Twitter: Hard Hitter for Better or for Worst

Who says word of mouth is shared at the pace of snail mail? Out of all the different types of social media (SoMe) out there today, I believe Twitter is the most effective in getting the word out quickly than any other source. This "gift" from technology is a double-edged sword making it both good and bad for brands.

Let's take Motrin for example. Using Twitter Search I looked for "Motrin" mentions on Friday, November 14th and Saturday, November 15th. One page of results come up with statements such as these:Then someone surfing the Internet comes across the new Motrin ad posted on its website.

Unfortunately for Motrin several moms find it offensively patronizing, which began the negativity buzz on Twitter. After sleuthing around using Twitter Search the earliest "tweet" about the ad is from crunchygoddess on November 15th at 10:28PM EST and the buzz picks up from there. Within my circle of followers and following, I received a "tweet" shortly after 5PM EST on November 16th sharing the news and now it's my turn to pass it to you. Below is a video montage that was posted to YouTube after a fellow Tweeter (KatjaPresnal) learned of Motrin ad at 11:07PM EST on November 15th.

Video Credit: Katja Presnal

Result:(1) The word is spreading requesting folks to boycott Motrin and the products of its parent company Johnson & Johnson. (2) Kathy Widmer, Vice President of Marketing for McNeil Consumer Healthcare, responded to concerns about the advertising on the Motrin website. See email to Katja Presnal for actual correspondence. (3) Motrin's website is down as of November 17th at 2:36AM EST and has been down for several hours now as they take steps to remove the ad from the website. Evidently, the brand felt it was better to take the entire site down that to have people bogging down the server and aid in the spread of negative buzz. (4) Motrin has spent thousands of dollars to place a magazine print version of the ad and now is taking steps to remove it from circulation. Unfortunately for the brand, this will take longer since it is currently on newsstands and in distribution. (5) In this season of pink slips, the Twitter question of the moment is "will those responsible for this blunder get their own customized version?"

Lesson to Learn: Use your target audience as a sounding board BEFORE you launch a new campaign or decide to try a new tactic. Talk to them and listen to what they have to say. If you don't seek out the true subject matter experts, folks will definitely get the buzz going in the way you would prefer to avoid. They say bad publicity is better than no publicity, but in this case...I think Motrin would beg to differ.

Overwhelmed with Joy

Horns are honking in Virginia (it's estimated that 80% voted today) and I wish I had one to blow too!

I am so surprised at how emotional I have become with the realization of this amazing moment. I am literally crying with happiness of being able to witness history in the making...election of the first African American President.

Let's pray for President-elect Obama and give him the graces he needs to guide America forward and return her to her former greatness.

On January 20, 2009 I will be in Washington, D.C.. I hope you will join me.

Go Obama!

Job Search -vs- Company Search

It was refreshing for me to discover there is at least one person at the VCU Brandcenter using alternative methods to make himself known and is doing it in ways that do not involve creative or team based competitions. (See Drop the Job Search, Start a Company Search by Les Green) It was an added bonus that he is a fellow CBM. This is a great example of "a little thing" a person can do in his or her spare time that has no requirements or deadlines. It may sound corny, but I'm proud of Les' accomplishment and look forward to reading more articles. He is DOING what others have only thought about and for that he is an inspiration.
Below was written by me after reading Les' article and the comments related to it...

I was lucky to have learned early in my career it is not worth the time or energy to continue in a position that doesn't make you happy. Therefore, I wholeheartedly agree with Mr. Green.

Although I understand the perspective of Mr. Crandall, I do not agree with his assessment that Mr. Green's advice is for the longer-term. Everyone should consider the company first and job second. It helps in the short-run, long-run and even when economic conditions are not so favorable. Why? It's less stressful knowing that you are where you want to be versus worrying about rent, loans, the crappy job, your boss seeing the lack of interest in the crappy job coming out in your work, job security, the job you wish you had but didn't have the time to look for, and your friends disowning you because they are tired of hearing you complain about all of the above.

Yes, as a person who will graduate with her masters in May 2009, I am concerned about keeping up with my financial responsibilities. However, I am more concerned about diligently identifying companies that can help launch a career. Is it easy? No, but it is definitely worth it. I'm keeping my eye on the broader picture. I may only stay in my first role after graduating for a couple of years, but if done right I hope to stay with the company for many years to come.

Female Workplace Attire

This Today Show segment is a little dated (Fall 2007), but I thought it was an interesting topic for discussion. Click here for Video

In the workplace, should a woman be responsible for keeping a man's focus on her face?

My thought is no. The woman, just like any man, should dress appropriately for the environment in which she works. Once you have attire that fits the workplace, add your own flair that represents your personality. You don't want an office full of clones and you should have to be responsible for keeping another person's hormones in check.

Photos: Hillary Clinton (politician), 1Epiphanee (marketer / blogger), Helen Mirren (actress)

Can't wait to hear your thoughts.

On The Hunt - Independent Study & More

I've been trying to figure out what my focus would be for my blog post election since for the last several posts the topics that sparked an entry was about the pending presidential election. Well, I believe I now have a couple of topics.

The first is what I learn as I move forward with my job search. The other will focus on my independent study project that will officially start December 1st and go through early May. I've included a description of the independent study project because I am still searching for a company for whom I could help solve a marketing problem. I hope you will help me by suggesting some companies who may be interested in benefiting from this program.

***********************************************************************

For several years, VCU Brandcenter graduate students have contributed to businesses and non-profit organizations as part of our independent study program. This program requires each of our Creative Brand Management students to complete a semester-long marketing project for an outside client in order to graduate.

Typically, there is no cost to the organizations who participate in this program and they can put to use the outstanding work that results. In past years our students have tackled serious projects such as these:

• Conducting research and developing a strategy to accelerate the growth of Genworth’s Long Term Care insurance line.
• Identifying new avenues for growth for an organic pet food company.
• Crafting a plan for DICK’S Sporting Goods to increase growth within minority communities.
• Developing strategies for outreach for a regional hospital.
• Helping a national office furniture retailer target new customers.
• Developing a social media strategy for a global educational marketer.

