I am proud to announce that my panel idea, “Big Brother in Your Brain: Neuroscience and Marketing,” has been selected as a panel at the 2010 South by Southwest (SXSW) Interactive Festival in March in Austin, Texas. SXSW received more than 2,300 proposals via the SXSW PanelPicker submission process, a unique digital interface that allows the public to vote and provide feedback directly on panel proposals. My panel will be one of over 400 sessions included in SXSW 2010 and among the best of the best; including discussions led by innovators such as Clay Shirky and Chris Brogan and thought-provoking panels led by speakers from companies such as Microsoft, Google and Facebook; digital advertising agencies such as R/GA and Razorfish; and brilliant organizations such as TED. Many of the speakers and panels for the 2010 event have already been confirmed. I am very thankful to all those that voted for my idea during the voting process and to Modernista! and Marcus Thomas for supporting me during the process and allowing me to continue focusing on this amazing opportunity – I am very excited and proud to be included in the SXSW 2010 Interactive Festival.
The next step will be to solidify the speakers in my panel and I will announce each of those speakers as I receive confirmation and approval by the SXSW committee. In the meantime, if you aren’t familiar with my panel idea, “Big Brother in Your Brain: Neuroscience and Marketing,” it will focus on the convergence of neuroscience and marketing. With the advent of neuromarketing, neuroscientist and researchers have been directing their expertise to marketing, using MRIs to analyze consumers’ brain activity when exposed to different stimuli. And companies like Google are using mathematics to develop advertising solutions. Will digital marketers become scientists and mathematicians or will creativity triumph? Questions that will be answered during the panel include:
What is cognitive neuroscience?
How is cognitive neuroscience being applied to interactive marketing and advertising?
What is neuromarketing?
Is the Google model for paid search killing creativity?
How does creativity affect the consumer’s rational and emotional responses?
How can interactive marketing be designed to effectively influence behavior using creativity based on neuroscience?
What are the arguments for creativity vs. science (mathematical formulas) in influencing consumer behavior?
Is interactive advertising an art or science, or both?
How are MRIs being used to influence consumer behavior?
How is cognitive neuroscience being applied to the selling of music, movies and technology?
The source of my inspiration and hints of what is to come, can be found in my blog post, The Convergence of Cognitive Neuroscience and Marketing. If you want to experience the wealth of innovative, inspirational and thought-provoking content live and in person at SXSW, register now for the 2010 SXSW Interactive Festival.
I always imagined I would go to SXSW with my band, but it looks like I might be going there with Modernista! instead. I submitted a panel idea to the 2010 South by Southwest Interactive Festival and am pleased to announce it has been included in the PanelPicker voting process.
With the advent of neuromarketing, neuroscientist and researchers have been directing their expertise to marketing, using MRIs to analyze consumers’ brain activity when exposed to different stimuli. And companies like Google are using mathematics to develop advertising solutions. Will digital marketers become scientists and mathematicians or will creativity triumph?
You can help us attend SXSW by voting. SXSW is a community-driven event and your voting accounts for about 30% of the decision-making process. The SXSW Advisory Board, which is a group of industry professionals from around the world, and SXSW staff are also involved in the process. Voting will close on Friday, September 4th, so make sure you vote soon.
The benefits of technology and more specifically the internet, seem to be endless: information and data accessibility, entertainment, commerce, ease of communication, etc. For me, technology is attractive because it makes our lives easier to navigate. The innovation of cloud computing has made this even more apparent. The idea of syncing all of your files (photos, music, documents, etc.) and having accessibility wherever you are, is absolutely amazing. When I was in college at Michigan State University, each student received 100MB of AFS space. AFS is the acronym for “Andrew File System,” it is the central MSU network file storage system, which was originally developed at Carnegie Mellon University in 1984. The idea was to provide a campus-wide file system for home directories. With this, I built my first website. I also used this space to save files for all of my different courses. I could then visit the main library or friends’ dorm rooms and still have access to all my files. I thought this was great, but I used it mainly as a FTP service, which wasn’t very convenient. However, cloud computing is now available to everyone and sometimes completely free.
