Awaken from Digital Death

On December 1, 2010, the Keep a Child Alive organization initiated a "digital death" social media campaign. The organization's goal was to raise $1,000,000 for children orphaned by aids in Africa. To reach audiences all across the web, various celebrities such as Lady Gaga, Kim Kardashian and Justin Timberlake sacrificed their "digital lives" to buy life in Africa. That means there were to be no more Facebook posts or Twitter updates until fans brought their favorite stars back by donating to the charity.

It started off a little bit slow, and Usher even broke his digital hiatus early. However, by December 6, 2010, the organization had raised more than their $1,000,000 goal. I was disappointed to find out that there was one very generous donator which ultimately ended the campaign, but it is still a huge success story. It's inspiring to see how a brilliant idea evolved into a take-over of the digital space. I'm willing to bet this will be a widely-used case study for future pitches.

For more information on the organization or the campaign itself, visit www.buylife.org.

MAIP v SWFAIP

A few weeks ago, I posted the above picture on my Facebook wall, which was an inside joke between a few friends and myself. In case you've never heard of MAIP, it stands for Multicultural Advertising Internship Program. I was lucky enough to participate in this program this past summer, and I of course told all my friends about it. Unfortunately, many of my friends are not eligible for MAIP because they're not minorities. So, as a joke, my friend wrote this (picture above) on the white board. SWFAIP stands for Strictly White Folk Advertising Internship Program. 

Now, as I said, it was just supposed to be a laugh. That was not the case. I received more than 40 comments (long ones, might I add) battling out this apparent controversy. Many people think that it's unfair that most internship opportunities and AAF scholarships are only available to minorities. As a Hispanic, I could not be more grateful for all the opportunities I have received because of my ethnicity. But, do I think it's fair? Well, to be quite honest, I have not heard of many advertising programs/scholarships that are open to everyone. There are a great number of students I know that deserve to be rewarded for their outstanding talents, but how can they? I'm not saying that these programs for minorities should not exist, I just think that there should be more options out there.

What are your thoughts? 

Bittersweet

For months, the FSU Arrowhead Advertising Team has been building a campaign for the 2010 NSAC client, State Farm Insurance. There's been tears, sweat, relationship break-ups, sleep deprivation and laughs. This has been one of the most stressful and challenging moments of my college career, but it has also been the best. Everyone on the team is so talented and passionate about advertising--they've all inspired me to push the limit and do more than I ever expected of myself. Each and every person on this team has been such a privilege to work with and I will truly miss them. 

On Friday, April 30th, Arrowhead drove to Tampa to compete in the annual NSAC competition. University of Miami definitely brought it to the table, making it that much more nerve-wracking. Luckily for FSU, our never-ending nights in the Ad Lab paid off! I am proud to announce that FSU won the following awards:

+ 1st Place at Districts

+ Best Research

+ Best Strategy

+ Best Creative

+ Best Q & A

I'd like to recognize and congratulate all of the Arrowhead members for being such amazing people. We will miss our seniors so much (in bold)! You've meant more to this team then you realize. A special thanks to:

+ Jonny Arcila

+ Emily Asqueri

+ Nicole Brooker

+ Arielle Calderon

+ Courtney Connell

+ Maria Correa

+ Jesse Damiani

+ Danielle Delph

+ Michela Fleury

+ Alysse Goodwiller

+ Courtney Griffin

+ Christina Morgan

+ Gala Pazos

+ Sydney Perlman

+ Alexis Perricone

+ Jordan Rich

I love you all so much and I look forward to hearing about your future successes! 

Facebook is changing. AGAIN.

You've all been there to witness the unexpected and confusing changes Facebook loves to make. The interface has been changed several times which leaves users frustrated and upset by the sudden remodel. Once again Facebook is switching things up, but this time it may affect advertisers. 


Facebook recently released confidential emails to ad agencies among the country (so of course the info gets leaked on the internet--we're advertisers...do you honestly trust us?) in which they have stated that advertising will be changing among the most popular social media platform. The company has claimed that this will help marketers gain more fans and build engagement, but I see this is a HUGE disaster.


