After attending quite a few Walldog meets,I just can't understand why the media doesn't pick up on it. What a great community service is done each time and if the coverage would get to be national we would be busy all the time. The for free meets could become profitable for all uf us in all around the country. Cities and municipalities could benefit from the murals, it has been proven. Local companies would be getting called to do murals. It seems sad but true that the media is only interested in bad news. As long as we don't fall off a scaffold or get murdered, our work will go on not being recognized.
Posted by Jill Marie Welsh (Member # 1912) on June 05, 2006 09:21 AM:
I hear ya Bill. There was some good coverage of Stewart's meet, and Pierre's as well. Meets are such a feel-good thing. Maybe it's only in America that nobody gives a darn. love....Jill
Posted by Si Allen (Member # 420) on June 05, 2006 09:24 AM:
You are correct, Bill!
The Pressroom mantra is :
"If it bleeds, it leads!"
Posted by Bob Rochon (Member # 30) on June 05, 2006 09:27 AM:
I have to agree with Si, If nobody was raped maimed, or murdered, it doesn't get attention.
Why would anyone want to seee positive news? Posted by Russ McMullin (Member # 5617) on June 05, 2006 09:33 AM:
I agree. The media really does tend to concentrate on the negative most of the time.
Hmmm. Maybe we could stage it so the media found it more interesting. Anyone interesting in dying for a good cause? Posted by Bill Diaz (Member # 2549) on June 05, 2006 09:58 AM:
We looked into it during the Atlanta, IL walldog meet a few years ago, Bill. Once we found out the red tape involved, no one on the committee was interested in spending the time on it. So it got dropped.
The Illinois Route 66 people were going to take it up, but nothing came out of that either. The 66 people have used the murals in Atlanta on brochures and other travel poop. The town of Atlanta has enjoyed a boom in tourism because of their involvement with the walldogs. Rt 66 is the third largest tourist attraction in Illinois, behind Chicago and the Abraham Lincoln attractions in Springfield.
At that Atlanta meet we did have a barn painter come to do a seminar. He knew Harley Warwick, who was the last and most famous of the Mail Pouch barn painters. This young guy, Scott Hagan, painted the Ohio bicentennial logo on a barn in each county in Ohio, I think it was 88 barns all together. We got in touch with him because we saw him on the "CBS Sunday Morning" program and we though he had something to lend. He had never been to a Letterhead/Walldog meet and was honored and impressed to be there.
I thing the walldog experience will eventually find its way on national television maybe in a place like "CBS Sunday Morning", "Dateline", or "60 Minutes." If I know some of these communities--they will do whatever it takes to promote their towns. If I had it to do over, I would make sure a film person was aware of it and have one of these things documented and then get it to the right person. Coincidently, I have a guy living right across the street from me who films commercials, is in the union -- the whole ball of wax. He works mostly in Chicago which is where he hails from, but he has worked all over the country and even oversees and has a lot of connections. We discussed it briefly over martinis one day, he seemed interested, but I think he wanted to be hired and paid and I looked at it more as a volunteer thing, so it was never pursued.
It will happen some day, though, and I'm hoping that will provide a bunch of work for a bunch of folks. I have been hired to do murals after the Atlanta meet, based on the exposure I got there. I've got 2 waiting on approval right now.
[ June 05, 2006, 10:00 AM: Message edited by: Bill Diaz ]
Posted by Kelly Thorson (Member # 2958) on June 05, 2006 10:09 AM:
Well with the Moose Jaw Theme of Gangsters maybe we can arrange that. Volunteers?
Actually, I suspect if someone took the time to write the stories I believe they could get some National Coverage. It's a matter of getting the word out. Arts and Human Interest get good coverage in Canada at least. There are loads of small rural papers always looking for filler materials. Those are the communities that would really benefit from something like this and usually have a few councillors with big dreams. Maybe Cisco's work will help to promote Walldogging.
I've been considering putting something together for the Moose Jaw Herald about my experience in Lodi, as an introduction to our 2007 meet. The truth is we are the ones who are responsible for alerting the media and bringing them on board. We have a magazine called Our Canada that profiles communities and their stories. They would be another good choice for profiling a Walldogging Event.
Posted by Stefanie Fox (Member # 6523) on June 05, 2006 10:09 AM:
Question: Is there a way to turn this around by spoon-feeding the media with our information as a self-promotional marketing plan to be showcased? Just a thought...
Note: the same local newspaper that fired me four years ago (just before my benefits would begin) for "not being a team player" featured me this last Christmas season on the FRONT page including a 9"x11" photo of me painting a Window Splash with the caption "A Stroke of Holiday Genius!"...hmmm, from "fired to genius" go figure!
