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Case Study: Special Event Keys
Check out our latest Case Study featuring Atlanta based brand Special Event Keys. We have been working with Special Event Keys for two months now, and have had an awesome time helping them take their social media to the next level.
We have been working with Madeleine of Special Event Keys for two months now, and have had an awesome time helping to take the brand's social media to the next level. Keep an eye on Special Event Keys as their new website is launching soon!
SOCIAL MEDIA
As a business owner it can be challenging to juggle all of the demands of a brand from product creation, business development, administration to more! That is why Uncommon Cartography considers it a privilege to help bring a client's vision and products to life through their social media. We realize that social media is only one touch point along the customer journey but its an important one!
We audited Special Event Keys existing social media content, made recommendations, then developed a content strategy which would enable them to reach their target audiences. After identifying our strategy we partnered with local photographer, Danny Owens, to produce a variety of custom images from product flatlays to lifestyle photography.
BEFORE
Social Media Feed - Before UC Audit
AFTER
Social Media Feed - After UC Audit + Content Strategy Development
INFLUENCER OUTREACH
At Uncommon Cartography we pride ourselves on the relationships we have with influencers, edge players, and tastemakers across a variety of industries. We work with clients to identify mutually beneficial relationships for their campaigns. As the gig or freelance economy continues to evolve it is important to stay connected and understand these dynamics. We help provide our clients with the latest information, ex. just because an "influencer" may have a large following, this does not necessarily mean their posts will convert to engagement or sales. Our goal is to identify the right individuals and build lasting relationships that lead to brand growth for our clients.
INFLUENCER CAMPAIGN RESULTS
While our campaign is currently running we wanted to show you a preview of our results. Below are the results of just two influencer posts.
SERVICES
- Social Media Audit
- Social Media Content Strategy
- Creative Producer of New Product Photography
- Content Creation
- Audience Engagement
- Influencer Outreach
- Blogging (Website launching soon!)
As we mentioned social media is one touch point in a customer's buying cycle. We work with clients to identify their marketing needs and create custom packages that integrate and amplify all efforts taking place.
Let us help you take your social media or marketing to the next level, schedule a consultation with us by emailing info@uncommoncartography.com.
Why Should You Consider Eating Seasonally And Locally?
I've been thinking a lot about what it means to be a conscious consumer in a fast fashion, fast paced, fast everything society. While it can be easy to identify a single area we are passionate about, it can be more challenging to put all of our habits and patterns under the microscope of examination. Honestly, it can be downright uncomfortable. We live in a "you be you" society of individualism and seem to think if we keep pretending everything isn't interconnected then maybe just maybe the illusion will hold for a bit longer.
Let's be real. Something needs to change, a lot of things need to change. But change can be overwhelming. Where do we start when we live in a city and not everyone has access to a farm? I recently had a client incorporate a living wall into their restaurant which can be a great place to start, this blog features some ideas which are inspiring me to take action. #babysteps
“As we transform our lifestyles, we transform ourselves.”
I've been thinking a lot about what it means to be a conscious consumer in a fast fashion, fast paced, fast everything society. While it can be easy to identify a single area we are passionate about, it can be more challenging to put all of our habits and patterns under the microscope of examination. Honestly, it can be downright uncomfortable. We live in a "you be you" society of individualism and seem to think if we keep pretending everything isn't interconnected then maybe just maybe the illusion will hold for a bit longer.
Let's be real. Something needs to change, a lot of things need to change. But change can be overwhelming. Where do we start when we live in a city and not everyone has access to a farm? I recently had a client incorporate a living wall into their restaurant which can be a great place to start, this blog features some ideas which are inspiring me to take action. #babysteps
“In the industrial era, humans lost touch with much of what they knew about how to tap nature’s bounty without destroying it. Moreover, we failed to make much progress in generating sophisticated new ecological knowledge, in comparison with the pace of discovery in other fields.”
The above Exxon commercial is a prime example of what is possible when the pace of discovery in ecological fields catches up to the innovation which is happening in other areas (better later than never). The only way that corporations will be encouraged to invest in this areas is if there is a consumer demand. This is where eating seasonally and locally comes in. The reality is being a conscious consumer is not easy and more often than not the process can be overwhelming, disappointing and frustrating.
I recently brought a group of friends with me to visit 21 Acres in Woodinville and while I absolutely love the concept, I was saddened by the limited products and uninspired or out of touch merchandising of the farmers/vendors that were represented. Let's be real the options for eating seasonally and locally more often than not leave something to be desired when it comes to selection and pricing. Not everyone who wants to eat healthy and fresh is going to be interested in a garbanzo bean brownie. Tasty options that tap into seasonal and local products need to be provided to engage consumers.
This is where you and I can put our creative skills to work. If we begin using our purchase power to show producers that this is an area we are interested in, then just maybe innovation and competition will increase. I think we can all agree that micro solutions can contribute to large-scale change. We have seen it happen time and time again.
