New York Voices; 402; City for Sale: The Big Snapple

If you're successful in New York are we going to see things like the big Penn Station or Duracell battery park or Circuit City Hall. As someone said The New York Times reporter called service the answer is most likely no. What are you going to do translate directly these people were back he got the U.S. did you decide to go for something new to see something pretty like the CVB cycle for bringing life to the people to the station New York one voice. New York places

New York Voices is made possible by the members of 13 additional funding provided by Michael t Martin and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund. Hello I'm rough AOP. We have two newsmaker interviews in this edition of New York Voices. Later in the program we'll hear from the man who designed the dazzling transportation hub that will be built right here at the World Trade Center site. But we begin with New York's new marketing guru Joseph Perillo. Mayor Bloomberg appointed Mr. Perillo as the first chief marketing officer in the history of the city to get the best possible deals for the coveted New York brand. His first big deal was a controversial multimillion dollar agreement with Snapple an agreement which in effect makes Snapple the official drink of the city. I said now in this a Perillo at Grand Central Station to find out exactly how far the selling or renting of New York City is likely to go. Mr. Pearl you are the chief marketing officer for New York City. That's a new title. Yes. You're the first one to hold it yes or the marketing guru as the papers call you.

What exactly does that mean. What's your mission. I don't know if I'm a guru. But really really our office is a local development corporations called the New York City marketing development corporation and its mission is really to be the city's first marketing department and that means really to centralize a few things Number one is the city's intellectual property as you know the city has a wonderful brand and our instincts tell us that the New York City is this fantastic brand and one of our goals is to create a brand identity that captures the essence of New York City and something that the city can protect. So you used to come from the sports world right. In that world we have things now like the Toyota Gator Bowl or the Speedos Fiesta Bowl the Nokia Sugar Bowl just a name three examples. If you're successful in New York are we going to see things like the big Penn Station or Duracell battery park or Kellogg's. Raisin Bran Central Station or Circuit City Hall has alerted

New York Times reporter called Circuit City. The answer is most likely no. And the way we feel in New York City is it's not really appropriate for a corporation to buy their way into authenticity by slapping their name on a building that already exists there. There are appropriate times when the naming rights should happen. For example if you donate land and you endow the land and you enable a park to exist you played a major role in the existence of that park and it would be appropriate reading about this made me think of the old George Bernard Shaw story maybe you are familiar with is the one where he's. Speaking to our high society lady and he hypothetically asks her if she would go to bed with him for a million pounds and she says Well for a million pounds yes and then he said what about five pounds. And she says well what kind of lady do you take me for he says well we've already established that we're just negotiating a price. Once we establish a the city's name is up for

sale then all that's left is negotiating the price maybe for a future administration are you concerned about that. I think it's a good question. I think it's something that we need to think about and we need to guard. We have a big responsibility in protecting the city's integrity protecting the brand image of that of the city's Integra and that's why we only want to limit the number of partners to 10 or 12 at the most. And we've taken that policy by the the people who are the best in the business. The Olympics are the best in the business when it comes to providing value to sponsors and they do it in a way that's tasteful and that people care about and they don't they don't undermine their own brand because they're careful about who they associate with and they charge an enormous amount of money for those for those relationships because they deserve that we intend to follow that same practice and be careful. OK let's talk about the Snapple deal that started out in the public school system right where the public schools staff what would be the sole

provider of soft drinks water actually started the process started before. We existed by this part of a depression. So then then you continue the deal and now Snapple is the official drink of New York City then reported as that. What is there actually. They hold the place in the iced tea category in the bottled water category and in the Chocolate Rain category which is basically All right so what does that mean when I go to our corner diner and I say give me a coke they say no cokes that will mean we don't really have authority over whether the corner deli or the bodega is going to do what that means is is we've taken a small piece of land in the city. OK all around the city has 600 parks and 5000 buildings and basically created a hundred sixty six million dollar deal literally from something that never existed before which are a few thousand vending machines. And for the city and for the city public the city is obviously a large amount of revenue that the city is going to generate both from sales commissions

and from a marketing fee that's not going to pay well we're going to be seeing Snapple logos all over city property and city events. Certainly Snapple is going to be sponsoring city events concerts and things is going to be the Big Snapple. Well the New York Post named it The Big Snapple you know they they're entitled to their opinion on what it's going to be. And then there's you know it's sort about that. No I don't think so I mean this is New York City you know this isn't we're not going to sugar coat anything I mean it is what it is it's New York City than we have a very very very aggressive media system here which you know which keeps everybody check keeps everybody balance. Well as you know the Snapple deal has been criticized by many including the city controller Bill Thompson. Now he says the deal wasn't done with competitive bidding and such things. Is is it a done deal with these kind of criticism. Well I don't want to comment on the deal but from what I understand of it they ran a competitive process and a fairly good one as I understand it. We've come

