Greenwashing Burque

Dealing with the effects of poorly planned urban sprawl and natural resource depletion won't be as easy as cleaning up the mess of a poorly planned marketing gimmick.

Read the frontpage story from the Albuquerque Journal...


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Featured in New Mexico Business Outlook

Albuquerque Journal, N.M., Everybody's Business column: All riled up over that Q

(Albuquerque Journal (NM) (KRT) Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge) Aug. 23--Leave it to Mayor Marty to get Albuquerque all riled up over a letter.

No, not a document from someone to someone. Just a single member of the alphabet. The Q.

Since March, when ad agency Rick Johnson & Co. announced with the Albuquerque Convention & Visitors Bureau the Q as the proposed "omnibrand" for the city, the O with a tail has taken a yanking from some of the city's most vocal residents -- bloggers and Alibi readers.

In articles and blog posts, the Q brand has been called "generic," "annoying," "superficial" and "robotic," mostly by backers of an anonymous resistance group hyping the phrase "Soy de Burque!" or "I am from Burque." That's not to say all of the comments are negative, -- one blogger says the Q has "'memorable' potential" -- but the overall tone from this albeit small segment of the community is that the Q is a corporate attempt to label the city as something it's not.

The idea behind the branding was to capitalize on Albuquerque's distinctive spelling -- two Qs -- and the letter's contemporary style. "It's not just a logo or an ad campaign," said Debbie Johnson, CEO of RJC, during the Q's spring coming-out event. "This would be the graphic focal point of the branding."

The last, and possibly only, time the Q got this much attention from the press was 2005, when the often overlooked letter (even the college dictionary gives it only 8{ pages) found itself at the center of a trademark infringement lawsuit between automakers Nissan and Audi. Nissan claimed exclusive right to the Q after years of use on its Infinitis when Audi decided the letter would add flair as a prefix on its new SUV line. (The case was settled out of court.)

It's exactly this type of legal battle that the city is trying to avoid, why the mayor et al. have appeared rather quiet on the subject since the announcement. It's not that the Burquenos have gotten to the administration. Rather, the city lawyers have been at work making sure Albuquerque isn't about to step on the toes of anyone who already has license to the letter.

"And to have some competitive protection ourselves ... (pause) -- from other cities that have two qs in their names," Johnson said wryly during a conference call with the Journal and city officials after the powers that be met about trademark issues last week.

"We're worried about Quebec," Johnson said.

Mayor: "I hear they're changing their name."

Seriously, the mayor said, "We're still Albuquerque, or Albuquerque, if you prefer. People can call us whatever they want, use whatever Q they want. They can use the whole word, half the word, or Spanish slang if they want to."

While the Q is designed to be a marketing tool for business development and for the ACVB to promote city tourism, some local business people are already seizing upon the letter's potential.

Carl Baca just earned his real estate license this summer and immediately secured the Internet domain name theQrealty.com for a future residential real estate business. He's currently focused on a commercial endeavor in the North Valley.

"That's like free marketing for anybody who essentially drafts off of that name, or identifies themselves as something having to do with the Q. It really doesn't matter what business you have, but something with the Q will sound familiar to people with the city and within the state and even in the nation.

"I couldn't afford as an individual business owner to obtain that kind of marketing."

Mayor Martin Chavez says Q-lovers and Q-haters and those who just don't care are welcome to e-mail him their opinions or statements of ambivalence at martinchavez@cabq.gov.

Copyright (c) 2007, Albuquerque Journal, N.M.
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.

Response:

We are writing in response to Autumn Gray’s column in the Business Outlook (“All riled up over that Q,” Thursday, 8/23/07). Soy de Burque was not contacted for this column and, as a result, we feel that our movement has been misrepresented by the author. For that reason we
are compelled to respond in this uphill battle to sustain our identity and culture. We do not have the resources nor the contacts that the Q or Rick Johnson have to be asked our opinions on this continuing merry-go-round.

As for the staff of the Albuquerque Journal, the largest circulating newspaper in
the state, we feel it is your responsibility to present both sides of the
story in order to maintain any sort of journalistic credibility. We are not difficult to
contact and would enjoy being included in discussion regarding this important issue.

We feel the comment, but the overall tone from this albeit small
segment of the community, is careless. Are there statistics or
reports validating this claim? Ask anyone of the many people who have
responded to our movement if they feel alone in their support for
Burque. To simply claim that it is only a small “anonymous resistance group” that cares about its culture and identity, without verifying your sources, seems to be quite negligent. As far as we're concerned, the reaction to this government-inspired cultural branding and our movement Soy de Burque is not small. Unfortunately, neither is the amount of money that the city is spending on this branding effort as a “marketing tool.”