Each of these projects is supervised by a team of VCU Brandcenter professors, including Founder & President of O'Keefe Brands, Kelly O'Keefe, along with former Martin Agency CEO, Don Just and the Martin Agency’s Chief Strategic Officer, Earl Cox.

This is one of the programs that has helped make the VCU Brandcenter the #1 ranked graduate school of advertising. I hope you will consider participating.

***********************************************************************

I hope you will help me by suggesting some companies who may be interested in benefiting from this program. Feel free to leave your suggestion in a comment or email me privately here.

A flawless campaign...brands should take note

Out of the seven elected presidents during my life time so far, I am old enough to remember all of the campaigns beginning with Reagan's first election. You have to admit no matter what your political beliefs may be, Obama has been running a rather impressive & progressive campaign.

Most recently Obama can even be found campaigning on Xbox 360.
Is Obama's campaign persuasive enough to influence the vote? Well at least one person thinks so...

"The Obama campaign is just incredible… Who would have thought of this? I am a registered Republican BUT what the heck… I’ll vote for Obama. If he runs the country the way he’s run his campaign, things will only get better." - Terry Andersen, posted on Gigaom

Voter Disenfranchisement - 2000, 2004 and 2008???

Thanks to a dear friend bringing today's NY Times article to my attention. The article describes how tens of thousands of voters in at least six swing states have been removed from rolls or blocked from registering.

States’ Actions to Block Voters Appear Illegal - NYTimes.com

Verify Your Voter Registration

Not all states have online voter registration verification tools. If your state doesn't, you'll need to call your county election official to verify your registration. (We've included links to all relevant contact information). If you need to, you can look up your county here.


— Submitted by me as editorial comment to the NY Times on October 9, 2008

My immediate thought was "not again"! 2000, 2004 and now 2008? The fact that this is happening in the swing states is highly suspicious. One thing I do not understand is for a law/act that was put into place in 2002...why are states just now enforcing it (or trying to figure out the process) DAYS before an election? Shouldn't they have already created a process and gotten the bugs out in last 5-6 years with the help of local elections?

It angers me tremendously to learn the Republican party is trying to stop people from voting in Ohio. Yes, this is definitely a sign of a maverick. A maverick whose thinking (add entire Republican party to this) is COMPLETELY removed from that of the general population.

Please, please, please make everyone aware of this excellent piece of investigative news done by the NY Times. Not all news sources try to get relevant, timely and useful information to the public. Encourage and motivate all you know to check with the county clerk BEFORE Election Day to make certain their voting rights are secure. If you are able to vote early, DO IT so you will still have time before November 4th to correct any wrongs that may happen at the voting booth.

Sometimes Life Is Just Plain Funny

If you haven't been watching the last 3 weeks of Saturday Night Live (SNL), you need to immediately go to YouTube or NBC. com and watch what you've been missing. Everyone needs laughter in their life and Tina Fey as Palin is able to make anyone laugh each and every time!

SoMe Creativity

As I was prepping to watch the Vice Presidential candidate debate last night, was determined to have the ability to have a discussion even though I was at home alone. My Social Media (SoMe) of choice - Twitter & Facebook. The added benefit? Current.com had partnered with Twitter to sponsor "Hack the Debate". If you decided to watch the debate via Current.com/tv you see as many debate related tweets as possible in real time.

I attempted to participate in "Hack the Debate," but I believe the number of Tweets were probably more than even Current / Twitter realized they would get. This caused a downside where it appeared the several of the the tweets were not as real time or relevant to what was being spoken about by time they appeared on the computer screen. In general, the idea is fabulous and I look forward to next week's debate to read what other Tweeters have to say.

Great Idea!

Some people think watching grass grow has no merits. Others see it as pre-game entertainment.


As found on Creativity....Note: The ECD is a VCU Brandcenter Alum.

While you wait for next week's Monday Night Football, watch the grass grow.

With an enclosed sponge, grass seed packet and paper cut-out ref, goal posts and football, Monday Night Football fans get grow-it-yourself mini-fields for their desks.

Full Credits

Client: ESPN
Agency: Wieden + Kennedy, New York
Executive Creative Director: Kevin Proudfoot,
Todd Waterbury
Creative Director: Derek Barnes,
John Parker
Copywriter: Eric Steele
Art Director: Stuart Jennings
Print Producer: Paul Rattoballi,
Stacey Moorehead

I don't get it....

I watched the new spot for Microsoft and just don't get it. Other than the last fraction of a second at the end the spot doesn't mention, reference or have anything to do with the brand. If it weren't for Bill Gates, I wouldn't have any made the assumption that Microsoft had anything to do with the spot.

If the strategy is to keep people guessing, confused or puzzled, it was right on target. If the strategy was anything but that....I need a little help figuring it out.

Does anyone know if there are other ads that will complement this one to make it all understandable?

We Are The Ones Song

Couldn't resist...plus I like the song. Thanks Pops for sharing the link with me.

History in the Making

On August 28, 2008 history was made similar to the history made on the exact same day in 1963 45 years ago when Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his “I Have A Dream” speech.

On August 28, 2008 history has been made and I was lucky enough to be alive to have experienced it first hand. Once again August 28th will go down in not only Black History books, but ALL history books...every single one of them. However this time I was able to witness it, remember it and savor it so one day it could be shared with my children.

If you don't already know or haven't a clue as to what I am talking about, I'd like to introduce the 1st African American accepting the presidential nomination...Barack Obama!

Michelle Obama - 25 August 2008

Amazing speech....there should be no critics. It is extremely rare in this day and age for the love a family has for one another and the sincere conviction a person or group of people have for a cause to come through so well. I doubt anyone will see or more importantly feel anything remotely similar at the other convention next week. This is why the Obama brand is so strong & inspirational.

