Memphis advertising veteran Doug Carpenter has a message for the Memphis creativemunity: “I’m a believer and I want you to believe, too.”
Specifically, Carpenter wants area agencies and freelancers and creatives of all stripes to believe enough in local talent that they’ll support a new onlinemunity designed just for them.
The Memphis Egotist, a recently launched local version of a national online network designed to connect creatives, is a site for advertising, marketing and design professionals to connect with each other, submit work samples and share industry info.
The concept originated in Denver and is now available in two dozen cities in the U.S. and Canada. Memphis is the only city in Tennessee to offer one of the free sites, with the nearest Egotist networks being in St. Louis and Atlanta.
“It was easy for me to make the leap from appreciating what they’ve done in other cities to the ‘I want to do this’ stage because I believe in the talent in Memphis,” Carpenter said.
After getting Doug Carpenter & Associates off the ground last year, the branding and marketing specialist said he wanted to explore ways to promote Memphis and its exceptionally deep talent pool.
After a friend alerted him to The Denver Egotist, Carpenter got busy securing the rights to a Memphis version.
Carpenter pays a small licensing fee and is initially posting daily content, but the goal is to feature user-generated material and membership is free to anyone who wants to join. Members are encouraged to submit samples of their work and share news of job openings and projects.
The onlinemunity offers a variety of features, including job postings, events listings and discussion forums.
Postings and listings are free, except for full-time job ads, which cost $150 for 30 days. Part-time positions and internship opportunities are listed free of charge and members are able to view job listings three days before they are posted publicly.
“Not in my wildest dreams would I ever expect to make money on this site. That’s not even on the landscape,” Carpenter said. “There’s just a nominal cost for businesses, but basically it’s a free place for people toe online and hang out. It’s amunity to show Memphis and the world what great work is being produced here.”
Boston native Don MacDougall, associate creative director at Thompson & Co., is a fan of his hometown’s site and regularly checks others around the nation. He’s optimistic that the Memphismunity will be successful.
“Creatives are in a sort of fraternity because we do the same kinds of work and we think along the same threads,” MacDougall said. “The Egotist is a fun network to let us share what’s going on and hopefully bring us together.”
Pam Branham, president of the American Advertising Federation Memphis, agreed.
“I think it’s a great way to build camaraderie in the Memphis creativemunity and showcase some of our best work,” Branham said. “There really is a lot of incredible work being done here and now there’s a clearing house where much of it can be displayed.”
Jerry Plunk, production art manager at Oden, was one of the first to submit a portfolio for the site. He’s hopeful that the exposure will bring greater attention to his work as a photographer.
“The contacts, the networking and getting my work out there, that’s why I joined,” Plunk said. “At the same time, I want to see what other people are doing and discovering work that’s worth looking at.”
Added Michael Thompson, founder of Thompson & Co., “It lets businesses in Memphis see the depth of talent here and gets the word out. It’s a creative coalition.”
The Memphis Egotist
What: Onlinemunity for Memphis creatives
When: Just launched, The Memphis Egotist is the 24th affiliate in a network that stretches across the U.S. and into Canada
Where: Check out memphisegotist for more info
Cost: Free
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