Connection to Culture, Community & Customers.

These are always the hardest blog posts to write, a “top three” list to highlight in why your organisation can grow and benefit from art. Because I talk, think & breathe art all day everyday for a variety of clients - all I see is the HUGE value art can bring businesses just like yours!

So let’s try find the three very best reasons YOUR ORGANISATION needs art and why it needs it ASAP!

First - Culture. Grab your notebook write this down, art IS culture. Art is born & bred through its ability to tell stories of different cultures - things that bring people together. From traditional sailor tattoos sharing tales of the seas between seamen through to graffiti visually sharing stories from hip hop music and underground/ street wear culture.

Art can be used creatively in the same manner by organisations to show allegiance to a culture & share your story within this culture. If your organisation wants to connect with a culture you need to think about using AUTHENTIC art (key word here, AUTHENTIC, don’t just throw the “street art” idea off to your in-house graphic designer). You need art created FOR the culture to connect WITH the culture & give your brand or organisation the kudus that comes with it.

The second benefit art will bring your organisation - Community. A culture will attract people together to form their community around the culture. With the rise of social media - people think we are becoming LESS connected with community. But really, in this age of Facebook, Instagram & “followers instead of friends” people are actively seeking out connection to a culture, this is found in their community. 

So as an organisation, if you can’t connect with your community you’ve got issues. And what resonates for people? Genuine messaging and authentic actions - not you brand logo or marketing approved cut & paste responses. But think about what your organisation values - creativity? self expression? Innovation? The music or scene? - Now show me how your brand logo shares these values with your community? Probably doesn’t really does it? 

This is were art comes in - used wisely, and creatively, art can illustrate and capture these HUMAN values through images that your community will see & be drawn to because they reflect & share a story relevant to the community. 

The final benefit art will bring to your organisation os an obvious one - if your organisation shares stories from the culture and connect to the community.

Your customers. Your customers are PEOPLE seeking connection from a community, they are PEOPLE who love the culture - and for your organisation to be a part of their life (through purchasing your products/ service) you need to share this connection and passion for culture with them. 

Art already exists in every community & culture, so if you use it creatively and AUTHENTICALLY, you will connect directly with your customers on a powerful & emotional level and they WILL want to buy from you and remember & recommend you to friends. And they will see your brand differently then the other guys who just keep flogging their brand logo at them thinking “if it’s good enough for Nike, then its good enough for us!” (not true, ask me why!).  

But Kyle, why do we need art ASAP? Well, you know how quickly the world is moving these days - thanks to social media it is amazing how quickly information, images & stories are being shared around communities. So why would you sit back and wait to start making the most of connecting with your customers? Grab their attention NOW, give them value NOW or else you might lose the chance to really do something special with them.

But hey, thats just based on my experience with my clients! Do you disagree? I’d love to hear why! Shoot me an email HERE and lets hear your thoughts.