Posted by David Harding (Member # 108) on June 05, 2006 10:55 AM:
Stefanie,
The genius in charge probably fired you because you were a threat.
Since "If it bleeds, it leads" rules the media, someone's gotta take one for the team by making a big dive off the scaffolding at the next Walldog meet. With my smart mouth, I'll probably get thrown off.
Posted by mike meyer (Member # 542) on June 05, 2006 10:56 AM:
been there, talked into as many camera's as I could, sat down with as many paper reporters as I could, did radio interviews too. Same thing, the general public take it for granted. After the meet in Lincon, the general public thinks we just "drive to the next town to mop up" (That's a qoute from one of the Lincon City COuncil person's wife!) The charity that is appears to be and the greed is really getting old for me. I have more and more people from other states contacting me and the first thing I talk about is the benefits it has on the community....not the money. It would be easy to say "sure, We'll paint yur town, ya got 50K?" This is getting to the point, but in a rude way. They need to be shown the impact it can have. When it is going on, and when it is done, the general pubilc thinks the leaders and charipeople "made a killing" on painting this town.....quite the contrary. The TOWN makes a killing, on US.
The red tape and politics are really wearing down a wall dog like me. I just want to paint!
I do think maybe someday the media attention will take a hold but sadly, the media will not embrace it unless it's a fundraiser for some group, person, or historical idea. And when they do, it's just a "Filler" before the Sports or at the end of the newscast. A "Cutesy" story.
We are put in the same catagory as the 4-Her's planting flowers. (Not that there's anything wrong with that.) geez... Sad but true.
Posted by Jill Marie Welsh (Member # 1912) on June 05, 2006 11:10 AM:
Maybe all us SignChicks could get together at a meet and make a video. At least someone would watch that. "Letterbabes behaving badly" or some such. Just kidding. Anytime I ever contacted the media they seemed very uninterested. Even the local schools didn't care. The Butler Eagle, our closest newspaper, only contacted me after the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette ran a story. I had written to the Eagle months in advance of my meet. How about we attack our slow-pay clients with dried-up fitches at a meet? Surely that would garner some coverage. Or we could throw paint at the spectators who ask if it's freehand or say we mispelled something. love....Jill
Posted by Joe Cieslowski (Member # 2429) on June 05, 2006 11:38 AM:
There is a formula that I have used that works. It takes some pre planning. Press releases need to go to specific writers. Anything sent to a news paper will get lost if it doesn't have somebody's name on it. Send it to folks who write about community events, lifestyle,business, entertainment etc. It must be labeled "Press Release" for emediate release. Other wise it gets lost in the pile. Keep it short and interesting. WWWWW!!! Photos are good too. Having a voulenteer org. sponsor helps alot (NOT the C of C). Get a politition involved. The higher up the better... There's more.....
TV... find out when the weekend editor starts their work week....tues? Wed? CALL em when they sit down with their first cup of coffee. There is no hard news on weekends, so they have to find something to send their cameras to. They have a big pile of mail!!! Tell em it's free, tell em a LOT of people will be there, who the politition is ( ) as well as who the sponsor is. Charity auction for the library, anyone?
There is more......it can be done.....
My 2 cents...
Joe
Makin Chips and Havin Fun!
Posted by jack wills (Member # 521) on June 05, 2006 12:36 PM:
They are stuck in "LOW" gear. Noyice that the loacal business owner has a lock on the event.
Jack
Posted by Adam May (Member # 4844) on June 05, 2006 01:54 PM:
Mike, I agree with what you are saying. How long can we keep doing walldog meets that end up becoming slave labor. The best thing to to is just to learn from mistakes and move on with better knowledge for when you run the next one. We have been pretty lucky with media coverage both in print and television.
Joe you are absolutely correct about timelyness of press releases and who actually recieves them. Unless you shoot high on the list of reciepients nothing will ever happen to the material.
The Jacksonville meet is looking like we are gonna get really good media coverage. We already have 2 newspapers, 2 local tv stations and PBS involved in it. Newspaper coverage will be daily through the event but probally not revisited after we leave. The local tv stations will probally show up the first day and wonder why there is no paint on the walls and not come back to se the project finished. PBS will be comming in and filming a documentary off an on through out the event. Who knows. Maybe this will help get the networks involved. The amount of work we put in and the quality product we leave behind should go national. We just haven't made that jump yet. It is only a matter of time and discovery, TLC or the major networks will catch onto what we do for other people and communities.
My answer. Keep painting cause it makes us feel good, helps us learn and become better artists.
That's my 2 1/2 cents.
