I wonder how many of the Tacoma studios on the tour cash-flow, or better yet are profitable. Do you have any idea? The creatives I work with all get their money from the corporate world. Is that true of the Tacoma studios as well? I'm thinking well-paid corporate employees visiting studios on the weekends and buying stuff.
The art community in Tacoma is very interesting. It is very much a working man's entry to art. By that I mean most of the art is purchased by average Joes who, instead of indulging in a new entertainment system, are opting to spend that larger lump of cash on something that speaks to them. Many of these buyers become habitual about it, like someone who gets a tattoo and then finds themselves desiring another. Yes, the artists are keeping their eyes peeled for large projects via whales, grants, townships, etc. But most have created an outlay of art affordable to beginners. This is something that has been nourished in the community for so many decades that residents who move elsewhere are shocked by the lack of interaction available with art and artists.
National work is great when you can get it. But I would have to say that since the pandemic, most of my work has been generated locally. My work was always Seattle or national before then. But as I started tabling at conventions and community art projects, the local stuff began happening more frequently. I'd honestly didn't realize how much a shift there has been until this conversation.
Yes, a significant shift is going on. My clients fall into two camps. Those supporting giant corporations doing marketing and sales support and, those doing mostly local work or doing work in extremely narrow niches. Additionally, three global companies account for nearly half of the worldwide advertising spend: Meta, Google, and Amazon. Meanwhile, most of Omnicom, WPP, and Publicis's revenue comes from figuring out where to place ads, not from creative services. Why? Because tracking down the right YouTube influencer among the millions is far more demanding than creating the messages. More changes ahead.
I wonder how many of the Tacoma studios on the tour cash-flow, or better yet are profitable. Do you have any idea? The creatives I work with all get their money from the corporate world. Is that true of the Tacoma studios as well? I'm thinking well-paid corporate employees visiting studios on the weekends and buying stuff.
The art community in Tacoma is very interesting. It is very much a working man's entry to art. By that I mean most of the art is purchased by average Joes who, instead of indulging in a new entertainment system, are opting to spend that larger lump of cash on something that speaks to them. Many of these buyers become habitual about it, like someone who gets a tattoo and then finds themselves desiring another. Yes, the artists are keeping their eyes peeled for large projects via whales, grants, townships, etc. But most have created an outlay of art affordable to beginners. This is something that has been nourished in the community for so many decades that residents who move elsewhere are shocked by the lack of interaction available with art and artists.
Thanks! I love that. I've been wondering if local is a possibility, income-wise, for creatives in brand and marketing communications.
National work is great when you can get it. But I would have to say that since the pandemic, most of my work has been generated locally. My work was always Seattle or national before then. But as I started tabling at conventions and community art projects, the local stuff began happening more frequently. I'd honestly didn't realize how much a shift there has been until this conversation.
Yes, a significant shift is going on. My clients fall into two camps. Those supporting giant corporations doing marketing and sales support and, those doing mostly local work or doing work in extremely narrow niches. Additionally, three global companies account for nearly half of the worldwide advertising spend: Meta, Google, and Amazon. Meanwhile, most of Omnicom, WPP, and Publicis's revenue comes from figuring out where to place ads, not from creative services. Why? Because tracking down the right YouTube influencer among the millions is far more demanding than creating the messages. More changes ahead.