The Professional Hook Up

If you're not familiar with the website, you should be. I have been able to "connect" with almost 400 people. My contacts have assisted in introducing me to more people that eventually led to face to face discussions and meetings.



As demonstrated in the video above, I've used the site to ask questions that helped me on projects. I'm now using it to learn about the different paths a person can take and still remain in the world of advertising. The value of this site has not been completely uncovered by me, but as I explore a little further each time I wonder why I haven't gone deeper sooner. I plan to use the site to help me obtain recommendations for potential employers and gain an inside look at certain job opportunities. Further down the road, I see LinkedIn as having the potential to help me build partnerships and align with industry experts in addition to becoming one myself.

If you are familiar with LinkedIn, tell me what you like and don't like about the site as well as what you think is missing that would make it that much better. Your thoughts will be useful as I move to learn more about social media especially sites that aren't in the same category as a MySpace or Facebook.

In fact, in addition to LinkedIn comments, let me know what social media sites you think are hot and which ones are not. Don't forget to include a little info that supports your thought.

Still Smiling even when summer's winding down

For the last several days I've been thinking about positive & constructive advice I've gotten regarding my blog. I enjoy sharing my experiences and learning from the responses I receive from those who read about them. I am not perfect, but I do my best to be honest with myself and others.

As I approach the start of my final (2nd year) at the Brandcenter, I hope you will continue with me through the valleys and the peaks of what I call my 'failure can't stop me now' life phase. (Don't ask me why I've name this phase as such...it came to my head and I took a liking to it :-)

I look forward to the conversation or silent companionship along the way.

So Long, Farewell...

This has been quite a summer of discovery and as a result I feel it has been successful. There was definitely a combination of peaks and valleys, but I enjoyed every step along the way. Every lesson learned will only make me a stronger, better advertising professional.

Live, Learn & Move On

This was the week for final creative presentations. After an entire month of working on this intern project, you would have thought the team would have had grown breaking, revolutionary ideas to show for it. NOPE! This was a disappointment for me [particularly because I wished I was able to have thought of something truly amazing (rev. 8/5)].

Once again in a group of 7. This time the departments represented was post-production - editing & music (2), art direction (1), finance (1), planning (1) and account (2). The team was originally gung-ho until we had our first creative review and learned that none of our ideas were interesting enough to capture the attention of the creative team we presented to that day. This was the beginning of the end. If I didn't know before, I really know now that lack of motivation, especially for us beginning in our careers, is a killer of creativity. Every meeting we had someone would mention how our ideas weren't good and how the agency wasn't going to use them anyway so why go through the effort. I tried and tried, but I couldn't figure out a way to turn the ship around so it wouldn't remain in the land of doom. I admit...I almost succumbed due to the constant negativity.

To make a long story shorter, I'm happy the second internship project is over. In general, I know you live, learn and move one. This is one experience of many that will help me become a stronger advertising (any industry truthfully) professional.

Lessons learned

This must be the summer for change. The account director decided to jump ship and head to another agency to man a technology account. One of the things I am learning about the ad biz is that to move up more times than not you have to move out.

Below is a quote I am going to make my mantra. It was a simple thought I had when responding to an email where the person wasn't certain I would have "fun" doing certain work.

Fun is not what I am looking for…it’s the experience I seek. If I enjoy the experience, the fun will come.
- Nerissa Marbury

As long as you give me credit, feel free to use it for I am quite proud of it myself.

Slow & Painful

The great part this week is that the team now has an Account Exec and an Assistanct Account Exec.

The bad part of this week has been lack of things to do. Why? Because there is now an AE & AAE on the account to do the things I was being given. So sad...less time and work for the intern.

Quiet Storm Before the Game

This week the entire account team was out of the office most of the week. The Group Account Director and Account Sup were in Los Angeles to shoot a TV commercial. The Management Rep was on vacation and the Account Exec and Asst. AE positions had not started work yet. So that left me...Account Leadership Intern to the rescue!

I mistakenly thought Week 6 would be rather slow since it was just me in the office. What I learned is that the momentum doesn't stop just because other people have. On Tuesday, there was a big client meeting. I learned the process of getting art work prepped, produced and packed to go. There were copies to be made and files to be sent. I emailed, called and picked up art work and made certain the Creative Director on the account approved the boards production put together in less than 90 minutes.

Wednesday before work I met with a VCU Brandcenter alumna who now works at Naked Communications here in NYC. I knew before arrival that I had one creative briefing to do in the afternoon. When I got to work there was already stuff waiting for me to do in my Outlook inbox. Help prep for not one, but TWO creative briefings. But guess what? We didn't know all the team members that were suppose to be briefed!! Once that little fire was put out, I met with the VP of Strategic Planning to talk about how we would conduct the meeting and make certain we were on the same page for what was needed. (Note: The VP was standing in while the account team was away). The VP was great to work with!


Thursday was busy even though it was a half day in the office. This was the day interns had 1st round reviews for the 2nd group intern project related to an upcoming cause marketing campaign. Once this was completed it was off to the ball park to watch the Mets play the Giants in Shea Stadium.

Friday? I used this day to meet with a few contacts at American Express and PhD. Simply put...I was networking.

Fireworks & BBQs Part 2

Speaking about social media, this was also a good week for me in other ways. You may or may not know, but my client has a social media page.

On this page there are several videos. The video topics are made relevant to current, new as well as never-evers and have been posted weekly. You know what that means....we need new topics to keep things fresh and relevant. As such, I participated in a brainstorming session for new video topics. This was during week 4. After the session, I took all of the ideas and expanded them to make them meatier and more descriptive. Next step was having our copywriter go over what was written and jazz it up before we met with the client for approval. Here's the good part...out of the 20+ video topics I wrote up at least 50% of what I wrote was kept as is. About another 20% the concept was kept, but the wording changed a bit and the remaining 30% was completely rewritten. Now to some that may not seem like a big deal, but to me when a creative director / copywriter keeps what you wrote word for word or keeps the overriding concept you wanted to communicate....that means they liked it. Yippee! This mean some of my ideas, words and thoughts will end up on a social media site. As they do, I'll be certain to provide a link so I can say..."hey, I worked on that!"

