#DivasDayOut hits the Streets of SXSW

This year the #BlackInTheCity and BethanyEast PR teams are joining the ranks of marketing and social media campaigns at the 2012 SXSW Music Conference!

#DivasDayOut is a new guerrilla marketing campaign that will feature independent and new products and information from fashion, beauty, small business and lifestyle brands in a 2500 swag bag giveaway.

Some of the main features of #DivasDayOut are the opportunities to reach an audience of almost 15k consumers via social media and a definite 2500 female consumers via the swag bag giveaway.

Recipients will be required to check in on either Foursquare or the #DivasDayOut Facebook FanPage list as well as the Twitter feed.  Vendors will be able to forward messages, updates, discount codes and conduct contests with either lists.  Also professional pics taken during the giveaway will be uploaded/forwarded to all vendors. And did I mention that our specially trained Brand Ambassadors are the best in the business, this isn't just any "street-team" situation.

#EntrepreneursLife?? Do you want to promote your brand during SXSW?  

As you may know, sampling/freebie campaigns have been known to create instant consumer loyalty towards a brand as well as dual-exposure with the advent of social media, fashion vlogging and media sharing (Facebook pics, Tumblrs, Instagram and other pic/vid platforms).

I would love to converse with you further on the specifics of this campaign.  I'm able to forward any interested party a very illustrative marketing proposal which lists in full the marketing strategy, benefits and costs of participation (packages are priced for small business owners).

Deadline for participation is March 1st, 2012.  Contact Bethany.EastPR@live.com for more info or  to participate.

A Detroit Showcase at SXSW!! Ohhhh, yeah!

Are you a talented singer, band or group that is looking to take your career and skill to the next level? 

BethanyEast PR & Mgmt. Consulting has the perfect opportunity for you.  We are putting together a showcase for Detroit-based artists to perform at the annual South-by-Southwest Music Conference. 

The SXSW conference brings music lovers, performers and industry execs together every year in Austin, TX to find the newest, best, most talented acts.  Last year the Michigan Showcase featured rappers and deejays and it was a HUGE SUCCESS… this show is JUST FOR singers and urban poets, and it is going to be BIG!

Participating Artists* will receive

• Prominent marketing opportunities within the marketing campaign of the SOULcase
• Track on the SOULcase Mixtape, given away free to attendees and SXSW passers-by
• Invitation to the SOULcase marketing photoshoot (FREE)
• Prominent promotion via a conference, city and national media and press campaign

Get in on this action!

This event is a first of its kind and has the main goal of shedding some much-needed light on the talent that Detroit artists possess.

Individual singers, groups and bands are welcome to take part of this lucrative opportunity, as you will be able to grow your fanbase immediately.  Thousands travel from all over the country to this conference, which features the newest trends and up-and-coming products in music, technology and media. 

Street Performers taking advantage of the crowds.

Some people perform guerrilla style, anywhere they can find a spot

Artists who wish to submit their work** for consideration can contact Chris Reed, Bethany.EastPR@LIVE.com

*There is a mandatory marketing fee of $200 per artists, band or group.  This fee can be paid in installments of 4 payments of $50.  This fee covers initial marketing, venue and equipment cost.  Artists are responsible for transportation to, lodging in Austin during the conference … discounts, and rebates may be available.

**Submissions can be in the forms of links to youtube videos, links to your SoundCloud account, links to your Facebook fanpage and should include pics of you during recent performance and a short bio.  Emphasis will be given to seasoned as well as new performers.  Facebook Fanpage likes, Twitter followers and press will be considered during the selection process.

Building Hope ... the Joys of Education

While in Austin I had the honor to screen a documentary called "Building Hope" about a couple of non-profiters that in their efforts to promote lacking education in the 4 corners of the world were touched by the small community of Mahiga, Kenya.

The couple, the Pipkins (Turk and Christy), based in Austin, run a non profit called The Nobelity Project. Their goal, to share, through film, the lives and education of children around the globe. A friend of mine from both high school and college has been working with the couple for a few months, and actually worked on the documentary, so when I sat down in the theatre I just figured it would be a seemingly self-induced load of "look what we did for these African kids". Not. the. case.

It is beautiful what this couple have created for the students at Mahiga Hope School. And the film pieced together not only the troubles that the students faced but also how hard The Nobelity Project had to work in order to get people to realize that schools aren't easily to come by commodities as they are in the States. Being from Detroit, where to close a few hundred schools only takes a press release and few boards of wood, I never really paid attention to the work involved in actually building a school. I usually drive down a street and I'm blown away by just how many schools lay vacant amongst the neighborhoods...just think, if the students at Mahiga Hope would see that, their hearts would explode.

Check out the trailer...

After the film I had the opportunity to talk with Christy Pipkin (left), who during the entire ordeal of building a school in Kenya, traveling across the ocean, raising her own children, and running a non-profit had her own battles ... but let's stay on task. I wanted so badly to interview her. To ask her if she was met with any adversity from potential sponsors, from naysayers, from folks that would labor her a "Saint w/ hopes of an Oscar", but instead all I could share was complete and utter gratitude. I am so thankful for this project. So thankful for their drive. So happy that it was completely, and I look forward to one day being able to devote myself to something as groundbreaking. We shared tears (hince the red eyes) amongst the viewers and Aderemi (my friend) laughed at our poor little souls...but hey, so what.

