Note: This is an editorial I wrote for the RunBlogRun blog.

I saw that USA Track & Field, after almost two years without a leader, hired Max Siegel as its new CEO. As the search process dragged on month after month, year after year, I began to understand that “the problem” was not the lack of suitable CEO candidates, but an organization that is trying to do too much.

The most successful organizations focus on doing a few things really well. The most obvious example would be Apple, who have become the world’s most valuable company on the backs of a very few products. One of my favorite Steve Jobs quotes discusses exactly this strategy: “That’s been one of my mantras — focus and simplicity. Simple can be harder than complex: You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But it’s worth it in the end because once you get there, you can move mountains.”

Meanwhile, contrast that with Sony, which has a huge and unfocused line-up of mostly unremarkable products aimed at no one in particular. Organizations don’t need to be all things to all people. When I was at the Los Angeles Marathon, my colleague Russ Pillar used to ask, “What is our circle of excellence? Where do we have world class skills?” Those are questions that USATF should be asking itself right now.

A quick scan of the USATF website reveals a dizzying array of responsibilities: coaching, training, youth athletes, masters athletes, race walking, cross country, championship bids, a foundation, field events, course certification, merchandise, and even a branded credit card.  And this is only a fraction of the things the organization has listed there. They do have this mission statement buried deep in the site: USA Track & Field drives competitive excellence and popular engagement in our sport. On the surface this makes sense. But in fact it’s much too broad in today’s world of specialization. The statement probably sounded great when the organization was spun off from the Amateur Athletic Union in 1979. At that time it was called The Athletics Congress, with the name change to USATF in 1990.

The mission statement mentions their responsibility for …popular engagement in our sport. This is a nice thought, but USATF has no relevance whatsoever for the average runner out there. And beyond measuring and certifying courses, the organization is also completely detached from most running events on the road. In this era of thousands of running races and about 10 million runners, it is wishful thinking for USATF, with limited staff and budget, to handle “popular engagement” at any meaningful scale.

No matter who takes the helm of USATF right now, no leader can be successful with the current mile-long list of responsibilities. USATF should conduct its own “circle of excellence” exercise and determine what it is truly good at. In doing so, they’d surely understand that they are radically understaffed and underfunded to execute many of their initiatives at even a basic level. Furthermore, USATF ends up competing for members with the Road Runners Club of America and, at the youth level, with the AAU.

Take for instance the production and management of national championship events. They’re stuck with either farming the events out to local promoters with inconsistent skills and tiny budgets, or trying the DIY approach, for which USATF is understaffed. There simply isn’t the expertise at Indianapolis HQ to sell sponsorships, handle logistics, manage media, and to execute all of the other things required to produce a national-level event. If, like many of its athletes, USATF wants to be world class, it needs to focus on a smaller list of priorities.

The USATF would be a much stronger organization if it could be truly outstanding at 5-10 things instead of mediocre at 100 things. I hope that Max Siegel, and the board of directors, considers a radical makeover of the organization. Otherwise, we’ll be left with more Sony and less Apple.

I recently spent a couple months as a consultant Chief Marketing Officer at a tech start-up in San Francisco. It was an enormously informative experience, and I spent time diving deep into both our product and the customer experience. In the middle of all this I was able to read Eric Ries’ book, The Lean Startup. While I had identified a number of issues with the product I was working on, the book enabled me to clearly articulate both the how and the why of the problems. It was like a light getting turned on, and I felt like the book had been written about the very business where I worked.

You may have heard of this book, or related works like Little Bets. The Lean Startup applies a scientific process to product development. This method creates a way to steer your product, or startup, to it’s most successful place, as quickly as possible. The book is primarily aimed at the technology business, but the system would work for almost any startup situation. Ries clearly explains the need for a feedback loop—first build, then measure, then learn. Then do it again. By doing this over and over, a business can continually iterate its product, or even the entire business plan. There are many examples of businesses—Groupon and Instagram, to name a few—that started down one road and then changed direction on the fly.

I highly recommend giving The Lean Startup a read. You’ll find the learnings invaluable at some point in your career. I already have.