Posted by Curtis hammond (Member # 2170) on June 05, 2006 02:55 PM:
I've personally done dozons of Press Releases over the years. Generally, I goto the office at least 2 weeks before hand. Then a few days before, and then send a card to the actual reporter as a reminder. REporters do not work 7 days a week. They have weekends off just like so many others.
If you can supply them with as much work already done for them,, they will use it.. But they need to communicate with the event handlers.
Inform them this is ALL VOLUNTEER, NO one gets PAID. And that The artists supply thier own materials etc.
I know many have already done this but someONE must follow thru with it or it will never get the attention it deserves.
I personally was involved with many huge public events over the years as an unpaid volunteer and listened to the uninformed make certain comments as to the profits invloved. Once "they" found out my (and those with me) position was unpaid, volunteer and my own expense to be there the attitudes quickly changed. In fact, one event wanted to charge us for WATER. That is untill they found out we were there at our own expenses. Suddenly they could not feed or water us enough.. The perceptions of value verses profits verses the reality must be comunicated..
ITs sad, that "they" think there is huge profits involved. ITs hard for them to beleive that people work for the love of it. Especially when they percive the value. And that perception is so obvious when "they" make comments like "mopping up" on the next town.
Finally, This is a great social event for so many reallly fine people. To heck with the negative morons who think a killing in profits was mopped up.. Those uninformed will be found out as ignorant when the word gets out it was done for FREE, and that the artists PAID thier own ways to do these paintings..
Press REleases. Follow ups. Must be completed. Some kind of info sheet will really make a difference..
[ June 05, 2006, 03:07 PM: Message edited by: Curtis hammond ]
Posted by Mike Barnes (Member # 2277) on June 05, 2006 03:23 PM:
I suddenly became lost in thought over Jill sugesting a video............Sign Chicks Gone Wild...............um, what was the topic again???????
Posted by James Donahue (Member # 3624) on June 05, 2006 04:54 PM:
Some off the wall ideas:
I once heard somewhere that if you're opening a store, you should tape up large paper entirely covering the windows, so that it creates a feeling of 'mystery', that people want to know more about. So, after the scafolding is put up, it gets wrapped with canvas dropcloths all around, which has 4 foot tall letters saying "TOP SECRET". Might generate some curiousity.
Or during the weeks leading up to the event, a half finished slogan or sentence could be written on each wall, the saying being completed just before the painting.
Or maybe some sort of good natured competition. The crews would be named "The homestate boys" vs the "Out of state gang", the public would vote on which mural they liked best.
You would still need media cooperation, but this might help generate interest. Also, contact groups like the Urban League, places that help people find jobs, etc, tell them what this will do for the community. They might have contacts, pull strings, put the event in their publications, etc. Posted by Murray MacDonald (Member # 3558) on June 05, 2006 06:23 PM:
Maybe it helps to live in a small city. Our daily newspaper has run a pic of something or else our company is doing several times a year (my favourite was Murray lettering a window at the Christmas Cheer headquarters). Because we are active on many local committees, someone calls regularly for opinions on sign bylaws, historic buildings, etc. But we have both worked hard to position ourselves as "local experts" - like I said, it's a small city. Kenora Stuff is a local magazine, published annually and placed in hotels, etc with advertising for tourists - very high quality. They have featured our upcoming meet- great photo spread on our shop - with Murray writing the story. Both the daily and weekly newspaper and the TV station have done great "pre-stories" on our meet, and are lined up for more coverage in advance of, and during the meet. But we court them It is the best, no cost advertising. We provide leads, write the stories, make contacts. But we know most of the local media, and make it easy for them. Just one of the benefits of living in a small city. Deb
Posted by Roy Frisby (Member # 736) on June 05, 2006 11:19 PM:
Okay, who is game for going nekkid at the Lincoln, Ill. walldog event? That should make the national news. Posted by Jane Diaz (Member # 595) on June 06, 2006 10:45 AM:
Should be interesting.... while you run around nekkid in Lincoln, WE will all be in Jacksonville, Roy! There was a lady here in a small town close by that made the nathional news quite a few years ago for mooning George W's train while he was running this area doing a campaign tour. I taught her in grade school and she was a rip snorter then too! Posted by Pierre Tardif (Member # 3229) on June 12, 2006 04:52 PM:
We sent a nicely written press release two or three days before "French Kiss A Brush". Out of two newspaper one replyed sunday and it was too late I told them!
But two TV station came to film the meet and we got nice reports primetime on the news at 6, nation wide!!
I still have some DVD left if you want one, let me know.
I think it all depends how you promote your event and what you put on your press release. It has to be appealing to the reporters.
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Tell em it's free, tell em a LOT of people will be there, who the politition is ( ![[I Don t Know]](graemlins/dunno.gif)
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