“Don’t eat too much honey or you will throw up.” (Proverbs 25:16)
I want to give a special thanks to my team, Eway Media, for their good work with their first quasi-experiment. After conducting my own little study, I found several conflicting factors. First and foremost, most industry professionals are cautious about with whom they deal. Most execs have been constantly harassed, so to speak, and smothered with viral music email-blasts. The truth is, there are plenty of good-hearted, professional and compassionate, people in the entertainment industry. We are compiling the results of the most recent study, and will personally thank each and every person who by their own standards, exhibited grace and integrity.
Eway Media research: Attitudes of entertainment corporations and reps toward independent labels and artists.
Posted: August 20, 2011 in UncategorizedEway Media recently conducted an independent research experiment on 50 major entertainment sources, to gauge their willingness to respond and assist independent labels and artists. In the study, we randomly selected 50 entertainment industry corporations and representatives/execs that had initially contacted Eway employees, or Eway as a corporation, by emails or business stationary (cards, links, magazines, media print etc.).
The findings were both surprising and expected, giving the current economy, and standard ethics in the industry. The sample consisted of: 25 businesses, and 25 individuals. We hypothesized that less than 20% of these corporations and individuals would respond. We were also interested in the probability that any replies or response would be personalized versus automated responses.
The following were the methods of establishing contact:
1. Add to Network request on LinkedIn
2. Friendly email via personal or professional email
3. Facebook Friend request to the individual
We categorized three reasons for which companies and representatives initially contacted Eway or our staff.
1. Soliciting for products and services
2. Offering products or services
3. Networking sources.
Also, the types of requests from Eway to companies and individuals were:
1. To network on specialty or services relevant to the company or individuals
2. Ask of an industry favor specifically requiring and asking for a response
3. Request directional assistance, providing contact information and synopsis of project and reason for contact
This is an example of the email we sent to our contacts.
EX} Hello_______, my name is________ from Eway Media and Entertainment. I am emailing you to establish contacts within the entertainment industry. Eway is a small, independent label based in Los Angeles. Since 2010, we have remained diligent in our efforts to grow, make contacts, in the industry, and better serve our independent artist and the label. I am requesting any information or resources which might help us in our professional growth and endeavors. We depend on larger corporations, with expert staff, and knowledge of the industry. I request that you please reply to me with additional information to guide us in the right direction.
Thanks for your time, and we look forward to hearing from you.
[Name]
We established the measurement content based on the following variables; if a company replied via:
1. E-mail or phone call
2. Automated reply
3. Personal reply/directing to another source
FINDINGS: Of the 50 corporations and individuals contacted, only 10% percent replied to our attempts to network. Of the 5 sources responding to our requests, 3 were individuals, and 2 were companies. Of the 3 individuals, 2 attempted to offer services as consultants independent of their positions at the corporations, while 1 remained representative of the corporation. Of the 2 businesses, 1 reply was an automated response, and 1 was a representative who replied with a phone call to the company. Twenty-three companies ignored our attempts to establish contact, while 22 individuals never responded to our attempts to establish contact.
The findings from the experiment suggest a need for additional research on the attitudes of major entertainment corporations and representatives toward independent labels and artists, and the rate at which they respond to smaller companies’ requests for services or help (vs. requests for products and services). These findings have led Eway Media to theorize the following: Larger entertainment companies and their representatives respond to independent labels and artists if they are soliciting products and services; while avoiding to offer industry guidance and resources. We also assume that major companies would be more responsive if they had a vested interest, or if the artist or label could benefit them financially.
Started in 1997 in Indianapolis Indiana, Peace Learning Center (PLC) has reached more than 140,000 people locally and internationally. Peace Learning is a documentary of the PLC’s gift of giving conflict resolution skills to over 45,000 inner-city youth and adults. ‘A local ‘best practice’ that has demonstrated the effectiveness of teaching young adults and at-risk youth creative ways of resolving conflicts, personal responsibility, and character building.’