I am currently in San Francisco working about three weeks per month. So you can imagine how excited I was to learn that Oracle Racing’s two week practice session coincided with my visit. Moreover, my son Gavin, an Opti sailor, was going to be in town on the weekend that the two catamarans would be ripping across the bay in 20 knots of breeze. I was sure that, in the face of disappointing spectator interest and almost no outside sponsorship , Oracle Racing would be pulling out the stops with a major PR campaign. Even though it was only a practice session, of course there would be official spectator boats, tons of local exposure, an experiential village for the public, rides on the catamarans for VIPs, insane social media execution, and an all-out effort to build community around the event.

Boy was I wrong. Neither the Oracle Racing website nor a Google search could produce any information at all about the practice session. Not one mention! I only discovered the whereabouts of the Oracle Racing compound because I happened to meet a couple of the crew on the train to work. Otherwise the boats are completely hidden from public view in a non-descript location well South of the City. There is absolutely zero buzz or excitement in San Francisco (as far as I can tell) about the America’s Cup. While my son and I did happen to see the boats sail by near St Francis Yacht Club one afternoon, we got no information at all from Oracle Racing or the local press. You get the feeling that the whole event will pass by San Francisco without anyone noticing.

I’m just a sports marketing guy and sailing fan. When I first heard about Larry Ellison bringing the America’s Cup to San Francisco, I naively believed the event had the potential to bring the sport to hundreds of thousands of new fans. I now see that the America’s Cup in 2013 will go down as a huge missed opportunity. Our sport will continue to speak to a small and insular group of people, and we’ll just write off any hope of building a larger fan base with our marquee event.

This last year I read a number of good books, and these are the five that stood out for me:

1. The New Capitalist Manifesto by Umair Haque

This is just a tremendous book, and the author lays out many ideas that resonated for me. The world of business and capitalism is changing radically right now in a lot of different ways. He’s not the only one thinking this way, but he does a good job articulating the issue. In particular, Haque details the concept of Thick Value, which is a more current and comprehensive way of calculating a business’s profit and loss. For instance, if Coca Cola were to add in the health care costs attached to its high-fructose corn syrup products, the company wouldn’t be nearly as profitable. Likewise, if one were to factor in the environmental benefit of a brand like Patagonia, they’d be even more profitable.

I recommend following Umair Haque’s highly entertaining Twitter feed.

2. Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson

I know, I know—you’ve read so many reviews and blog posts about this book, the Amazon #1 bestseller of 2011, that you feel like you’ve read it without reading it. I’m telling you that you still need to read it. As a longtime Apple guy, I loved learning about the company history. But I also gleaned many bits of business wisdom from the book: how Jobs obsessed on hiring “A Players,” his legendary attention to detail, the importance of focusing on a few great products, why deep design thinking matters, and the list goes on. Furthermore, the author, noted biographer Walter Isaacson, does not sugarcoat the subject. Jobs is portrayed as a complex and often mean-spirited leader. After reading the book, I still respect him, but I’m not sure I would have liked him.

Anyway, really worth it, and everyone will learn something of value from this biography.

3. That Used to Be Us, by Thomas Friedman and Michael Mandelbaum

Tom Friedman, who writes for the New York Times, has spent most of his career traveling the world and writing about politics. And Michael Mandelbaum is a foreign policy professor. That makes them unlikely candidates to write what is ostensibly a business book. However, it also gives them tremendous global perspective. The book’s title is taken from a quote by President Obama, who was talking about what’s happening in China. And much of the book discusses the many ways that the US is being out-hustled and out-worked by the Chinese. The authors argue that there are five things that got the US to the top—great education, immigration: attract the world’s most talented people, the world’s best infrastructure, strong capital markets, and government-funded research. And every one of these has been in decline for the last 10 years. While I didn’t agree with every single one of their points, in particular the need for a renewed Tiger Mom approach to education, most of the book is right on the money. The authors are right when they say that, as a country, we’ve grown soft and complacent. I highly recommend this sobering look at our current state of affairs.

Follow Tom Friedman on Twitter here.