Til next time!

Fireworks & BBQs

I'm a little behind in posting especially since week 6 is almost finished. But what can I say? I got a little busy.

The goal of this week was to complete a deck on social media. For this deck, I researched the Internet high and low, read numerous blogs, flipped through articles and expensive research reports trying to discover the next social media trend.


My deck provides an overview of...

• Social Network Leaders
• User Attitudes & Behavior
• Trends & Opportunities
• The Competition
• The Client
• Case Studies

Although I found TONS of information did I find anything spectacular? A new hidden gem? Not really. Even still I was really excited about working on this project given its relevance to digital, interactive, social media, or whatever you want to call it. If you can't tell, Interactive is an area I've want to learn more about.

Well, once I get the okay perhaps, I will share the final deck with you. It will probably have some omissions to keep select information confidential, but the remaining information should be good nonetheless.

Laughter is the Best Medicine

Although this short film made me laugh, it also has a good underlining message. Love what you got, and work it for all its worth!

At the Movies

As you know, the start of the week commenced with the pitch presentations. Thinking about it...still don't know who "won" the pitch competition. Guess they will tell us eventually. To celebrate or by mere coincidence, we also had a movie night planned at Bryant Park. That night the feature was "Bride of Frankenstein". I went to it, but didn't stay for the actually movie since I already had plans that evening between me & some cocktails. Oops I mean friends! :-) For the two hours I was there (if you stayed for the movie you would have ended up being there for a minimum of 6hrs), I had a good time. This was the first time I was able to hang out with other interns who did not sit in intern row on the 26th floor with me. So it really nice to be able to get to know the gang a little better.

During week 4 our next group project was assigned. I have a new team that includes 2 account, 1 strategy, 2 creative, 1 finance and 1 music production person. The task is also a little "easier". We basically have to come up with creative ideas to promote an upcoming cause marketing campaign. First review is July 10th so wish my team the best!

Week 4 was suppose to be my week to pick up speed and work on making a footprint on my account. I provided a couple of ideas for the client's fall campaign and added my input during a brainstorming session for new video topics for social networking. If any of my ideas are incorporated, I will be certain to let you know! Unfortunately, week 4 ended kinda light since I was not able to work on Thursday due to the extra hours worked. Since I was told literally the night before, I didn't have time to make any plans to meet with people to use the time productively. What I did do was provide a status update to my contacts at LinkedIn.com. (I'll tell you more about this site in another post.) So perhaps it was productive after all.

Brainstorming & Stormy Nights

Week three was full of daily thunder storms that I luckily avoided each and every time. During this week I was able to sit in on a brainstorming session for the naming of a cause marketing idea. Here are a few tips I learned from the account supervisor who organized and moderated the meeting:

1. Send homework questions for everyone to answer a day or two before. It helps get the session started with ideas instead of a lot of silent thinking.

2. Try to think up idea buckets that are relevant to what you believe you will end up with. This will organize your thoughts and help those involved generate ideas as well.

3. After all ideas are up on the boards, give participants dots or markers so they can note which are the top 3 ideas.

4. Finally, and I guess it should be first, make certain all the right people are invited. For this session there was creative, strategic, account, client and public relations present and fully participating.

Week 3 also involved a lot of work on the new business pitch I mentioned before. The dynamics were great with my team members even though I ended up I putting in more hours and had to become more of a manager rather than remain a fellow intern. Once I was able to gather information and advise the team players who needed it on what they needed to do, I was then left with putting the presentation together. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining as everyone has to learn at some point. However, it is just frustrating that I get called out for working overtime because of others not delivering their portions of the project. In the real world, this happens and I am okay with it. But in the intern world, this is a no-no since OT may cause the company to go over-budget. So now I have been told not to work over 35 hrs a wk (what agency employee REALLY works as little as that EVERY week???) and that I must take a day off in order to offset the extra time earned.

So what have I learned from this project??
First, don't be afraid to step on toes especially when it's obviously team members don't know what they are doing. I tried so hard not appear as if I was trying to take over (believe I didn't want to do all the work myself), that I was a know it all (this was harder only because I had a better understanding of what was expected of us thanks to Brandcenter training) or that I wasn't willing to let my team members to learn that would be beneficial to them such as using an IMS database. With all my trying, I realized a little too late that because all were more than willing to do stuff, I should have taken the initiative and showed them what needed to be done how to do it as well.

Most importantly I realized that even though the agency wanted to provide "a real agency experience" by shortening our time to work on the project (the client had also given the agency less time), that did not mean to work like one would in an agency. We were expected to work on our primary accounts and the new biz pitch and get it all done within a total 70 hours or 35 hrs each week. So from this I learned, it is better to eat hours and not get paid, than to document the truth and be "talked to".

For those of you who are in the ad business and even those of you who are not, is it realistic to put different requirements on an intern than on an employee, but still expect a similar quality of work? Then again, maybe that's it. Maybe the agency wasn't expecting a high quality of work from the interns and this was just a way to take us through the motions of a pitch.

Drinking on the Job

During my second week at big agency I had the pleasure of using some of my valuable graduate school training. Scott P. would be proud...I used IMS / Simmons, read media flow charts, and looked at TV rotations without blinking an eye.

I had the opportunity to be a stereotypical ad intern as well. I needed to print out 10 copies of a presentation for a client meeting the same day. Now in true fashion I must see how well my Brandcenter training specially delivered by Prof. Just does me. I have one week before a new biz pitch and the team doesn't really have much done.

You know you are in advertising when you get to leave work early, go to the bar, and drink on the job for the sake of research. I will say the time at the bar was the most productive time for the team. Let's just hope the momentum continues.