Here's the deal. You know all of those fan pages for both small and large brands? As of right now, if you are a "fan" of the page, then you visit the page and click "Become a Fan." From now on, instead of "Becoming a Fan," you will "Like" the page. Why is this so different? Let's say a Facebook Ad shows up on the right hand side of the page that says "Jet Blue." You click the like button because you think Jet Blue is a pretty cool airline. A few hours later, Jet Blue's status updates blow up your news feed. Well...what if I "like" Jet Blue, but I don't necessarily want to be a fan? Facebook claims that users are twice as likely to click the "Like" button than the "Become a Fan" button. The thing is, Facebook isn't going to release this news publicly. So users are going to like these brands and then be bombarded by their feed. An equivalent move, theoretically, would be "Liking" somebody in order to become their friend, rather than literally requesting to become their friend. In my opinion, there are not going to be many happy campers out there. 


On top of that, if your friend "Likes" a page, let's say Lady Gaga, and you "Like" the activity...guess what? You are officially a fan. Hopefully this will have a more positive outcome, but as a user myself, I HATE this idea. Expect this change within a month or so. 


I'm going to start a new social media platform that blows Facebook out of the water and then make millions of dollars! Anyone want to join me? ;)

Did you know?

This is a video I stumbled upon a while ago and I forgot just how incredible it is. There are an influx of facts that are both surprising and downright ridiculous. It puts a lot of things into perspective and it's a little reminder that the world has changed dramatically and will continue to do so. Enjoy!

Tabletop Technology...WOW.

I'm sure you've all heard of the insanely innovative emerging technology over the past couple of years. First it was the ipod, then smartphones, and now this; the tabletop that is sure to keep guests coming back to your home over and over. If you have not seen this video, I suggest you do. This video was actually released about 3-4 years ago, meaning that this should be hitting the market soon. This revolutionizes the way we obtain information and go about our daily activities. It's incredible to see how drastically the world has changed since 50 years ago. What most of our parents probably believed to be impossible is now apart of our daily routines. We are so consumed by the new technology that we almost forget what our lives would be without phones and the internet.

Now the real question here is, who will release this first? Microsoft or Apple?

Are you in on the fun?

If you've been keeping up with new trends, then chances are that you've heard of foursquare. Some of you might be thinking "Why is there another social media tool? We have enough." Though you might be thinking that society is on social media overload, for advertisers, new doors are opening quick. We can now interact in real space while facilitated online. The beauty of mobile applications is that we have the opportunity to do things online without having to actually sit in front of the computer. 

So what is foursquare you ask? This new mobile app is based on geo-location in which you can explore your city with friends in a brand new way. You can rack up points and earn virtual badges for checking-in to different venues. As you can see from the picture above, I am currently the Mayor of 10 places in Tallahassee! Yes, this might seem crazy. But let's face it, I'm competitive and I think it's pretty awesome that I can call myself the "Mayor of University Center Club." If you're ever bored, feel free to join in the game and fight for the mayorships!

In addition to engaging users with a bit of fun, this app also encourages people to continue coming back to these venues they've checked into. This is great for marketers because now companies can reward their customers for checking in. Some restaurants offer free drinks to the mayor of the company. Some hotels offer a 25% off discount if you check into the hotel multiple times. These are incentives for people to continue using foursquare and to visit specific places. Foursquare reached over 300,000 check-ins last week, which proves that they are an exceedingly growing company. If I were you, I'd keep my eye on this new mobile app--it's going to be a huge marketing tool.

Social Media has taken over, get used to it.

You've been hearing about this trend called social media. This new trend is probably the top priority for marketers, whether you like it or not. Let's face it, we wake up in the morning and check our Facebook news feed, update our Twitter, and occasionally smile from reading textsfromlastnight. Every time we log online, a marketer has an opportunity to get their message out. Companies are obviously beginning to realize that their brand needs to have a presence online, but the challenge is, you need to be good at it. Hell, you need to at least be decent. The goal of social media marketing is not awareness; it's engagement.