4. Delivering Happiness, by Tony Hsieh

About a year ago, I was in Las Vegas and randomly ran into Tony Hsieh, the founder of Zappos. I had long been a fan of his approach to customer service and corporate culture, so I was excited when he signed a book for me. His story is honest and inspiring, and Tony talks in detail about the hard lessons he learned on the way to success. I believe Zappos epitomizes the innovative kind of company that Umair Haque refers to in the New Capitalist Manifesto: they understand that great customer service is their best marketing tool. I regularly recommend this book to friends and colleagues who are involved in start ups, because Hsieh lays out concisely the importance of standing for something. If there’s one takeaway from Delivering Happiness, it’s that a business needs to build both an internal and external culture around a shared purpose.

5. The California Surf Project, by Eric Soderquist and Chris Burkhard

I’ve surfed for most of my life, and I’m always on the lookout for beautifully produced media that accurately represents the culture and sport of surfing. This book does that in spades. I find myself going back again and again to this lovingly created work. The sum is greater than the parts, and the book contains not only great photography, but inspired copy, a concept, and a resonant vibe that surfers and non-surfers alike will appreciate. If one has ever taken a sports road trip of any kind, they’ll appreciate this book.

As we near the end of the year, I find it valuable to look back and reflect on all that I’ve learned. For me, 2011 has been a roller coaster of ideas, realizations, lessons, and experiences. Here’s a brief review of some realizations from this year:

• Inspiration—I began the year as the Creative Director at the Los Angeles Marathon. While I’m no longer there, the two and a half years I spent working on the event served as an incredible real-world experimentation lab for so many things. Because the race had been run into the ground by the prior owner, we were given the opportunity to break the mold and rebuild it in new and exciting ways. LAM President Russ Pillar and I started with a mission statement (“We inspire athletes and connect communities”) and built out from there. We changed everything—how we spoke to our community partners, the route, the charity fundraising, the marketing, and more. You could look at a major-city marathon in any number of ways—a professional sports event, an advertising vehicle, a political entity, a business, or a media company. As I learned, it’s actually all of these things at once, and that’s what is so exciting about it. The LA Marathon required us to manage the event in all of these different ways, which was fascinating, at times frustrating, but ultimately rewarding.

• Friends—I’m grateful for the relationships that I’ve made and maintained over the past year. If I’ve realized one thing in my life, it’s that without healthy relationships—family, friends, colleagues—you have nothing. I’ve spent time creating and growing relationships with interesting and fun people that I enjoy spending time with. There was a time when I might have tried to categorize my acquaintances—work, school, family, etc., but now it’s about surrounding myself with positive, energizing people. How or where we met isn’t as important as the exchange of energy created by these relationships.

• Sports and transformation—Sports have been an important part of my life since I could walk. First as a participant, then as a catalyst for meeting people, and later as part of my professional life. I’m constantly reminded of the transformational power of sport. That works in so many ways—personal growth, social engagement, appreciating the outdoors, understanding our own limits, and importantly, experiencing the joy of doing something you love.

• The digital community—There’s no question in my mind that the near future of media and interactivity is going to be all about mobile and location. The fact is that in the next five years, basically the entire world will have a handheld computer in their pocket. How does that change media, marketing, and the way we build community? Not only as brands, but as a species? I believe that the online-all-the-time way of life will have as profound an impact on our lives as the advent of the internet did over the past 15 years. This new wave of interactivity is coming at us like a freight train. The question is, are we ready?

• Purpose matters—Who are you and what do you stand for? Do you have a point of view? Those are relevant questions to ask yourself, and they’re just as relevant if you have a business. Stand for something! Like my friend Alan Blum says, businesses need to have a purpose. And so do individuals. Take time to articulate your own personal mission.

• Time for reflection—Given the aforementioned constant presence of screens in our lives, it’s easy to never have even a moment to stop and think. It’s not a coincidence that much of our best thinking is done in the shower or in the car, because it’s those times when we’re least likely to be staring at a screen. I now make it a point to dedicate time every day for reflection and thinking.

Sean Scott has been a good friend of mine since me met as freshmen at UC Davis.  We both share passions for sports, music, and the importance of doing well by doing good. TOMS Shoes epitomizes this philosophy with their One for One strategy:  for every pair of soes they sell, they give away a pair to a child in need.  Sean was one of the first employees there, and I sat down with him over breakfast to hear about what’s happening at TOMS HQ.