SIDEBAR: I'm not necessarily worried about my ability to do the work, but I am concerned about being able to motivate the rest of the team. This is an area of improvement for me. Although I have managed people for years, it was brought to my attention that I still have much to learn. It took a few weeks after receiving the feedback and at least one book on leadership, but now I know what I lack. I must develop my ability to quickly identify what drives individuals. Once you have this key, you can use it motivate and encourage. I am a HUGE cheerleader and have been told by many that I seem to know what to say at the right time. However, this is in my personal life. I still wonder why it never crossed my mind to blend the two. I've always tried to keep the two separate. But you know what? Now that I am trying to blend some of my personality into what I do for a living, why shouldn't I blend my values, traits and common sense, too?

Starting from Scratch...

Well you know those trade emails that I catch up on every now and then when I get behind? Well, they are all gone. I was planning to read a lot of them as many were interesting to me. Unfortunately, I had a problem yet again with an Apple product that caused me to loose all my saved emails. It's a real bummer as I have no history on my important sent emails nor do I have the memory to remember the various articles I wanted to read in more detail. So if you know of anything interesting that I should go back and read. Please let me know as I have much to learn.

Thanks!

Still Smiling

I have successfully completed my first week at my New York internship. If you don't know I am working on a great account and so glad I am. The size of the account, talent on the team and work being performed will offer me experiences I desire out of an internship.

Unlike some interns I have spoken to so far who work not only at my agency but also at a number of other agencies, not many had a ton of stuff to do this week. I have been assigned 4-5 different projects. Three are thinking projects and two are more busy work, but nonetheless will allow me to better understand the client and the advertising history & process that much better.

In addition, I will have two additional projects working in groups with agency interns. The first project is a pitch. I can't tell you who the pitch is for due to confidentiality reasons, but when the gag order has expired I won't mind sharing the details. The pitch project has 7 of us working together. My group has 3 account people, 1 copywriter, 1 art director, 1 broadcast, and 1 planner. We range from a history major working in advertising for the first time to a person who took time off between high school and college to decide on his path and now nothing will stop him. I think we have a strong, interesting group.

Another reason why I look forward to the group summer projects is because it will give me an opportunity to become a better leader and team player. You see, I can become intense. I'm passionate with my work and have high expectations of myself and those who work with me. I have always been one who will do whatever it takes to get the job done...that will never change. I just have to figure out how to transform my drive into motivation for someone who may not be as driven as me.

If you have any tips...definitely send them my way.

A Twist on Education...

Now that I have finally gotten my laptop back, I am taking the time to catch up on emails specifically from the ad trades. I had been saving the Ad Council Creative emails since the beginning of the year because I really wanted to take the time and absorb the content. As time permits, I will share with you my thoughts on the various campaigns I come across. So this will be the first of many.





I like the concept of the campaign as well as the "Tough" and "Foreign Languages" executions. "Algebra II" was humorous, but seemed to confirm a kid's fear that the topic is too hard. So I saw the intent of the commercial and the message communicated in conflict. "Biology" made me focus more on the twins' costumes and distracting echoing voices than the message.

To learn more about the campaign concept, watch the interview with Eric Cosper, Shawn Gauthier and James Rothwell of Publicis New York.

Dunkin' Gets Dunked

This is one of those things I just do not understand the importance of. Call it ignorance, naivete, or whatever, but why should a company have to pull an advertisement because of a piece of clothing worn by the spokesperson?

Per Advertising Age, Dunkin' Donuts has decided to pull its online ad with Rachel Ray wearing a scarf that left-wing conservatives say symbolize the Arab men associated with the jihad. Granted I believe the scarf is a hideous accessory, but saying it promotes a warfare? That's a little too much. What do you think?

PS...as a sidebar: Just came back from a trip to Barcelona (or Bar-tha-lohna) where Dunkin' Donuts goes by Dunkin' Coffee. I always find it interesting to learn of company or brand name changes because of the country or culture.

It's all about the Benjamins...Baby!

Nothing should be surprising in the world of marketing, yet it still is. While doing my daily Googling I came across a wedding blog sponsored by Matrimony, Inc.

http://www.matrimonyinc.com/blog/?p=269

Nail polish that is used specifically for when a person gets engaged up through the wedding date. I know you want to show off the ring and all, but really...do you need event specific nail polish to do it?

It Worked!

I added the "Things to Ponder" gadget to get the creative juices flowing and give me something to write about. Well, what do you know I have something to write about. While I was talking to my sister on the phone she began checking out my blog and came across this "Things to Ponder" question:

If someone were to invent instant water, what would you mix it with?

We both laughed at the silliness of the question. But then I really started to think about what one could add to create instant water. My answer...spit!

School's Out!

In honor of the graduating class of 2008....

How little bit of info can go a long way....

"I'm so excited and I just can't hide it
I'm about to lose control and I think I like it
I'm so excited and I just can't hide it
And I know I know I know I know I know I want you"
- Pointer Sisters, 1982

This is the song singing in my head right this moment. Why? I learned what account I will be working on while an account manager at a big agency this summer. Now I have the right motivation to finish all my "other stuff" so I can make time to research my account. Wow! I swear I feel like a kid again.

Road Rage

I came across this video today. It gave me a much needed chuckle especially since I've wanted to do the same thing - especially in NYC.

Boy does time fly!

Well, 2 segments of the 4 segment race to graduation has been completed. Completed all of my presentation, papers and finals. Only have portfolio review to go. Next step is to get ready for the pit stop / tune up phase that will take place over the summer, which most people call an internship.

I'm looking forward to all the experience has to offer. I'm also looking forward to having a social life again!

Strategy is key!

I swear the Brandcenter tops any reality TV show in regards to original, spontaneous, unprompted commentary.

In the past week, I've heard quite a few one liners that have had my stomach aching, but the one that topped them all came a couple of weeks ago when a professor was commenting on my team's strategy for an upcoming presentation.

