IMC Hawks Blog

Category: Employment

  • Marketing On Our Own Turf

    Many things come to mind when you think of Wilmington: Beach, Seahawks, History, and Marketing? Yes, Wilmington, North Carolina is a top competitor in the field of Marketing, Promotions and Public Relations in the Southeast and quickly working its way up the charts for the United States. Over the last couple of decades many marketing companies have been established in Wilmington and have evolved to become lead marketers for many types of outlets. Three of these top marketing companies are Colonial Marketing, Sage Island, and Talk.

    Colonial Marketing is an organization focused on consulting with their clients to create a message that will establish their image and help to grow their business. The Colonial Marketing group prides itself on being a team of creative workers who can take on any product or goal of a client and use their combined skills to individualize and successfully market the client. Their website states that “We make the door swing and the phone ring,” which highlights their role in the advertising process for the clients and how they make sure every dollar spent on marketing is well worth it. Some of Colonial Marketing Groups clients include: Safeway Chevrolet, Airlie Gardens, and Ace Cash Express.

    Sage Island is an integrated marketing agency that focuses on marketing and brand strategies, website development, search engine optimization, PPC management, social media marketing, graphic design. They also offer hosting services and speaking engagements to provide both online and offline services. The chief executive officer Mike Duncan, who is also the co-founder is a developed entrepreneur with two other companies under his belt. He is backed by eighteen other well established employees whose roles range from marketing specialists, to web programmer, to staff accountant. They have four focused areas in which they work with clients to either establish or recreate their companies’ identity and brand, which include their web presence, print designs, brand identity, and tradeshow and environmental graphics. Some of Sage Island’s clients include Surfing America, World Media, Greenpath and Century 21 agents.

    Talk is a strategic marketing and communications company that originated in Boston, MA in 1990, but relocated to Wilmington, NC in 1990. Talk emphasizes their role in helping companies tell their story while promoting growth. Talk also works with their clients to create an identity both online and offline through their four-step process of language mapping. The first step is discovery, and then translate, followed by storytelling and finally measurement. This process is Talk’s fundamental system to use in order to incorporate their creativity with the language of their clients. Some of Talk’s clients include Cape Fear Academy, Wilmington Downtown, and Butterball.

    These top three companies are working with other regional companies to break Wilmington, NC into the extensive integrated marketing and communications field of study and of work. IMC is an ever-growing and changing field and with these prestigious companies at the four-front, Wilmington NC will soon become a keystone for marketing locations.

    -Shannon Meadows

  • Finding social capital in Wilmington, NC

    We have been discussing social capital and how it contributes to the building of community for several weeks, and now we want to look at examples of businesses and organizations in Wilmington that foster social capital. We hope that by providing examples like this, the concept of social capital will become more concrete.
    For over a year and a half, I worked at a small, locally-owned coffee shop on Wrightsville Avenue called the Smudged Pot. It is no longer in business, but it had been there for over 15 years before the owner finally sold it. The Smudged Pot was small and located in an old building with a rundown-looking parking lot and worn out floors.
    It wasn’t much to look at, but it had the most loyal clientele I have ever known. The same people came in every day, same time of day, same drinks, same stories and jokes. Friendships were built, families were formed and contacts were established – all while getting your morning (or afternoon) cup of coffee.
    Saturday mornings in the Smudged Pot were an experience not to be forgotten. Families with young kids, a few people with their well-known and much-adored dogs, several residents from nearby neighborhoods, a retired man who knew everyone in Wilmington along with their life story, and a couple baristas serving the coffee was the familiar Saturday morning scene.
    Strangers became friends, friends became family, and sometimes they became employers. In a town that can sometimes feel bigger than it is, places like this are essential to building positive social capital.

    Nicole Doherty

  • Com Studies Graduates Share Their Experiences

    Today, I had the opportunity to see a panel of five recent (graduating between 2004 and 2009) UNCW Communication Studies graduates. After giving a brief introduction of where they each studied at UNCW and what their current job positions involve, the floor was opened up to questions. I would like to share some of the panelists’ responses that struck me the most.

