Key Marketing & Business Principles: the Essential Framework & Mindset

Episode Transcript:

[00:00:00] Arvin: no one would believe in your art. as much as you do, no one will believe in your artwork, your product, as much as you do so to expect. Someone else, even your like best promoter will believe more in your work than you do. that is not going to be a helpful mindset because it will never happen.

[00:00:26] Isotta: This is Art Is… a podcast for artists where we brainstormed the future of the art world and the creative industries today. I'm sharing part one of my conversation with Arvin Kim, say a globally recognized NFT marketing.

[00:00:41] Isotta: Arvin shares his professional story and his insights on building a solid business framework. We explore the fundamental questions. All creatives should be thinking about.

[00:00:50] Isotta: What value are you providing and who is your target audience? The episode is a bird's eye view of creative business practice explaining how core business and marketing principles can be utilized across industries and how we as artists can save a lot of time and energy adopting them from the. I really enjoyed speaking with Arvin and learned a lot from this discussion.

[00:01:13] Isotta: So I hope you gained some valuable insights as well.

[00:01:16] Isotta: also, I would love it. If you took a moment to reflect on who in your life might also benefit from listening to this podcast, when you do Please share art is a podcast for artists with them.

[00:01:27] Isotta: So we can continue to grow the show organically and brainstorm the future of the art world ticket.

[00:01:33] Arvin: so at the very beginning, I had really cool, people around me really cool mentors and they had a very,amazing lifestyle. And so I always was just gravitated towards. Becoming someone like them. and, these were people who were like at that point making millions of dollars, you know, like cool cars, cool, houses and everything.

[00:01:55] Arvin: Just like very cool lifestyle. And then I don't think that's a good thing for everyone to get started into any business, but that's how it got started. So I just went after the shiny things. and then soon I realized that. That's not the point. you know, obviously I've made money but like the point of a business, I realized if you just there for the shiny things, you can't really stay.

[00:02:17] Arvin: it's really hard. and then, so that's how it started, but then. Along the way I've had the coolest people, like Tony Robbins' son, Jerrick Robbins, he, mentored me for a while and like, he actually allowed me to get into seeing like, okay, what am I doing with my business?

[00:02:33] Arvin: what do I want to do? And like many other people like him, and. I would say it's like a lot of things I accomplish is because of them. and so that's how it started, but then when it comes to NFTs, so about, I want to say in 2016, I had a really good friend of mine, Nick.

[00:02:49] Arvin: and we would go. Bars and restaurants and everything just hang out a lot. this guy was on his phone all the time and just, he would never tell me about what he was up to, but he was on his phone all the time. And then one day he told me, like he sold everything and converted into Bitcoins.

[00:03:05] Arvin: So I didn't make much out of it, except I thought, that's pretty insane. a few years later, I give him a call and I was like, so, Hey, Nick, how's work. How's everything. And he's like, what work? I'm like, what do you mean? And he's like, well, he's completely retired. Doesn't need to work anymore.

[00:03:21] Arvin: It's just traveling around the world. So to me, that was a. You know, it's not something I would regret, but I definitely was like, okay, if any time, like I see some other opportunity like this, I'm definitely going to jump in. I'm not gonna wait. I'm not gonna let that opportunity pass by.

[00:03:36] Arvin: and then when I learned about NFT, I could understand it really well because, when I was a kid, I would play with these like soccer cards. I don't know if you've ever seen them. is literally like an NFT. So they have, verities, on the card, it reads how many goals that player had.

[00:03:54] Arvin: How many assisted, like how many years they've been like, how many, let's say a FIFA cups, they've got them, blah, blah, blah. and And then the coolest kids had the best cards, like for example, say Christian Ronaldo, like that would be like the coolest car to have just, it had like more value.

[00:04:10] Arvin: I really understood that concept. When I learned about NFTs, I was like, this makes totally. since, and I, I definitely want to get into it. So then actually I know you have a Italian background. There was a, artist from Italy, reached out to me and he said, he has a bunch of artwork and he wanted to see.

[00:04:28] Arvin: And it wasn't a 10,000, collection on anything that people usually have. he said,can you help? And then we saw that his entire collection, which was very small, it was like 10 or 11. That was for me a proof of concept where I thought, Okay.

[00:04:43] Arvin: so everything I've learned in marketing, everything I've learned in investor relationship marketing is actually applicable to, NFT marketing.

[00:04:52] Arvin: and then since then, I started obviously working with a lot of, NFD brands and so on and so forth.

[00:04:58] Isotta: this Italian artist, what kind of work were you guys selling?

[00:05:00] Arvin: actually, he has like a lot of paintings, but it was a digital art. So he had his paintings that like in the physical world, and then he turned it into digital art. it wasn't the computer generated ones. Like he actually made them himself now.

[00:05:14] Arvin: it's still at the time I was very focused on, public companies. I was doing missile relationship marketing, so I didn't spend too much time understanding like, his background or what his focus is or, like how he creates those are, to me, that was just like, okay. Some digital art.

