Brian Kameoka's blog

Anthropologie Blog

I noticed that Urban Outfitters recently relaunched their blog and it reminded me that my Anthropologie blog post from earlier this year has continued to see a lot of traffic.  There seems to be a lot of interest in searches for "Anthropologie Blog" and Google has served up my post.

Actually, I think what people are searching for is The Anthropologist, which is technically the official Anthropologie Blog though the company doesn't call it that.  Instead, this blog is a very subtle branding play - creating an online home for inspiration, just as the Anthropologie stores strive to inspire with their store experience.  The blog launched with three creative artists: Scottish photographer David Eustace, filmmaker-photographer Andrew Zuckerman and Oscar Award winning director Jane Campion (The Piano).  Currently the blog features photographer Phillip Toledano.

Anthropologie blogs are quite a phenomenon, with many, many loyal customers taking to the web to blog all about their favorite store.  Here are a few of the most prominent blogs:

 Anthropologie Girl  |  Anthroholic  |  Effortless Anthropologie
 Breakfast at Anthropologie  |  The British Anthropologist
 Craving Anthropologie  |  Anthropologie Addict
 Anthropologie Treasurebox  |  Anthropologie on Twitter

What is The Guild?

Yesterday I blogged that it was one year since my affiliation with The Guild began.  I thought I'd back up and give you an introduction to The Guild, and start with the simple question "What is The Guild?"  Sure you could go to Wikipedia or The Guild's website, but here are my words on the subject...

What is "The Guild?"

The Guild is a comedy web series about six online gamers, created by Felicia Day, who writes, produces and stars in the show.

What is a "web series?"

A web series is a TV show, but on the internet.  In the case of The Guild, it's like a sitcom.  Think "Friends" but shorter form (four to eight minute episodes).  In fact, Kim Evey (who produces The Guild with Felicia) has called The Guild as "'Friends' but with gamers" and I think that's apt.

There are now lots of web series out there.  Sometimes web series (or webisodes) are extensions of traditional television shows, like "LOST: Missing Pieces" or "Battlestar Galactica: The Face of the Enemy" but there are a bunch of great web series being produced independently that are standalone series.  There are two websites that are great starting points to learn about these many web series, NewTeeVee and Tubefilter.  You can also search Twitter every Wednesday to look for web series suggestions from Twitter users.  The first web series I saw was Kim Evey's hilarious Gorgeous Tiny Chicken Machine show, which you can see here.

How did "The Guild" come about?

The Crocker Art Museum

Since May of last year I've been working at the Crocker Art Museum as marketing specialist, but yesterday was my last day as I've had a few great opportunities come my way and have decided to pursue them.  But more on that later.  I wanted to write a blog entry about the Museum and how it was a great place to work, staffed with wonderful people.  Now is an incredibly exiting time for the Crocker as the 125 year old museum is set to open it's expanded "New Crocker" on October 10th of this year (yes, 10/10/10).  So, I'm sad that I will not be a staff member on opening day, and I will miss the marketing team which I was honored to be a part of.  Lead by Marketing Communications Director LeAnne Ruzzamenti, the team of Mark, Michele, Kathleen, Gregg and Anna was a fun group to work with, and I'll miss working with them.  The department was one I always admired and respected since I first moved to Sacramento.  Great marketing ideas and implementation.

I'm proud of my accomplishments at the Crocker, where I was focused primarily on social networking in addition to helping maintain the website and serve as one of the editors of the quarterly member magazine ArtLetter. I'm particularly pleased with the establishment of the Crocker's Facebook Fan page which in less than nine months has grown to over 4,200 fans and is one of the largest and most active pages in Sacramento.  I also established the Crocker on Twitter and YouTube and worked on its Flickr page.  It's funny, I had intended to post a blog entry when I got hired using the black "I am the New Crocker" button but never got around to it, and now it's been supplanted by the new New Crocker button.

Social Networking workshop w/League of Sacramento Theatres

Chris McSwain (Twitter: @ChrisMcSwain) and I are presenting a workshop on social networking next week for the League of Sacramento Theatres.  Space is limited, and the League is handling RSVP's, so if you're interested contact me and I'll put you in touch with the right person.

