* lightbulb moment *

OMG. I think I just figured out what I want to do with my life. #winning!


Peter McGuinness is the CEO of Gotham, a NY advertising agency.  He graduated from RWU in '91 with a business degree and presented "Advertising Evolution and Revolution" to current students.  Advertising Age called Gotham "the firm to watch out for" and the "#1 standout." 


He had great insight and provided so much knowledge about how advertising is evolving and how we need to consistently grow and transform with technology and social media in order to be successful.  McGuinness described advertising field as digital, mobile, and hyperconnected.


I learned that social media is NOT a fad - it's a fundamental shift in how we communicate, which can be called "socialnomics."  Social media is not going away, it's here to stay and we must embrace it.  This gives us so many more opportunities to express ourselves creatively. Now, consumers are in control with many choices - brands are porous and democratized so brands have to "earn" our time.  They need to be creative and interesting so that consumers won't want to fast forward through the message.  


Advertising is changing the ways of communication.  We must make it personal so there is a connection with the consumer.  As in any long lasting, rich relationship, there must be reciprocity between a consumer and a brand.  Advertising looks at ideas differently - the brand promise is delivered in a real way.  


Denny's "America's Diner is Always Open" openness campaign, Chobani's "Nothing but Good" campaign, and the Mandela Day "Make an Imprint" campaign were some of McGuinness' favorite most successful projects he worked on.  


In class, I learned that in order to get a reaction, advertisers must inform and inspire consumers to drive them to participation.  You can, in fact, change behavior.  People respond positively by an experience rather than information and facts being thrown at them.  In order to do this, we have to combine the real world with the digital world, seamlessly.  


Perhaps the most important lesson that I was able to take away from the presentation was the final video clip.  Words matter whether they are spoken, visual, or in written form.  CHANGE YOUR WORDS. CHANGE YOUR WORD.  Wording is everything; the same message communicated in a different way is able to create extremely different reactions.  


McGuinness finished by saying that advertising is a characteristic; it can't be learned.  In order to be successful in this industry, you must be curious, knowledgeable, hyperconnected, curious, and creative. Emotion always trumps logic in advertising because everyone can relate to emotions.  

International Business Seminar

On Tuesday, I was required to attend one of the international business seminars for my advertising class.  I went to “Global Geopolitical Challenges of the 21^st Century” because it fit with my schedule.  Professor Melnik was from Nancy, France and had a very heavy French accent, which was hard to understand at some points.  Thankfully, he prepared a PowerPoint presentation that accompanied his lecture.  The beginning of his speech was about political globalization vs. economic globalization.

Then he provided a brief history about the history of globalization.  The Renaissance in 1492 and the discovery of the Americas by Christopher Columbus was the first instance of globalization.  Next was the first Industrial Revolution in the 1760s with Great Britain and the Netherlands.  Finally, was the second Industrial Revolution which reached the U.S., Great Britain and Germany at the end of the 19^th Century around 1914. 

Melnick spoke with great enthusiasm explaining that China and India will dominate in the 21^st Century with growth in global economy and demography.  The world is becoming more modern and less western.  We need to focus on our own cultural identity because the balance of power among civilization is shifting.  The western culture is declining while Asian and Islamic civilization is booming. 

The lecture ended by asking how we can go global as an individual.  Europe faces challenges that are institutional, economic and political due to a lack of visibility.  On the other hand, the U.S. is a birthplace and leader in globalization.  Obama’s geostrategy is to export hope.  There is innovation and creativity in technology and the value of our dollar is low. 

Overall, the lecture was very informative, but I found it hard to pay attention because he was talking very fast and it was hard to understand the professor’s accent.  I think that if I was a history major or a student majoring in political science, I would have enjoyed it more, but I didn’t think that this specific lecture had any focus on business or marketing.

"Strivers" - VALS

Strivers are trendy and fun loving people who are motivated by achievement.  They are also concerned about the opinions and approvals of others.  