"The more foreplay you have, the greater the climax!"

Could it get better than that?

It's gonna be a long couple of weeks!

Well, final presentations days are upon us, here at the Brandcenter. First presentation is on Thursday, April 24th and I feel as if we have so much to do beforehand for the pages we call our deck is anything we can actually support ourselves on. But as with everything at the Brandcenter...it shall be done.

Next on the list is the infamous white paper & presentation due on Monday, April 28th. To date, my team has thousands of words put together to form a "Mary Shelley" original, which is pretty scary looking right now. Luckily we got the nod of approval from the Prof that we are on the right direction and with a few nips & tucks we may just end up with a make-over beauty.

Lastly there is dear ol' media on Tuesday, April 29th. A 45 minute presentation about what? Still figuring that one out, same as I'm trying to figure out how to add all the GRPs, impressions, and CPPs to know if we are with the parameters of the budget. Good thing I have 3 other classmates to scratch my head and look dumbfounded with on this one.

Yes, the days are winding down and I can't wait. Wednesday, April 30th....I get to sleep.

Celebrating 14 years and counting

On March 27th, I celebrated my 14th anniversary as a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. I remember first learning of DST shortly during high school after a sibling received a scholarship to help pay for college. I wondered who are these women who give money? Who are these women who commit themselves to a lifetime of public service?

Laughably by time I was a senior in high school, I had scribbles of DST on all my notebooks as my imagination lived out the college experience. I am one of the fortunate. My daydreams were realized. I have 16 educated, funny, family-oriented, successful line sisters I affectionately call "Sands". I have been able to travel the country and the world knowing that a Soror was only an Oo-oop away if I was ever in need. I have remained active in DST since initiation and that shall never change.

ΔΣΘ∗ΔΣΘ∗ΔΣΘ∗ΔΣΘ∗ΔΣΘ∗ΔΣΘ∗ΔΣΘ∗ΔΣΘ∗ΔΣΘ∗ΔΣΘ∗ΔΣΘ∗ΔΣΘ

Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. is a private, non-profit organization whose purpose is to provide assistance and support through established programs in local communities throughout the world. A sisterhood of more than 200,000 predominately Black college educated women, the Sorority currently has over 900 chapters located in the United States, England, Japan (Tokyo and Okinawa), Germany, the Virgin Islands, Bermuda, the Bahamas and the Republic of Korea. The major programs of the sorority are based upon the organization's Five Point Thrust of:

• Economic Development
• Educational Development
• International Awareness and Involvement
• Physical and Mental Health
• Political Awareness and Involvement

The Sorority was founded in 1913 by 22 students at Howard University. These young women wanted to use their collective strength to promote academic excellence; to provide scholarships; to provide support to the underserved; educate and stimulate participation in the establishment of positive public policy; and to highlight issues and provide solutions for problems in their communities.

It's been a while...

I know I haven't written in a while. School has been keeping me rather busy. At this point I am counting down the days until the semester is finished. Portfolio reviews are in May. I will be certain to show you the great work I've done this semester then as well.

The "F" Word

Unfortunately, I find myself cursing more than I ever have before. [Well, maybe not really, but definitely more than I have in recent years.] In advertising, people tend to use a lot of four letter words. Cursing is just part of being part of the industry.

I came across this video on how to properly use the "F" word that is quite entertaining (with typos and all). I mean really...if you're going to use the word, you mind as well use it properly even if you can't spell anything else!

Not backing down

Team environments can be difficult to manage at times. Never has this been more true that at the Brandcenter. I was told recently that majority rules within a team and I must agree to go with the majority every time. That I should not try to support my opinion or continually ask clarifying questions so I may too get on board with the majority. I am simply suppose to let the majority rule. Well, I don't operate that way. I don't follow the pack because the meeting has grown long or the team is seeking an easy way out, but knows it could do better.

In almost 14 years of working on team projects whether at business school or in the professional workplace, teams have never felt so much like an ongoing battle as they do now. The battleground is created by those who are not willing to open their minds long enough to consider alternative solutions; by those who do not take the time to request additional explanation to better understand another person's perspective; or by those who don't want to try a compilation of the best ideas as a form of compromise.

I believe that if a person feels so strongly about something that there must be a sound reason for it. Sometimes the reason is based on a misunderstanding and other times it is based on solid thinking. Why should this person's opinion be valued less just because they are in the minority? The supreme court lets the minority express its opinion for the record. So why can't I?

CreateAthon: 31 Hrs Without Sleep & Loved It!

It was one heck of a ride participating in the first ever CreateAthon onCampus event with fellow Brandcenter students & VCU Mass Communication undergrad students.

WHAT IT IS
CreateAthon onCampus (CoC) is a unique opportunity for students to put their skills and talents to use helping local nonprofit organizations. In a 24-hour, work-around the clock creative blitz, students generate advertising services for local nonprofits that have little or no marketing budget.

CoC is an expansion of CreateAthon, a nationwide 24-hour, work-around the clock creative blitz begun in 1998 by RIGGS Advertising in Columbia, SC. As of 2007, CreateAthon has benefited 1,008 nonprofit organizations with 2,143 projects valued at $8.4 million.

MY TEAM
Alexis B. - Brandcenter Communications Strategist
Ted S. - VCU MassComm undergrad
Nick W. - VCU MassComm undergrad

MY CLIENT
Virginia Council on Economic Education (VCEE)

MY OBJECTIVE
Develop a brand identity

MY TASK
Re-brand the organization and provide a positioning statement and tagline
Design a new logo, business cards, letterhead, and newsletter template
Write a donation request letter

CLIENT RESPONSE
Clients were extremely pleased that we captured the essence of the brand with our brand platform and branding materials that will help create a buzz and expand awareness within the community.

WHAT'S NEXT
The client now has time to review the materials and will let us know any changes that need to be made. On April 18th, there will be a wrap up event that will showcase all the work of all teams and present the final printed materials to the non-profit organizations. Not to keep you waiting, but I'll unveil my team's designs and branding efforts at that time.

