Plein Air Convention: Part 9 - B. Eric Rhoads, Marketing Genius!



B. Eric Rhodes standing on stage at the opening of each morning.

As Olive Oil would say, "What a man, what a man!"

Yes, Eric is quite a guy! I've certainly never met anyone like him before. Entrepreneur, Radio Man, Magazine Guru, Marketing Genius and Mastermind of the Publisher's Invitational 'Paint the Adirondacks, and then, the 1st Annual Plein Air Convention. Just a few things in his long resume that prove he really is a marketing genius.

He has ideas, and 'people' that make his ideas come to fruition. Not a bad place to be.

And I have to say, that even while the Convention was going on, he was still adding things to the program. For instance, he flew in a woman from England to translate for the 'Russian Master' - before and while he was painting.

And one of the things he added along the way of planning a phenomenal Convention was his 'Early Bird Marketing Boot Camp'. This took place each morning starting at 6:30 AM. Need I say the house was packed? Coffee was served along with breakfast!

Here's what he started with: Get more galleries, change your thinking patterns, and you must work harder than you ever have in your life. Next, Eric went on to tell the story of how during the Great Depression of 1929, Post Cereal, the #1 Brand in their market, stopped advertising. Kellogg's was a small business at that time, but they started to advertise, and by 1933 Kellogg's became the #1 Brand in that market.

What did Eric do? In the midst of this recession that we have been having, he re-launched Plein Air Magazine!

What did he tell us to do?

Go see other artist's paint, those that are at he top of their game.
Learn about marketing.
Meet People - for camaraderie and marketing.
Travel.
Paint - and learn something new to teach.


Artist case in point: Henry Darger


The above link is to an article in the San Francisco Chronicle from 2008. It talks about Henry's life as a menial hospital worker, and his reclusive life, and the amazing work that was discovered just before he died at the age of 81.

What's the point? no one knew Henry was creating scads of art! He never made a penny, but now his work is in museums and sells for at least $80,000 a piece!
 


Click here to see more images.

 PEARLS OF WISDOM:  

• There is no romance in being a starving artist, or in thinking that an artist is not a business person.
• There is nothing evil, wrong, or manipulative in marketing.

Now, here's where you start :
WRITE YOUR OWN OBITUARY, up to today!