NEW YORK and ORLANDO, Fla., Oct. 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Stagwell (NASDAQ: STGW), the challenger network built to transform marketing, today announced Chairman and CEO Mark Penn will be a featured speaker at the 2023 Association of National Advertisers (ANA) Masters of Marketing Conference, where he will present on:

Microtrends: Hidden Forces Shaping the Consumer of Tomorrow
The future is not shaped by society’s broad forces, but by quiet changes within narrow slices of the population. Stagwell CEO, presidential pollster, and New York Times bestselling author Mark Penn explores dozens of counterintuitive microtrends across business, politics, and culture – from Wagyu sales to internet dating – that illuminate a world in upheaval and the future of marketing.

The session will take place at 8:40 am-9:15 am EST in Gatlin C/D on Friday, Oct. 27.

About Stagwell
Stagwell (NASDAQ: STGW) is the challenger network built to transform marketing. We deliver scaled creative performance for the world’s most ambitious brands, connecting culture-moving creativity with leading-edge technology to harmonize the art and science of marketing. Led by entrepreneurs, our 13,000+ specialists in 34+ countries are unified under a single purpose: to drive effectiveness and improve business results for their clients. Join us at www.stagwellglobal.com.

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Sarah Arvizo
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SOURCE Stagwell Inc.

Johns Hopkins University has joined nearly 300 cultural institutions on Bloomberg Connects, an app offering free digital access to art collections and exhibits around the world. Through the app, users can listen to exclusive audio guides, read commentary from art critics and historians, and view countless works of art. Johns Hopkins’ digital collection launched at Bloomberg CityLab 2023 conference on Wednesday, Oct. 18.

Art is everywhere at Johns Hopkins, almost hidden in plain sight. Rather than being shepherded into a single gallery, works both commissioned and collected have been seamlessly integrated into their surroundings. In its current iteration, the Bloomberg Connects guide features art from the Homewood campus, the Sheikh Zayed Tower and Charlotte R. Bloomberg Children’s Center at Johns Hopkins Hospital in East Baltimore, and the new Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg Center at 555 Pennsylvania Ave. in Washington, D.C.

All together, more than 200 public works of art found on Hopkins campuses are included, from historic portraits to large-scale sculptures to small sketches on paper. Bloomberg Connects is available for download on iOS and Android devices.

“Having a public art collection adds an aesthetic dimension to the campus environment that can be inspiring, thought-provoking, and even delightful,” said Elisabeth Long, Sheridan Dean of University Libraries, Archives, and Museums. “We want to create spaces that are rich in meaning for our students, faculty, staff, and visitors. Innovative new digital tools like Bloomberg Connects foster even deeper inquiry and engagement with our public art while expanding access to the collection to the widest possible audience.”

Homewood campus

One of Gilman Hall’s most defining features is the white lanterns suspended from the atrium’s three-story ceiling. These sculptural pieces, collectively titled Vessel Field, were commissioned from artist Kendall Buster and inspired by artifacts in the Johns Hopkins Archaeological Museum just one floor below. According to the Bloomberg Connects guide, the vessels stand “in contrast to the opaque, dense character of ancient pottery formed from clay.”

Tucked away on the north end of the Homewood campus is the Bufano Sculpture Garden, a wooded respite from the bustle of academic life populated with stone bears, camels, penguins, and other whimsical animals sculpted by ​​Beniamino Bufano. Lined with benches and a shady gazebo, it’s a relaxing spot to study—or to take a break from studying.

Johns Hopkins Hospital

The Sheikh Zayed Tower and Charlotte R. Bloomberg Children’s Center are literally encased in art. The colors and patterning of the building’s exterior are the work of artist Spencer Finch. Finch’s subtle palette of 26 colors as well as the whiter layers of watery markings infused in the glass were inspired by the French Impressionist painter, Claude Monet—notably his famous gardens and lily ponds outside of Paris at Giverny.