Many people don’t understand what cloud computing is, although many people use it everyday. Whether you save emails from friends or family in your Gmail or Hotmail account, post photos to Flickr or videos to YouTube; you are saving your files on a network other than your personal computer – this is the cloud. But the cloud is much more intelligent than what I just described. These examples describe hosting solutions for you to save content, but the cloud also provides real-time access to save, edit and share documents, spreadsheets, presentations, music and movies. Many companies like IBM, Microsoft, Google, Amazon and Apple offer cloud computing solutions.
The cloud provides many opportunities for brands to create innovative marketing solutions such as Apple MobileMe, Nike+ or Google Maps. But what company will win? What brand will win the great race to brand the clouds?
What is cloud computing?
Cloud computing, also known as utility computing or hardware as a service (HaaS), is the instant access to dynamic and scalable resources to operate software and applications over the internet. The cloud is defined by six elements:
Infrastructure (Infrastructure as a Service – IaaS): Is a service providing the seamless architecture and resources (e.g. servers, CPU, memory, etc.) for instant, dynamic and scalable computing power (e.g. Grid computing, virtualization, etc.)
Storage: Is a service simply allowing you to store your content (e.g. Rackspace)
Platform (Platform as a Service – PaaS): Is the service that provides hardware and computing software allowing you to remotely access and operate your cloud server to develop, test, deploy, host and maintain applications (e.g. Microsoft Azure Services Platform, Amazon Web Services, Apple MobileMe, Microsoft Live Mesh,etc.)
Applications: Are the tools that provide functionality to perform various computing tasks, such as uploading creating, editing and sharing documents, spreadsheets or presentations (e.g. Google Docs: Document, Spreadsheet, Presentation, Form)
Software/Service (Software as a Service – SaaS): Is the service that delivers and is utilized in real-time over the internet (e.g. Google Maps, OpenID, PayPal, etc.)
Client: Is the computer hardware/software dependent on cloud computing in order to operate (e.g. Mozilla Firefox, Palm Pre webOS, Google G1 Android, Apple iPhone OS)
The idea behind the cloud seems so natural, why not have access to everything you want, whenever you want? Moreover, why not use another network other than your own? Especially if it’s cost efficient. In a Wired article titled “Cloud Computing. Available at Amazon.com Today,” Spencer Reiss and the CEO of Amazon, Jeff Bezos, discuss the cloud:
“Utility computing is Web 2.0’s version of rocket fuel. ‘You don’t generate your own electricity,’ Bezos says. ‘Why generate your own computing?’ The forces driving online apps — internet bandwidth and reliability — also mean that, in terms of data per dollar, servers in your closet or co-location facility can’t compete with industrial-scale bits piped in from hundreds, even thousands, of miles away.”
The Cloud: Strengths
Accessibility: Cloud-based services allow you to retrieve data and information wherever you are: home, work or play – as long as you have an internet connection
Captivating: These services become a part of your daily life because they provide utility and convenience
Convenience: The ability to access files, music and photos no matter where you are
Content Generation: Users are able to create content wherever they are and in some cases in places they normally wouldn’t
Inexpensive: The cost to utilize the cloud varies. The current cost structure is either free, based on a monthly subscription or by frequency of use
Instant Computing Power: Every computer is limited to certain level of power, however with the cloud you can use someone else’s computing power instantly without purchasing another hard drive
Scalability: As you require additional space to conduct more work, the cloud allows you to readily increase resources
Synchronization: My personal favorite benefit of the cloud, the ability to sync online and files on other computers
Usefulness: This is the true strength that every brand should utilize. The cloud can support many different services that provide utility
The Cloud: Weaknesses
Profit Margins: In a Wired article titled “Microsoft’s Ray Ozzie Sees Lower Margins From Cloud Computing,” Reuters explains that “Microsoft Corp’s chief software architect says the profit margins on providing online services — broadly known as cloud computing — would likely yield a lower profit margin than the company’s existing software business.” This obviously isn’t a disadvantage for consumers, but for companies, the margin from software is greater than cloud computing
Reliability: The reliability of cloud computing can be an issue. If your internet connection goes down, you won’t have access to your most important files (e.g. Google doc or map)