This is tax payer money. Since when do we allow the government to
define us? As a democracy we are responsible to define our
government, not the other way around. Recent moves by the city’s top elected official fall nothing short of politicking, and a branding effort is just as transparent as other statements and initiatives. It is obvious to us Burqueños that he is simply packing his resume for political aspirations beyond his service as mayor.

Soy de Burque is an organization attempting to raise the profile of
Albuquerque as a cultural hub, distinct from other cities around the
world. Our focus is promoting social responsibility in local business operations
and awareness to social justice issues impacting the people of
Albuquerque. We want to preserve the rich culture and identity of Albuquerque’s residents.

Our purpose is to raise the issue that people care about regarding Burque,
not just as a name, but as a metaphor for citizens resisting decision-making without their consent.

We respect all opinions for or against branding our city. Those are
words from the people. The Q,” on the other hand, is something forced
upon us.

But again, I digress; our primary issue is not what we're called. Call
Albuquerque what you want. This isn't any politician's city to name. That's the
point.

We have also been featured on KOBTV with Jeremy Jojola and interviewed
with the Weekly Alibi. Visit our web page, www.soydeburque.com, for these stories as both sides were able to present their opinions.

Viva Burque.

Sincerely,

Soy de Burque

Your "Q" Dollars

Remember when the city had Joan Osborne and Kenny Wayne Shepard come play for "free"? Remember the "Q" Jam?

I keep asking myself, why would a pop music star, who has no tie to Burque, come play music for free? Then let Marty play his guitar...

I can only imagine Marty jamming on stage while Osborne played her "What if god is one of us?", and Marty requested the spotlight shine down on him.




And as I recall, when they forced this whole "Q" thing on us, they said they were only going to use the environmental "Q" logo on "new" "hybrid" vehicles.

Something tells me they're lying to us...



Ahhh... our green "Q" trash cans...

Something more innovative and environmentally friendly would have been to at least make them composting bins.


Have you noticed the billboards going up everywhere? I recently got a quote of $4100 from Clear Channel to have a billboard. Marty must know someone if all these "Q" tattoos are costing taxpayers less than $1500 (as quoted by city officials).

I dream of the day, we can have a Soy de Burque billboard.



Tattooed Cars = World Peace and the end to Global Warming.

New "Q" Street Signs

Please be aware, we are being subliminally brainwashed. Notice the subtle "Q" underneath two of our most cherished street signs.

How much are we paying for this?

Radio Ad from SWOP

Check out the latest ad from the Southwest Organizing Project referencing "the Q".

Local Burqueño Hero...

I receive many images from supporters around the country. Here is one image from a proud supporter. They said that the image was shot in "Uptown". I don't know who he/she is, but to me, they are a local hero.

Whoever you are...
Thank you for your continued support.

Down with "the Q".

Soy de Burque.

New Claims for the Creator of "the Q"

I recently received a “reality check” from a concerned “Q”. (not sure if that’s how they want to be called, or if there is something more hip they call themselves, but for me I’ll refer to those who love their homogenous “Q” as “Q’s”, “robots”, “tools”.

The email was titled “Reality Check”. Little did I know, I was living a dream.

It reads:

Soy de Burque Staff,


Happy New Year to the crew. We hope business goes well, and that merchandise is taking off. I just wanted to clarify one minor point that your website misrepresents - the City of Albuquerque's 'Q" logo, (the ubiquitous green Q with the extra-long tail that is found everywhere from city buses to trashcans at the Sunport) is not the product of some soulless corporate advertising machine, but rather a homegrown product from right here in Albuquerque.

The agency responsible, TKO Advertising, (not Rick Johnson & Co. as often misquoted) is a shop based in the heart of downtown ABQ, a three-man operation headed by James Walker, a New Mexico native. The design was actually commissioned by a City department, which was noticed by the Mayor's office and took off from there.

We appreciate the "Soy de Burque" movement, but please know that Albuquerque's "Q" was created by and for 'Burqueños, and is coming from the heart of the city. Thanks for your time.

-Joaquin
--
Joaquin Falcon
Account Executive
TKO Advertising, Inc.
823 Silver Ave. SW
Albuquerque, NM 87102

Of course I was very concerned. I lost sleep. I couldn’t eat. I found my self pacing my garage, questioning how I could be so dense. According to this guy, “the Q” represents me. It was created for me! Us! We Burqueños! We should feel lucky and proud to have “the Q” replace our Burque! We don’t need to think anymore…we have guys like this to think for us and give us gifts of culture.

Joaquin put a lot of work looking through his fonts deciding what letter truly symbolizes the city’s essence. Thank you Joaquin for the wonderful reality check!