For recap of the entire event and pictures, go to VCU CreateAthon onCampus blog.

Copy never made me smile so much...

This picture was taken last semester by a 2nd year for a beauty-focused project. I loved the copy "Waxing has only made me stronger." since it is a Nerissa original. Yes, us business folks can generate a good line every now and then, too.

Paramount Films & Facebook

Paramount is the first of Hollywood studios to give Facebook users free access to content. No, not full films...just clips from favorite movies like Forrest Gump or Boomerang. Paramount is hoping the sense of nostalgia will turn users into buyers.

"My benchmark for success is that people are joining and sending," Paramount SVP of entertainment Derek Broes told The Associated Press.


Since Paramounts Facebook Fan Page launch earlier this year, it has accumulated 2,220 fans - four of which joined while I was checking out the site. As Paramount pursues this new initiative, it must be careful to have someone continually managing it to make certain the Fan Page and all related pages maintain compelling content that interacts with the audience.

The fact that Paramount is also using the page to recruit Interactive Marketing interns is a sign that they too understand publishing the page is just the first step. Keeping the fans entertained for the long-haul is where the real work begins.

Threesomes

A friend's mother recently passed, so did another friend's husband, as did a distant cousin of mine...all in a matter of a few days. I've heard that death happens in threes and this is my first exposure to this belief.

My question to you is why can't life and love happen in threes as well? If you have any experiences of such, please share...I'd definitely love to hear them.

Note: The Love Life Death image above is the work of fellow blogger: LockJaw's Lair

Let's try and get this going...

Last week was the Brandcenter's Board of Directors (BOD) Meeting. Unlike last semester, the first years were able to participate more than listening to names and titles told to them and then being dismissed. So I was happy in this regard.

One of the perks was being able to have face time to speak to BOD in break out sessions. Me being me...I asked my questions. And me being me...I didn't care for how a couple had answered the questions by either changing my question to make it into something that particular person wanted to answer OR assuming that since the question topic wouldn't be resolved until well after I graduated, there was no point in answering what steps the school was planning to take in the meantime. For the gentlemen who answered my questions in this manner, I saw it as a way of taking the easy way out and as a sign that the directors really don't care about what is on the minds of the students.

On a brighter side, I found great favor in the two other BODs speaking to the group. One is why I am writing at 4:04AM when I should be asleep. This BOD stressed the importance of blogging and writing something not matter how small as often as one can. So this is my attempt to get some momentum going on my blogging capabilities. So don't be afraid to touch base every now and then and let me know how I'm doing.

Valentine's Day

Another day set up for commercialization. Florists, greeting card makers, jewelry stores, and chocolatiers are bringing in the ol' mighty dollar from 1 day in February. I shouldn't criticize as I have benefited in recent years as the recipient of powder blue jewelry boxes and dozens upon dozens of flowers.
This is just one of the few times during the year I wish the personal desire to share a thought, send a gift, make a wish, or offer a greeting was because he would have done so anyway even if society wasn't whispering loudly in his ear.

Overuse of Brands (in school)

Here's an old post I started weeks ago, but didn't finish until today. Enjoy!

*****************************

For the record, I enjoy attending the Adcenter. Oops...I mean Brandcenter. There is just a little area of annoyance I have when professors use certain brands to prove their points or bring a concept to life. The examples are almost always the SAME PRODUCTS / BRANDS!!

I probably shouldn't complain too much. The Brandcenter "professors" are active working advertising professionals and not college trained educators who strive to teach the entire breadth of the advertising industry from a book. (Then again there are books who use some of these same brands as examples as well.) I just wish it wasn't automatically ASSUMED that everyone at the school is interested in or actively use:

Apple, Starbucks, Netflix, Ukrops, GEICO, UPS, Nike

Is it me? Am I continuously shopping in the wrong places? Am I the anti-brand? Here is my take on the products listed above.

first time Apple owner. If it wasn't highly recommended by this school, I still wouldn't own one. Never saw what the big deal was and still don't.


not a coffee drinker. I have to gift cards given to me almost 2 years ago. I carry them around in anticipation I will actual use one.


never used personally. If motivated, I can definitely find movies that I wouldn't mind seeing. There just aren't enough of them out there that entice me from recall alone.


This is a regional (maybe VA only) based grocery store. Yup, me too. Never heard of it before. One day I'll check it out to see what all the hype is about.

Ah! A product I actually use! Gosh darnit, just remembered...my premium is due soon.

absolutely abhor this company. UPS rarely delivers a package on time. I've had to literally hunt down the delivery truck en route to pick up packages before. The shining point was when UPS was used to send a package less than 10 miles overnight. UPS lost the package! After 8 months, I'm still trying to get reimbursed for the lost items.

Haven't bought anything Nike since the 90's. Since I'm discovered a better running shoe (and now I don't run at all), Nike hasn't given me a reason to want an expensive gym shoe.

All of this makes me acknowledge that the industry is full of brands I do not personal use or buy, but will eventually work on. Once on the account, I will of course become intimately familiar with the product or brand. However, in the meantime, does it say something about the type of consumer I am when I have little to no interest in the most popular brands everyone else can't get enough of?

Conviction to the Extreme

As part of my Strategic Brand Concepts class, I read Conviction a white paper written by Kelly O'Keefe. A brand's conviction is defined by O'Keefe as "an internal conviction about how to run a business based on [the company's] own values, not on the whims of the customers." Well, I discovered a brand who has taken conviction to the extreme.

Situation: While a grocery worker was on break a store manager requested help with
stopping a shoplifter

Conviction: Whole Foods Market enforced its policy that under no circumstances should
an employee ever physically touch a customer

Result: Grocery worker fired for stopping shoplifter

How far is too far to take a brand's conviction? Given the regional nature of the story, there may not be any major negative impact to the brand; however, does the brand really wants to risk that?