Hundreds of works of art can also be discovered throughout the interiors of both the Zayed Tower and the Bloomberg Children’s Center, intended to uplift the spirits and bring comfort to patients of all ages, as well as their families. In the Bloomberg Children’s Center, the main theme is The Joys of Reading—with sculptures, dioramas, photographs, and paintings inspired by classic children’s books. Similarly uplifting are the works that can be found throughout the Zayed Tower, where the common thread is Nature and the Natural World.

Hopkins Bloomberg Center

The debut of Johns Hopkins’ Bloomberg Connects guide coincides with the opening of the Hopkins Bloomberg Center in Washington, D.C. Prominently featured in the building are four permanent art installations, expressly commissioned to integrate seamlessly within the new building’s dynamic interior. Each of these four initiatives were carefully planned during the earliest stages of the building’s development, in close coordination with the center’s architects and the Hopkins Design and Construction team.

The most expansive of the four works was created by Ethiopian artist Elias Sime and his studio team in Addis Ababda. Titled Roots, Sime’s work stretches around the three exterior walls of the center’s theater—a primary destination at the heart of the entire building. Spanning an area of more than 2,000 square feet, Sime has completely enshrouded the south, east, and north walls of the theater from floor-to-ceiling with lyrical compositions entirely made from woven wires, circuit boards, computer keys, and other electronic parts—sourced from Addis’ infamous market for e-waste. As a powerful presence from the moment one enters the Hopkins Bloomberg Center, Sime’s Roots speaks to renewal and innovation.

The other three installations may lack Roots‘ formidable size, but they’re equally impressive. Sam Gillam, widely recognized as one of the most innovative painters of his generation, was born in Tupelo, Mississippi, in 1933. He moved to Washington, D.C., as a young artist and made it his home until his death in 2022. He was able to complete his work for the ground floor of the center, A Lovely Blue And !, the year before. A radically thick, dense, and sculpturally shaped painting, it stands as a prime example of his late work.

Radiating out from the eastern end of the library floor, above the building’s entry, is a tile mural created by the Brazilian artist Sandra Cinto. Her blue and white composition alludes to an open book or manuscript, its page numbers upper left and right (20 and 23) recording the year her installation was completed. The graceful images of water and sky, as well as the pentagram, expand on the line of text emblazoned across the wall: “From every mountainside let freedom ring.” This line from “My Country, ‘Tis of Thee” echoes the 1963 landmark speech delivered by Dr. Martin Luther King as he stood in front of the Lincoln Memorial, as well as Marian Anderson’s history-making Lincoln Memorial Concert in 1939.

Finally, at the eastern end of Level 7, next to the Q Coffee Bar, is an informal gathering space graced by a glass mosaic mural. A work by Shahzia Sikander, her garden landscape, lushly rendered with vibrant bits of colored glass, it titled Metaxu—a Greek word meaning “in between” or “middle ground.” The Polish poet and essayist Adam Zagajewski reinterpreted the word to describe the state of a human being who is perennially nomadic; French philosopher Simone Weil further added to this definition, describing “metaxu” as the condition of those who pursue lifelong paths to truth and knowledge. Born in Lahore, Pakistan, as a young artist Sikander chose to learn the ancient techniques of miniature paintings created to illuminate manuscripts. Since moving to the United States in 1993 to continue her studies, she has gone on to create works of many scales, in a broad range of materials and techniques, replete with her own vocabulary of images and references. She generated her final imagery for Metaxu with a painting, which she then translated into a digital animation. Among other honors, Sikander is a recipient of the MacArthur prize (2006). She lives and works in New York City.

Prepare to immerse yourself in the world of The Other Art Fair, making a return to Brooklyn from November 9 to 12. This time, the fair brings together an ensemble of over 120 independent artists in a brand-new setting at ZeroSpace.

The November edition ignites with additions like an exclusive exhibition of paintings by Guest Artist Danny Cole, complimentary personalized haikus (exclusive to Thursday’s Opening Night!), a pop-up shop courtesy of OOH Baby, and an interactive AR fashion experience by Zero10. Attendees can also dive into hands-on workshops with the Secret Riso Club, custom pet portraits brought to life by Ben Lenovitz, and video portraits by Tamara Staples.

