IMC Hawks Blog

Category: Branding

  • Feel the Teal

    Whether you attend UNCW, are a native of Wilmington, or you just know of the university, it is no secret that our school is near the beach.  Judging by some of the nicknames for UNCW: UNC Beach, UN Sea W, UNC by the Sea, it is clear that our geographical location plays a role in our school’s brand narrative.  This is exemplified through our mascot, Sammy the Seahawk, as well as our school colors.

    Believe it or not, the color teal was not picked just because we think it’s pretty (although it’s a plus), neither were the gold and navy blue that help to round out the vibrant color palate.  UNCW’s school colors were chosen to represent the surrounding area that helps define our institution’s brand.  The color teal was chosen to represent the Atlantic Ocean, the dark blue represents the deep ocean, and the gold symbolizes the sand.

    This association with the beach has created a community of teal throughout the university.  Everywhere you turn on campus you are inundated with the color teal.  Teal has become synonymous with UNCW and its brand.  We even turned the color into an adjective with a 2009 campaign for the athletic department that asked, “Are you tealin’ it?”  One popular t-shirt worn by students says, “Feel my Teal”.  We have Teal Tuesdays where students wear the color to show school spirit.  This creates a feeling of unity on campus and gives students a way to express their love for UNCW.


    While the university’s close proximity to the beach has some influence on creating its brand narrative, there is more to the school than just that.  For those of us who attend UNCW, we know that going to class does not mean sunbathing, surfing, and collecting seashells.  UNCW has a strong focus on academics and that is it’s main priority.  We are well known for our excellent marine biology program as well as our professional school of business.  We also aim to be environmentally friendly and do our part to support the community.  There are many things that make UNCW the school that it is.  Our proximity to the ocean and our love of the color teal are just a few of those things that bring us together as a university.

    Eliza Wadson, Jocelyn Walson, Sarah McIntosh, Sean O’Connell

  • UNCW Student Organizations’ Communication Efforts on Campus

    There are over 300 student organizations on UNCW’s Campus. A huge challenge these organizations face is getting the word out about their group. Luckily the Campus Activities and Involvement Center (CAIC) is there to assist their marketing efforts. For promotional items each group is provided with fifty buttons, five posters, fifty balloons, and fifty flyers per semester. CAIC also offers unlimited amounts of chalk for groups to write on the campus’ sidewalks and also unlimited cans of spray paint for groups to paint the two spirit rocks on campus.

    Another effective form of advertising provided by CAIC is the University’s banner poles. There are fifteen of these banner poles located outdoors and five located indoors. Organizations may submit twin sized sheets that they have painted and CAIC will hang them throughout campus. These promotional items allow organizations to share their message with the student body free of cost. In addition the office also offers involvement specialists to assist organizations around the clock.

    Alongside all of these promotional opportunities that CAIC offers there are also a variety of media outlets on campus that organizations can use to promote events. Teal TV is a broadcast news show hosted by UNCW students. The Seahawk is a campus wide newspaper written by UNCW students. Roomers is a newspaper written by Housing and Residence Life that is distributed throughout on-campus living facilities. There is also a monthly newsletter created just for student organizations. All of these are excellent sources for organizations to communicate with the rest of campus.

    By utilizing all of these resources provided by UNCW, student organizations can strategically market and advertise their groups.

    For more information about Campus Activities and Involvement Center, click here

    -Meghan French and Gracie Anderson

  • Beyonce: More than Just Bootylicious

    Corporate Communication is present in almost every industry, whether we recognize it or not.  One industry that many people would not typically associate corporate communication with is the music industry.  Musicians and artists create their own identity and brand themselves in a way that is different from others in the industry.  Beyonce is one artist who has been extremely successful at creating her own identity, which has helped her create a large fan base and expand her success into other industries.  Beyonce’s musical talent has earned her several Grammys and many of her albums have gone on to be multi-platinum selling albums. Beyonce states that her newest album “is the fun, more sensual, more aggressive, more outspoken side and more glamorous side that comes out when I’m working and when I’m on the stage. The double album allows me to take more risks and really step out of myself, or shall I say, step more into myself, and reveal a side of me that people only know me see.”

    When people hear Beyonce’s name, several things come to mind.  Jay-Z, Single Ladies, her dancing abilities, Destiny’s Child, her clothing line, and much more. Jody Rosen of Entertainment Weekly writes, “Beyonce Knowles is a storm system disguised as a singer.” She even has her own YouTube station. Beyonce is not only a musical sensation, she is a corporate powerhouse.

    Her clever strategies to success have gotten her where she is at today. Beyonce’s musical career has evolved into a huge corporation. She uses music to form her identity, image, and brand her corporation, which has opened up many other doors for her in the entertainment industry.  She has acted in films, created her own fashion line, and been on countless magazine covers.

    She was recently featured in a 60 minutes news brief talking about her success as an entertainer. Take a look.