Speed: The efficiency of your infrastructure and internet connection will affect performance; and depending on the platform you are using, this may help or hinder performance
Ubiquity: While the cloud-based service you use for your personal files are technically available all the time, anywhere; you may not always have access due to internet accessibility or connection speed
The Cloud and Branding
Understanding the advantages and disadvantages of the cloud allows brands to utilize the inherent drama of cloud technology to create innovative marketing solutions. In an ADWEEK article titled “Investing in the Cloud” Bob Greenberg, the chairman, CEO of R/GA, explains that “there is absolutely no reason why brands can’t get into this game. At its core, cloud-based marketing is powered by a simple idea: be useful to your customers and they in turn will be loyal to your brand. The cloud is a massive engine of technological utility, with myriad ways to be useful to customers.” More specifically, the cloud allows brands to create marketing services that:
Provide utility. Brands have the opportunity to augment current services or create new services that are useful in the daily lives of their customers, which could enhance their brand image and loyalty
Create an engaging experience. These interactive services captivate customers
Encourage content generation. As consumers continue to use these services, they are directly fueling the cloud-based service with new content as it is integrated into their daily lives
Utilize a new medium. As Greenberg explains, “…by building cloud-based services, brands create instances of “owned” media. These media channels have reach, frequency and 100 percent relevance with the intended audience.”
Decrease media budget. As Greenberg explains, “…the old investment model for advertising was based on roughly a 20/80 split: spend 20 percent of the budget conceiving and producing the idea, and 80 percent on media delivering the message. The cloud-based service model inverses this split: spend the lion’s share developing the technology and just a small amount on a bit of paid media to spark awareness. Beyond that, “earned” media takes over and consumers and PR channels spread awareness virally to drive further adoption.”
Utilize a new financial model. Brands must continue to support advertising campaigns by investing in media otherwise results will be nonexistent. However, production for cloud-based services is inexpensive and continues to reach consumers frequently as they become dependent on these useful services to help navigate their lives. Over time, the cloud will decrease marketing costs
Below are case studies of brands that understand and embrace the cloud as part of their offerings as well as a few brands that just don’t understand the cloud.
Amazon Web Services (AWS)
One of the pioneers of cloud computing is Amazon. Cloud computing became a solution for Amazon when they were on a journey to discover something very different. In 1999, Amazon wanted to open its storefronts up to third-party selling, all in response to eBay. At the time, it seemed odd that Amazon would open the doors to third-parties, but in Jeff Bezos’ words, “If you’re trying to have not just every book but every out-of-print book, every indie-band CD, and every vinyl record, there’s no way you’re going to do it on your own. You have to open up.” The result was Amazon auctions, which later became the current Amazon Marketplace. But to make this idea a reality, they had to solve technical problems with speed, reliability and scalability to support these third-party storefronts on their databases and servers. This resulted in a new architecture with unexpected opportunities. As stated by Spencer Reiss in a Wired article titled “Cloud Computing. Available at Amazon.com Today,” Amazon’s next new business was “opening not just the store in the sky, but the very silicon and software that keeps it aloft.” Reiss further explains that:
“AWS capitalizes on Amazon’s combination of computational skills and operational savvy. It piggybacks on a multibillion-dollar IT infrastructure. And it pulls in a whole new category of customers looking for rock-solid scalable computing on demand — blue-chip startups like Zillow and PowerSet, kids in garages building the next Google, even adventurous corporate IT jocks looking to offload some of the drudgery.”
AWS is an example of a cloud computing platform (platform as a service – PaaS) and leverages all of the cloud’s advantages. What’s interesting about AWS is that it wasn’t created as a product, but as a byproduct from another idea. Regardless, Amazon successfully utilized the cloud to develop a cloud service that companies and individuals will utilize. Further, as Amazon continues to refine its service, the overall brand image will be augmented and hopefully brand loyalty will follow in other Amazon services. I think it will.
