There are many of us who aspire to be Meryl Streep (aka: Miranda Priestly) in The Devil Wears Prada. A strong woman, in a power position, submerged in the world of fashion. However, being the editor-in-chief of a leading fashion magazine is not all that Hollywood makes it out to be (and we should all know this by now). The September Issue is a documentary film that brings a little piece of reality to what is really like to be the heart and soul of a major publication.
Although, the publishing world may appear to be falling off of the radar, there is still a lot to be offered career wise by being employed by a major publication. If you are a journalist, you can write. If you are a salesperson, you can sell advertising space within the publication or advertise the publication itself. If you are into graphic design, someone has to create, design and layout the publication.
When looking for a career (especially one that incorporates IMC) looking for opportunities in the publishing world could really work to your advantage. Advertising, PR, marketing, journalism, graphic design…they all can be found in-house. The networking opportunities are tremendous. You are usually grounded in a metropolitan area and the best part is the publishing world is looking for young, fresh faces. As new media and technology are growing, many who have been in the business for years are having trouble keeping up and making the transition from pen and paper to the dreaded keyboard.
This is our selling point.
A few good websites to search for careers in the publishing are MediaBistro and Publishers Marketplace.
Laura Ann Klinedinst
Yes, I’m a huge Streep fan. But, that’s not all that grabbed my attention in the movie The Devil Wears Prada. The way that the fashion industry has managed to set itself apart and so far above and beyond in so many aspects amazes me. Vogue is probably one of the most recognized brands among the well-to-do part of our society.
What I don’t necessarily agree with is how the lady in the documentary has so much power. Whatever she likes, goes. And everyone else follows. If I were to post a blog or write the editor or anything along those lines saying I disagreed with her choices of color for the September issue, I doubt anyone would care, and of course nothing would be done about it. This is a far cry from the Groundswell we’ve been learning about in Intro to IMC. What does everyone else think? Should one person make the decisions, should the consumers shape the brand, or is it all a matter of what the product is?
Meryl Streep did a great job portraying a powerful businesswoman who’s opinion was truly the only one that mattered. What ever she said went, whatever she wore was stylish, if she wanted something it was immediately there. This really reminds me of the post by Seth Godin “A post-industrial A to Z digital battledore.” I recently wrote a blog connecting the S is for Sneezer to James Twitchell’s “Branded Nation” but also feel as though there is a connection here with Streep’s character and a sneezer.
Her ideas travel like wildfire. Everyone agrees and follows her. A sneezer is someone who “spreads an idea the way some people spread a virus” (Godin). Streep is a sneezer. Not to spoil the ending for anyone, but at the end of the movie Streep is about to loose her powerful position. What does she do? She shows her boss just how influential she is and how the magazine will fail without her. She sneezed, and everyone followed.