Bull's eye on Bull-shit

As usual, I am catching up on my industry trade emails at the wee hours of the morning. Today I came across "Target Tells a Blogger to Go Away," an article in the New York Times. This picture is what sparked the controversy.


Amy Jussel, Founder of ShapingYouth.org believes the advertisement has strategically placed a woman's crotch at the bull's eye and contacted Target directly for comment. You say toe-mae-toe and I say toe-mah-toe.

There is no sexual innuendo in this print ad. I saw a woman making a snow angel over a company logo.

I see blogging as an expansion of the word-of-mouth channel. As one person who said, "Bloggers are people with electronic megaphones, no more, no less." And I wholeheartedly agree.

Über Preparation

For the record...

For those who don't know me, I'm a planner and extremely goal-oriented. I like to know where I'm going and how to get there. If an obstacle confronts me, I'm more likely to strategize a way around it than to blow it away.

I am determined and dedicated to succeed in life. Definition of success: Wealth through a loving, supportive family and a passion for living my life with no regrets. The no regrets part is why I opted to leave a satisfactory job (and a nice salary to boot), in search of an emotionally lucrative career. Now I'm at the Brandcenter. I have no regrets.

I'm enjoying the experience, learning tons, and forever thankful for the thrill of a good challenge that reminds me to work better and not longer.

Laughter is Good Medicine

Here are a few video clips that kept the laughter going longer than most.

Smokin' Innovation

One of the great things about having a part-time job as a Google Quality Rater is that it exposes me to topics, sites, information and products I otherwise would not know existed. One such product is NJOY.

Stop laughing, blushing or whatever you may be doing right now. I'm not not talking about the sex toys njoy. I'm talking about NJOY - the electronic cigarette / cigar, which debuted at the 2008 International CES show last week in Las Vegas.

SIDEBAR: I am NOT a smoker so keep in mind that some of my comments are definitely in line with the anti-smoking regime.

The biggest benefit of NJOY is it's healthier than smoking (no carcinogens), which means no cancerous side effects. Other joys is that no lingering odor in clothes & hair, no smoke only a visual vapor and nothing flammable only a LCD light that glows red with each puff.

The negatives are currently limited to the visual vapor that has the scent of smoke and the rumor of TSA approving the device for airline use. If there is a scent, I don't want to be trapped with it for hours on end even if it isn't harmful to my health.

Now for the fun part: Can you imagine what the tobacco companies are planning to do to squash this new innovation? Will it be a cat fight, a stealth low blow, or a sparring of words and intellect? They're probably pow-wowing now to create a "just in case this blows up into something big" strategy. For now, they will simply wait and see how their most loyal smokers respond to NJOY - IF they even heard of it.

See it in action:

Hit the ground running or get out of the track!

My first days of class are complete. This semester I have Intro to Brand Management, Accounting for Communications, Strategic Brand Concepts, and Media Planning & Research. Boy do they make you hit the ground rolling! Over two days I had 4 classes and about 7.5 hours of instruction (normal is 12 hrs, but this was an "easy week".) Here's what I mean:

Assignments due next class period:
1 Brand Culture Analysis - Rolls Royce
1 Fragrance concept, design, and marketing plan - Coty
1 Strength & Weakness Analysis - Circuit City
9 Media Strategies covering three different objectives
1 Article Analysis
4 In-Store Visits - Best Buy, Circuit City, The City & Rolls Royce
2 Website Reviews
9 Chapters to read
6 Handouts to read
2 chapters worth of end of chapters problems
3 Team Meetings & Counting
Research, research & more research!!!

Oddly enough I'm not complaining (at least not yet). This semester is shaping up to be an excellent catalyst to get me running with the advertising wolf pack. Not to mention I'll have some really great work to include in my currently non-existent portfolio book representing the skills I will have further developed during the first year.

It's always the people

I spent time in NYC over the break and realized one thing at the end of it all. I REALLY MISS NYC!! Well, it's probably more the people who are in it than anything else. My friends and extended family, my Sorors and former co-workers. Don't get me wrong...the city itself has MUCH to offer especially compared to little ol' Richmond, but for me it's rarely the place. Always the people.

The Birth of the Brandcenter

Well it's official! The VCU Adcenter is now the VCU Brandcenter. I had the pleasure of having an impromptu tour of the school 10 days before the first day of 2nd semester. Not everyone had that luxury or rather skill to sweet talk a few workers with "please" and "thank you".

Sneak Peek: The Brandcenter

Happy New Year!

Since I recently relocated from New York City to Richmond, I decided to give the "Dirty Rich" an opportunity to prove me wrong by attending the 2nd Annual Carytown New Year's Eve Ball Drop.

Even though I lived in NYC for longer than I will admit on a blog, I never had an interest to attend the Times Square ball drop. Primary reasons have always been too cold and too crowded. I figured Richmond would be different and it was.


Unlike NYC where you have to arrive in Times Square early afternoon to get a prime location for the evening festivities, I arrived to Carytown shortly after 11PM. There was still space in the streets and no one was bumping me. The temperature was cold, but I knew NYC was even colder.

A little after 11:30PM the crowd finally arrived. There was bumping and shoving, but nothing too bad especially since I once again found enough space in the crowd to call my own.

11:45PM: Okay...did I feel the energy in the air of the new year approaching? No. Luckily I was with Adcenter classmates who kept things entertained.

11:55PM: There is no musical performances, no one on stage talking (at least that I could tell), and no sign of the New Year's Eve Ball that was on top of the Byrd Theater.

Midnight: Oh, wow! A not completely round ball made of Christmas lights finally rose....yes rose to the top of a pole. There was no count down, no screaming, just confusion. Everyone in my group grabbed cellphones to confirm it was actually midnight. How can a city have a grandstand celebration for the new year, but not bother to do a countdown!!

12:05AM: First fight of the year broke out. Happy New Year!