Tell me about your background…I know you have a broad range of experience. 

It starts at retail, which is important.  I worked at Fleet Feet, a running store.  That’s the transaction of any company—from salesman to customer.  I still go back to Nordstrom and sell TOMS shoes when they let me.  Nike then recruited me to be a field service rep.  It was a great job, but it was an adjustment to corporate culture.  A lesson I’m still learning!  That job led to a development position at Asics.  The turning point for me was the lessons I learned at Nike and Asics, which I still use today.  Those companies have their act together, and specifically their approach to product process was very good.  From there I went to Vans, which was a difficult experience, but I still learned a lot.  For the next 10 years I did design and development work, advising companies on a consumer-driven product process.  Find a niche in the marketplace and develop for that niche.  It sounds obvious, but it’s not easy to do that right.  Find out what the consumer wants first.

Your title is “Chief Shoemaker.”  What do you do there exactly? 

I’m in charge of all the product design and development.  I have an awesome design director, Carlo Tagliapietra, who has a skill of observing the trends and deciding which ones TOMS should address.  He embodies TOMS style and sets the tone for our design.  Then we have really good designers and developers who execute those styles.  We have an office in China with a team of 22 people.  They’re responsible for building all of our product, plus the logistics and quality control.  I also spend a lot of time talking to our sales team and our retailers.  That’s the basis of my job—talking to customers and learning about what’s working and what’s not.  Again—listen to what your sales team, your customers, and your retailers are telling you.

What first attracted you to Blake and the Toms concept? 

I actually wasn’t attracted to the TOMS concept originally!  It was clearly a good idea, but I was thinking more about the product—the alpargata espadrille.  At that time, 2006, the market was flooded with flip flops, and it was time for something else.  The alpargata had as good a chance as any style of catching on.  Jeans were getting skinnier at the time, and I felt espadrilles could catch on.  In addition, Blake was a very sincere guy, and I had been looking to be inspired again.  I had worked with a lot of people who had let me down in some way.  And Blake is charming…I originally just started working with him as a favor to a mutual friend.  But his sincerity won me over.  He was true to his word and worked really hard to build the business.

Do you feel that the Toms One for One mission has been an inspiration for other businesses? 

Absolutely.  But not nearly as much as I’d hoped it would.  When it was clear we were successful, I hoped we’d see more imitators.  Maybe a One for One automobile company!  I wonder if TOMS mission should be about proactively encouraging other businesses to do well by doing good.  Specifically, to make doing good integral to their businesses.  The reason TOMS hasn’t backed off of their mission is that it is who we are—it’s part of the core of our company.

First shoes, then glasses.  Is there any limit to where you could take the Toms brand?

No.  There are many places we could go, but it’s incredibly important that glasses succeed.  This will be the proof that the one for one model can work in any business.  So it’s not about TOMS, it’s about the One for One concept.

Unless you’re living in a cave somewhere, you’ve no doubt been bombarded with an alarming number of recent stories involving institutional corruption and arrogance: The Penn State scandal, News Corp., FIFA, and Wall Street have all been in the news lately for these reasons. Corruption is nothing new—you could go back to the beginning of recorded history and find plenty of examples. Only yesterday I tweeted about how our own Congress bowed to lobbying pressure and classified pizza as a “vegetable” for the sake of school lunches. Even our children’s health is for sale! I got more retweets from this one item than I had for any other of my 2,000 tweets.  Clearly, I had struck a nerve.

I try to see the effects of cultural trends in sports. And institutional arrogance is impacting sports in many ways, but most obviously in the relationships between professional athletes and their governing bodies. Three places jump out at me immediately:  The NBA strike, pro cyclists’ ambivalence toward the UCI, and the anger of elite runners towards the IAAF. 

While the NBA strike is well-chronicled on a daily basis, the UCI and IAAF situations aren’t as well-known to the public. But they’re both interesting.