[00:05:29] Arvin: That's really cool. I like it. and, at the time also, you could run Twitter. Without having to get, approval for NFD ads. and so we did that with no problem. And, of course that's not the case anymore. Like you have to have an approval, on all sorts of platforms to run NFTs, but it was, that's what I did.

[00:05:49] Arvin: And that simply just taking qualified people to his page on open, see, People cannot do right now. I don't want anyone to go try it, but, at that point it worked out and I think he's still like a few hundred bucks and he saw maybe like 10 K 12 K. and it was awesome for him. Like he was very happy and for me, I was like, wow, okay, this has a future.

[00:06:09] Isotta: That's so interesting. I mean, especially also how you not even knowing much about his work or his background or his focus, or like his creative practice, we're able to bring your expertise and like traditional business marketing and apply that so seamlessly to his work and enable him to then sell his stuff online so easily.

[00:06:30] Arvin: So there are thousands of brands that I work with from, whatever product that you can think of, that they all have their own functionalities. I mean, there's one brand, here in Vancouver, this, a cafe, that,you go in,you have like tea, coffee, whatever.

[00:06:46] Arvin: And then at the end of the. You do some painting on their wall and then attended into a digital art for you, the tenant into NFD. I guess, maybe this is helpful to your audience.

[00:06:55] Arvin: There's certain things that are just the same for every business, for every product. So first you got to figure out, okay, what is the problem you're solving? what is the value you're providing? Maybe like art, maybe it's not solving a specific problem, but it's a value that's providing. and then, okay, who is the target for that?

[00:07:14] Arvin: who is the target? those are important, obviously. and then where are they located? So are they on Twitter? Are they like going to a specific event? are they,just some forums, are they like, are they all listen to pod? what's so special about them, so you can find.

[00:07:28] Arvin: And then once you figured that out, then you just going to find out, okay, how do I have a billboard? How do I have maybe digital or physical billboard, Where they're at, right? And then you show them what you have to offer. And if your offer is good, they're going to buy. It is simple as that. Anything, I think I understand that a lot of people think, okay, my thing is just so different.

[00:07:51] Arvin: I don't know how I can promote myself. But it's not like every, and of course every project, every artwork is different. And I was telling you earlier, like, I, I love art so much. like I surround myself with people. Who are into art all the time. like a lot of my friends they're artists, and of course, like on a daily basis, I'll talk to artists every day.

[00:08:12] Arvin: But the concept of understanding the business side of things, when you understand, Hey, like why people buy things. you know, whether it be it, you know, they want to solve a problem, they want to raise their status. And sometimes for artists is just literally just that, they want to buy specific artwork because they believe by collecting it, they're going to raise the status that they have.

[00:08:32] Arvin: and that's really valuable for them. They were willing to pay as much money as you ask them.

[00:08:36] Arvin: so once people understand that they can come up with any sort of artwork and promote it, and they will be successful.

[00:08:44] Isotta: I think what's so interesting about that is often when artists or creative people, when it comes to selling or marketing or showing their work to the world, it's such a. Precious thing that they've worked on for so long, it's so personal. They have so much ownership over it. they, they freak out and get worried about how to actually present it to the world.

[00:09:03] Isotta: And so I think, by using that really like regimented framework of, who's the target audience, where are you going to show it to them? How are they going to see it? That really breaks it down and also separates it from it just being your like personal project.

[00:09:17] Arvin: and I would encourage people to find someone else to do the promotions for them.

[00:09:23] Arvin: I understand it, I have a, I have a program, right? It's like a lot of videos and group coaching calls with NFD brands. If someone says something about this product, I get impacted.

[00:09:33] Arvin: I may take it personally. So I understand that like really well, like everything that you produce in the world, you've spent so much time and energy on it. You just, you don't even release it until you think is perfect. And then someone comes in and says, there's something wrong with it.

[00:09:49] Arvin: It just the whole thing just shattered. the vision that you have, everything just gets it, just chips away. I think some people can actually, wear different hats, and be able to just get out of that mindset and just say, Hey, like this point, I'm just a promoted, I'm not an artist now.

[00:10:07] Arvin: and I'm just going to do my work. but now I'm back into artists now I'm going to be creative,And due to arts. but some people cannot do that. And for those people, I think they should just find someone who is believing in them. And that's really important too. You don't want to find someone who's just kind of believing in them.

[00:10:22] Arvin: like you want someone who's truly believing in their artwork has just so crazy about their artwork. And I think that's the key.

[00:10:29] Arvin: If you think about some NFE brands, I give you one example,

[00:10:32] Arvin: So frog was, is a NFD brand and it's basically the shape of a frog. and it's the founder thinks they're the most handsome frogs. and then, so when my sister got one. She couldn't stop talking about it for 30 minutes. this is the kind of person you want to be or promote promoted.

[00:10:50] Arvin: Right. So it's just so excited about your project. So I've bought art myself from artists that just, you know, the commission work and I've noticed like what it's like when they've done all this great work and then when it comes to selling. It's like the weirdest feeling they have, it looks like, you know what I mean?

[00:11:07] Arvin: Like it's just okay, now I have to sell this. And like, what do I say? It's and then they start with just saying like, you know, you can pay this, but you know, you don't have to, or like maybe you just pay whatever. And then, and then this was just like continuously, like.just lowering the value of their own work.