    A common theme shared among the panelists: make the most of your time in school. Panelists especially urged seniors to challenge themselves by taking as many 400 level courses as they can, because those classes will provide the best experience and preparation for post-graduation life. Similarly, panelists talked about how internships played immensely important roles in their development and transition to entry-level positions. Continuing the thought, when asked about the importance of GPA’s and transcripts in the interview process, panelists unanimously expressed that little concern was given to GPA’s and transcripts, and that employers were much more interested in extracurricular activities and work experience.

    Here are a few other comments that I found particularly useful:

    Regarding the need for strong written communication skills, Chris Duke stressed the importance of writing “clear and concise.”

    When asked about bringing new ideas to an organization, Laura Smith suggested spending time learning everyone’s preferences, because unlike teachers’ seemingly endless enthusiasm for participation, professionals may not always be so receptive.

    And lastly, my personal favorite insight of the night came from Chris Duke. Paraphrasing, Chris said, “Use the opportunity during the interview to ask questions that give you a feel for the organization and the culture.”

    Wrapping up both Business Week and Com Studies Day, we hope everyone was able to use the myriad networking opportunities. If you feel you may not have done enough networking, or perhaps you’ve got “the networking bug” now, be aware that there are plenty of networking opportunities in Wilmington regularly. Visit WilmingtonNetworkingEvents.com for a calendar with each month’s events.

    For a full transcript of our Com Studies Day live-blogging, click here.

    – Terry Hayes

  • Networking opportunities galore!

    The Communication Studies department offers a wide variety of events for students to connect with professionals in the field including internships (which was discussed in a previous blog post this week), Project Protégé and the alumni panels on Communication Studies Day. The Communication Studies Society sponsors Project Protégé where students are paired with professionals in the Wilmington area. Students must apply for placement in the program. It offers students a valuable opportunity to network and gain insight to their respective fields.

    Tomorrow, Friday, March 26, 2010, is Communication Studies day, which is sponsored by the Communication Studies department. Communication Studies Day is an annual celebration of our discipline that allows students the opportunity to network with alumni who work in communication related industries.

    Tune in tomorrow for our exciting live blog where our class will update information on who is speaking on the panels, what the panelists experiences have been in the field, the panelists advice to students and what to wear/what not to wear to interviews via the Dress for Success fashion show. We hope you join us on Communication Studies Day! Below is the schedule:

    10:00-11:00 Panel presentation by alumni (Leutze Hall 125) (LIVE BLOG)

    11:00-11:30 Networking session with panelists (Leutze Lobby)

    12:15-1:15 Dress for Success Fashion Show presented by Communication Studies Society (Warwick Center Ballroom) (LIVE BLOG)

    2:00-3:00 Panel presentation by alumni (Leutze Hall 125) (LIVE BLOG)

    3:00-3:30 Networking session with panelists (Leutze Lobby)

    4:00 Social at Wrightsville Grille

    -Rachel Kaylor

  • Why work for free?

    Communication Studies has become a popular major among students at UNCW over the past few years. With a wide variety of sub-fields, including media production, public relations, and communication technologies, the department certainly gives students many options for potential careers. Prior to graduation, students are encouraged to gain knowledge and work experience in the communication studies field through an internship. An internship gives students a chance to actually apply their training and knowledge, and gain more insight into that type of work.

    Searching for internships can be difficult. Places such as CMT and MTV have been popular places to look for internships outside of the Wilmington vicinity that are still related to communication studies. But there are numerous opportunities for internships in Wilmington as well. Competition is high, but the experience is once in a lifetime. Whether paid or not, everyone walks away with more experience than before.

    Internships are extremely beneficial when searching for a possible career in the field of communications. Although many students would prefer having an internship with a large and well-known company, any experience is better than none at all. As an intern with the event coordinator at the Bluewater Grill, I have learned a great deal about event planning and the work experience has certainly been beneficial.

    The Communication Studies department at UNCW works with students to find the perfect internship to suit their needs. The department offers credit hours in place of getting paid for the internship. Sure, getting paid would be ideal, but why not get school credit for such valuable work experience? Through the Communication Studies website, students may access information on how to find an internship, along with how to get course credit for their internship.

    The value of an internship cannot be put into words. Not only can internships open doors for future jobs and careers, but having the ability to combine the formal training with realistic practice makes the internship well worth the time. As an intern, I can only hope that everyone finds their internships as beneficial as I have. Communication Studies is a hands-on major, and an internship in this field will give students a chance to put their knowledge to work.

