodel:
Tonight's marketing advice: we live in a postmodern culture. Postmoderns (generally younger people, like the folks this spokesperson is aimed at) look for authenticity in media. They are very sensitive to inauthenticity, especially in advertising. They can sense authenticity or the lack thereof quickly. When a message sets off their inauthenticity alarm, they tune out that message immediately [CAH, "Madison Marketing: One Step Forward, One Step...Kinda Back," Madville Times, 2007.12.12].
If the LAIC is serious about selling the Heartland Technology Center, Marketing 101 says they should show actual Madison residents in the actual Heartland Technology Center doing actual business, not five vaguely diverse models whose paid smiles from whitespace shout, "Madison? Never been there!"
Now I would be thrilled if the LAIC could splat some egg on my face and show that their ad models really are Madisonites. They might still be—I don't know everybody in town. But I'd be even more thrilled to see the next big ad from this tax-supported agency featuring Madison artists Michael and Reyna Hope, technoentrepreneur Darin Namken, photographer Holly Davidson, antiques dealer Robin Kemper, and other local business people who can present the real Madison to the rest of the world.
Cory, I think you're making way too big of a deal out of this photo. Using stock photography is a standard cost-saving technique that many publications use. I could care less if they put the mug of brett and myself on their magazine. Does it really matter what photo they use? Shouldn't we focus more on promoting young entrepreneurs rather than criticizing the LAIC for a photo they used in their magazine?
ReplyDeleteThe LAIC has been an -amazing- help with my business. They should be praised if anything. They've given me all sorts of logistical support by hooking me up with David Jencks to get my LLC founded, Rachel Jencks to get my accounting taken care of, and have provided me initial capital to pay for some of they start-up cost. They're a great group of people, so, lay off!
Matt, you just proved my point. Send a photo to go with that great authentic story, and we've got the copy for an ad that would really get people's attention and inspire responses.
ReplyDeleteAdditionally, if you're going to spring for a full-page color ad, why take up half of that page with a stock photo instead of something to the product you are promoting? Take a look in the same issue of Prairie Business, page 3: The North Dakota Department of Commerce buys a full-page ad and fills half the page with a shot of Mick Miller, Pres/CEO of Red Trail Energy, coupled with quotes from him saying ND rocks. See? Authentic!
ReplyDeleteOr check out the NDDoC "I Luv ND" profiles. Says John Zimmerman, one of those profiled, "People the world over crave the sort of authenticity North Dakota has to offer." Madison has that authenticity; our ads should, too.
I'm just wondering Matt, what has the amazing support from the LAIC been? Sure, the monthly checks have been nice and have helped greatly, but I wouldn't call that amazing.
ReplyDeleteThe hook ups of David and Rachel Jencks have been through Josh Pauli, director of the CT.
However, done of that is really important. The point of this post was not "Has the LAIC done good things?" rather it was "Is the LAIC using effective marketing techniques?"
Madison has a real quality of life that may be difficult to communicate in one print advertisement. Cory might be arguing that real people would more effectively communicate that and the LAIC would be more influential by simply telling Madison's story. We aren't Sioux Falls and we aren't Brookings, but we have many things to appreciate. So many people don't care about flash and spin, but simply want a reliable work force, a safe place to life, a living wage for their employees, a good school system (etc), all of which we have. Brookings is turning employers away, so why can't Madison attract a few new employers??? Makes me wonder if the LAIC have become too concerned with protecting it's larger members. John Hess
ReplyDeleteAs a side note, I think the anonymous comments are fine on Cory's blog (rarely negative), although it is interesting to have a name tied to the comments. And personally, I find people's comments very interesting.
It really doesn't matter who they feature in their ad. The building is a white elephant, placed so nobody will ever see it, never feel inspired or be able to find it easily. In real estate, location is the top factor when selecting a site. Placing a technology center in a corn field behind a national guard armory made no sense. It should have been built in the industrial park on highway 34, next to Jud Bergan's office where 5000 people a day would see it instead of 25 local residents and a few cows. If you're going to showcase a tremendous idea, don't hide it, show it off and inspire people to dream!
ReplyDeleteTrue not a visible location but placement is more likely the result of a sales effort for a business not dependent on local traffic. Kind of neat to be so close to the community center and what's wrong with a corn field!?. Something is just amiss at the LAIC. I counted at least a dozen empty store fronts in Madison yesterday, yet Dwaine Chapel told me a few months ago we have a thriving downtown? Milbank can bring in new business. The City of Madison gave I believe $380,000 to LAIC in 07, so is it wrong to start expecting some results? John Hess
ReplyDeleteI still say Prairie Village has tremendous untapped potential for the advancement of the Madison area. And Camp Lakodia is a beautiful setting that should be advertised and promoted year-round by working with the School for the Deaf presently running it. Conventions held here would expose participants to the commnunity and maybe attract business.
ReplyDeleteOn another note, try to get Wal-Mart to come to town. I know many don't like Wal-Mart, but cities of less population than Madison and with larger cities in close proximity with Wal-Mart (like Brookings and SF) still have this business in town. Like Wal-Mart or not, it will attract growth of other businesses. What we don't need in town is another dollar store etc; we need another grocery store for some competition. Wal-Mart would address this also. What say, LAIC?
Nonnie
LAIC used Forward Madison to raise about $2.5 Million, so why not give away the farm and lure industries, service centers and retail stores to Madison with free land, free rent, hiring incentives, property tax incentives and whatever else might be up our sleeves to jump start this town. We're losing too many people and we need to stop the outflow fast.
ReplyDelete