New York Times
Similar to how Google Books allows users to search full text from millions of books, the New York Times as digitized over 150 years worth of newspapers into searchable PDFs all of which are hosted on Amazon’s cloud servers. This is a great example of a brand facing pressure to remain relevant as emerging media changes the landscape. Again, providing useful information in a convenient manner and planning for future growth. FYI: Twitter and Justin.tv also utilize AWS to host data and information.
Google Docs
If you are not familiar with Google Docs, the video above by Common Craft provides a great explanation, in plain English. Google Docs provides every benefit that the cloud can offer, everything from convenience to scalability to synchronization. And actually, scalability will be even more evident with the future release of the GDrive, which will allow consumers to purchase additional space for their Gmail, Docs or Picasa photos. Search was the main service that Google provided, however they saw the opportunity in the clouds and beat Microsoft to claim the cloud-based word processing and spreadsheet market. While Microsoft’s cloud-based Microsoft Office Live Workspace is available, it was Google that really took advantage of the cloud. Of course hindsight is always 20/20, but the inherent problem with word processing and spreadsheet files was that you didn’t have one central version – the cloud made this possible. Google saw this opportunity and seized the moment.
Nike+
Nike+ is a perfect example of what brands can accomplish by utilizing the cloud to augment or create products/services that become a part of people’s lives and change it in a positive way. For those runners that have a Nike+iPod, upon completing a run, they can sync their iPods and upload their data to the Nike+ website. Here is where the beauty of the cloud works. Once runners visit the site, they can review a dashboard of recent runs, set goals and create challenges or training programs. And even sign-up for online and offline events, such as The Nike+ Human Race. All of this information is saved in the clouds and users have the ability to access it via the Nike+ application (i.e. website). The Nike+ sensor and chip may technically be the product Nike sells, however it is the service and experience they provide that makes this an amazing brand experience. On a personal note, I have been using Nike+ for almost three years now and absolutely love it. Only a few months ago, shortly after Wired featured Nike+ on the cover for unleashing the power of personal metrics, Nike with the help of R/GA completely redesigned the Nike+ website. It’s beautiful. Usability has been enhanced. And social media tools have been integrated to help extend awareness of the product/service to a larger audience.
Fiat eco:Drive
Together, AKQA and Fiat created a Nike+ for Fiat vehicles called Fiat eco:Drive. Utilizing a USB drive, this technology tracks your driving technique and the online application than analyzes your driving style to help you improve how efficient you drive in order to use less fuel, which will reduce your CO2 emissions and save you money. Similar to Nike+, users can share their information with a community, called Ecoville. Again, it’s this cloud-based application that allows users to reference data and better understand how they can change their driving style to help the environment. Users do not save their information on their personal computers, but in the clouds. Very impressive.
Kodak Gallery
Similar to Flickr, Kodak provided a free online photo gallery service where users could save, print and share their photos. This business model was sustained on the hope that customers would at some point, opt-in for premium services to offset the free users, also known as the “freeium” model. However, Kodak Gallery decided to change their business model. In an AdAge article titled “This Cloud (Computing) Has No Silver Lining,” Matthew Knell explains that Kodak began requiring “users to make minimum purchases in order to subsidize the use of its websites and kill its “freemium” model. The new plans range from $4.99 to $19.99 per month. And if you don’t pay the fee or provide a minimum purchase by a given date? Your photos will be deleted.” This is a problem many online newspapers are experiencing right now. As newspapers continue to lose subscribers, many online versions of the newspapers (e.g. Wall Street Journal) are asking users to subscribe for premium online services. But even the Wall Street Journal still provides some free online services. Kodak essentially implemented a bait and switch tactic to lure customers in and quickly changed their business model. By changing their business model, Kodak ruined their brand image and may have ended the loyalty that many of the users had. While the cloud service that Kodak initially provided fulfilled the users’ expectations of accessibility, convenience and price – by changing their service, Kodak removed what may have been the most important benefit to its customers. Before brands develop cloud services, they must plan for the future. If you foresee that you may have to charge your users in the future, do so at the onset and provide a service that is worth the financial commitment.