As the weekend arrives, the fair is alive with activity, attracting serious art enthusiasts and interior designers seeking fresh inspiration, as well as casual shoppers in pursuit of unique treasures. Instagram-worthy murals adorn the scene, complemented by a food and coffee menu served by Maman, and a bar that flows endlessly. This creates a unique atmosphere that has won the hearts of New York City’s adventure seekers and art lovers from all walks of life, from the mildly curious to seasoned collectors.

Here are five artists exhibiting at this upcoming edition:

Mongolian-American artist and cultural producer Eriko Tsogo navigates the diverse realms of visual art, esotericism, performance, social practice, and media as she delves into themes of identity, heritage, placemaking, longing, belonging, and the quest for a sense of home.

Charmaine Chanakira, “Strings Attached” (2022), acrylic on canvas

Charmaine Chanakira, a London-based painter with Zimbabwean roots, is an artist whose work is deeply rooted in the complexities of identity and movement. Through vibrant, brightly-colored canvases, Chanakira explores themes of decolonization and social justice.

Terra Keck, “Liquid Angels” (2023), graphite on paper

Brooklyn-based artist and performer Terra Keck is known for exploring folklore, magic, and spiritual visitation. Works in her recent solo exhibition, WRETCHED, combine traditional printmaking with mystical aesthetics from the late 1800s.

Lindsay Alexandria, “So it Goes” (2022), acrylic on wood

Lindsay Alexandria, a Brooklyn-based visual artist, draws inspiration from her upbringing surrounded by the lush landscapes of Pennsylvania. Her artistic journey has evolved to embrace oil painting as her primary medium, melding bold patterns with the ever-changing beauty of nature.

Gabriel Zea, “Go On and On with Homogenous Life” (2020), oil on wood

Colombian-American artist Gabriel Zea explores the intricate realm of traditional gender expressions through oil paintings intended to delve into how traditional ideals of masculinity and femininity can simultaneously confine and liberate individuals.

Mark your calendars for The Other Art Fair Brooklyn’s return from November 9 to 12. 

Secure your tickets now at theotherartfair.com/brooklyn.

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article Five Artists to Meet at The Other Art Fair’s Upcoming Brooklyn Edition appeared first on Colossal.

Art 120 will bring back its International Market and More series in Patten Parkway with a special celebration of Día de Todos los Santos (All Saints’ Day) on Saturday, Oct. 28.

The event series is free and open to the public, highlighting different art + cultural aspects within the city, beginning with the Latin American community.

From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., this first celebration will feature traditional dances from folklorico groups, Latin artwork, art activities inspired by the holiday + international food offerings (think: Guatemala, Brazil, Haiti, and more).

Bonus: The Bessie Smith Cultural Center will be hosting its Halloween Bash across the street — spend the day at both festivities.

RSVP online.

Three Keys To Leveraging Advances in Digital Media and Channels To Generate Revenue Outcomes

Marketers need to rethink their role in the modern commercial model as revenue growth evolves into a digital and data-driven team sport where resources are allocated to maximizing customer lifetime value at every stage of the revenue cycle. This is particularly true in businesses moving to digital, DTC, retail, product-led, and subscription revenue models where the emphasis is on driving omnichannel transactions, increased consumption, cross sell and upsell.

The budgets that marketers have traditionally managed have changed and shifted. Some – like traditional media and promotion – are a much smaller part of the growth equation. Others like owned and earned digital channels – and the content, systems, data and teams that make them run – have grown to command the lion’s share of both operating and capital budgets. Many of these growth budgets and assets are being shifted downstream to support value selling, digital commerce, loyalty, account development, and expansion activities. These activities are generally owned and managed by different functions. As a result over 90% of businesses are reorganizing their approach to managing the teams, channels, systems and data that support the revenue cycle according to the book Revenue Operations.