This transformative film encourages positive change in the lives of viewers. Peace Learning was submitted the 2oth Heartland Film Festival to take place in October in Indianapolis. Footage was shot primarily on 35mm film on HD cam, with optical soundtrack, composite condition, and was formatted digitally and uploaded to Withoutabox and Vimeo. The intimate portrait of Peace Learning Center draws upon the daily program activities inside of the PLC headquarters in Eagle Creek Park in Indianapolis. As Eagle Creek Park is the fourth largest urban park in the United States, it is a beautiful setting and wonderful location for nature hikes year-round.
A partnership with the City of Indianapolis and Indy Parks and Recreation provides this incredible facility for PLC members of the community. Even international pop and rock representative of humanity Bono, and superstar activist Chris Tucker have coordinated with PLC on international peace initiatives. Evaluations of Peace Learning Center programs showed that over 88% of participants learned at least three new ways to manage conflicts, while the mightiness of the quantitative success further shows a decrease in school suspensions by 68%.
The documentary captures the qualitative essence of the center’s ability to promote positive change and transformation to the masses. Peace Learning is an uplifting and entertaining biography that will appeal to younger and older audiences alike. It is our intention that the film will resonate beyond the boundaries of Indiana as the focus is on global issues of peace. Heartland Truly Moving Pictures recognizes and honors filmmakers whose work artistically expresses hope and respect for positive values of life. Peace Learning Center (PLC) is an Indianapolis-based community educational institution promoting healthy learning in the workplace and community environments. The goal of the documentary project is to promote processes to help build community and healthy communication for youth, parents, and professionals through a visual presentation.
Directed & Produced by, Darren Bunton
This week will be full of lots of news and reports from media insiders. Spotify made its US debut on Thursday of last week and Starc Music is testing out MySpace in order to determine if their services will benefit independent artists and labels. I will review several movies that are now showing, including the 3-D infused Hogwarts of Director David Yates. Also be on the look out for several new topics and plans for the international cultural arts exchange initiative.
In the meantime, read more here: http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/movie_reviews/b252412_movie_review_relax_they_didnt_screw_up.html#ixzz1SPcnjx4X
Social media and digital technology in overcoming cultural barriers
Posted: July 11, 2011 in UncategorizedUnderstanding and breaking down cultural barriers has become so much easier with the use of digital and social media technology. Fans from around the world can download and play their favorite band’s latest music or videos. News stories spread quickly, and revolutions are started with the post of a status.
The ability to disseminate information to the masses in an incredibly short amount of time, and the presence of global corporations on sites like Facebook, is evidence of the effectiveness of social media marketing. Digital and social media enables us to initiate cross-cultural exchanges of entertainment, which ultimately opens the door for dialogue and interaction between persons of various societies. Many independent record labels and artists are able to share their projects and establish contact with fans from the Middle East, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean.
Digital and social media as a means of self-expression, networking, a marketing tool, and to influence international culture, is an ever evolving science in the modern advancements in digital technologies. In the same sense, the way in which cultures interact is evolving exponentially. Perhaps digital integration media as a medium, though still immature, will surely grow with generations to come as is the television. Maybe social media can remain friendly to general users, while advancing in its ability to deliver creative innovations for product manufacturers. In the process, there are numerous accountability and ethical issues such as conflict minerals regulations, and quality control that must remain priority. That’s another subject for a different time. To echo what was previously mentioned, the innovations in social media and digital technology contribute to the way in which cultures interact. In summation, gathering places like Social Media Today, serve as a conduit for the social media professional in assisting organizations and companies that conduct business internationally.
Social media can also serve as an icebreaker in establishing contact with someone in or from a different culture. Outsourcing and international ecommerce often requires constant virtual contact with multi-cultural individuals. As with most introductions, people are often uncomfortable at first, at least in person. In contrast, social media sites such as the more professional-oriented site LinkedIn, offer a virtual environment in which individuals can become acquainted, while each conducts their due diligence.
Finally, social media sites offer members a chance to scroll through biographies and résumés, look at photos, and basically gather information from the process of due diligence. By learning a little bit about a person beforehand via social media, people feel more comfortable expressing themselves. Through expression, the parties break down some cultural barriers that might otherwise complicate performance and productivity. Once a comfortable line of communication is established, the parties are able to focus on the common goal. One of the only remaining challenges might be in understanding each other’s language, which could actually be fun and just as educational. Programs such as Google Translate allow you to convert text to almost any language.
