Shameless political advertising or serving in the job that he was elected to?
There was once a time where famed blogger and potential future NPA City Council candidate Mike Klassen thought that promoting the Olympics and Paralympics, and more specifically the free activities and events that populated the city during those periods, was a top priority:
“The Vision Vancouver Council seem to have had an aversion to promoting the Games since they were elected, so as to not upset part of their base who oppose the event.” – August 18, 2009
“Dwindling public dollars needn’t be the stumbling block for BC and Vancouver to sell itself to the world. Any savvy marketer knows there are a million opportunities to generate international buzz, and we only have to exploit them — NOW!” – August 18, 2009
“It wasn’t rocket science to understand that most of us can’t afford to attend Olympic events, but want to enjoy the party. How come bloggers are the ones making things happen?” – Jan 26, 2010
“Perhaps the best way that we get good value for our investment is to partake of the dozens of free events being staged during the Games. Think of the message we’d send to the world when thousands of us show up to celebrate in our own cities.” – February 23, 2010
“Then, almost as if the light went on, Canadians fell in love with hosting the Olympic & Paralympic Games. The change in mood was so sudden and so ebullient, that it came as a complete surprise to Games veterans. Even Jacques Rogge described Vancouver’s enthusiastic embrace as unprecedented.
Many theories exist now on why it worked so well, but there is no doubt in our minds that the key ingredient was the numerous free activities.” April 13, 2010
Klassen was also a supporter and web designer for Mayor Sam Sullivan around the time that the former Mayor appeared in the ad pictured above, designed to promote businesses who were facing disruption due to the Canada Line construction.
Yet from that point until the present, Klassen has had some political setbacks. First, Klassen witnessed his own brethren within the NPA turn on their former fearless leader, supporting an adversary who at the time claimed that “a lot of people have lost confidence in Sam” and that there was “concern within the party that Sam may have been taking money for one purpose and using it for another” with regards to fundraising.
And then of course came Vision Vancouver’s Gregor Robertson, whose emergence on the municipal political scene rankled Klassen to no end, turning him and his writing partner into the new Mayor’s “biggest critics.”
Along this bumpy political journey in recent years, Klassen has developed a condition where he often forgets what he once advocated for. Mike’s Mother’s Day post (linked to in the last paragraph) is a perfect example of this unfortunate syndrome.
Klassen takes issue with a city expenditure of $16,025 on a “radio ad campaign across several stations that “welcomed” and “thanked” citizens for enjoying the Games” and “reminded everyone to take advantage of all the “FREE” activities.”
Klassen asserts that the Mayor’s “invisibility” during the Olympics prompted this campaign, which he also claims representeed a “highly unusual and costly decision to help build his profile.”
In what has to be considered the height of conceit, Klassen also argues that the fact that his website went “viral during the Games” provided another motivating factor to “spend precious tax dollars to remind people to ‘have fun’ and to ‘enjoy all the free events’.”
The ludicrous and self-absorbed nature of such declarations needs to be exposed, as Klassen’s possible political aspirations seem to be the sun that is eclipsing any hope of rational thought:
- Vancouver hosted the largest event in Canadian history, with dozens and dozens of attractions and events available to experience for free. Furthermore, the people in Vancouver were the main ambassadors to the world on behalf of the City, imbuing visitors with a sense of how friendly Canadians and Vancouverites truly are. As such, how can an expenditure of $16,025 producing ads that informed and acknowledged these facts over a period of close to four weeks, across four different radio stations, “useless” and/or politically promotional?
- In spite of Klassen’s claims about the Mayor being invisible, I have heard from many people that they saw Gregor everywhere. Whether it was doing regular standups with NBC’s Today Show or any number of international media outlets, touring events and venues, or simply walking down the street where he was regularly mobbed by people simply wanting to say hello or congratulations, Robertson was one of the most prominent individuals in terms of exposure during the Games. Then again, blogging and gushing over website traffic can lead to carpal and mental tunnel syndromes, disallowing accurate reflections of what is really happening in the real world, off of the internet.
- Klassen is often critical of City Manager Penny Ballem hogging the spotlight when it comes to the dissmination of city-related information. But when the Mayor gets on the horn to talk to residents of what is available to participate in, and how thankful and appreciative the city is for the unofficial hosting efforts delivered by the public, he continues to be critical. So Mike, who else should have been featured in such ads?
- And if Klassen is arguing that it is inappropriate for the Mayor to be engaging in such advertising at all, does that mean that Sam Sullivan’s appearance in an the above ad to spur business within Yaletown was also politically motivated and against protocol? The City of Vancouver had to be a part of the mix in mitigating the damaging effects on business due to the Canada Line, in conjunction with the provincial and federal governments as well as VANOC. The same goes for the City of Vancouver promoting free activities and encouraging good will by citizens within its geographic purview. This kind of attack by Klassen is absolutely ridiculous – both Sullivan and Robertson were doing what should rightfully be expected of a Mayor…namely, to take responsibility and show leadership with regards to a pressing civic issue or event.
- Mayors engage in promotion of their city all the time…just ask Michael Bloomberg, Mayor of New York, or Richard Daley, Mayor of Chicago. Why are these the chosen individuals chosen as the face that promotes their respective cities? Because by virtue of their job, they are clearly the main spokespeople on behalf of the citizens. Just because Klassen’s guy Sullivan was diminutive and relatively shy by nature, making such promotion a real difficulty for him, doesn’t mean that future successors should take the same approach. By contrast, whether it is developing and subsequently selling a distinct brand for the city, or standing by large-scale visions for his term in office (ending street homelessness, creating the greenest municipal environment in the world), Robertson is using his business-background inspired skill set to keep Vancouver in the global consciousness.
It is understandable that Klassen has such trouble with the concept of marketing in light of his staunch support for a party whose best idea for maintaining relevance is to change its name.
But if my prediction is correct and Klassen is indeed pining to run for a spot on City Council, he would be well advised to take a page out of Gregor Robertson’s playbook when it comes to promoting his wares beyond the world of blogging.