Evernote
And now for the number one reason I love the cloud, data synchronization. There are many brands out there right now that are developing apps or services around this benefit: Apple MobileMe, Microsoft Live Mesh and Evernote. This technology allows users to sync files, folders and other data across multiple devises. Evernote’s tag is “Remember Everything” and this is completely true. Users are able to create content, sync it on their computer, mobile phone or online and then access it anywhere. I downloaded the Evernote app for my Palm Pre, but I have to wait until I purchase Leopard for my Mac.
The Great Race to Brand the Clouds
The cloud inherently provides many opportunities for brands to create innovative marketing solutions such as those listed above. To answer the question I posed earlier, what company will win? What brand will win the great race to brand the clouds? The answer is every brand that embraces the cloud and creates new services that are engaging and encourage content generation, and utilize a new medium that is cost effective. Lastly, as Bob Greenberg explains in an ADWEEK article titled “Investing in the Cloud” the cloud “is about the democratization of technology – and democracy is a good thing. Make sure your brand participates.” However, while it is a democracy, I believe a few brands make it a monarchy:
Amazon branded the clouds as a platform (Platform as a Service – PaaS). Interesting note, Amazon was the first company to sell cloud computing as a service
Google branded the clouds for utility applications. While Microsoft does have their full Office suite available online, Google made a bigger impact
Nike+ branded the clouds for entertainment applications. As of yet, we have not seen anything as integrated into the lives of its users
A look at creativity in advertising, an economic recession and its affect on urban revitalization.
The great David Ogilvy once said, “It takes a big idea to attract the attention of consumers and get them to buy your product. Unless your advertising contains a big idea, it will pass like a ship in the night.” The essence of our industry is in big ideas and creativity. These elements help to communicate information in a persuasive manner by captivating the attention and interest of individuals. Big ideas and creativity can create brand awareness and in some cases even change brand perception, preference or image. The crucial point here, from a holistic perspective, is that big ideas and creativity are the answer to change – whether in advertising or other industries. In the current state of our economy, we can only hope for change. We all want it, but how do we get there? The answer begins with creativity and big ideas.
The Creative Class and Urban Revitalization
For that past few years, I have been studying the work of Richard Florida. He is best known for his concept of The Creative Class, which identifies the essential elements required for urban revitalization: technology, talent and tolerance. Cities must invest in technology, nurture talent and be tolerant or accepting of diversity for creative people to come live, work and play. The growth and prosperity of a city is dependent on these attributes because they attract a unique group of people – The Creative Class. Of all the attributes and interests inherent in The Creative Class (art, music, community, philanthropy, creativity, open-minded, etc.), I am inspired by their unrelenting motivation the most. Florida explained this characteristic in a NPR “Weekend Edition” segment titled “Richard Florida, Tracking the Creative Class.”
“One of the things I think most economist have missed, is that creative people are intrinsically motivated. And if you look at most people who work in the creative fields, they’re not motivated simply by money, and for all of those economists who somehow believe you can spur national or regional growth by cutting taxes and using business incentives, the simple thing I would offer is, that isn’t it surprising that the fastest growing places in the world are typically the highest cost, most expensive places, putting the total emphasis on cost and business incentive factors, mix is a much bigger picture, creative people want to be in places where they can be themselves, do their work, be excited, be the person, complete person they want to be.”
This message is powerful – our current economy is under attack, however creativity can motivate people to great measures. According to Florida, “Creativity is the new raw material;” now more than ever, we must utilize this raw material to our full potential. A wonderful example of creative people working collectively is the organization Planning For Good, which brings Account Planners and their friends together to solve problems for causes and non-profit. Planning For Good was created by Gareth Kay, Aki Spicer and several friends. The project they focused on during the fourth quarter of 2008 was for a non-profit called The Idea Village, which launched a competition for entrepreneurs with ideas to retain young talent in New Orleans. When I first read about this project, I immediately thought of Richard Florida. Account Planners are “cultural creatives”, they are members of The Creative Class and by taking part in this project they are helping to bring The Creative Class back to New Orleans.