I’ve followed professional cycling since I raced bikes in college. During that time, I’ve witnessed a steadily crumbling relationship between the riders and cycling’s global governing body, the UCI. Like most governing bodies, the UCI enjoys a monopoly whose power lies in being the one group authorized by the International Olympic Committee to send athletes from their sport to the Olympics. So all of the world’s national governing bodies have to play by the UCI’s rules. And the UCI becomes all about…the athletes?  Sorry, no. They exist solely to further their own agenda of money and power. I completely lost faith in the UCI when they took a $100,000 bribe donation from Lance Armstrong in 2002. To this day the organization denies that it was a conflict of interest.

So it’s no surprise that rider anger has been steadily growing under the incompetent management of UCI Chief Pat McQuaid. Riders and teams have recently been threatening to start their own breakaway league, and sooner or later I believe that will happen.

The IAAF is track and field’s global governing body. They hold even more sway over their sport than the UCI. And that’s because track and field would barely exist as a competitive sport without the Olympics. So the IAAF has enormous leverage. Cycling, by comparison, is beholden much more to the Tour de France than its own governing body. Athletes for years have chafed at the IAAF’s restrictive logo rules, which allow only a single tiny sponsor logo on a runner’s uniform. That prevents runners from signing up sponsors and making a living, because most sponsors want their logo “on the car,” like NASCAR. The IAAF perpetuates this draconian policy so that athletes’ individual sponsors (from which the IAAF makes nothing) don’t compete for TV time with the sponsors on the bib at big meets (from which the IAAF makes a lot of money).

While elite athletes, managers, and sponsors have discussed this situation for years, now it’s become a public dialogue. America’s top 800 meter runner, Nike athlete Nick Symmonds, has started a Facebook page devoted to the issue. I think it’s a positive sign that we’re having a public discussion about the situation. Unfortunately, however, the IAAF may not do anything about it. As Toni Reavis pointed out in his excellent response to Nick’s post, governing bodies don’t care much about the needs of the athlete.

He’s right, of course, and the sad thing is that without a strong system of compensation for athletes, we really don’t have much of a sport left. Drunk on its own power, the IAAF is strangling the very sport that it manages.

I, for one, am anxious to see how this all plays out, in all three instances. The one thing I do know is that once the genie is out of the bottle, and the athletes find their voice, the problem won’t magically go away. 

In the new world of brands and marketing, there are three important concepts that every CEO needs to understand: Content, Curation, and Context. I believe these three words now define how a brand represents itself to the world. Here’s a closer look:

Content:

Any business should know that their most important form of media is content. This word broadly describes any sort of media that is created by a brand: website, social media, videos, experiential activation, and, yes, even advertising.  It’s critical that businesses in the modern era have a content strategy. And thinking like it’s 1999 and just putting out some ads and a website does not qualify as a strategy. A much deeper dive into media and community is needed.

Like I’ve discussed before, every business is a media company. But that’s more than just a catch phrase—businesses actually need to think like that, hire like that, and develop insights along with that. There are still too few brands who take media and content seriously. The idea is to use the media tools at your disposal to engage your customers. I’ve cited these examples before, but pay attention to Nike, Apple, and Starbucks—they’re some of the smartest marketers out there. Watch how Nike built a tribe of several million with their Nike Plus activation. And look closely at Apple’s use of tutorial video on their website, which fits perfectly with their Genius Bars. And download the Starbucks app, which allows you to use your iPhone like a debit card. These are super smart initiatives that serve both the customer’s needs and those of the brand. That’s great content.

I see too many brands trying out content that only goes one way: it serves the brand at the expense of the customer. That’s a losing proposition, and people will see through it. Examples of this would be most QR codes (too much work for no payoff), most advertising, and many loyalty/rewards programs. These type of initiatives are basically scams. Don’t get lured in by these. Take time to truly understand your customer and create content that enhances their experience.

Curation:

This word has everything to do with trust: Have you, as a brand, built a healthy relationship with your customers so they can depend on your choices to work for them. Take a retailer, for example. When you walk into a J Crew store, will there be sufficient choice and selection so you won’t feel like you’ve wasted your time? Or when you visit Amazon.com, will they give you enough objective reader reviews that you can make an informed purchase of a book? This is what curation is about. For instance, I love to listen to KCRW, the amazing radio station, because I know their DJs are playing very interesting new music. That doesn’t mean I love every song, but they’re always ahead of the curve and finding stuff that I never could.