    House of Dereon is Beyonce and her mother Tina Knowles’ clothing line that they began in 2004. Expanding the brand, Beyoncé and her sister Solange Knowles  launched the junior line Deréon that is geared towards younger consumers and is more reasonably priced. Deréon was introduced in 2006. The tag line for Deréon is “Where the sidewalk and catwalk meet”. Beyoncé also mentions the clothing line in the song Get Me Bodied, from the album B’Day, and in her hit single Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It).

    Beyonce\’s House of Dereon

    -Megan, Fran, Lacey, and Ari

  • Jimmy Buffett: An Example of Corporate Communication in Music

    Music has long been a part of our society. It can tell stories, showcase creativity and open the window to a person’s soul. Music can also showcase aspects of corporate communication through the narrative it creates. Our group has defined corporate communication as the process through which an organization uses symbols to get its message across. Symbols can be found within music and our group chose one particular musician whose lyrics have generated considerable influence and have offered plenty of symbols representing himself and society.
    The musician who we think best represents corporate communication is Jimmy Buffett. Mr. Buffett is an individual whose music and lyrics have generated a fan base of millions and created a lucrative franchise market. Jimmy Buffett’s musical style blends tropical, country, pop and rock to create a genre known as gulf and western, which appeals to a broad range of music lovers. His tunes emphasize easy living and idyllic life on the seaside. In the past, Buffett has cultivated the image of a cheerful beachcomber. Jimmy Buffett still maintains his happy, carefree lifestyle to this day and his fans continue to show unwavering loyalty.
    Mr. Buffett’s fans are affectionately known as Parrotheads (I, Sean, happen to be one). I have had the pleasure of attending two concerts in my life and I have gotten a glimpse of the Parrothead culture. Concert attendees wear wild and outlandish getups to show their devotion to Jimmy Buffet. These outfits include Hawaiian shirts, grass skirts, animal outfits (typically parrots and sharks), and leis. There is widespread tailgating prior to concerts, which includes barbecues and margaritas. This idea of a Parrothead culture gives fans a way to express themselves and identify with Buffett’s music and all that it stands for. Here is a visual aid: Attending a Jimmy Buffett concert is something that is not easily forgotten.
    Aside from his concerts, Jimmy Buffett has other business ventures. He has built his brand to include several best-selling novels, he owns his own beer line, and he even has his own station on Sirius Radio. He also owns two restaurant chains consisting of Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville and Cheeseburger in Paradise (named after two of his songs). These restaurants have a distinct feel to them that is easily recognizable upon entrance. The restaurants include gift shops where customers can purchase memorabilia with all of their favorite Jimmy Buffet sayings. Buffett demonstrates corporate social responsibility through his support of conservation. He has performed charity concerts, including his most recent one at the Gulf Coast after the oil spill. Buffett has built up a large empire through his music and franchising and he continues to do what earned him this success in the first place; perform concerts all across the globe.
    From a corporate communication standpoint, Buffett uses music to create a narrative for his brand. His lyrics contain symbols of his lifestyle, his experiences and his views on society, which his fans can relate to. He has continued to communicate his message to a tremendous collection of people through his books, restaurants and merchandise. The Parrotheads not only represent stakeholders, but they are also loyal followers who demonstrate just how much enthusiasm people can have in response to a unique message. Buffet has always had considerable influence and his music will continue to communicate his message for years to come.

    If anyone would like to listen to the song that started it all, check out this Youtube video: and keep searching for that lost shaker of salt!

    Eliza, Jocelyn, Sarah, Sean

  • iBlog

    We would bet that not many people can think about listening to music, downloading music, or finding new music without the words iTunes or iPod coming to mind. This is because the entire “i” generation of Apple has become a revolution in the way we use, listen and think about music. Consumer affairs is a vital part of Corporate Communications and no one does it better than Apple.

    iTunes has everything you need to fulfill your music, TV and movies wants. You find and download your new favorite songs through iTunes. Once you have them, you don’t make a mix CD of songs (although you could) but instead, you make a playlist and add that playlist to your iPod. Apple has made downloading and listening music so easy and interactive that other mediums such as Limewire and MP3 players are in no comparison. Obviously, if you were to want a phone that can also hold all of your music, most people would immediately think of the iPhone. Apple listens to what their consumer’s desire and they deliver it in the most user-friendly way possible.

    iTunes has evolved drastically over the years. Your iTunes account is now your own personalized website with everything tailored to you. It’s your music, your library, your playlist and with the use of Integrated Marketing Communications, iTunes uses research to gather information about you and in turn, makes recommendations for music you might like based on what you have purchased in the past.

    Apple is constantly on top of the music revolution not only by improving their own products but by creating new consumer benefits. Apple has recently released Ping which, if you download the newest version of iTunes, is a social network and music hybrid. Ping allows you to follow your favorite artists and friends to see what they are listening to and downloading.

    With Apple’s uncanny ability to anticipate consumer needs, its reputation as the leader in music services has remained consistent to its brand identity.