Another example is Professor John Silver of Oxford University and his “2020 vision.” One day when Silver was discussing optical lenses with a colleague, he wondered if it might be possible to adjust glasses without the need for expensive optometry equipment. And that’s when the big idea came; he wanted to make a pair of glasses that could be fine tuned by the person wearing the glasses. This would allow everyone, especially those without sufficient funds, to have glasses. Due to Silver’s curiosity and creativity, he was able to find an innovative solution by analyzing himself and having the selfless need to help others. Even with these inspirational examples of using creativity for the greater good, at times, it seems almost impossible to find inspiration or even motivation during the current economic recession, a time when we think everything is against us.
Creativity in a Recession
The birth of creativity: What creates or inspires creativity? Some argue that it’s based on nature, nurture, context, random or an inspirational force. Regardless of whether you are right or left brained, it’s reasonable to understand that all of these elements can affect creativity. I have always been interested by the idea of contextual relevancy. At Michigan State, one of my professors once said that you should study in the same lecture hall where your final exam would be held. The thought was that being in the same environment would allow you to easily access all of the information you learned during lecture and apply it to the exam. I applied this idea to one of my courses and aced the course. I wish I would have applied this to Calculus 2, but I didn’t spend enough time in context to reap the rewards of contextual relevancy.
In Malcolm Gladwell’s first book, The Tipping Point, he explains what the three rules of epidemics are: The Law of the Few (Connectors, Mavens, and Salesmen), The Stickiness Factor and The Power of Context. Gladwell’s theory of context – that changing the smallest details of your environment can have great consequences on your actions – also applies to creativity. If you think about The Creative Class, you can understand why they love being surrounded by other creative people, it inspires them, they have to be stimulated with artistic and intellectual curiosity. This is just one of the reasons why you find large populations of The Creative Class in cities like Chicago, New York, Boston or San Francisco. As stated in a Next American City post titled “Your Brain, On Cities,” living in a dense city can inspire innovative thinking (measured in number of patents, etc.). But what happens when your surroundings or context changes? This is ever so prevalent now. Does a recession negatively affect creativity? A Worldchanging post titled “Recession and Innovation” answers this question best:
“…it’s often times like these – when things are at their worst – that potential for real and positive change is arguably at its very highest… Lean times can arguably beget innovation that is smarter than the innovation that springs from fatter times; innovations that are more practical and effectively more sustainable from both a social and financial standpoint.”
Throughout America’s history, you can find many examples of difficult times that forced Americans to be innovative. During the Great Depression nylon was created by one of Du Pont’s scientists. Then during the 1969-1970 recession, Bill Hewlet of HP developed the first pocket calculator. Then during the dot-com bubble burst startups like JetBlue and Six Apart were created. At this same time, we also the revitalization of Apple with the iPod. According to a Wired article titled “Back to the Garage: How Economic Turmoil Breeds Innovation,” now is the perfect time to be creative.
“…for the bravest inventors and entrepreneurs, conditions are ideal to pounce on a business opportunity. In periods of economic turmoil, people are hungry and work cheap, and entrenched companies often concentrate on in-house cost-cutting instead of exploring new markets, which can explode with the next turn of the business cycle… The most memorable crucible in modern history is, of course, the Great Depression.
Take this opportunity to go back to your garage and think different like Steve Jobs and create your Apple. When the financial industry crumbled at the end of last year, many Wall Street professionals had to start over again and find new careers. Many of these professionals began exploring careers they would have never considered, specifically creative careers in technology, science, medicine, arts, entertainment, etc. In a New York Times article titled “Former Bankers Turn to a Creative Plan B” Richard Florida was interviewed and he explained that this “gravitational pull away from Wall Street and toward more creative industries is part of a necessary economic recalibration… we are now realizing it is our human creativity that is our real capital.”