right out and said that we didn't run a competitive process for the Snapple agreement. We took advantage of an opportunity that the deal we presented the city and really did a few things generated an enormous amount of revenue for the city and protected the city to do the larger beverage agreement which is going to be the carby and softer arena which as you know is 77 percent of the of everything we drink. That's not alcohol is carbonated soft drinks in the future. Will you send out competitive bidding for the deals that you want to make or will be. Depending on what on the issue our responsibility is to do what's best for the city and in some cases competition is going to be what's what's best for the city. In other cases competition is not going to be what's best for the city and I'll explain why we really got a look at the big picture. So we're going to look at the company's brand. Obviously we've got to look at their history of philanthropy in the city. The number of people that they employ

the history of employment the number of people that they might employ how they impact the community in other ways we've really got to look at the big picture we can't just say the top bidder win right. We're going to be choosing the end of your tenure as the marketing guru I know you don't like the term but I like to say it. What will you like to have accomplished. I'd like to have 10 or 12 really partnerships that would City are proud of in place and generate tens tens of millions of dollars in revenue and that have proven to grow jobs and tourism here at a significant rate. Confident you will be successful. Absolutely 100 percent. Snapple and only Snapple may be something new in our public schools but not chess in the schools. In fact the chess in the schools program has been in classrooms around the city for a 15 years

and it's been credited with instilling discipline concentration through teaching thinking and self-esteem in countless students. We went to P.S. 115 in Washington Heights to see how the chess in the school's program is working in one third grade classroom. Everything that happens over a chessboard really happens in life there are choices to be made there are strategic decisions to be made and executed. And what we're doing is we're giving kids the educational value of these skills through chess and they think it's great fun. It's the basics. Our school has approximately twelve hundred children. The large majority at least 95 percent are originally from the Dominican Republic. So it's a very large Latino population. So as

a result we have many second language learner us with chess. They can just problem solve. And so even though later on they may need to work on their language skills. It does continue to teach them critical thinking which is the crux of life. I mean if you can't problem solve and think critically about situations that you're in not only academically but socially you're really not going to be successful. Come on. What is this piece called. Yes such that the wrongest play it in chess and your chess board. Isn't this an affront to us. It's may seem a very basic concept to was very very young child to take time to think about the next move

to take time not just react. I think it's a lot to ask but I really feel quite positive about it so I feel that they Kong held but lived through this. What is the biggest rule when we play chess. Yes why. Why do you think you have to be quite so yes. We have traits. If we don't concentrate you can think of a move you're probably making a mistake. Chess is a way to teach kids to think strategically. Teach them to concentrate to help them to focus. And what we're really hoping for is that kids will take the lessons that they learned from chess and apply it to the rest of their lives. The longer you take to think about your move the better the move will be. Do not give pieces away. Don't put

pieces on the square where they can get captured. Be smart. This is for their self-esteem that they're able to play the game that they see as an adult game that they're able to do for excess. I think that they at this age they're able to really make judgments about themselves in relation to the game to see where they want to be. I just think it does amazing things for them socially. This is my point. This is one of those and this is life revolves so that we do a lot to do with experiments here. The ghost of Armando these shores over this galls us our dogs I'll give you this for the vote was

very good in the areas where we teach in New York City. We're teaching in some of the high poverty areas we're teaching in areas where kids often don't have a lot of control over their lives and one of the things that chess brings is order. When you sit down at a chess board you and your opponent have a world it's your world and there is no luck in chess it's all skill. So whatever happens over the chess board is something that you created and you get to. Then you get to take away. And so kids really value the fact that they actually are controlling their destiny for those few moments and that they have entered a world where they feel that they are important and where they are competitive and where they can succeed. New Santiago Calatrava received a

standing ovation at the unveiling of his design for the new transportation hub here at the World Trade Center. Since then most critics and most New Yorkers have agree that it is indeed a masterpiece comparable to Grand Central or to the old Penn Station. I spoke with Mr. Kahler travel about his new design at his home here in Manhattan at the heart of Santiago Calatrava his design is lighter than air. The glass dome roof allows like to reach 60 feet down to the PATH train platform. In addition the dome roof can be opened to create an open air comma not in the middle of downtown. The design calls for the roof to be open each year on September 11. The Godfather at the unveiling of your design you drew a picture of a boy releasing a bird. To what degree was that the image from which an around which you created your design. Well the idea of releasing a bird to see is more a symbolic natural

symbolizing the idea of a gift for example of an offer or like an offering figure but it Classical the other side it means also or you see the spontaneity and it means also let a deep not your of this project which you do. First of all archived for all the CDM for everybody or something you know embodied in the School of the project which is the intention of the out or corrupting the spirit of the moment and you see what I wanted to translate there it is all what I heave that around the side of to something new do something very light for bringing light to deep into the station. They decide also building with light which you do as you see a very beautiful subject but I read a New York Times. Critics say the people would be mistaken if they interpreted you as an

architect of sweetness and light. Are there elements of risk in mortality and maybe even tragedy in your design of the transportation. What he said to Lee you see the extremities touch each other. Do you see so when you are speaking about light you are also in a way you are now speaking about darkness. And so we are bringing light into darkness. We are getting up out of the ground working with light as a symbol. Working with the light they're opening. You see for example cutting a piece of the sky of Manhattan through the opening. The people will be able to see. You see a piece of the sky of Manhattan. What birds Gates release you see into a decent opening of the sky of Manhattan remember you see the 11th of September was our wonderful day. One of those beautiful Manhattan days you know and with these wonderful light in the morning. The fact of