    Lacey Inman

  • Are you indispensable?

    Are you indispensable?

    Seth Godin asks this question in his new book, Linchpin.  And one response is “no, I’m not indispensable, I’m part of a bigger story that will go on without me.”

    But this is not what Godin is saying. He’s not waiting for you to be deemed indispensable by others. He’s asking you to see how acting as a linchpin makes you inherently indispensable, not because of who you are but what you do.

    Full disclosure: I require my Intro to IMC class to follow Seth’s Blog. I don’t do this because I’m a blind Seth Godin parroter who thinks every word he utters is chocolate-covered goodness.  I require my IMC class to follow him so that they are introduced to a new way of thinking, to see the possibilities of a productive, virtue-driven life. Agreeing or disagreeing with Seth is not the issue. What is the issue is that he makes plain what he believes, and he tries to deliver on that every day. This coherence between word and deed is what makes him worth following and reading. Of course you should question what Seth says. I would think he’d be disappointed if you didn’t.

    Back to Linchpin. Reading it is like reading his blog; it’s brimming with short, manageable bites of observation.  He observes that being a cog in a machine is what we’ve been trained to do through school society, culture – what he calls “the industrial machine” (6). Being a linchpin, however, is a process through which we can break free from mediocrity.

    The most applicable parts of this book for undergraduate students are when he talks about how to become a linchpin while in college.  Getting passing grades, finding the easy way through school, and partying all the time are not – surprise!- the ways through which you become a linchpin.

    However, Godin gets a little heavy-handed when he talks about teachers who do nothing more than keep students quiet and unquestioning. I’m sure there are teachers who fit this profile, but I personally don’t know any. I’d like to offer a different perspective – and students, take note: most of the teachers and professors I know are trying to stimulate their students’ intellectual curiosity in every way possible.

    Every academic conference I attend offers formal and informal spaces for sharing teaching ideas that encourage active and engaged learning. We are officially assessed by our institutions in performance reviews for teaching capability, and we are unofficially assessed by students every day, online and off.  We have Centers for Teaching Excellence on campus whose staff offer us training, inspiration, and encouragement to teach, delight, and move our students. I have met faculty at other universities who promote the theory and practice of our field through their online presence. My colleagues in my department and my professors in my graduate program model this commitment to helping students become linchpins. Godin got it almost right in Linchpin; I thought I’d offer a more textured account of what is going on in the academy from a front-row seat.

    To conclude IMC-Hawks Book Week, I’d like to recommend everyone – especially students – read Linchpin and the other four books we’ve reviewed this week. Keep demonstrating the intellectual curiosity that will help you become a linchpin in a productive life.

    –Jeanne Persuit, Ph.D.

  • MLK Day, President’s Day….Data Privacy Day?

    On January 28, 2010, Microsoft sponsored Data Privacy Day and left us thinking—who knew we would ever honor privacy of online photos and blogs with a “day”? In Washington DC, Microsoft held its 4th annual panel discussion entitled “Think Privacy?  Your reputation is ON the LINE” to empower consumers to take control of their online reputations.  Since social networks and blogging are becoming a bigger part of a person’s daily life, it is no surprise that it has a correlated effect on their jobs. Is this fair? Depends on who you ask.

    Microsoft conducted a survey in December 2009 that presented data showing how online reputations effect job applicants.  70% of Human Resource workers in the US admit to denying job applicants a position due to their online behavior. In close comparisons 60% of web surfers acknowledge that their online “life” may affect their careers. Astonishingly of the 60% only 15% take consideration for their careers (or possible careers) when posting information.

    Many companies have formal policies for checking online reputational data and, in the United States, male recruiters are more likely to perform the check.  These recruiters also search deeper than most consumers are aware. Despite the fact that all online information is not true, recruiters feel all information is valid.  Recruiters also report that they tell applicants when online information plays a role in the company’s decision; however candidates claim not to hear this.

    One key thing to remember is not all information on the internet can harm you.  In fact, 86% of recruiters admitted that good online reputations have positive effects on the candidate’s chances of being hired. Needless to say, people need to become more aware of what the put on social networks and blog sites. This is not to say do not use these sites, just use them with caution because companies are looking!

    Danielle Murray