In the August 7th edition, of The Daily Item there was an article entitled "Mayor: Cable TV spot touting Lynn to air nationally." In it, the article describes how the Discovery Channel and Cable News Network will broadcast promotions featuring Lynn this fall and will describe how Lynn "has evolved into a great place to live, work and play.” The TV advertisement were paid for with $19,800 in taxpayer funds. As of early August 8th, there were already 43, mostly negative, comments on the story with many noting the amount of money spent on this advertisement when there are perhaps more important things on which the city could potentially be spending its funds. Below is just one example from user Thomas61:
So she is just going to go on national TV and lie about what Lynn has to offer? I wonder is she going to be truthful about the smelly beach, the woods where dog owners let their dogs lose to crap all over and jeopardize people's safety because the owner has deemed their dog friendly, the opposition to any development, the stabbings and shootings that plague downtown even during the day or the many other wonderful things Lynn has to offer? So just more people getting deceived to waste their time and their hard earned vacation? I just believe she is more interested in getting her face on national TV. We need a Mayor not a celebrity perhaps she should change her profession. Funny we can't rid the city of rats because it costs too much yet we have enough for this bull .
Is nearly $20,000 too much to spend on promotional TV spots for the city? Given that they are advertisements, will the promos give a true sense of the current state of Lynn or will viewers be deceived even in the slightest bit?
If it's a well crafted spot, it won't appeal to Lynners at all. It's not supposed to. The target audience is outsiders.
ReplyDeleteIt won't be a well-crafted spot if it does not also acknowledge some realities, like the New York State ads of late which mention how they lost their way (they did?) and are making a comeback, or the Chrysler/Detroit spots.
I'd hate to see it backfire, but I'd love to see it get people thinking about Lynn.
I agree - I know this is a short promo, but something similar to the documentary on Ovation 'Motor City Rising' which acknowledged both the good and bad about Detroit would be ideal.
ReplyDeleteResidents would like businesses and more economic development in the city but I'm not sure how that will happen without at least some advertising. As far as those who complain about there being nothing good about the city, I'm not sure how that will change without some sort of action. More importantly, I don't think it will happen as quickly as people would like without more residents showing up, speaking up, and putting some effort in themselves.
Anyone from within Lynn who thinks there's nothing good about the city should be ignored.
ReplyDeleteA lot of people from outside Lynn who think there's nothing good about it, just aren't the adventurous sort of people who jump in the car/on the T for a trip to explore a city our size in the first place. They're the ones who will ride the coat tails in of the more open minded - of the trend setters.
Our target audience should be "trend-setters" who are younger, more adventurous, open minded, educated, creative, diverse, from around the country, and locally from Somerville, Cambridge, and parts of Boston where they are just finishing up college or grad school and tired of living with various room mates, but who still want to be in a vibrant area.
They should be active people who will create what they don't already see here, and enjoy what we already have. But "Joe and Jane six-pack" who like to go to sports bars and burger joints can do that virtually anywhere in Massachusetts. Lynn needs to offer more than sports bars, karaoke and cover bands. Our arts scene is a start, but it's also just getting off the ground. Our art spaces are surprisingly expensive compared to other cities in our situation - but if we fix these things and attract an influx of energy, you'll soon see more strollers on the street and more pressure on the schools to improve.
I watched it all happen in Jamaica Plain, and in Park Slope Brooklyn, etc. and it can be done without the negative aspects of gentrification - a word I hate.