November 14, 2005

On the Road to Recovery

Mississippi recently ran an ad in the Wall Street Journal touting the state's new resolve to economic development post-Katrina. "Amid the debris, Mississippi found its future," claims the headline over a gloomy orange/black image of Katrina's devastation.

The body copy talks about the state's newly coordinated resources and commitment "to building one of the most advanced economic infrastructures in the country."

I admire the state for taking a positive approach and coming out fighting with a message of pride and commitment. And I'm reminded of how the Charleston economic development community really began to pull together after Hurricane Hugo in 1989...and again, when the Navy Base closure was announced in 1993.

The color orange is unfortunate for this message. One hardly associates orange with hope. Maybe they think it's sunshine. But it looks like Halloween.

What do these devastated areas do now? I had a very long interview with a reporter from the New Orleans Times Picayune who was asking just that. She heard that we were very involved in post-Hugo communications, and she wondered what we did that was especially effective.

I think there were four keys to effective communications at that time. The first is a constant in our business: keep people informed all the time with the best possible information at your disposal. Second, communicate a message of hope. This was so tragically missing in New Orleans. There was no message of hope. Third, communicate the specific needs of the citizens of your community to those who can help meet those needs. And fourth, let the world outside know that you are not defeated and they should continue to visit, do business, and have confidence in your area.

Those are somewhat tricky waters to navigate, especially all at once. But it's clearly the key to a successful rebound.

On the Value of Great Art

Art, I believe, is a mighty powerful communicator. Some of the best art communications are the drawings of artists, because you can more readily see how the image comes together...there's a sense of immediacy that is diminished in more time-consuming work like painting and sculpture.

Michael Kimmelman recently wrote about the fantastic exhibition of Van Gogh drawings presently at the Met Museum in New York. It's the last line of his paragraph that I find so very true:

"As they say, in the flesh great art, no matter how often it has been dully reproduced or mistaken for a price tag or overrun by crowds, somehow retains its dignity and originality. It slows your system and demands that you stop and look afresh."

"Looking afresh" is exactly what we try to do in our business. Finding smart new ways to engage consumers with powerful brands. Art can give us powerful inspiration.