IMC… Why does is matter?

March 8, 2010

Now that our class has been blogging about various aspects of IMC and social media for several weeks, we would like to take a step back and tell you a little bit about who we are and why we are here. Our class, like we’ve mentioned before, is Advanced Integrated Marketing Communications at UNCW. The idea of IMC is to integrate all marketing, public relations, advertising, promotional, community relations, event planning and more within an organization. The purpose of combining the different aspects of an organization’s efforts is to formulate a single strategic message that is delivered to each public, specifically focusing on the customer.

Our class has also spent a considerable amount of time discussing the concept of social capital. As explained in Robert Putnam’s book Bowling Alone, social capital is a good produced by communities that are socially and civically engaged. It is a good that he argues has been declining in recent years, blaming a variety of distractions that keep people from truly engaging each other. Putnam believes, “The touchstone of social capital is the principle of generalized reciprocity.” Basically, social capital depends on the level of trust among members of a community and the number of good deeds done without the expectation of anything in return, except the basic understanding that it will come back to them.

So, how does this blog relate to IMC and social capital? The purpose of this blog is to discuss the different aspects of IMC that we see every day through advertising, social media, promotions and more. The blog is run by a class of 15 juniors and seniors with certain guidelines set forth by our amazing professor, Dr. Jeanne Persuit. We have to communicate daily to meet these guidelines, and we have to trust each other to follow through and not let the others down.

There you have it – a blog that is both furthering the study and exploration of IMC while also fostering social capital.

-Nicole Doherty

Are you indispensable?

March 8, 2010

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.

Tired of Bowling Alone?

March 4, 2010

Have you ever felt like you were bowling alone? Don’t worry, this isn’t a how-to article on making friends in a bowling league…it’s a brief look at Robert Putnam’s book Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community. Putnam, a professor of public policy at Harvard University, claims Americans are experiencing a decline in reciprocity. Through mounds and mounds of empirical evidence (yes, charts and graphs!), Putnam identifies what he believes are reasons for the decline and offers his opinion on how we can improve our social capital in the future.

First off, it is relatively hard to understand this book if you don’t know what social capital is. Now, I know when you all read this, you’re going to have an “aha” moment and realize you actually encounter social capital everyday. The term has gone through numerous phases and definition, but Putnam defines social capital as “connections among individuals—social networks and the norms of reciprocity and trustworthiness that arise from them” (Pg. 19). Putnam’s main argument in the book is that America has experienced a decline in reciprocity.

I would definitely recommend this book to others, because I do think Putnam presents an interesting argument that is stimulating. I believe Putnam’s work needs to be updated and re-evaluated for the current age, considering this book was released in 2000.  Many could, and do argue that we are simply engaged in social capital in new ways, which is actually a question Putnam poses in his work.

Social capital plays an interesting role in the study of IMC. We can maximize positive social capital through IMC, and yes, there is negative social capital. With the recent focus on social networking in the marketing world, a whole new bowling alley has opened up for social capital. We have shifted from a mass media public to a more specialized media, and IMC plays a large role in identifying target audiences, and building social capital through these networks. Perhaps we must refer back to the question, are we engaged in social capital in new ways? Putnam emphasizes that the Internet has contributed to the decline in social capital, but many feel their social networks have grown because of these platforms.

We have referenced Putnam many times in our blog, and I encourage you to read back on the previous subjects discussed. His overall argument is generally convincing and resonates with many people. It is certainly a thought provoking read and makes you think about your own personal social capital and reciprocity.

Some of our other blog posts that discuss social capital:

Integrating Social Capital, The Court, and Beyond

Is “Doing For” a Form of Social Capital After All?

– Rachel Kaylor

USA: A Branded Nation

March 3, 2010

Are you a church goer?  Have you attended/are you going to attend college?  Does visiting a national museum ever make your annual to-do list?  Have you considered yourself better off based on your choice of membership?  If you have answered yes to any or all of these questions, the follow-up question to ask yourself is whether or not you have recognized the marketing strategies these million dollar institutions utilize to get you to answer yes.  Believe it or not all three organizations have become marketing conglomerates that generate a specific brand targeted to specific audience members to lure in recurring attendance and membership which is highlighted in Branded Nation.

Once thought of as “above marketing” establishments, James Twitchell , author of Branded Nation and English professor at the University of Florida , enlightens his readers with an awakening breakdown of the religion, higher education, and museum worlds related to marketing.  Despite the refute by ministers, university presidents, and museum directors opposing Branded Nation’s  argument, Twitchell  wittily examines all three cultural institutions to support his claims to show the permeation of branding and marketing among the high American culture.