An advertisement that accurately targets the "strivers" is a print ad for the Apple iPad 2.  This a new product that was recently developed after the creation of the iPad only a few months earlier.  Strivers would be very willing to be the consumers if this new invention.  Owning the new iPad 2 would make them be perceived as cool and trendy which is how  they view themselves. 

Watch the Official Apple iPad 2 Commercial here: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tYTB4Fq_UM

VALS

Last class, I took my first ever VALS test - a Values, Attitudes and LifeStyles Survey.  This is a great tool for marketers to really get inside their consumers' brains and can help with strategies like targeting, positioning and communicating to a specific audience.  VALS classifies U.S. adults into eight distinct consumer segments based on their psychological

After the short questionnaire, my primary VALS type is "striver," which is my dominant approach to life and my secondary type is "experimenter," which presents a particular emphasis I give to my dominant approach.  

I learned that "strivers" are trendy and fun loving people who are motivated by achievement.  They are also concerned about the opinions and approvals of others.  As consumers, they are impulsive as their financial circumstance will allow.  I would agree that my personality accurately matches this description.  I tend to be frugal with my money because I have to work for it, I am unfortunately not given money by my parents whenever I call them up.  I have been working since 7th grade and definitely know the value of a dollar; I am career oriented and motivated by achievement.

"Experiencers" are motivated by self-expression.  I can agree with this too because I am very right-brained in that I consider myself to be creative.  Experiencers are young, enthusiastic, and impulsive consumers who seek variety and excitement.  I too find energy outlets in exercise, sports, and social activities.         

Possessions & Identity

After reading the Qualitative Inquiry article about the woman losing all of her possessions in a horrific house fire, I paused to think about what is important to me and which of my things I could live without.  I had a hard time coming up with a list, but I do know that one of my possessions that is closely tied to my sense of identity is my cross necklace that my dad gave to me and this symbol acts as an extension of myself. 


Whenever I think of my cross necklace, it makes me think of my dad who gave it to me on my birthday.  He has a very special place in my heart as the stable male figure in my life.  Growing up in a house of all girls with my mom and two sisters,  I always felt a little sad for him, having to sit through so many dance recitals and listen to our dramatic stories about friends or boyfriends when I'm sure he would have much rather watch a sports game with a son.  


Something I am trying to improve is the relationship I have with my dad.  Sometimes, I feel like I don't even know him at all.  Since I moved into college, it's been hard to stay in communication with him.  We both need to work on putting more effort into staying in touch.  Not to say that we don't get along or that there are any grudges or hard feelings at all, I just never really see him and I think that living away at college has really made me realize how much I miss him. 


So now, whenever I wear my cross I think of my dad.  It makes me think of who I am and who I want to be.  I was raised Catholic and made my Confirmation in the Catholic Church my sophomore year of high school.  My faith is important to me and I really became more aware of it during my senior year of high school when my grandmother (my dad's mom) passed away from cancer.  I saw my dad cry for the first time during her sickness and that is when I really started to focus more on my faith. 


I wear my cross when I am hoping for good luck, when I miss my family, or when I want to feel safe.  It grounds me and conjures up many emotions, good and bad.  My cross is one of my possessions that helps me to put things into perspective and think about my personal identity. 

Priming

In January I went to a retreat in Quincy, MA for the annual Winter Org Retreat.  There were about 100 RWU student leaders who were there to discuss plans for the upcoming spring semester for their student-run organizations.


I found an example of priming during the weekend at the retreat.  To start our weekend, we participated in many ice-breaker activities because there were many students who we did not know. In order to feel comfortable with each other, we played many getting-to-know-you games.


The exposure to group activities and talking about our personal experiences was good priming to make me feel more cooperative and open in our group settings.  The ice-breaker activities made me more willing to share my thoughts and feel comfortable voicing my opinion.

