Buttermilk & Molasses

The Crupi Report: It's Back

In November, strategic consultant Jim Crupi returned to Richmond after a 15-year hiatus and informed the local business community that while Richmond still had many of the right pieces in place, it remained a half-baked city. So to speak.

Crupi's second report -- "Putting the Future Together" -- essentially tagged Richmond for its continued inability to maintain a consistent regional focus; for an emphasis on tactical projects rather than strategic visions; and a lack of continuity in its regional leadership.

Earlier in April, I reported that the Chamber of Commerce was working to stand up a new organization -- with new faces -- to help tackle some of the opportunities laid out by Crupi, and to help move the region forward more effectively in other areas.

Last week, the Times-Dispatch provided some more detail on that organization and the two men named to help move it from paper to reality:

The Greater Richmond Chamber named champions yesterday to oversee how the agency and community move forward in the wake of the Crupi report.

Issued in November, the report is a 55-page examination of issues in the Richmond area.

Robert J. Grey Jr. will lead the startup phase of the effort. He is a partner specializing in regulated industries and government relations for Hunton & Williams LLP. Grey could not be reached for comment.

William C. Bosher Jr., executive director of the Commonwealth Educational Policy Institute, will facilitate the process.

Bosher said the chamber hopes to talk with key players in the community to come up with ideas that could become part of a plan. Young people, who will inherit the vision, will be involved to ensure there is ownership, Bosher said.

"This is much bigger potentially than the Crupi report because the Crupi report will be used as one of our sources of data," Bosher said.

Convergence Done Right

The latest issue of Style Weekly shows how to use multiple media channels -- and a little branding muscle -- to push a story, a product and a brand. Leveraging strengths and partnering outside of their own four walls gives Style's Music Issue 2008 added heft, and should help build more "street cred" for the weekly publication.

What Style has done is simple, and it could be a good road map for the Times-Dispatch, Richmond Magazine and other publications looking for ways to strengthen the delivery of their product, bolster their relevancy and -- most importantly -- share critical stories.

Style has published a Music Issue for years now, and there is nothing exceptionally different from a design and content perspective this time around -- a clean layout, strong photos and a slate of good stories on local music and musicians.

What's different is that Style chose to break free from its newsprint-bound constraints and see the world.

In addition to publishing their material online (standard these days), Style decided to release a compilation CD of the Richmond bands and artists featured in the Music Issue. "Sounds of Richmond #1" contains tracks from a variety of musicians known around town.

Style didn't stop there. They partnered with other local business and media to make sure as many people as possible heard about the Music Issue, got their hands on the CD or otherwise experienced the story:

In Concert: Join us at our CD release party Thursday, April 24, 7:30-10:30 p.m. at Capital Ale House Music Hall, 623 W. Main St. $5. Live performances by Fight the Big Bull, Richmond Afrobeat Movement, and Special Ed and the Shortbus. 780-ALES.

In Your Hands: Pick up a free copy of our new CD, “Sounds of Richmond No. 1,” at Plan 9 Music or at Style’s downtown offices during business hours, 1313 E. Main St., 358-0825. Or get yours at our CD release party April 24.

On the Air: Style Weekly contributor and WRIR DJ Mike Rutz discusses our music issue and CD Wednesday, April 23, 7-9 p.m. on his show, “Activate!” Tune into Richmond Independent Radio 97.3-FM.

On Your iPod: Q94’s Melissa & Sid interview Style Weekly Arts & Culture Editor Brandon Reynolds about our music issue and CD. Hear the Melissa & Sid podcast at www.q94radio.com, keyword: podcast.

On Television: See a special preview performance by Richmond Afrobeat Movement on “Virginia This Morning,” Thursday, April 24, 9-10 a.m. on WTVR-TV CBS 6.

What if other publications in town were to do this sort of thing more often? Not releasing CDs and throwing parties, necessarily, but taking content and casting it widely across our urban village.

What if, as part of the Mayoral/City Council/School Board coverage in Richmond, the Times-Dispatch ran a series of features on the candidates and issues -- and then invited readers to submit questions for the candidates online in a live forum; tossed in a few public debates held around town; let their reporting team go on local TV news to discuss their profiles/articles and provide some deeper perspective; held a panel discussion on the issues with experts on a range of subjects; released a special publication on the election issues?

What is, as part of their pretty excellent coverage of the art scene, Richmond Magazine partnered with First Fridays to create an event that coupled one of Richmond's most successful people-oriented events with the magazine's powerful Teresa Pollack Awards program -- and organized a series of performances and events by the award winners; worked with Virginia Currents TV program to put together an hour-long special on Richmond's exceptional artistic community; curated a show of past winners at a local gallery; found a sponsor to pay for a series of billboards along the interstate celebrating the local arts community?

What if RVA Magazine didn't hold another arts and music fest like they did last year on the Canal, but partnered with the Richmond Craft Mafia and the Etsy Street Team and the Camel and WRIR radio and Lowe's and VCU's School of the Arts to throw the biggest art and music festival in town in the Lowe's parking lot near VCU? And what if they worked with the organizers of Richmond's zine festival to produce a series of zines celebrating and promoting the event? And worked with RVABlogs to create some wild viral publicity for it on the Internet?

Just a thought I had driving back and forth from the hospital this week.