It goes further than this, however. People nowadays also want to curate their own lives—what they wear, the music they listen to, where they eat, what websites they bookmark, etc. People create a life for themselves by choosing from an infinite cafeteria line of choices. Brands need to understand their place in this world and position themselves to be front and center at the cafeteria line.

Context:

This is a word that I’m seeing more of in the media, which is a good thing. Unfortunately, brands aren’t necessarily understanding the context of context. It’s about relativity. Where things are in the big scheme.

Here’s an example: When Microsoft decided to build an MP3 player, they opted to ignore context. So they built a player—the Zune—that they felt was about 3% better than the iPod. Microsoft’s thinking was that, faced with a choice, why wouldn’t a consumer buy the device that was 3% better if the price was the same? The problem is, that’s looking at the problem with blinders on. Had Microsoft opened its eyes, they would have seen an entire ecosystem dominated by iPods. Apple has about 70% market-share in that space. Why try and compete head-to-head against Apple? What if they would have conceded that market and gone after the under-$100 player only? Or, maybe just focus on creating an insanely great high-end $600 audiophile MP3 player? Or, what about not getting into that market at all? What were the odds that Microsoft, which outside of the XBox has never succeeded with a consumer product, was EVER going to win in that space? Somewhere between slim and none, I’d guess. Again, had they stopped for a minute to think about context, they might have scrapped the Zune project before they started.

When my partner and I first launched a TV commercial production company in 1998, our very first client was Alan Blum.  We’ve been friends and collaborators ever since.  I reached out to Alan this week to ask him about his new brand, Five Point Snacks.  He’s courageously launched this brand all by himself, and you may have seen him written up in this week’s New York Times.  It’s an inspiring story that speaks to the new generation of contemporary brands.

Alan, I know you’ve had a long career in advertising—tell us about that.

My career in advertising began as a cliché: in the mailroom. I worked my way up as a copywriter, but I was always interested in the relationship between all aspects of the agency business – how inventive media steered the creative process, how smart client service helped sell ads, how research – what we called it before “account planning” – offered miniscule consumer insights that made all the difference – along with killing its share of great work. That large, spare-no-expense agency experience at Leo Burnett was followed by my second job at a mid-size shop, then up-and-coming TBWA. There, I learned a lot about what not to do: ignore the importance of a sound strategy; undervalue employees; talk about deserving business instead of going out and winning it. After three years there, I’d had enough; I also had a client, Air France, who appreciated the attention and creativity my partner and I were delivering and agreed to sign on as the first client of our new agency. That was 1993, when a number of small creative boutiques were sprouting up, offering big-brand clients an alternative to the big-agency fee structure. And we’re still going strong today. Over the past 18-years, so much has changed I hesitate to use the words “ad agency” to describe us; “think tank” seems more accurate. The days of clever headlines and well-written body copy have given way to social connections and consumer-led content. We spend much more of our time today innovating new product concepts, identifying remote consumer touchpoints and thinking about our clients’ marketing needs in a way that has absolutely nothing to do with advertising. Still, advertising provides a strong foundation for how we think about brands – their purpose, what makes them unique, and all the ways consumers can be inspired to engage with them.

What’s the story with your new brand, Five Point Snacks?

Five Point Snacks is a new line of salty snacks – potato chips, pretzels, tortilla chips, popcorn and cheese twists – with a social mission that serves as the brand’s critical point of difference: helping US veterans get the assistance they need to live a better civilian life. So, we’re not only donating a portion of proceeds to veterans’ organizations, but we’re also looking to build out our sales organization entirely with veterans. The names and packaging of the five products honor each of the five branches of the US Armed Forces, creating a strong emotional connection between the products and the target audience. I want to be careful here not to suggest that the target is only military, it’s much broader than that; the brand is positioned as an alternative to mass-market snacks, namely Frito-Lay products – and we’re competitively priced – so the target includes military families and socially conscious consumers whose numbers continue to increase. By the way, 20% of Americans have a family member who is either in the service or is a veteran – that’s a staggering number, one in five! And what’s so alarming is that they spend one or more tours of duty fighting for our country, and when they return home, one-third of them can’t get jobs. Really, something has to be done about it, so we’re trying, one bag at a time.