I digress…

If I did need a reality check, I’d need to place myself in Joaquin’s shoes.

I opened Microsoft Word. I scrolled through the fonts.

Turns out, the font something similar to Arno Pro, was the eleventh font on the list of hundreds! How lucky! I didn’t have to go through hardly any fonts. Surely there had to be something more involved and creative in coming up with something so ingenious.

Q….then I thought, “wait a second, that guy…(giggle)”…”he changed the color to green!”…. Q …

WOW!
Wait it looks skinny…I’ll bold it….Q….I DID IT!!!!

Man I wish I got paid the big bucks to come up with this shit. Hundreds of years of cultural evolution, summed up in 2 minutes. Depressing.

I’m feeling better about my reality check. I feel like I’m really trying to connect with the Q and understand how and why Joaquin is adamant about taking credit for worst idea in the history of the city as recently reported in the Weekly Alibi.

The report:

Worst of 2007: Albuquerque Branded “The Q”

The branding of New Mexico's largest city as "The Q" wasn't voted on in the 2007 local elections. There was no public comment period for residents to have a voice about reducing Albuquerque's name to one consonant. There was just a man ( Mayor Martin Chavez) and his hype team (Rick Johnson & Company) looking for a catchy logo to throw on buses, billboards and brochures to pull in some tourist dinero. Mayor Chavez got his Q-clad buses, and we Burqueños got stuck with a catch phrase we didn't choose (and don’t much care for).

Silver Lining: A grassroots movement of residents formed a group to promote the nickname most locals already approve: Burque. The group, Soy de Burque, is using a website ( www.soydeburque.com), T-shirts and word of mouth to promote Burque and stop "The Q." (AD)

Once again, I rethink why I need this reality check. Why it is Joaquin is claiming credit when the Weekly Alibi is claiming Rick Johnson & Company is behind it? Even the CEO of Rick Johnson and Co., Debbie Johnson, is confused. She thinks Rick Johnson & Company came up with “the Q”.

One of the original reports run by local blogs: http://abqrising.com

The ABQ Q Journal is running a story on the Duke Q City’s latest brand: Q. This marketing gold came from Rick Johnson & Co. and the Albuquerque Convention & Visitors Bureau during the Destination Master Plan review at the National Hispanic Cultural Center last Friday, March 23.

Let’s see what Mayor Chavez has to say:

In the vein of “Sesame Street” sign-offs [Sesame Street—well played.], the letter Q was sponsored by the mayor: “I just started seeing it around town— at ABQ Uptown, the Albuquerque Studios, or the Q Studios, the Q Bar, you name it,” Mayor Martin Chávez told the Journal. “It’s a wonderful way to express modern-day Albuquerque. … I just like the heck out of it.”

Debbie Johnson, CEO, Rick Johnson & Co.:

“We’re encouraging all of Albuquerque to be creative and have fun with the Q. We want it to represent a variety of organizations and features and characteristics of the city.”

Thanks Debbie for the encouragement to be creative.


This whole report was initially run by the Albuquerque Journal. They claim Rick Johnson and Co. are behind “the Q”. Maybe Marty came up with the dumb idea, but Rick Johnson and Co. was given the go ahead to promote and create it.

Why the confusion Joaquin?

I did notice TKO advertising on some of the fliers, so I understand you’re involved somehow. Being based out of Texas,(http://www.tkousa.com/main.swf) makes me question your claim to truly understand Burque. Nobody from Burque would come up with "the Q", and think it was a good replacement for Burque.

There is only one Burque. There will always only be one Burque. Nobody can take Burque away from us.

Here’s how I see it…

Marty needed some hot topic to make him look good for any political office that opened up. He called up his buddy Rick and said “what do I need?”
Marty had already received his cosmetic surgery, so Rick said, (in my make-believe world)

“The environment is sexy now. Talk about how you’re the solution to global warming. We’ll need a campaign to put your name on even more podiums, billboards, streets, commercials…everything. You know, make me more money. Eventually your name will be on everything, and rather than bankrupt the city removing your tattoo from everything, people will be forced to re-elect you for whatever office you can win. If that doesn’t work, try and get rid of term limits for mayor. If that doesn’t work, claim everything is unconstitutional.”

Either way, Rick gets his money. Being incredibly expensive, the deal made sense to Marty. (Side note: City Officials are quoted saying “the Q” will cost an estimated $1500. Something tells me, stickers, websites, Q vehicles, marketing firms, balloons clothes, commercials, billboards, luncheons, golf fees, putting Marty’s signature on everything, etc. is costing tax-payer’s much more that $1500.)