I would love to hear from you if this is an area you are passionate about or interested in learning more about. I am trying to find my tribe - because I can't be the only one out there that is interested in this topic but also doesn't necessarily want to go full on vegan :) I believe there is a place for us who enjoy meat but also want to live more in rhythm with the seasons and closer to the land.
Resources For Further Reading
- Six Seasons By Joshua McFadden: I am currently reviewing this book for NetGalley and feel it is very timely. The author of the book Joshua McFadden actually came from Dan Barber's Blue Hill prior to moving to Portland to become the chef and owner of Ave Genes . I appreciate how the book is broken down by season yet also includes an entire section on brining, in case you like me might be interested in cracking open a jar of sunshine in the winter.
- Seasonal Cornucopia: I am newly obsessed with this tool! I love how you can put in the month and it tells you everything from veggies to cheeses that are in season. The tool is by Cook Local and was created so that chefs, restaurateurs, home cooks and gardeners in the greater Puget Sound Region of the Pacific Northwest can use to easily identify when local foods are in season.
- The Third Plate By Dan Barber: This guy is a tremendous inspiration! I heard him speak several years ago at a Town Hall in Seattle and it pretty much rocked my world. He speaks of not just eating organic but geographically as well, about the value of farmers who move away from monocropping to polyculture in which crops are rotated to put nutrients back into the soil and how consumers can support those efforts.
- True Wealth By Juliet B. Schor: I just recently discovered Juliet B. Schor, I know I know, where have I been? Now that I have found her writing, she seems to synchronistically be popping up everywhere. If you watched the documentary Minimalism on Netflix then her name will be familiar to you.
Photography By: Josiah Michael
The 5 Best Freelance Sites to Find Work
Us creatives are on the forefront of the freelance field, which can be awesome and challenging at the same time. As companies continue to focus on greater efficiency and the more marketing tools are automated we are being pushed to differentiate ourselves and constantly expand our skill sets. In addition to this, we will need to find people that we can partner with in order to compete with larger agencies and corporations.
Us creatives are on the forefront of the freelance field, which can be awesome and challenging at the same time. As companies continue to focus on greater efficiency and the more marketing tools are automated we are being pushed to differentiate ourselves and constantly expand our skill sets. In addition to this, we will need to find people that we can partner with in order to compete with larger agencies and corporations. John Hagel III, Edge Perspectives:
“We're just in the earliest stages of an emerging and evolving gig economy. Very broadly, the gig economy is likely to evolve from a focus on routine tasks to a focus on creative work. As this evolution plays out, we're likely to see the focus of work shift from individuals to small, sustained workgroups that are driven by a desire to learn faster together. This in turn will lead to a shift from work that is defined by short-term transactions to work that is pursued in the context of rich, trust-based and sustained relationships. In short, the gig economy will become a fertile seedbed to help all of us achieve more of our potential and deliver expanding value to the marketplace.”
In light of the ever evolving freelance economy it’s important for us to stay active in the new networks that are being formed. Here are the top 5 freelance websites that are on my radar. Do you have any you would add?
1. Upwork
Formed in In 2014 when two leading freelance networks Elance and oDesk merged, Upwork is now the largest network for freelancers! With three million jobs posted every year, Upwork has something to offer for everyone from writers and marketers to SEO geniuses and photographers.
I appreciate the flexilbility this site offers in that you can sign up for short- or long-term projects, and elect to work by the hour or be paid per-project. This site is #1 on my list because after a couple of challenges initially it has been the site where I have secured the majority of my small business freelance work.
2. Craigslist
Uncovering freelance jobs on Craigslist can be a little more of a hunt, but my experience is that the projects tend to be a bit more long term and often part time roles.
3. Freelancer
Freelancer features competitions that allow you to compete with other freelancers to win exposure and engagements. I have not received a project through this site yet, but just recently joined and look forward to sharing results in the future!
Freelance Writing Gigs, a specialized freelance platform, is an excellent option for editors, writers, bloggers, and more.
5. Elevator
This site is a little newer to the field and still identifies as being in “Beta” but I think the concept which taps into building teams of freelancers is where we are headed in the future.
Illuminate The Wonder
As I am writing this post I am listening to Pharrell Williams song Freedom, it is so perfect and the lyrics get me every time:
The atoms in the air Organisms in the sea The Sun, and yes, man Are made of the same things
An important role of artists is to illuminate the beauty and wonder of their world. As you are reading this you should know that I believe artists come in a variety of professions, a person does not have to go by the title "artist" there are engineers, physicists, and scientists who are incredibly creative in how they articulate the world which they see. Recently, as I was watching Madam Secretary there was a brilliant conversation which took place between the characters of a poet laureate and a physicist. The conversation begins with the physicist explaining about poetry, "sometimes it can be ever so slightly indulgent, unnecessarily convoluted, redundant, also pretentious, arrogant and not essential to the evolution of mankind.." to which the poet laureate responds "how do you live with such an unimaginative reductionist view of the world, how is life without the residence of beauty even worth the effort?" to which the physicist says:
Let me tell you a little something about beauty Mr. Hobbs, you seem to think I can't appreciate beauty because I study the intricacies of it's components. It was Richard Feynman, physicist/personal hero of mine, who put it best he said he could appreciate the beauty of a flower more than say uh you. He said he could see more than the average man sees, he could imagine it's cells, he could appreciate the flower evolved in order to make its colors more attractive to insects which means that insects see color. Maybe they share our aesthetic sense, recognizing the majesty of the quantum world only adds to the beauty of life, it does not subtract. So to answer your question Mr. Hobbs I don't just live in a beautiful world, I understand it.