Do you feel that community benefit is an essential ingredient for any brand these days?

I don’t know that every brand needs to ladder up to a tangible community benefit, though it would be nice if more brands thought that way. But I do think it’s critical for every brand these days to sell a purpose, not just a product. That is really where commerce is heading. It doesn’t matter whether it’s Dove’s “Inner Beauty” or Tom’s Shoes’ “One-for-One” or Stonybrook Farms’ “Profits For The Planet,” brands are starting to take a look beyond what they make and really focus on what they do. And consumers are taking notice. Look, that’s the bet I’m making: all things being equal in terms of quality and price – and in our case, assuming the taste profile of the snacks compares favorably – consumers will prefer the brands that have a higher mission over those that don’t.

What sort of marketing do you have planned for the brand?

Having spent 25 years on the agency side, I’m finally starting to understand why no client ever has a big enough budget: marketing is expensive! We do have a number of marketing efforts that are starting to take shape, but traditional advertising and media buys are out. Our biggest marketing splash will come on 11.11.11 when we’ll have a float in the NYC Veterans Day Parade. We’ll be handing out samples all the way up5^th Avenue; then at 56^th Street, we’ll have a mini-studio set up where spectators can record personal video dedications honoring individual veterans that will be posted online. The idea is to build on the community spirit by putting real faces and stories to our mission. Beyond Veterans Day, we’re going to rely on PR to carry much of the marketing weight, although we are in conversations with an unnamed reality show about being featured on an upcoming episode, but I think it’s a long shot.

Lastly, where can we find the product?

As of September 3^rd, we have prominent end-aisle displays in all Duane Reade stores throughout the NY-metro area. Starting in October, we will also be featured at all 180 BJ’s Wholesale Club locations along the east coast and into the Midwest. In late-October, our website will be e-commerce enabled so we can sell products directly nationwide. Our hope is to be sold in retail locations across the country by Memorial Day 2012. And then to have international shipping capabilities so customers can have gift packages sent to troops stationed overseas.

Tim with a couple of recent paintings.

Just a few of the thousands of toy figures that have taken over his studio.

Mark Parker, the CEO of Nike, had Tim art direct this outlandish shoe, which was designed for Russian Cosmonauts.

One of Tim’s precious 10” vinyl jazz albums.

I’ve loved Tim Biskup’s art since I met him in Palm Springs five years ago.  His work combines character, story, and color into a unique style.  Moreover, he’s not afraid to evolve his work, which is a characteristic one finds in many of the great artists.  I recently spent an enjoyable day with Tim at his house/studio in Los Angeles.

What struck me first was the diversity of Tim’s interests and inspirations.  Early in his career he worked as an animator, which gave him a true understanding of character and storytelling.  He’s also a musician, and he once ran his own record label.  While I was there, Tim played his own band’s music for me, and it was a perfect soundtrack to go along with his art.  Tim is deeply into vinyl, with a ridiculous collection of rare vintage 10” jazz albums.  He’s also acutely aware of pop culture and brings all sorts of references into his work.  I was reminded that every artist, no matter what their medium, is informed by their own life experience and point of view.  As artists grow and learn in life, so does their art.  

Tim’s work has evolved over the last few years from more whimsical and fun to an angular, almost cubist, look.  For sure, there are fans of his that keep wanting him to “play that same hit song” over and over.  But Tim has chosen to keep his work fresh and move in new and interesting directions.  I have a lot of respect for that.  In addition, he’s always worked in different areas, including designing a ton of toys.  Hundreds of these figures have taken over much of the horizontal space in his house.  Each toy has its own personality, and Tim crafts each character with an eye towards simplicity—you get a feel for each of these little guys with just one glance.

So it’s not surprising that his some of his latest round of paintings, which go on display this week, are based on sculpted characters.  He started by creating a series of three inch figures and then did a huge canvas for each one.  The new work features bold colors and angular interpretations of all sorts of figures.  Super bold and striking work.  I highly recommend you make the opening this Friday night at This Gallery in Highland Park.