IMC Hawks Blog

Category: Branding

  • How Green Do We Go?

    When an organization “goes green,” what does this really include?  As some of the other posts on this topic have noted, it is important for an organization to establish what “going green” means for them and what it means for their patrons.  Is it enough just be a business that recycles? Do you only purchase certain products from outside sources?  How far does the organization need to go?

    “Going Green” impacts more than just the environment.  If the concept is important to the organization it can dictate so many decisions and can mean big changes.  These decisions go further than creating a new marketing campaign.  Many corporations started using the “green” movement to revamp their brand image a few years ago.  Convincing campaigns can lead a viewer to believe that more is being done than in reality.  Eventually, environmentalists will uncover their efforts.

    Walmart, for example, implemented their new packaging strategy in 2006.  The new plan decreases the amount of packaging materials used and is supposed to reduce the total amount by 5% by 2013.  Even though 5% may not sound like a lot, after considering ALL the Walmarts and companies owned by Walmart (Sam’s Club, etc) it certainly adds up.  The idea of Socially Responsible Investors (SRI’s) is weighing heavily on organizations as well.  Without investments or capital, how is an organization going to pay for production?

    As the “going green” movement proceeds, it is important for businesses to cater to the developments not just to appease customers, but to appease other business owners that will influence growth.  Establishing a plan without exaggerating the strategies can go a long way when creating a new face for an organization!

    -Katelyn Truss

     

  • The Deepwater Horizon One Year Later: A Brief IMC Analysis

    Today marks the one year anniversary of the BP, Deepwater Horizon disaster that leached millions of barrels of oil into the in the Gulf of Mexico, greatly impacting the Gulf Coast.  In the few days following the Deepwater Horizon incident BP came under tremendous scrutiny for the way they chose to address, or not really address, the media.    The former CEO, Tony Hayward, received the brunt of criticism for comments he made, including telling a photographer to get out during a photo-op on the shores of Louisiana.

    Following the PR nightmare BP created for itself, the oil company had to get to work repairing their image.  How else were they going to keep selling gas to pay for all the damage the oil leak was causing?  The marketing department sprang to action, launching a campaign that touted their commitment to cleaning up the oil spill in the Gulf.  In order to do this they employed tactics and used several channels for delivering their message of being compassionate and concerned about the residents of the Gulf Coast who were affected by the oil spill. Fishermen, hospitality workers, and any others harmed by the Deepwater Horizon accident were going to be reimbursed by BP for the income they were loosing from the impact.  They created jobs in a recession for workers willing to clean up the oil.

    In order to let the public know about all of the things they were doing to combat the oil spill BP aired several television commercials, utilized Facebook, and attempted to use twitter, but were parodied.  They utilized Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and spent millions in advertising on Google and several other search engines each month.  Every time anybody searched for anything remotely connected with oil, a spill, the Deepwater Horizon, BP, the Gulf…you get the picture, BP was pulled up.

    One year after the Deepwater Horizon disaster, BP’s marketing focus has changed.  Yes, they want you to know about their efforts in the Gulf, however they have shifted their efforts to focusing on BP’s efforts to foster sustainability and utilize renewable resources.  Despite the fact that BP’s marketing message has changed they still are employing a synergistic method to get it out there.  This synergistic technique is synonymous with IMC.

    -Eliza Wadson

  • Branded Nation

    James Twitchell explains in Branded Nation that “a brand becomes not just what we think about an object, but how we think about it.” Branding has become so successful that even institutions we would not think of have fallen into the branded nation.

    In Branded Nation, Twitchell goes deep into the institutions of religion, higher education, and art in our society. Twitchell compares megachurches to shopping malls and how museums have turned into an institution that will do anything such as motorcycle exhibits and have restaurants to increase revenue.

    The most intriguing section in Branded Nation is when Twitchell talks about university and college branding. As students studying in a university, Twitchell makes an important point. Colleges and Universities have accepted branding ever since they have become more alike. It is now a competition and The U.S. News & World Report proves it. Twitchell uses the example of Harvard and how it is all about who has “the best students, the most money, and the deepest faith in the brand.”

    Interestingly enough, Twitchell doesn’t find branding bad. Knowledge and belief will spread if we all become aware of branding and that in it’s self will create a community along with social capital. Branding Nation is a perfect example of why things work the way they do and with Twitchell’s example’s we see how effective/ineffective brands really are.

    -Micaela Fouhy, Brie Golden, Will Cosden, Lindsey Baggett, Andrew Mayer

  • The IMC War: Balancing Power and Values

    The aim of college courses is to prepare students for their professional lives.  In our IMC class we have been assigned books that teach us ideas, facts, values, and more.  To teach us more about the importance of values in business we read Niccolo Machiavelli’s The Prince.

    This book is Machiavelli’s guide to holding and seizing power.  The Prince was written in 1513 for Lorenzo de’ Medici, the prince of Florence.  Despite its age, this book remains popular and important for those involved in government, politics, and positions of power.  Machiavelli uses the book as a way to give calculated advice backed up by examples.  Throughout the book, Machiavelli sets morals aside and focuses on how to attain goals of power.  He teaches readers how to use violence, lies, abilities, and luck to force others under your control.

    How does this book teach us values?  After reading The Prince we wrote a memo to our chancellor to either recommend or not recommend Machiavelli as an IMC consultant based off of his ideas within the book.  We had to decide if we were willing to risk our values and beliefs to accomplish our goals as a university. 