This is your chance to be involved with your audience. You're no longer intangible to your customers, you are now speaking to them on a personal level. @comcastcares is the perfect example of a company doing social media right. Have you ever been so upset about a broken product that you update your Facebook status with curse words and anger? And wish you could get a solution? How about getting the solution when you least expect it? That sounds pretty nice. Try tweeting about your disappointment with comcast cable and @comcastcares will take care of you within minutes. They personally try to resolve the issue, whether it be by email, DM, or a phone call. So you're telling me that I can reach comcast and get an answer immediately...without having to wait for an automated voice to ask me about a survey? Yes, that is what I am telling you. Comcast not only make their customers happy, but they MAINTAIN them; build a relationship. Say hello to brand loyalty.

And then you have the social media inept. News flash: Just because you created a Facebook fan page and a Twitter account DOES NOT mean you are embracing social media marketing. Engagement is key. Virgin America has a Facebook page and I still can't figure out why. There is no customer interaction, no custom tabs, and unanswered questions. When your customer writes a complaint on your page about lost baggage and no help, that would be the time to write back. At least give an apology. So not only have you lost a customer, but now every fan of your page can see that someone had a horrible experience and you didn't even have the decency to address their complaint. Congrats Virgin America, you're on your way to losing even more customers.

Marketing is ever-changing. Advertising is about selling to a mass audience. Social Media is expanding that beyond anything we could've imagined. We're given the opportunity to take customer service to a whole new level. We are still selling to a mass audience, but now we can connect with a smaller audience, too. That, my friends, is the power of social media.

-Arielle

Can I interest you in a game of Chess?

Dear Audi,

You got served. Outdoor billboards are one of the most popular forms of non-traditional advertising to date, which makes it hard for a campaign to really grab your attention. Drivers may see an ad while on a long road trip or on their way to work, but how many people actually absorb the ad's message? Yeah, this could be a problem.

But then there are beautifully brilliant ads like this. Audi placed a billboard that reads "Your move, BMW. The entirely new Audi AA." Audi--may I ask why it is that you've mentioned your biggest competitor? Not only have you just shifted the focus from your product to another, but you've also provoked BMW to respond back. 

I take it BMW wasn't too thrilled to see this ad. But, no worries. It only took one word to put Audi back in it's place; "Checkmate." It's simple, concise, and incredibly awesome. The black background signifies boldness and the white car is sleek and shiny.  Audi - 0, BMW -1.

The only thing that could possibly make this better is if I could see the look on the advertising team's faces. 

-Arielle

Go BIG or go home

"Go big or go home." This is a phrase that has been permanently instilled upon me since I entered college. Each and every one of us is talented and intelligent. We were each admitted to FSU and we all made the cut for this competitive major. So when the time comes to apply for internship programs and jobs, what sets us apart from all the rest? If we're all taking the same courses and learning the same material, that means we have to depend on more than what we learn in the classroom to stand out. We are natural competitors. We have the ability to be creative, yet strategic at the same time. We need to take advantage of our resources and be self-motivated. 

Go after what you want, settling is not allowed. If you want to go to a large city, then make it happen. There is nothing stopping you except for yourself. Make connections and embrace the beauty of networking. Your classmates are your future co-workers and the people who may ultimately help you get a job. They will be your foot in the door and your inspiration. If one of us can make it to the big agencies, why can't we all? 

Agencies look for talent, but they also look for characteristics and personality traits. Would you hire an employee if they didn't work well in a team-based environment? More than likely, no. It's important for advertisers to work together in order to form a campaign. Everyone contributes a piece to the puzzle and each person relies on one another to create a cohesive campaign. When you write your resumes and cover letters, show your personality. Hiring directors take 20 seconds to find out who you are, so make an impression. Do not let anything stop you from what you desire. Obviously the economy has taken a toll on all of us, but that's why we need to work hard now and play later. Take a risk. Be a go-getter. Show industry professionals why YOU are valuable to THEM. 

-Arielle