[kuh-myoo-ni-tee]

On the Roger Williams University campus, I consider myself part of many groups.  However, my favorite group that I participate in is the Inter-Class Council (ICC).  The members of ICC represent the interests of individual classes and voice class concerns to the University Student Senate and Administration.  ICC also plans effective programing appealing to each class that fosters class unity and school spirit.

Our logo for this student run organization showcases school spirit by using our school colors, blue and gold.  Any time that ICC uses advertisements, the logo is incorporated into the design of the flyer/poster/banner to brand its event to make sure everyone knows that the event is by ICC and not another organization.  This logo sets us apart from other six student organizations on campus with its unique design.  This logo is the only one that uses blue and gold, so that makes us stand out more as the "spirit org." 


The ICC logo helps to resolve the tension between individuality and community.  I feel part of the group as a whole, but I also play an important individual role as the Public Relations Chair on the Executive Board.  My individual skills are needed in order for the org's success, but there is a great feeling of family and closeness with each member of the organization.

Alternatively, there is a group that I would love to be a part of once I have my life sorted out and I am looking to buy and decorate my own house: Martha Stewart Living.  I know, I know, I'm such a nerd.  But I love the simplicity of her interior designs and cute arts & crafts tips.  When I am older, I would love to be living in the preppy, perfectionist-mom, suburban lifestyle that you can find flipping through the pages of Martha Stewart Living magazine. 


Both of these logos have characteristics that make their brands community worthy.

The Pretty Good Problem

Great restaurant, great food, great service. 
Overwhelming menu.

My last visit to the Cheesecake Factory was very enjoyable; however, once the waitress handed me a menu, I started to feel stressed out. 

Not only did I want to eat everything listed on the menu, but I felt pressed for time to read all 40 pages.  There was an abundance of options and I found that it was hard to navigate through the menu to find what I wanted most because there was no "purple cow."

In interest of time, I decided to order a simple dish of chicken and pasta.  I was very satisfied with the meal, but I experienced consumer remorse, wishing that I had tried something new.    

Branding

Tito's Handmade Vodka http://titosvodka.com/

Produced in Austin at Texas’ first and oldest legal distillery, Tito's is made in small batches in an old fashioned pot still by Tito Beveridge and distilled six times.  This American handmade vodka developed in the early 1990s.  I thought that Tito's seems like a very country, classic American, summer drink.  The website was aesthetically pleasing and easy to navigate.  However, it did not create a brand community culture like Sailor Jerry does.


Sailor Jerry Spiced Navy Rum http://www.sailorjerry.com/rum/

Celebrating 100 years (1911-2011), SJ is a well-known brand designed to honor the legacy of Norman "Sailor Jerry" Collins by bringing his artwork to a wider audience.  The brand "espouces his traditional value system, supporting all different walks of creative individuals."  SJ summons feelings of hard work, community and craftsmanship.  Sailor Jerry's has more of a nautical, history-rich feeling, with more of an "idea" attached to the brand.   

OM NOM NOM

SUPER BOWL SUNDAY!!!


Football, friends and food.  What more could you ask for?

To celebrate Super Bowl XLV my friends and I decided to order some pizza from Leo's Ristorante (http://www.leosristoranteri.com/).  Conveniently located in downtown Bristol, Leo's caters to every college student's level of energy by actually delivering right to his or her dorm room!  


How can you go wrong?  Plus, RWU students receive a 5% discount with a valid school ID.  It is safe to say that everyone loved the cheese pizza and we will definitely be ordering more take-out from Leo's ... PS, Paul Mancieri from Leo's loves working with RWU students and often donates to on campus events.  Thank you!!


All we do is win - see theme song http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hF5-l7bz64I ... ok so it's not the original, but hey, it's still catchy.

Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff

I found an interesting entry on ADVERBLOG, the interactive marketing and advertising blog that I am following.  The post featured a campaign for Lynx Dry Antiperspirant Deodorant.  Lynx is the UK’s biggest brand in male toiletries, which we can compare to AXE here in the US.  Check out the campaign here http://lynxeffect.com.au/lab/   

 

The campaign features attractive women in sexy clothing tantalizing men as they are researching a solution to “premature perspiration”.  The spokeswoman claims that the new Lynx Dry Full Control promises 24 hour dry, sweet smelling armpits in physical activity or out on a date. 

 

The ad is based off of the notion that men will buy any product with a hot girl or sports attached to it, and this campaign has both.  What guy wouldn’t want to try this new product?  Better yet, when you visit their “research facility” online, you can actually refer a friend who you think needs the product.  By just typing his name, an embarrassing fact, and his occupation, you can send him a personalized video message from a hot British girl telling him to buy Lynx! 

 

Interactive marketing is the way to go to attract consumers, especially of this specific demographic of young males.  Needless to say, sex still sells.    

No Longer Living the Teenage Dream

"Secret Life of the American Teenager"

In recent years it seems as though there has been a surge in teen pregnancy on television and in film.  Each week, people throughout the country tune in to watch “Teen Mom,” “Teen Mom 2,” “Secret Life of the American Teenager,” and “16 & Pregnant.”  Recent cinematography has glorified teen pregnancy in “The Pregnancy Pact,” based off of a true story of high school girls from Gloucester High School, “Juno,” and even “Knocked Up” with an unwed pregnancy.    

All of these situations made me stop and think.  What is going on?  Why is Hollywood glamorizing teen pregnancy?  And can someone please tell me why the actors on ABC Family seem to compete with each other to see who can say “sex,” “condom,” or “the Pill” the most?  Huh??  Why are so many teens getting pregnant and why is America so in love with these shows?    

In “Teen Mom,” each episode documents the girls’ first year of motherhood, showing their struggles with relationships, family, friends, education and trying to raise a family.  One would think that this would discourage girls from having sex from the fear of getting pregnant themselves.  But it actually seems to have the opposite effect.  MTV is turning these poor teen moms into American reality TV stars, and they are often found in celebrity gossip magazines.

Girls of "Teen Mom"

It would console me to hear that with all of these shows, the rate of teen pregnancy is declining.  Unfortunately, after some research, I learned that teen pregnancy is still a huge issue in the United States.  Each year in the US, “almost 750,000 women aged 15-19 become pregnant,” [1].  Even more disheartening, for the first time since the 90s, “the overall US teen pregnancy rate increased in 2006, rising 3%,” [1].  And finally, get this, “ten percent of all US births are to girls aged 19 or younger” [1].  How sickening.     

After each “Teen Mom” episode, a PSA airs announcing that teen pregnancy is 100% preventable and to learn more, simply visit itsyoursexlife.org.  The website gives educates teens about teen pregnancy as well as gives tips on how to prevent pregnancy and how to practice safe sex.  Nearly “3 out of 10 girls in the US get pregnant as teens, most don’t expect it,” [2].  Reading the tips on the site gives advice on how to take charge to one’s sex life. 

Hopefully teens will read up and educate themselves before they become yet another statistic.    

http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/FB-ATSRH.html [1]

http://www.itsyoursexlife.com/iysl [2]

My first blog post EVER!

Hi!

My name is Elizabeth Monahan and I am currently a sophomore at Roger Williams University.  I am majoring in Media Communications with a Public Relations concentration, and I am minoring in Marketing and Graphic Design.  

On campus, I serve as the Inter-Class Council's Public Relations Chair and as PRSSA's Graphic Designer of the RWU Chapter.  You will often find me in the Rec Center rehearsing in the studios with the Dance Club.  

Love my family

I also recently scored an internship for the spring 2011 semester in RWU University Communications.  I can't wait to get started so I can learn more about marcomm!

PS - Today is my birthday!

Follow me on Twitter: @lizmonahan