Fuel Victory

"Product Specialist" Candace Foote reppin' the Graffiti

Today's post is fueled by NOS Energy Drink . . . literally.  I'm drinking one right now.  NOS is my favorite energy drink not because it's of the same name as the laughing gas that gives your car extra horsepower; not because it's the NOS button that Paul Walker and Vin Diesel press at the last second to beat their racing rival; but because the NOS team is an example of grassroots marketing at its finest.

I see the NOS team at almost every event that I attend, handing out free, full-sized cans of NOS Energy Drink to anyone who so much as glances their way.  If you're at a sunny, outdoor event and an attractive "product specialist" offers you an ice cold can of NOS, chances are pretty high that you're going to take one and drink it right away.  BOOM!  Mission accomplished.  You've tasted NOS and the next time you're wandering into a gas station convenience store, you'll recognize the blue and orange label and probably pick up a can due to familiarity.

As artists, we should follow NOS Energy Drink's marketing philosophy and have our work or ourselves be seen by as many people as often as possible.  "But NOS Energy Drink is a company and they're doing marketing to improve their sales and brand recognition!" you may argue.  Yes, that is true, they are a company, but on the other hand, aren't you, as an artist, a company as well?  You are the boss, the product and the employee.  If people don't know about you and/or your work, how can they like you or want to be your fan?

My current goal as an artist is to let people know that I exist.  I'm working on "getting myself out there".  What does that mean?  I'm not sure, but at a minimum, I show up.  I show up to support other artists, I show up to meet new people and I show up for the sake of showing up.  That's exactly what NOS Energy Drink does: they show up to everything.  As a result, the community feels a certain level of comfort with them and inevitably will build a bond with the brand.

We should all strive to be as prolific as possible.  Use the multitude of free tools available to you like Youtube, Facebook, Twitter, etc. to share your work with the world.  It also doesn't hurt to get out and personally make a connection with someone as those are the strongest and longest lasting impressions.

Pop open a cold can of NOS and fuel yourself to victory with some new age grassroots marketing.  Go viral!

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