So Rick with his money, doesn’t actually do the work. Like any good business in today’s world, you outsource your labor to sweatshops…in this case, TKO advertising. (In other cases unrelated but along the same lines…Hollywood outsourcing to New Mexico. A topic for another day.)


So maybe that’s the story. Either way, I don’t really care. “The Q” is insulting.


It represents everything I hate about people who don’t have any cultural sensitivity, social awareness, and have no vision for a prosperous future that doesn’t include strip malls, Botox, gated communities with no natural resources to be sustainable but make quick money for politicians and their friends, SUV’s and wars to fund them, schools funded by corporations, book burning, health insurance that class-discriminates, beliefs like building walls will resolve conflict or keep out immigrants, or most important…scripted history.

To conclude my “reality check” Joaquin, I’m sick of people like you telling me who I am. I don’t care if you were paid to come up with something you expect me to embrace. I don’t embrace “the Q” even if you or your bosses are from Burque.

What gives you the right to come up with anything meant to represent my culture? Nothing was ever voted on. Just Rick outsourcing a font to a local sweatshop and the city spending the cash to give Burqueños strategic culture. Something easy, planned, sterile, vain, arrogant, anesthetized, concocted, bogus, and forced on a culture to embrace, because “they” hold the power.

That’s the “reality check”. “They” hold the power to inflict any haphazard policy “they” want. TKO is just a pawn in the game. The point is proven not just in this case, but seen around the world. To me, this exemplifies the corporate take-over of the governments of the world. Policy designed to subordinate anything that may cause reaction or revolution.

We don’t need the Q. We don’t have to embrace it even if you claim you’re from Albuquerque and claim you came up with it…I wouldn’t embrace it if my Burqueña grandmother came up with “the Q”…

Your arrogance and brain-washed supposition does not surprise me. Many of your tasteless attitudes are apparent in much of today’s senseless and apathetic movement. It is evident in our sale whore, me, me, me, self-righteous and superfluous ill justice imposed on the under represented, impoverished, and exploited. I raise no glass to you.

Where does it stop if we can just hire a marketing firm to re-brand hundreds of years of culture so it’s more palatable and saleable?

We need to fight for things like Burque. Burque is a philosophy. Burque is a metaphor. This concept of Burque represents change. The fact that we the people have the power to shout “NO!” to the puppet masters who pull the politicians strings. The fact that we can appreciate our culture and see through these scams can lead us to a new renaissance. I believe that profoundly.

I’m reminded of a Bob Dylan song:

There's been rumors of war and wars that have been
The meaning of the life has been lost in the wind
And some people thinkin' that the end is close by
"Stead of learnin' to live they are learning to die.
Let me die in my footsteps
Before I go down under the ground.

I don't know if I'm smart but I think I can see
When someone is pullin' the wool over me
And if this war comes and death's all around
Let me die on this land 'fore I die underground.
Let me die in my footsteps
Before I go down under the ground.

There's always been people that have to cause fear
They've been talking of the war now for many long years
I have read all their statements and I've not said a word
But now Lawd God, let my poor voice be heard.
Let me die in my footsteps
Before I go down under the ground.
Copyright © 1963; renewed 1991 Special Rider Music

We Burqueños are not pioneers in this revolt. But we Burqueños recognize when the wool is being pulled over us.

So there it is, my “reality check”, and even a song for you to hum.

Joaquin, you were ruled by “the Q” even before it was a twinkle in your eye. It existed long before you or I existed. You just gave it a different name and font. There is your credit. Deserved or not.

That being said…

I’m keeping with Rick Johnson and Co. as chief creator and marketing firm responsible for “the Q” until the Albuquerque Journal, the CEO of Rick Johnson and Co. Debbie Johnson, the Weekly Alibi, and any respectable blog in town retract their statements. I feel they are more verifiable sources than some tool from the toolbox.


To reply:

Down with the Q.


Soy de Burque.

"the Q" Ranked the Worst Idea of 2007 by the Weekly Alibi

Those who make hip...so hip.

All questions have been answered...these are the guys who say what's hip.

Asshat of the week brought to you by the Alibi...

Asshat of the Week
"I am not seeing the reduction in accidents that justify the headache and the controversy."
--Mayor Martin Chavez in a Sunday, Nov. 11, Albuquerque Journal article about the task force he appointed to study the red-light cameras.




All year, Chavez staunchly supported the cameras and was quoted saying such things as:

"These cameras are not a cash cow for the city. I've tried everything to cut down on speeding and red-light violations, and this program is the first thing that has worked." Feb. 15, 2007.

Something's changed. Chavez announced last month that he will run for Domenici's Senate seat. (MD)