Branding YOU Better! – Susan Newman Lerer

Brand Video Interview – Mark Matcho, Illustrator

Mark Matcho got his start in 1985, before he left art school and got some first assignments from the New York Times. He says that his brand is not something he thinks much about, but does see that it might be something he should consider more. His goal is to make good and memorable art. He wants his art to evoke nostalgia but with a bit of an absurd twist. He just wants to have fun with stuff and not take himself too seriously.

Mark and I discuss how artists with a particular outlook and distinctive style, have a “brand” because what they create is unique. The “brand” is Mark, and what he does is like no one else. Other types of companies need a logo to help express their brand, but the signature style of an artist is that artist’s brand.

He says that he cares more about doing the artwork and doesn’t want to sit and sift through his older work thinking about self promotion.

Mark Matcho Talks Branding & Identity Design and Donating His Artwork

When it comes to choosing a typeface for his name, he’ll select something and then soon tire of it and choose something else. He just can’t seem to settle on one font that could represent himself for 30+ years. He feels it’s because he’s always thinking of new things and evolving as an artist.

In regard to his website, his system crashed in early 2010 and he lost access and work, so he hasn’t yet rebuilt a new one, but it’s in the works.

He hasn’t donated his work however he recently met a woman who organizes “Sidestreet.org” which brings kids from the neighborhood together and teaches them art, so she asked him to get involved… he is willing, so that may happen in the future. I tell him about my own, “Frogs Are Green” and he’ll happily help us for next year’s Earth Day 2012!

Mark Matcho, from Portfolio door to door to today’s Social Media

Back in 1985 he started by dropping his book off at a variety of places including the New York Times. The art directors there were interested in his illustration work. The work would trickle in until he put an ad in an illustration source book, taking a spread. He credits Bob Zimmerman, also an artist, with showing him how to do a host of things, like taking out ads, which computer to buy and he was the person who got him on the right path.

Eventually he got a website but knows he needs to update it more often. Then he “got into” social media, well really just Facebook. He saw other friends and colleagues were there and says he “didn’t want to be the last man on earth to join!”

He’s not the type that’s going to post every week on Facebook and feels quite the angst and trepidation. He’s usually wringing his hands and sweating and feels it’s not an easy process. What if people don’t respond, or if they do respond, then he must comment and so on. He says that if you see a post of his, know that it took hours and hours of thought.

Mark Matcho and Susan Newman discuss Facebook in Depth, Posting, Tagging, Commenting

Mark shares how social media is confusing and how people think of the word “friend.” Someone is a friend of a friend of a friend and wants to be your “friend.” People start thinking about how many friends they have and not about the actual engagement of conversation.

Sometimes he sees someone’s post and no one has commented and he feels almost obligated to give the person “a sympathy like.” I tell him that with Facebook’s algorithm, people may not even see the posts of their true friends because it’s only showing you the posts of the people who you have interacted with and how if you tag someone, you can get the conversation started with someone you want to see it. I tell him that someone asked me not to tag them and he felt that was rude, and I explained how when you tag someone the photo or post appears on their wall also. Perhaps they didn’t want unrelated posts on their wall.

Mark Matcho talks Future Plans of Advertising & Animation

Mark says that his goal is to get on top of his website and his overall web presence. He sees animated commercials on tv and would love to do work like that. He’d very much like to create animation for a variety of projects. He also plans to take out another spread in a source book and create new art just for the ad so he’s putting out there what he wants to get back. But he’s also wondering if source books are going the way of the Dodo bird and should instead look more into online?

Does an artist need a manager for marketing and social media?

Mark says it might be nice to have help, but it would have to be someone who really knows what they’re doing, not just some student or virtual assistant. You don’t want someone writing or promoting you that doesn’t know you. With social media it would have to be written by you and maybe they just do the follow through.

To learn more about Mark Matcho, visit the links below:

Website: http://www.markmatcho.net
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/markmatcho
Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/markmatcho/
Drawger: Mark on Drawger
The i spot: Mark on The i Spot

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