These dynamics have blurred the lines between marketing and their peers in sales, success, and service functions in the growth equation. Unless CMOs actively redefine their role to fit this modern go to market landscape, they risk being increasingly marginalized as curator of the brand, communications and media at the very front end of the revenue cycle.

How can CMOs redefine their role to contribute more value in the modern commercial model?

Look at the glass as half full. The shift to “4D” and omnichannel selling may have taken some budgets and responsibilities away from marketers. But it has also armed them with capabilities, media, technologies and channels that allow them to control the brand positioning, value story and revenue outcomes across every channel at every stage of the customer journey. “Marketers have an arsenal of social, phygital (physical plus digital), shopping, retail media, orchestrated customer experiences, AI and database tools and strategies that allow them to execute and extend their omnichannel business strategies to generate even greater revenue impact,” according to Randolph Browning, who leads Night Market, a division of Horizon Media that specializes in omnichannel and digital selling. Marketers need to take advantage of this to make themselves relevant. They need to play a bigger role aligning revenue teams, content, and processes around the customer. Those are areas where CMOs can add value and have credibility. That’s a big part of what Revenue Operations is all about.

To do that. they’ll have to overcome some entrenched perceptions about their role and financial contribution to the business. The CMOs and marketers I speak to are concerned that media has always been relegated to demand generation at the very, very front of the funnel. They continue to struggle to communicate and prove the value of their marketing investments to the board in terms of firm value and financial performance. There’s plenty of science to prove the financial value and contribution of their investments in the brand, media, sponsorships, ABM, AI and analytics. But the only scorecard that matters to the CEO, CFO and their C-suite peers is business outcomes. And the outcome that matters most to them is consistent, profitable and scalable revenue growth.

The reality is that connecting media and marketing actions to revenue is far less of a challenge in a modern commercial model. Today, every CMO has the opportunity to extend their impact through the entire revenue cycle – from awareness, through consideration, demand, transaction and beyond (into loyalty and expansion).

The media, channels, and technology are now there to do it. For example, progressive marketers are taking advantage of advanced paid, owned, and earned media channels to extend their impact at the consideration, demand and transaction stage of the customer journey.

Owned ecommerce and omnichannel sales have grown to dominate many product categories – from consumer packaged goods, apparel, electronics and hard goods – and increasingly business to business goods, services, subscriptions and SaaS solutions. Today, over 20% of retail sales now happen in digital channels through ecommerce – driving $6 Trillion in DTC sales globally, and even more omnichannel, upsell and cross sell transactions downstream.

Retail media and social commerce are among the fastest growing parts of the media mix because they allow marketers to extend their impact deeper into the revenue cycle by enhancing product packaging, placement, positioning and promotion and driving more sales transactions. Retail media will grow in North America to over 25% of total digital media spending ($100 Billion) in the next three years as almost every US retailer grows their investment in retail ad platforms like Amazon and Walmart. Social commerce – the process of selling products and services directly through social media – will drive $2 Trillion in sales globally in the next two years. Leading brands are shifting from traditional advertising to deliver engaging content, leverage influencer validation, convey benefits, simplify value propositions using platforms such as TikTok and YouTube Shopping.

In the book Revenue Operations, we push CMOs to go even further and assert more control over the conversations and communications that happen at every stage of the customer cycle. Value selling. Positioning against competitors. Addressing pain points. What’s lost on most CMOs over the age of forty is they can and should control every word that comes out of people’s lips, every RFP, every communication. “The most ambitious marketers are driving even deeper into the revenue cycle by weaving a “green thread” through every customer touchpoint, interaction and conversation along the customer journey,” says Chris Hummel, Co Author of Revenue Operations and a three time CMO. “We see marketers taking advantage of advances in sales enablement, engagement, readiness technologies and the ability of AI to proscriptively deliver, monitor and control in both human (e.g. customer support) and digital (e.g. chatbot) conversations.” For example, smart CMOs are using strategic response management platforms to govern every word in responses to RFPs, RFIS or email customer inquiries using AI, to ensure customer engagement is compliant, current, compelling, relevant and on brand.