If you're not familiar with the League of Sacramento Theatres, check them out at SeeAPlay.com 

Social Networking on the Web 101
A League of Sacramento Theatres Marketing Workshop

Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, blogging and MySpace ... gibberish? confusing? a way to kill time online? Perhaps, but also a practically free way to engage current and potential audience members. The session will introduce various online social networking sites, talk about what works and doesn't work, and give tips on increasing the number of your fans, friends and followers. Learn innovative ways to entertain your audience and promote your productions on the Web. Bring your Internet success and horror stories to share.  Presented by Chris McSwain and Brian Kameoka on Monday, May 18 at 6:30 p.m.

 

Tweet This

Shows to see in Sacramento

Here are some shows in Sacramento I recommend seeing.

• Actor's Theatre of Sacramento - Blackbird (closes 3/22, Sac Bee review here)
• Sacramento State - How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (closes 3/29, my review here)
• Broadway Sacramento - Avenue Q (closes 3/22, reviews from SN&R and Capital Public Radio)

Here are some shows I plan on seeing in the next week (and will post about them here):

• B Street Theatre - Sexy Laundry
• Sacramento Theatre Company - The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Abridged
• Foothill Theatre Company - Sylvia
• B Street Theatre - Acting Interns' Wednesday Monologue Performance (I blogged about it here)

Also, I highly recommend checking out seeaplay.com for complete theatre listings from League of Sacramento Theatres.

The PR guy's quandary

There's that oft-quoted line, "there's no such thing as bad publicity."  I was thinking about that in regards to this item ("Layoffs hit two Sacramento theaters") which was posted to the Bee's website and will, I assume run in tomorrow's print edition.  It mentions my layoff from B Street Theatre along with cuts at Sacramento Theatre Company.  Times continue to be tough.

Is it bad publicity?  Possibly for B Street and STC - though I hope not.  I hope only good comes from it (maybe people will clamor to make donations!).  Funny thing, I'm still in PR/Marketing mode - just texted someone to pick up the hard copy for me (I'm out of town), wondering what the placement will be in the paper, will it be in the arts or business section?

Oh, if you're hearing about my layoff for the first time, um, sorry I didn't tell you, and (1) I'm OK, (2) I'm staying in Sacramento and (3) I'm looking for work if you know of anything.  I'll post more later and talk to you soon.

I was wondering who said "there's no such thing as bad publicity" - I had assumed it was P.T. Barnum.  But it was actually Irish playwright Brendan Behan who said it, and the complete quote is:

"There is no such thing as bad publicity except your own obituary."

How to promote your show

Last night I was hanging out with some friends and was asked my advice on how to promote an improv show (two in the party are in a group looking to promote their performances).  My advice was that I thought the best marketing advice is "try a lot of stuff and keep what works."  This is lifted from Good to Great by Jim Collins, a great and insightful book about business.

Then today, I remembered a really great list that Dan Goldstein wrote up, "How to promote your show: 14 things to do."  Here is this list.  Simple, direct, effective.  While it was written in New York five years ago (note the mention of subways), I think everything on this list is right on.  Dan is a Assitant Professor of Marketing at the London School of Business and an expert in the field of decision science (he gets name checked by Malcolm Gladwell!).  He also is an incredible improv talent, as a performer and director/creator of shows.

(photo "Jerm and Marc's improv flyer" by Marc Majcher, licensed under Creative Commons, some rights reserved)

The Swan

swan_81
Originally uploaded by bstreet_photos

Today's Sacramento Bee has a review of The Swan which includes the above photo.  It's perhaps my favorite photo from a show that I've taken in a long time.

Tom Sawyer photo

This photo appears in today's Sacramento Bee, in the Ticket section's "Seven Things to do this weekend."  We're also running an ad that features another photo from The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (the one with Tom and Huck in the graveyard), so it should be a good weekend for coverage of the show.  All four press shots from this show can be viewed on the B Street Theatre's flickr gallery here.

Lindsay Carter as Becky Thatcher and Travis Beaty as Tom Sawyer, photo by Brian Kameoka