[00:11:24] Arvin: versus just be like, Hey, I think my artwork is so valuable, right. You know, and just say, Hey, like I'm going to stick to it. I think sometimes that's missing. And then that doesn't allow artists to just stay creative. It's just, they're worried about okay, how am I going to make money?

[00:11:39] Arvin: And then they can just continuously produce really cool artwork. So I think it's very important.

[00:11:46] Isotta: I think this idea of getting outsourced help when it's so necessary, and you're not capable yourself of doing the promotion work, creating the marketing material around your stuff. it's just, it's so valuable. And I think it falls under the umbrella of, because we don't invest in that for ourselves.

[00:12:06] Isotta: Undervalue our own work. And so it's like this vicious cycle that just keeps repeating itself.

[00:12:10] Arvin: and honestly, I know what that's like. Cause I produce things products, So I understand this really well. if something is undervalued and it's perception. So it's like your perception, and let's say you just tried to sell it to five people.

[00:12:25] Arvin: And that's like the worst thing that can happen to anyone you haven't even showed it to the right people. And you think already thinking maybe people don't want this. and then so should it to apply people. And then they all were like, man, I don't know, or undervalue it. and then you, as an artist may think.

[00:12:40] Arvin: My work doesn't have value and that would just kill it. Like for some people, like they would just completely like, and I've seen this a lot of times, like where, artists come to me and if they don't have the resources there, they have a very shaky belief on their own work. and then sometimes they just like, forget it, you know?

[00:12:59] Arvin: and that's, that's obviously fine, but, Also like from my end, the F things it's sad for me to see that. Cause then that means that artists hasn't actually discovered the way to sell it and just thinking no one wants. Right. So, and that's a very, it's a very important distinction for people to understand that just because you don't know how to sell it doesn't mean people don't want it.

[00:13:23] Arvin: and did those two concepts get collapsed for people? And then that's like just kills their creativity. Like I think they may just be like, this is not for me. Maybe I should just Uber or I dunno, do something else. getting into real estate, like I've seen people make weird decisions like that all the time.

[00:13:39] Arvin: and then I would also say on the other side of things, no one would believe in your art. as much as you do, no one will believe in your artwork, your product, as much as you do so to expect. Someone else, even your like best promoter will believe more in your work than you do. that is not going to be a helpful mindset because it will never happen.

[00:14:03] Arvin: and I've had those too. Like I, I get people coming into me and they're like, you know, we don't feel like spending money on. how about you, do this for free and then when we make money, and then, you can take a percentage, so you're telling me you don't believe in your artwork, and then you want me to believe in your artwork more than you do.

[00:14:22] Arvin: I don't know if it's like affirmation, if it's just, so it really. Breathing into like what it is for you,that you've chosen to be in this field to just to stay with it. people who are into crypto, maybe they know that term, like huddle,you just need to like, actually just, hold on to that belief.

[00:14:39] Arvin: So to just understand, be like, Hey, like I've created things and I'm here for a longterm, just because at the beginning, maybe it's like some artists, maybe they just start. Like I met someone three days ago, she's a photographer and she's showing me her stuff. And she said, ah, I think I'm okay.

[00:14:55] Arvin: but I don't know if I can do this. Full-time I'm like, why not? It's oh, like I have like small following. I'm like, we'll build it. I don't have the resources. And so that could be the future of that. Photography, They just be like, well, you know, I don't have the resources, so, you know, forget it.

[00:15:12] Arvin: or they could actually do the work. they could actually find resources. They could find people who are going to help them build their following. And as many people have done, and that will be their full-time thing. That will be their, thing that they love to do. And they do it.

[00:15:27] Isotta: I mean, I think it really speaks also to this emerging spirit of online community. That's been to me, like one of the coolest things of discovering crypto is like seeing how connected people are about what they're passionate about. And that's something that. Doesn't exist in the art world right now, people having community around shared passion.

[00:15:47] Isotta: that's boundless in terms of geography in terms of social status and in terms of access and wealth. and so I personally, am really excited about, developing more opportunity for connection online, with international artists and emerging creatives, because Why not, why haven't we already been doing this?

[00:16:07] Arvin:

[00:16:09] Arvin: Obviously someone wants to, also do, anything with their projects and they, they need an advisor.

[00:16:14] Arvin: They need to a marketing officer. it's available on sold-out nfts.io, they can go check it out.

[00:16:22] Arvin: they can also reach out to me on Twitter as well. That's Arvin K NFD. so that's a R V I N K N F T. I'm on Twitter. That's where I'm most.

[00:16:33] Isotta: Thank you for listening to art is a podcast for artists. This episode, I'd like to thank Arvin for sharing his insights and experience with. Please leave. Art Is… a podcast for artists, a rating and review on apple podcasts. It really helps others find us. You can support the work I do by subscribing wherever you listen.

[00:16:52] Isotta: And by donating to the show, the link to do so is in the episode description.

[00:16:57] Isotta: Okay. That's it for now. Thanks so much and see you next Wednesday For the final episode of art is a podcast for artists. Season three.