    -Meghan, Emily, Gracie, Wade

  • Corporate Communication in 30 Rock

    It is becoming very clear to us that we are surrounded by corporate communication, but then again all of us writing this blog are in a class that conveniently shares the same name.  Communication Studies majors are not the only ones who encounter the area under discussion.  Unless you are a hermit, we would be willing to bet that you too have experienced the phenomenon that is corporate communication!

    Since corporate communication is everywhere, we thought it would be easy to pick out examples of it in the TV shows and movies we watch.  Wrong.  We couldn’t think of many examples that demonstrate corporate communication right off the tops of our heads.  Then, one of our group members offered up the suggestion of 30 Rock, the NBC sitcom created by Saturday Night Live writer and actress, Tina Fey!

    Although there are examples of corporate communication throughout the four seasons of 30 Rock, we decided to focus on the pilot episode for the sake of this blog.  At the beginning of the episode, Liz Lemon, played by Tina Fey, goes into what she thinks will be a normal day at work as the head writer for “The Girlie Show.” That is until she is called to the 50th floor to meet with her boss.  Expecting to see Gary, her usual boss, Liz is surprised when she is instead greeted by Jack Donaghy, played by Alec Baldwin, and even more shocked to find out that Jack has replacedGary.  Jack starts the conversation by informing Liz that much to her dismay they need to “retool” The Girlie Show in order to increase male viewership.  To achieve this, Jack suggests adding movie star, Tracy Jordan, played by Tracy Morgan, to the cast.  Despite her discontent, Liz agrees and from this we can begin to see corporate communication in action.

    Let’s look at Liz’s The Girlie Show as a brand; the brand is not capturing a male demographic, so network executives feel that it is time to introduce a new strategy.  This strategy comes in the form of Tracy Jordan, whom they believe will bring in viewers from the XY population.  Luckily, viewers receive the introduction of Tracy well and ratings increase, thus increasing the popularity of The Girlie Show brand.  In this instance, the viewers are the equivalent to consumers; they are stakeholders who determine whether the show stays on the air or gets canceled.  Tracy Jordan is another stakeholder, but he can be likened more to an employee of a company.  He doesn’t want to see the show do poorly because his job could be in jeopardy.  Liz, along with the other actors, and the network executives are also stakeholders in the organization.  If the show doesn’t do as well as hoped then their jobs are also on the line.  This is obviously a simplified explanation, but it demonstrates corporate communication nonetheless.

    -Sarah, Jocelyn, Sean, and Eliza

  • Corporate Communication for Pomegranate Books

    Corporate Communication.  The term sounds easy enough to understand, right? So, what is it exactly?  We compiled the following working definition:  “Corporate communication is the Building and maintaining of a corporation’s brand and reputation by consistently and persuasively communicating its narrative and identity through the integration of symbols.”  (It’s not perfect, but it’s someplace for us to start.)

    You may be thinking to yourself, “Great, this blog has provided us with yet another definition of corporate communication.”  Rather than beating a dead horse with a definition stick, we decided to focus more on the importance of the individual components of corporate communication and how they all work together to build and maintain a corporation’s brand and reputation.

    Corporate communication isn’t just a stand-alone subject.  It is composed of many facets: the brand, its reputation, its identity, its narrative, and how symbols play into the creation and maintenance of all of these.  To help gain a better understanding of corporate communication in the real world, we decided to look to a company here in Wilmington that displays many of the aspects of corporate communication.  The company we chose is a local, independent bookstore known as Pomegranate Books.

    We analyzed the methods that Pomegranate Books uses to build its brand and create relationships with its customers.  Let’s first look at the brand Pomegranate has created for itself as an independent bookstore that accommodates local writers and literary groups.  Their identity is rooted in the fact that they are smaller than the chain bookstores, while boasting to be the largest independent bookstore in Wilmington.   Their size allows them to better communicate with and cater to their local clientele.  They do this through good old-fashioned word of mouth, as well as social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and blogs.  On their facebook page, they consistently ask their followers what they are reading at the moment. This promotes a dialogue with their customers, which helps reinforce their narrative.  By combining social media, word of mouth, and press releases, they keep their reputation and identity consistent.

    Pomegranate Book’s reputation is that of a “small, but well-curated” bookstore that caters to the community.  They communicate their reputation through their products and practices. Their narrative is based on their heavy involvement in the community.  The shop’s friendly staff supports businesses, charities, book clubs and events such as featuring local authors and holding book signings.  This helps to reinforce their local identity and reputation.

    Pomegranate Books uses the logo of none other than a pomegranate to symbolize their company.  Much like the fruit of its namesake, Pomegranate Books has many seeds at its center. Through Pomegranate Book’s corporate communication, these seeds can sprout into helpful contributions to the community and create a positive environment.  Our group feels that this quaint little bookstore offers a true example of corporate communication at work.

    -Sean, Eliza, Jocelyn, Sarah