Edition 53

Has this January felt extremely long to anyone else? Naturally the colder temps make us want to hibernate, but there’s literally too much to do. And too much too read! Which is why we’ve combed through hundreds of sites, dozens of subscriptions and scads of news from the realms of MarCom, Placemaking and Economic Development to collate and curate the most impactful pieces for you. Please read on in this edition to learn more about AI and marketing automation, bottom line gamification and how districts can tap into human experience to amp their initiatives, the potential impacts of population decline and what it means for cities, a scintillating filmmaking campaign out of NYC, and another love note from the City of Baltimore to its most (in)famous filmmaking son (and Bright Brothers’ patron saint) John Waters. Keep warm, be cozy, and share your best examples with us!

– Your Bright Brothers Team
David Romako / Josh Yeager /  Brandi Walsh

Are you sick of hearing about AI yet? How about automation? For the MarCom folks in the room (and everyone else, ngl) these are topics we simply cannot avoid, and sticking your head in the sand is not going to change the world. Artificial intelligence and automation is. To that end, we’ve rounded up two interesting selections for this week’s newsletter that you should at least peep. First up here’s a strategic piece on social media automation from HubSpot, and while you may be aware of some of the tools, they’re growing and improving at the speed of … generative AI!  Which brings us to our next selection, an insightful dive into the world of AI from Dr. Anushika Babu Vadlamudi, an early adopter and daily user of AI for marketing. And you’re not wrong if you guessed — it’s all about the prompts. The pace of technological change is only going to hasten in our remaining years, so getting the jump on AI and automation now are going to propel you through the rest of your career, regardless of your position or responsibilities. Enjoy!

Photo by Andy Kelly on Unsplash

You’ve heard the phrase a thousand times about “It’s all fun and games, until…”.  Until what? Until you make money?!? And that’s precisely what the crafty content team at the New York Times has done in converting their online games into revenue-producing bottom line results. Our co-founder Josh Yeager pontificates more profusely on the topic over on his LinkedIn feed, and we wanted to dive deeper in this week’s Bulletin. At the heart of the issue is identifying the draw and connection of games to human nature. There’s something intrinsically encoded in our DNA that provides a proclivity towards gaming. It’s big business in and unto itself. In fact, according to Mordor Intelligence, “The United States Gaming Market size is estimated at USD 57.91 billion in 2024, and is expected to reach USD 90.79 billion by 2029, growing at a CAGR of 9.41% during the forecast period (2024-2029)”. And the concept of gamification has myriad implications and growth potential for many industries. Now naturally we’ve seen place management orgs adopt aspects of gamification in their efforts including traditional handheld or virtual passports at events, scavenger hunts, economic development platforms, to gamified shopping apps and more. Yet the implications and opportunities to gamify experiences offer seemingly boundless allure and potential for growing community, extending offline experiences online and connecting with your target audiences. We’d love to learn more about samples of games, gaming and gamification from a place management perspective from you. Got a notable example? Share with us!

Photo by Nik Korba on Unsplash
 

… that population decline may actually be good news for cities? While it may not feel like it for those of us in ever-growing cities and suburban enclaves — the global population is at a precipice and expected to peak soon, then decline. Patterns of population growth, outward migration and inward urban return have continually shaped life on our planet, and in our cities —  and a decline may not be a bad thing at all. We really loved this piece from Technical.ly that puts the impacts of population growth into perspective, and provides some salient thinking and talking points around what it means for cities. With tangible examples from nine U.S. cities that have experienced radical population changes in the past few decades, there’s wisdom to be found in the article. One of the most prescient pieces we took away was this quote from Diana Lind, who authors a Substack newsletter called “A New Urban Order“, who said, ”I would vote for how to make your city as attractive as possible to immigrants, because that’s where the population growth is,” and that’s dead ass facts. 

Photo by Scott Evans on Unsplash

Filmmakers can make an outsized impact on your local economy, (see below under Local), and not ones to miss a trend, the savvy placemakers at the Alliance for Downtown New York (one of the largest BIDs in the country covering almost all of Lower Manhattan) have launched an inventively incentivized grant program for aspiring filmmakers! The ADNY has launched a campaign to find their new “Film Maker in Chief” that includes a fantastic bundle of bennies with a cineastic twist. The winning filmographer is awarded a $50,000 grant to create a short film within the district, two months rent-free in a snazzy metropolitan pad, $2K/month stipend for living expenses, access to a professional editing suite and more. This is literally a dream come true for any novice filmmaker — but the deadline is looming soon! Submissions are due February 16th 2024, so share and share widely with your wannabe filmmaker friends and family! And kudos to the BID for continued out-of-the-box thinking and strategic undertakings. We’re filing this under Pinnacle-level placemaking.

Photo by CineDirektor FILMS on Unsplash

We all know that “….Baltimore loves a good pit beef sandwich,” (thanks Memama!) — and their hometown antihero, the radical, outrageous and off-the-hook “Pope of Trash”, filmmaker John Waters is once again venerated in his hometown. The city celebrates this iconic celebrity in many ways with numerous homages to Waters himself as their favorite hometown son. Case in point this mural of Waters’ main leading lady Divine in Baltimore’s Mount Vernon neighborhood, just six blocks from the infamous dog doo eating sequence from his 1972 cult classic “Pink Flamingos” that rendered Waters and his outlandish cast of unconventionals from Dreamland Studios a repulsive and unforgettable hit. You literally can’t unsee it! The Baltimore Museum of Art even dedicated a gender-neutral public restroom to their favorite purveyor of filth. The city’s newest love note to Mr. Waters comes in the form of the hotel Ulysses downtown on Read Street; a kitschy, vintage romp of respite in “Smalltimore’s” tiny-but-mighty downtown. When we talk to clients about “leaning into local”, it can come in many forms, from food to tourism to placemaking, art, activations and more. And as any Baltimorean can attest, their city would never be the same without the lasting impact of its own unorthodox prodigal son. What’s your city’s best known local quirk, and how could you market it to further develop your sense of place?

Photo by Brittany Baksa