One thing which really excited me about the above quote was that I actually knew who Richard Feynman was! A year or so ago I met his work online during a rabbit trail of sorts, I was reading an article about Bill Gates love of books which led to my discovery he also considers Feynman a hero and had worked to have his lectures brought online. Being able to know something so utterly outside of my profession, gave me the ability to appreciate another layer of the story being told by the writer of Madam Secretary and that is just a hint of the happiness one feels when equipped with information/knowledge from outside of your area of expertise.
Unfortunately, it has become quite popular for individuals, professions, and cultures to be siloed which kind of seems crazy considering globalization and the unprecedented access we have to information and ideas. But so many of these algorithms which give us the results of where we should eat, what book to purchase, etc. are driven by business goals:
Just like the food industry manipulates our innate biases for salt, sugar and fat with perfectly engineered combinations, the tech industry bulldozes our innate biases for Social Reciprocity (we’re built to get back to others), Social Approval (we’re built to care what others think of us), Social Comparison (how we’re doing with respect to our peers) and Novelty-seeking (we’re built to seek surprises over the predictable). - Tristan Harris, Tech Companies Design Your Life ... The more choices technology gives us in nearly every domain of our lives (information, events, places to go, friends, dating, jobs) — the more we assume that our phone is always the most empowering and useful menu to pick from.
We need our smartphones, notifications screens and web browsers to be exoskeletons for our minds and interpersonal relationships that put our values, not our impulses, first. - Tristan Harris, How Technology Hijacks People's Minds
With the latest election, a mirror was held up to the nation and many individuals realized the siloed lives that they were living, far too many had been in echo chambers. It seems the more life is spent online, the more narrow things become if we are not careful, which I know sounds absolutely crazy as I am writing this. A big part of my job is to be online, because of that I feel that in some ways I am way too plugged in or tied to technology. To balance this a bit, the last couple of weeks, I have been immersing myself in books about Natural History and Science, areas which are typically weak spots for me. These are not books which Google, Amazon, etc. would recommend to me, I have had to intentionally seek them out. Ask yourself when was the last time that you looked offline for inspiration (not to just immediately share online), to meet someone, to learn about something?
We grow less and less patient for reality as it is, especially when it’s boring or uncomfortable. We come to expect more from the world, more rapidly. And because reality can’t live up to our expectations, it reinforces how often we want to turn to our screens. A self-reinforcing feedback loop. ... When you could have sex with the person of your dreams, or fly through jungles in the Amazon rainforest while looking over at your best friend flying next to you, who would want to stick with reality? - Tristan Harris, Tech Companies Design Your Life
We need to learn how to illuminate the wonder of the world right here and now. I feel a key to how we will do this is by venturing outside of our echo chambers and comfort zones, going deeper in our research of areas where in the past we may have only scraped the surface or where we may have become so rigid in our beliefs that we no longer allow for curiosity and questioning.
Since the late Renaissance, on through the Enlightenment and into the Industrial era, we have witnessed this tendency to segregate disciplines. Why do we continue with it? Why should someone who wants to pursue a career as a physicist suddenly stop learning about music and art in their mid-teens and focus only on mathematics and the sciences? Is it not the case that certain poets and novelists have disseminated the wonders of scientific discovery to a broader audience than a scientist alone could reach? - Richard Martin, The Neo-Generalist, Interview with Scenario Magazine
Let's not let our professions or specialization limit us from a broader perspective on the world. Because I think now more than ever is a time for the unveiling of a new generation of renaissance men and women, who are "outstandingly versatile, well-rounded".
Ps: Seattle Art Museum is having a Three-Day Free Day weekend January 20-22, 2017 it would be the perfect time to do a little offline exploring.
Photography By: Palm Maison
9e2 Seattle Exploring the Intersection of Art, Science, and Technology
9e2 is an art exhibition and performance series commemorating “9 Evenings: Theatre & Engineering,” an iconic exhibition 50 years ago in New York that sparked a new era of collaboration between artists, scientists, and engineers.
The original 9 Evenings was organized in 1966 by Robert Rauschenberg and Billy Klüver, and featured artists creating performances in collaboration with engineers from Bell Labs. Fifty years later, 9e2 embraces that same spirit of experimentation and collaboration with a new series of projects. Installations, nightly performances, and other events will explore the intersection of art, science, and technology.