Kicking this sucker off

Well, here we are. Wecome to my very first real weblog. I say real because a blog is an interesting breed. Anyone can post their thoughts on a document and have it published. We usually call those columns. But blogs are out there for anyone to interact with. I can post my thoughts, and so can you. I can rant about issues, and you can comment back. It's like my own personal interactive dairy, where you can play too. Sounds fun huh! Let's get started...

I should begin this posting by telling you about my current job and how we got to this current point. I work for ANG Newspapers and manage content on various web sites, including InsideBayArea.com. My focus is on sports, nightlife, wine and our photo galleries. Because of this, I've been looking for ways to generate traffic and money to our sites. After creating a nightlife section from scratch in Tampa, I have a rough idea of what needs to be done to make such a venture successful.

You need good content first and foremost. You need money to spend on sponsorship and marketing. And above all things, you need exposure. I'm not talking about an ad placed inside a newspaper most in our generation don't currently read. I'm talking about down and dirty exposure where we the producers get into the faces of our audience. Some call this guerrilla marketing. I call it smart and agressive.

So taking this approach, myself and my coworkers have decided to get in good with all the various nightlife venues of the Bay Area. We also dedicated ourselves to learning and knowing all the society events that occur from the shores of Crissy Field to the banks of Jack London. Last week we got started by attending the private GenArt opening party at the new H&M department stores.







The event came complete with funky models, SF socialites and our very own San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom. DJs layed down mash-up tracks of 80s/Top-40 while cocktail staff stood in strategic locations awaiting thirsty shoppers. It was one of the most unique events I had ever been to.

Of course, I don't work in the fashion industry, so this could be the norm for opening parties. Then again, it could have been lame. I hear some events in places like New York and Milan attract Hollywood celebs waiting to get their hands on the latest Dolce & Gabbana. But with over 1000 standing in a line wrapped halfway around the block, this was no chump rump in the boondocks.







Yes kids, this was a full-scale fashion party with those in the know and those just wishing to know. And my sole purpose was to be seen at the event, shake some hands and get the word of InsideBayArea.com out to the public. I got my photo taken with the Mayor, talked with execs from H&M and met with the manager of this new store. All seemed very excited about what lies ahead for H&M and all seemed generally appreciative of our media coverage. In fact, most asked for my card and hopefully they were scanning our site for the nifty photo gallery we posted from the event.

I might be a newbie at this fashion opening type gig, but our mission was accomplished. We followed up that performance with a visit to the Armani Exchange party at the Top of the Mark. And as usual, we closed out with a latte from Starbucks in Union Square.

posted by DVS @ 12:40 AM 2 comments