Public opinion weighs heavily in the age of social media. Here are two examples: the UW logo redesign and Waterloo’s much discussed public square bell.
A Bell for Kepler adorned with chalk drawings, Waterloo, Ontario
The person responsible for defacing “A Bell for Kepler”, the bell in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada’s new public square stepped forward to explain his actions yesterday.
In the Waterloo Chronicle, artist and local poet Marcus Green insists he meant no disrespect to the fellow artist who created the bell when he drew on it with chalk in August. His goal was to adorn the bell with only positive messages and not the vulgarities often found in graffiti.
”Basically, the square needs some color,” said Green, “I thought this is a great way of illustrating my point that we need to bring color to the square, but it was also the cheapest way to improve the square.”
”I don’t advocate the willful destruction of public or private property. I chose chalk because it was a non-destructive method of making my point.”
Green said he was hoping to spark a public debate about the $100,000 rust-colored piece of public art which he believes lacks color and vibrancy — much like the square itself. He wanted citizens to ask the question, “What is art?”
World renowned sculptor, Royden Rabinowitch commissioned Double R Steel to build this 6,750 lb. “bell” for the City of Waterloo. Here’s what Rabinowitch’s website states he intended to convey with his public art:
“The sculpture’s 3 stacked, major segments simultaneously appear to float and be at risk of falling down. They resemble someone attempting to stay in balance. The Kitchener-Waterloo region, Ontario, Canada has been and is able to balance faith and analysis. It was founded by major faith communities. Additionally, Waterloo has become one of the major centres of theoretical and applied physics in the world.
Mathematician and astronomer Johannes Kepler is therefore a perfect exemplar of such balance. Unlike the so called heretical scientists of his age, Kepler was able to successfully balance his Lutheran faith with his analysis.”
I don’t think I’m a Philistine. I can appreciate a variety of art forms from many different periods. I might even understand the premise behind Rabinowitch’s artistic vision. But I have to admit that I don’t much care for the bell. And based on the many letters to the editor published in the Record, the bell has not garnered ringing endorsements from others who just don’t like it aesthetically.
I can only liken this widespread public sentiment to that crucial moment in the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale, “The Emperor’s New Clothes“. In the story, a vain emperor is taken in by a couple of dishonest tailors who promise him the finest suit of clothes from the most beautiful cloth. They tell him it will be invisible to anyone who is either stupid or unfit for his position. They dress him in his new suit in mime, and the emperor parades around to show off his new clothes. Flunkies and sophisticates fawn all over the Emperor and praise his wardrobe. But then a young child cries out, “The emperor is naked!” That’s when everyone realizes that the child is speaking the truth.
But what IS the truth when it comes to art? Art appreciation is always in the eye of the beholder. But it seems to me if Waterloo’s Public Square is truly a place for the people, the public’s opinion of the square and its art should matter. Furthermore, several of these citizens actually preferred the colourfully dressed up bell with its chalk graffiti!
The city’s manager for cultural development, Betty Anne Keller, would do well to study the case of the University of Waterloo’s logo redesign. UW announced earlier this week that it would be scrapping their new multi-coloured marketing logo after receiving widespread criticism to the logo when it was leaked in July, two months before it was scheduled to launch.
Several weeks ago, a Facebook campaign against the logo picked up steam charging that the majority of the UW alumni and students weren’t asked for their input. They felt the UW rebranding effort did not properly represent their vision of the university.
In an interview with the Record this week, the university’s VP of external relations said that those stakeholders will get a chance to weigh in with their opinions as the school tries again.
That’s the world we live in now. Social media has democratized the creation of content and its publication. We don’t need to just rely on official media channels, companies or institutions for the information we receive. Social media gives anyone and everyone an online platform from which they may voice their unique perspectives. Whether these opinions are based in fact or not, they live on in blogs and posts on the internet forever. So even if industrial suppliers don’t engage in social media, their companies are being discussed. From a public relations standpoint, therefore, it just makes sense to be present to help shape those conversations.
It would be a mistake to assume that your buyers don’t use Web 2.0 social media sites. Your customers and prospects are also consumers who are steeped in the latest technologies. Even if your buyers are not using social media now, the next generation of “digital natives” graduating from colleges and universities will be. It makes sense to take an informal poll of your customers now to learn which social media sites they frequent and launch a corporate strategy to be there.
Companies that effectively position themselves on social media sites like LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter find many uses for them. For example, when treated as a customer “listening post”, these sites can be a rich source of informal market research on a new product, logo or bell. What do your customers really think of your products or services? What about your brand?
Rather than being wary of public or customer opinion, embrace it and learn from it to make your products or process even better.
Ironically, the Bell for Kepler was originally on a 5-month temporary loan to the Institute of Quantum Computing at the University of Waterloo. In essence, UW gave it back to the citizens of Waterloo for our public square. I figure there must be a lot of very smart minds at work at that university. Thanks a lot.
Photo Credit: Waterloo Chronicle
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