    Machiavelli makes decisions based off of research, forms consistent messages, and knows how to accomplish goals in the most direct, efficient way.  This may seem like the way to go if his suggestions fit the company’s mission and vision.  In other cases, this drive to complete a goal without respecting values could ultimately lead to the demise of the company’s image.  We should ask ourselves if the product really is great or if that is just a claim to get more money?  If being great is just a claim the next question is: is it worth it to be dishonest and ignore values to get what we want?  This decision between honesty and power is something many professionals have to face and we were able to learn this lesson with help from Machiavelli’s The Prince.

    – Carissa Niederkorn, Deji Adeleke, Anna Kate Babnik, Tiffany Evans, & Katie Eagle

  • IMC and Blueberries and Burgaw, Oh My!

    North Carolina is a diverse state with many commodities and much history to celebrate. The North Carolina Blueberry Festival is one of the numerous state revels that will hold its 8th annual festival on June 18, 2011. It takes place in Historic Downtown Burgaw, just 30 miles from Wilmington, where the first cultivated blueberry production in North Carolina began in the 1930’s. Pender County now ranks second in the state for blueberry production, showing their love for blueberries through the annual festival.

    Since the festival began in 2004, Burgaw has quickly branded itself as the “Blueberry Town” making the festival its leading event. Although Burgaw is home to a small population of 4,000, the festival draws in more than 30,000 visitors. Aside from blueberries, the festival also offers entertainment, artisans, food vendors, and more.  In order to attract such a large crowd, the festival relies on its website and Facebook page. Both media outlets are used to inform the public and to facilitate communication. The Facebook page also lists contact information on how to purchase available promotional items to market the event that include, limited edition signed and numbered print by Ivey Hayes, t-shirts, sweatshirts, blueberry recipe cookbooks, hats, visors, and tote gags.

    The organization has also strategically acquired key sponsors such as WECT Wilmington 6 and Star News Media, two major news outlets that reach Wilmington and the surrounding areas. To generate further coverage and recognition of the event, the association sponsors a Blueberry 5k Run and a Blueberry Open Golf Tournament. One of the biggest draws to the festival is the Essay Scholarship which has awarded over $100,000 since 2004. The festival provides scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $4,000 each year, which can be used toward tuition, fees, or books.

    This small Southern town has taken big strides towards becoming its own recognizable brand. As their Facebook page states, “The Festival celebrates the historic, economic, and cultural significance of blueberries in the Southeastern region of North Carolina,” and through IMC, Burgaw is paving the way to become a significant and well known “Blueberry Town.”

    NC Blueberry Festival Website, check it out!

    -Katie Eagle, Deji Adeleke, Anna Kate Babnik,Tiffany Evans, & Carissa Niederkorn

  • Raise Your Brand to New Heights

      Gina Smith, like many students before her, set out on the collegiate path to a university degree 4 years ago. Whether she knew it or not, by the end of her journey she had created her very own brand. Many things contributed to Gina’s own brand, such as the Communication Studies classes she took, her internship in a PR office, or, more specifically, the student organizations or clubs in which she was involved during her college years. The real question out there is how did these organizations help to form Gina into the final product of alumni?

      The missions of many student organizations include several goals, each pertaining to the success of promoting their own brand through members like Gina. The tough part is how to obtain then keep those handy brand-promoting members, and further, how to promote their organization’s goals? We have the answer. IMC, of course!

      Tomorrow, a group of students from our Advanced IMC class will be addressing the themes of recruitment and retention of members, how social organizations can properly use media in order to reach both their members and the public, and finally, how to plan events for each organization in an hour-long information session called Raise Your Brand .

      We have invited representatives from each of UNCW’s student organizations in order to participate in this interactive information session in order to bring more awareness and action to each of their organizations. The final goal is to equip each organization’s representative with the knowledge and tools to be bigger and better on campus and in the community.

    ~Heather Cornman

  • For The Kids by The Students

    What kind of student-run fundraiser involves more than 15,000 students, goes on for more than 32 years, involves celebrity involvement, and raises over $69 million for its cause? Penn State University’s THON, of course. The Penn State IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon is the largest student-run philanthropy in the world, raising an incredible amount of money for pediatric cancer patients every year. Not only do students show their dedication to the cause by working year-round to raise awareness, but they also have one of the most incredible student-run IMC plans I’ve ever seen.

    The THON Press page is as comprehensive as any professionally run fundraiser, with students assigned to state, local, and national media. There is a student-run THON Tumblr Blog, THON Facebook Profile, THON Twitter Account, and THON Facebook Fanpage, all to keep the public aware of THON related news year-round. Penn State students live tweet from the event and update their statuses regularly with the “FTK” (“For the Kids”) hash tag to keep their friends and family members informed. One notable THON supporter is none other than socialite Khloe Kardashian, who regularly blogs about the THON efforts and sends her support to the Penn State students.

    It’s obvious that the Penn State students are passionate about their cause and are channeling this passion into one of the most impressive student-run IMC campaigns out there.  Any student organization in the world could benefit from checking out the THON efforts and channeling them into their own student event.

    – Anna Kate Babnik, Carissa Niederkorn, Deji Adeleke, Tiffany Evans, & Katie Eagle