Taking greater control of this “green thread” will help marketing leaders adjust to the realities of a more digital and data-driven growth model by aligning all stakeholders and connecting all company commercial assets, data, and business processes. It also creates enormous value. It yields a better customer experience, with consistent messaging at every interaction, and value being affirmed at every step. It eliminates margin leakage by reinforcing value at every stage of the customer journey. It generates higher returns on commercial assets by improving the utilization of expensive selling methods, training, validation content, and thought leadership. It extends and enforces value selling deep into the expansion phase of the revenue cycle – which is the primary driver of growth and engagement at most B2B companies.

How Can Marketers Take Action?

Weaving a “green thread” that generates revenue as the primary outcome of marketing and media programs is a matter of connecting the dots across marketing and sales and demonstrating the art of the possible to all of the stakeholders involved in the customer experience. Unfortunately, connecting the dots across the teams, processes, systems, channels and data sets that are required to execute revenue generating campaigns is not easy. “Organizational barriers can hinder many companies in maximizing the return on their revenue generating investments,” according to Peter Howard, who leads the Questrom Digital Business Institute at Boston University. “Marketing leaders can drive a shared core of expertise, tools, analytics and processes that support all revenue generating functions, including: sales, product development, pricing, customer service, and demand forecasting.” There are three practical ways marketing leaders can keys to leveraging advances in digital media and channels to better connect the dots across their go-to-market to generate more measurable and consistent revenue outcomes.

1.Take a “bottoms up” approach to connecting the dots by making an omnichannel campaign the focus rather than waiting for “top down” commercial transformation to happen. The most commonly used weapons for connecting these dots are “top down” commercial transformation and change management – organizational redesign, putting a “CXO” in charge of marketing, sales, product and customer success, reengineering commercial processes. Unfortunately, all of these require a significant amount of change management, leadership alignment, and time according to interviews we conducted with over 50 RevOps leaders. The fastest path to connecting the dots across the entire revenue cycle is to take a “bottoms up” approach that makes an omnichannel campaign the focus. Everyone in the organization can rally around a campaign because it is immediate, measurable, and provides customer feedback loops and learning data. Omnichannel campaigns get many stakeholders and functions involved – but with an urgency and actionability that strategy initiatives lack. Most importantly campaigns generate business outcomes today that can spark and sustain a process of continuous improvement in returns in the future. Plus, results beat business plans when it comes to justifying the investment for more aggressive change to the commercial model.

2. Start with revenue goals and work backwards to define, allocate and deploy the media and channels needed to achieve those goals. “Marketers get the unit of analysis and approach wrong when they plan, deploy and optimize their investments,” says Randolph Browning. “Rather than focus on how to optimally allocate and deploy their media to deliver downstream impact, they need to start by asking ‘how much revenue do we need to deliver” and work upstream. “Owned digital channels, Ecommerce platforms, retail media and social commerce allow marketers to control and own the revenue outcome, and use sophisticated marketing mix models, AI and integrated data sets to optimize the way they generate those revenues at every stage of the customer journey – from awareness, consideration, demand, activation and transaction – through to loyalty and cross sell.”

3. Rethink the capabilities you need from your teams and agency partners. Marketers need to invest in internal capabilities needed to support campaigns that drive revenue as a primary outcome. In particular, they need to build more muscle in integrating marketing and sales data, orchestrating omnichannel campaigns, and enabling more dynamic models for allocating marketing resources along the revenue cycle. They must also have people who can master the retailer, social media, e-commerce, and marketplace platforms that extend their programs into the transaction stage. CMOs must choose to either build these capabilities internally, borrow them from best in class partners, or reconfigure their RFPs to ensure their agency partners bring these capabilities to the table. To help marketers understand these capabilities and rethink their approach, Randolph Browning is applying the practice of a “Media Up front” to the emerging discipline of ecommerce to help brands get ahead of the trends in retailer, social media, e-commerce, and marketplace platforms, media inventory and customer dynamics shaping the modern marketing model.