Also, if you would like to donate to the Mahiga Hope School or to get more information about a screening near you, please visit the Nobelity Project on Facebook.

TTYL

Wu-Tang Clan and More Play Village Voice Media and Frank 151's SXSW Party - Los Angeles - Slideshows

Black in the City made LAWeekly ... how dope is that!? The homie Remi and I walked at full speed to catch up with Wu-Tang, seriously we almost ran across Austin to get to this concert ... and it was sooo fly, Erykah Badu was the dj, Ghostface was murdering the stage and the Wu ... well... it was the WU!

Peep the Link...you can find me at image 47...looking a little tired, but still Black...beautiful, and in the City.

Wu-Tang Clan and More Play Village Voice Media and Frank 151's SXSW Party - Los Angeles - Slideshows

Nothing's Better Than Cotton ... everyone thinks so

So I have been consumed with sourcing this week, I know ... it doesn't stop right. I have been trying to find a few of the finest t-shirts in the game for a friends new line. In and out of dressing rooms, feeling tanks, stretching shirts, peeking at labels, I am completely hands on with this task.

I mean, have you looked at how the t-shirt business has grown over the past 10 years. People are astounded with Twitter and Facebook being so popular, but a t-shirt ... when do you think a t-shirt will ever become un-popular...tell the truth!? Last week I think I collected about 20 free shirts on my trip to Austin...all of which with funny remarks and slogans. And although I am not sitting here thinking, I can't wait to rock this Rackspace.com tee with my Bebe or Juicy sweatsuit, but I do know that they make a few rounds with me either on the treadmill, in my subdivision, or even at the gym ... if I ever get around going ... but that's another update.

Any who, all these t-shirts have me running circles around San Antonio, and its surprising the amount of Rayon, Polyester and just all kinds of horrible fibers that won't turn out well after the first wash. Which led me to one question ... where's the cotton?

Share with me your favorite cotton experience ... well here are mine, the Cotton commercials ... and for the record, I want every dress, sweater, shoe...within reason, in all of these commercials.

Jasmine Sullivan, the epitome of soul in a cotton commercial

Leona Lewis, I like the wallpaper too

Colbie Caillat

Miranda Lambert ... a lil' country flava

Zooey Deschanel

Whew ... was that a fresh little piece of fashion purity or what?

Makes me feel like a little giveaway ... for my XLs, I have a few KIK/Play Nice tees as well as a couple other free tshirts I got at SXSW this year, if you want one, share your favorite t-shirt pic/tagline in the replies and I'll pick a pic/tagline and ship you out a freebie ... how's that? Hurry, giveaway ends on Friday.

Black to my search ... ttyl

South by Southwest Music Conference

So, if you follow me on twitter you probably recognize all of the #sxsw hashtags, but didn't really know what the abbreviation stood for ... well, South by Southwest is one of the largest conferences centered on Technology, Music and Film in the country. Its hosted every year in Austin, TX and this year I decided to make my out there.

Now being

from Detroit, I have been to my share of techno fests and winter-blasts ... but nothing could have prepared me for this. There had to be an extra 100,000 people in the small city, that reminded me a lot of Ann Arbor (home of my alma mater ...Go Blue), only with cactus. The houses, the hippie cultural, bicyclists and pedestrians took me back to a collegiate mindset ... I was ready to hit the streets, find some cool venues and experience the music.

The main way to find out what hot and whats the best thing to do at SXSW, is to literally talk to strangers ... something I do best. I had a great chat with this group of Battle Ready Black Chicks...very informative group of divas ...

I struck up a conversation with some awesome people this past weekend and these ladies gave me the one up on the good Bohemian concerts and who Youtube sensation DeStorm is ...

Thats the thing about being Black in the City, I can talk to just about anyone ... and get the information that I am looking for and then more.

It's all about being connected. Mostly because I am more about making a connection.

From left to right I saw people meeting, laughing and basically enjoying each other. There had to have been 100 bars on 6th Street's two-mile stretch, and every where we went, there was a welcoming atmosphere, great music, cheap drinks and good people ... once you get passed the bouncers.

On the second day...I strolled up on a few conversations with some very chill people ... including one of my (and my lil bro's)

favorite rappers, Black Milk. Look for that conversation tomorrow.

And I can't leave without telling you about the awesome food in Austin, everything wasn't tacos and free beer... I found one of the largest burgers in the city, at a fast food pace, for about $8, add a Miller High Life Tall Boy (what other beverage helps wash down a 3/4 lb. cheeser) and I had a $10 blissful lunch, with free wifi.

Now, as a dinner recommendation, I have to go Black on yall...since I been in Texas I have been trying to find a suita

ble soul food restaurant ... I mean, we ARE still in the south, right?

I came up on a small cafe called Carrob's ...and when I looked at the menu I noticed two very similar heart warming meal ingredients, chicken fried steak and mac n' cheese. I had done it, I had hit a quick lick...a soul food restaurant, right off 6th street, in the heart of Austin, this restaurant was obviously a student favorite, complete with outside seating and 15 minute wait for food. It's owners, Carol and Robert ...get it CARol and ROBert --> CARROB'S, were active, with just as much sweat on them as their barista, bus boy, and cashier combined. The couple describe their cafe more like neo-soul food restaurant, because of the vegetarian options.

Oh..and you know I had some fun...check me out ...#

More updates forethecoming ... and I am sharing some new opportunities with you all ... thanks to all of my new readers and ...TTYL!