S
own
words

Gigliotti on
wine, cars...

What is the key to being a good
promoter?: ‘‘Having a vision,
having a clear understanding of
what you want to accomplish. A
guy like Bruce Allen (talent agent)
portrays himself as being very
loud. But he’s always known what
image he wants his acts to have.
You have to have a message and
you have to be able to sell that
message. You have to position
yourself.

For example, the guys who own
Richards On Richards really posi-
tioned themselves when they
decided to open it. They knew ex-
actly what they were doing. Peo-
ple stood outside in a lineup in the
rain on a Tuesday night to get in.
That was and still is the place to
be seen. They went after the 20 to
25 age crowd and sold their
message to that target market very
well.”’

When bands and artists came to
Vancouver, what was it that you
did for them?: ‘‘] was in charge
of their careers while they were in
B.C. When they came to B.C. I
would contact the media. | would
look after them while they were
here, take therm out to dinner,
take them fishing, be back stage
with them. We tried to project an
image for them. For example, the
Jackson Five came out and then
the Osmonds came out. The Os-
monds were the white Jackson
Five.""

What is a routine day like for

Sunday, July 28, 1991 - North Shore News ~ 35

HIGH PROFILES

NEWS photo Pau! McGrath

GOLD AND platinum records line the walis of Frank Gigliotti's office. The North Vancouver resident once worked with such stars as

Bruce Springsteen and Billy Joel.

you?: “IT usually get up just after
five. I try to go for a jog, some-
times 1 don’t make it. | then put-
ter around the house until 7:30. 1
get to the office at eight, that’s a
good time to contact Toronto
because no one will even think
about going for linch before 12. 1
usually run through the paper. I
like to be very, very current. 1 talk
to people all day long finding out
about new things.

“S work very closely with my
client base. | have to believe in the
Product because I’m not a very
good liar. The management must
also want to listen to new ideas.
The company must be successful

because if they're not successful
then I'm not successful.”*

What do you Jike to co to relax?:
“I'm very much into wine mak-
ing, it takes up a considerable
amount of time. It’s easy to make
wine, but it’s hard 10 make good
wine. | like photography. I have a
darkroom at home. 1 love cars
and I love driving. I have two
Mercedes, but the one I love is my
old 1959 190-SL. I just love cruis-
ing. ! fove being around my
friends and cooking for them. |
have a big kitchen with an island
in the middle so everyone can
stand around and peel things.

“To me, quality of life is shar-
ing my good fortune with my
friends.”*

What kind of companies would
hire you and what is it that you
do for them?: ‘‘We offer a variety
of services including providing
consulting services to corporate
clients aimed at positioning and
targeting their product or services
to the specific demographics of
their marketplace. Companies that
are finding themselves in trouble
would hire us. A lot of companies
were getting fat and sassy and
were not looking down the road.
When the recession hit, their net

Save 20-50%

On Our Vast Selection of Oil Paintings,
Mirrors and Framed Prints.

This special, Along With Reductions On
Lamps and Accessories, Continues Until
Sunday Rugust 4/91.

Delvery Extra

VANCOUVER

1128 W. GEORGIA ST.
(GEORGIA & THURLOW)

669-0045

profits were going down. They
needed to reposition themselves
and they would call me.

-“The way we look at it is that
the product is not important. If
you're not competitive then you
shouldn't be out there. Manage-
ment is the important thing. When
I was in the music business I
would say that the music is not
important. The bands would go
nuts. They would say: ‘What do
you mean the music's not impor-
tant? I've spent five years writing
this song.’ But if groups can't
produce a certain image, those
groups are not going to go any-
where.”’

RICHMOND

3251 SWEDEN WARY
(across from IKEA)

270-0045