those birds you know getting through the opening beds was this guy of Manhattan has something also metaphysical. The dome of the structure opens up and I think the plan is to open it up every September 11th between the hours of the first attack and the collapse of the second tower. Why is it the whole signification of this opening. You see cutting a piece of the sky from had them you see all signification of. You see the structure who has been protecting us I'm sheltering or suddenly is no more did you know the sense of the fragility of the moment than of the infrastructure in which we are living. You see so the building itself embodies you know. A message who can be transmitted. Of course you know for generation even for the generation of kids at the unveiling you gave a presentation after which you got a standing ovation. That's something that happened when the Freedom Tower the master plan or the memorial were unveiled.

Are you concerned at all that that might create a little bit of hard feelings with your fellow architects of the World Trade Center site. No nor one of the beautiful things that things conveys together and the more we go forward to see the intention of many people you know giving their best. You see for this particular place all melting together in a positive and positive and I hope very much very beautiful and achievement is part of for this to be part of it you see because finally you see you could look at it as an opportunity to do something beautiful but also it's more than that you see because it is it was this is I need to read and I said in a certain moment of your life in order to get involved in such an event as every building and beyond that you know the very act of reconstruction. And an added creation again you know of of of lower Manhattan Hosp. also something deeply cool to value

because we money faced or believe that you see in the con. of these what the CDI 3 percent that on the 11th of September he has to go beyond he has to survive he has to go ahead and we have putting all of our heart and all knowledge and I know you're the project this design has already been put in the same category as Grand Central Station in the old Pennsylvania Station. To what degree with those stations and inspiration for us you created this. We are in the middle of a city who has a unique television in a monumental public monument you see to the set of views of everybody. There is no doubt you see that Penn Station who I think he is he was a wonderful example of how to bring the light into the trucks you see into the into the platforms. We are not following the same path but we have saved him in the same line and in the same spirit. We're close now with a look at an innovative program that's helping the homeless find work and dignity

program is run by the DOE fund and it's called ready willing and able to get up the barrier it was done by the board. I mean within the service or something. Why do I start up another survey done street. I don't know how bad a job I gotta do. It doesn't look too bad I've seen it worse with nothing. Even dogs but in the morning with all the kids going to school people going to work. Well you know you would have me tied it in there. I didn't have to get to work. Our program has three components for paid work. Our folks go out and work for beginning their five dollars and fifty cents an hour. They pay $50 a week and grants $15 for the food

and save 30 dollars over the course of the program nine to 12 months of $30 a week adds up to a thousand dollars. We match that with a thousand dollars to give them a head start when they get that private sector job and their apartment a room to live in. Do you get your inside job with the Jaish managing your money. OK. The third aspect is social services. Working with traffic you know pedestrian traffic is just part of the job I want to get it to navigate myself to what you know and on my route you know I'm there every day. The people pretty much seem him. We just threw our old dad one of my pet peeves is the cigarette. But it's just something to see all the cigarette butt that asked me but I got a system where I break down history into like that or I'll sweep the gutter and I'll sweep around the edges and then I'll get down

in the pool rather. I've noticed that when you do that the Street seems to get a lot of you know I've been many places you know it's no secret I've been in prison I've been in drug detox and I'm here now ready willing able go from this help me. Our folks don't belong in jail they don't need to be in jail. They give up drugs the first day that they're with us they get used to having money in their pocket. I recently lost my house lost my job I used to be a manager of love of a loafer and after 9/11 cutbacks saying then I lost a lot of my apartment but I never lost the ability to work. So this right here is get me prepared for out here

because what are where everybody herbivore great greasy me to answer your original morning answered Good morning. It made me feel good because you're nobody never told me Good morning. Her retarded tool will grab an industry Romer's No I want to nor do I have a big help right. Amid all the governments of the world. I've got to say with a lot of what we do it manually the community tells us how happy your folks are and that's true they are happy because they're not going to be on the street sweeping it forever this is a means to an end. A private sector job and a place to live. I was working at the grocery bill in five years. I love the job that I do

on the porter do the laundry room three clean a washing machine to dry is a mop the floors get medical coverage is great. I never had it before so I'm loving it right now. I take advantage of it. I'm not on the street no I'm not on the street I'm not using no more I'm not committing any crime going on I have money in my pocket at least big now and I am not not looking to take your homelessness ultimately comes with a degree of hope and change. Also people don't want the family afraid to see those will be out the way you did in the now in the street like that. Good memories now I'm included in a lot of photos. I feel I'm living a lot better. I've got some direction to focus in my life. Will Make It Right.

And that's it for this edition of New York Voices as always for more information about any of the segments on our show or to give us your ideas about future programs. Please go to our website at 13 dot org. A rough way up your own mind for all of us here in New York Voices. Thanks for joining us. We'll see you next week. New York Voices is made possible by the members of 13 additional funding provided by Michael t Martin and the Rockefeller Brothers fun.