Every year on September 29, World Heart Day raises awareness of cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death around the globe. Events range from performances and walks that route courses in the shape of a heart to major art installations, like Jaume Plensa’s enormous inflatable artwork at the University of Barcelona.

Wedged behind the rib-like colonnade of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences building, the 13-meter-tall “The Secret Heart” depicts anatomically correct veins, valves, and ventricles. The work was originally commissioned in 2014 for display in Augsburg, Germany, where it was accompanied by a voice clock recording of local residents ticking off the hours, minutes, and seconds.

While The Secret Heart was on view in Barcelona for only a few days, you can explore more of Plensa’s large-scale installations on his website.

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article The Colonnade of a Barcelona University Building Embodies a 13-Meter-Tall Heart by Jaume Plensa appeared first on Colossal.

Every Sunday, Lake Eola hosts the Orlando Farmers Market where Valencia College student Jason Hoogvorst sells his abstract and shark art pieces. Jason is in his second year attending Valencia College, majoring in Business Management, and plans on graduating in Spring 2025. After graduating from Valencia and receiving his associate degree, Jason plans to attend UCF to complete his bachelor’s degree in Business Management.

Jason incorporates what he has learned in the small business course he has taken with Professor Dr. Robert Miner for what he has accomplished now, which is selling his pieces at Lake Eola’s Orlando Farmers Market. Dr. Miner knew the potential he had as an artist and assisted him with information on how to sell his products at local events. Instructors at Valencia are not only providing students with the knowledge to be successful, but they are also giving them ideas on how to make their goals and aspirations a reality. Jason stated, “It is important to hammer it down, to show up to the farmers market, make an effort to sell artwork and receive exposure.”

Hoogsvorst wakes up every Sunday at 5:30 a.m. to load the car with all of his art products he will be selling at the market and arrives at 8:00 a.m. to set up his booth. For an individual to achieve their ambitions, they must put in the work and have the drive to make their dreams a reality. Jason intertwines both the knowledge of what he has been receiving at Valencia as a Business major to enhance what he wants to accomplish with his artwork. Jason’s ambition is to eventually take on International Business. Jason would like to see his artwork presented worldwide; he already has pieces that have been sold in Puerto Rico, Canada, Malta, Holland, and one piece in Australia.

He would also like his designs presented at music festivals, museums, galleries, art walks and art shows, “I would like my work to make an appearance at art auctions for charity events. Especially around
Christmas time,” Jason Hoogvorst said. Growing up, Hoogsvorst had an interest in music where he
learned how to play the piano, he then had an artist awakening in 2019. Jason began drawing on
sketch pads, painting on canvas, and decided to create abstract artwork, and shark paintings.
“Sharks are my favorite animal, they symbolize freedom, and something about them just makes
sense,” Jason Hoogvorst said.

Creating artwork is a positive and healthy craft for individuals to find new coping mechanisms and have a sense of originality within their pieces, pain is one of the drives that Jason has while making his unique art. He also receives daily inspiration from what is in his environment, such as color schemes he can use for his paintings on canvas, or to develop a new artistic idea he has for other projects. It takes Jason about a day to finish a piece, depending on the style and size. The longest time to complete a design took two months which
was a 30-inch by 40-inch abstract canvas painting.

When asking about Hoogsvorst’s favorite artist, he answered, “Myself. I am confident in my work, and the impact it can have on others.” Other than selling shark pieces and canvas prints, Jason designs original tote bags, t- shirts, lighters, coffee mugs, and small desk frames. Jason enjoys creating his artwork and sharing it with the public, he gets up every day and does what he loves. When asking Jason about advice he would give to an aspiring artist, he stated, “Surround yourself with creative people, and continue to just build on life.” It is important for individuals to wake up and understand what they want out of life, so they can enjoy all the wonders that life has to offer.

Jason Hoogsvorst’s artwork can be purchased on his website www.jasonhoogvorst.com, or can be found on Instagram.