Now is the time to analyze the world around you and find creative solutions to the problems that affect your world, and contribute to the renaissance of our world with your big ideas.
The Renaissance
One morning in the fall of 2004, I was listening to NPR “Morning Edition” on my way to work and heard about Richard Florida and The Creative Class for the first time in a segment titled “Cities Seek to Prosper by Luring Creative People.” Florida’s first book The Rise of the Creative Class had been out for a few years, however at this time he was formulating his second book, The Flight of the Creative Class. Listening to this segment today is even more profound than the first time.
“The rise of the creative economy is making inequity worst. What’s happening is that, all these creative people are forcing themselves into about a dozen cities: New York, Washington, Chicago, San Francisco, Seattle, Austin and several more. Those cities are becoming growth meccas, they’re pulling away from the rest of the country and creating a lot of inequality within them. At the same time, housing is becoming unaffordable, for virtually anyone who has a middle-income job. So the creative economy is not generating just wealth and productive capacity and all these great things, it’s generating a whole heck of a lot of problems that no one in this country, whether they’re a democrat or republican even wants to face up to.”
When you read these words, you can’t help but wonder if the flight of the creative class could have helped cause the current recession. While I understand that many things have contributed to the current state, I also acknowledge the significance of these words. I grew up in Michigan and have spent most of my life there. When I moved to the Detroit area after to work at Ogilvy & Mather, I immersed myself in Detroit culture. I went to every music festival in the city; I explored all of the art galleries and cultural areas of Detroit. I loved Detroit. However, many years before this, Detroit began to deteriorate – it never really recovered from the race riots of the late 1960s. But I was determined to bring Detroit back. I introduced people to the hidden gems of Detroit: MOCAD, The Heidelberg Project, 4731 Gallery and Studio, Pewabic Pottery, Cadieux Cafe and my favorite Dally in the Alley. Around this time is when I learned about the creative class and became involved in some of the urban revitalization groups in Detroit like CreateDetroit. The first CreateDetroit event I attended was called Connect Four, at this event I really began to understand how the creative class could use their creativity to make a positive impact.
After working at Ogilvy & Mather for over 3 years, I was ready for a new experience. It was a difficult decision, but I was ready to grow personally and professionally. It was not until I decided to focus my career on digital advertising that I found the opportunity at Modernista! in Boston as an Interactive Account Executive on the Cadillac. After I made the move to Boston is when I realized that I was part of the problem Richard Florida spoke about – The Flight of the Creative Class. I moved from a city that scored low on the creative class index for technology, talent and tolerance, to one that scored high in all areas. I wanted to be surrounded by other creative people in an environment that embraced creativity and inspired me. However, these things exist in Detroit. They exist in every city. You need to find them and embrace them. If they don’t exist, create them. Use your creativity to make a difference and change the world. The current economic recession will change the way you view the world. This thought is evaluated in a Worldchanging post titled “Recession and Innovation.”
“What legacy will this convergence of crises, both financial and environmental, leave on the psyches of today’s young workers, students, artists and innovators? And what other solutions will emerge as intelligent messages of hope?”
We are all hoping for change, however the opportunity for greatness is up to us. When President Franklin D. Roosevelt founded the New Deal and initiated the Works Progress Administration (WPA) and Federal Art Project (FAP), creative people were invited to revitalize the country. President Barack Obama has brought hope to our country and inspired Americans to “reaffirm our enduring spirit.” A ReadyMade article titled “Poster Children” analyzes the New Deal and how a similar idea could be translated to our current situation.
“Given the current economic meltdown, the 75th anniversary of the New Deal has particular resonance. How might the current government stem the tide of economic and psychological depression? Can artists and designers help in similar ways today? It’s curious that the WPA style has been reprised in the recent past as a quaint retro conceit, but today may be an opportune time for a brand-new graphic language—equal in impact to the original initiative, but decidedly different—to help rally the cause of hope and optimism.”
However, we don’t have to wait for a similar initiative to come. Creativity and big ideas are inside us now and it’s the perfect time for change.
Another example is 