In our prerequisite course, Introduction to IMC, we were required to read Branded Nation to aid in understanding of high culture and low culture.  Twitchell gives an example of the brand surrounding the concept of an Evian bottle of water, a low culture.  Drinking Evian creates a story, as Twitchell would say, that depicts a different account versus drinking an Aquafina bottle of water.  Now, there is nothing wrong with drinking either water selection, however, Twitchell goes on to say that the way we look at advertising/marketing and the way we consume collide to make a story portrayal of ourselves and the market we engage.  This concept was highly known among the low culture such as music, movies, and clothing, but Branded Nation unwraps the unnerving advertising/marketing approaches within high culture ties, which keeps readers gripping the cover till the end of the book.

If you are even slightly interested in marketing development, or if you qualify as a “yes” answer to the aforementioned questions, I highly recommend reading the words of Twitchell.  Although a bit skewed as some opinions are heavily emphasized, Branded Nation will change the way you look at your church, your college or university, and your neighborhood museum.  It will help you to take a more critical observation at the messages behind any brand or story and ask yourself even more questions regarding the marketing world and the quality of product(s) you are purchasing and accepting.  Above all else, read Branded Nation to discover why Twitchell ends with the quote, “Get used to it, because it ain’t gonna get any better.”

-Allyson Corbin

Groundswell- winning in a world transformed by social technologies

March 2, 2010

Social Media is a revolution that has undoubtedly changed the business world as we know it, but the question to many is not what is social media, it’s what do we do with it? Groundswell- winning in a world transformed by social technologies, answers just that question.

Written by Josh Bernoff and Charlene Li of Forrester Research, the book talks about consumers are taking to the web through Facebook, YouTube and blogs and talking about your brand, company and products. It is up to us to take advantage of this consumer effort. The authors discuss how companies are gaining insights, experiencing increased profits and even exciting their own customers.

Groundswell may be written about a phenomenon that is fairly new to our radar, yet there is real statistical data which backs up their claims. But don’t go thinking that this book is nothing but facts, the authors tell stories. They share stories with real people which made it both appealing and relatable.

When talking about social media which deals with computers and technology it is easy to get caught up in the technological jargon. Groundswell does a great job of keeping its focus on the social aspect rather than the technology. It is about the people, both the consumers and the company rather then the mechanics.

The book has started phenomena of some sort. It has it’s own webpage with links to the Groundswell blog. This blog kept up mostly by Bernoff discusses social technology in many aspects of the business world. He also suggests other reading material such as Linchpin by Seth Godin. Once you read Groundswell you are swept up In this trend and now have somewhere to go to further your insight.

Students, teachers, professionals and analysts from all over have read the Groundswell. Positive Reviews have been written by accredited papers such as t the Boston Globe and New York Times. Industry leaders like Craig Newmark have even weighed in. He states “Internet-style communication tools change organizational communication completely, providing a means for workers to run organizations more effectively. Groundswell describes how this can happen in any organization, focusing on the human issues, which is the hard part.” With nothing but praise how could you not want to run out and pick up a copy today?

Oh and some good news! Bernoff has recently announced that he has begun work on a new book Harnessing the Groundswell Look for it this summer!

Jess Smith

IMC – The Next Generation

March 1, 2010

Don and Heidi Schultz’s book, IMC—The Next Generation, is one that many of the students in this advanced IMC class have read at some point in our undergraduate careers. To those new to the discipline of integrated marketing communication, this book offers insight into developing relationships with customers and shows marketers how integrating their organization can help them focus on the customer. There are numerous cases and real-world examples provided that reveal how to use the IMC model presented in the book.

They start the book by describing IMC as “a process through which companies accelerate returns by aligning communication objectives with corporate goals.” The importance of branding is emphasized throughout the book as they explain how much of an organization’s marketing efforts switched from focusing on the company’s products to focusing on the establishment of brands. Just as the primary focus of almost any successful business is also the customer, the primary focus of the book is the customer, stating that in a value-oriented IMC program, “Customers and prospects are treated as individuals, not as markets.”

Readers of this book range from students studying IMC, to professionals trying to establish themselves in the business world. Other reviews are almost all positive and full of praise. One review stated, “If you care anything about Integrated Marketing Communications, you’ll read this book. This book has been a bible of sorts for me over the past few years. Anyone trying to figure out what’s going on in social media and the changing nature of the buyer should take a read through this first. Some of the areas may be a bit hard to grasp, but the methodology makes sense, and the Schultz team breaks it down into a step-by-step process that will make your marketing programs measurable (if you follow their advice).”

Overall, IMC—The Next Generation comes highly recommended from critics, students and readers in general. It offers insight from a husband and wife team of professionals who understand IMC and how it can be used in the business and professional world.

Nicole Doherty
Stephanie Saulsbury
Lacey Inman

Integrating Social Capital, The Court and Beyond

February 26, 2010

As Black History Month comes to an end, many of us would be remiss to think that only about sixty years ago, names like Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, or Lebron James wouldn’t exist, or in essence they wouldn’t. Approximately 80% of players that make up the African-American National Basketball Association would not even be allowed on the court, if it weren’t for the efforts of 3 individuals who have truly changed the face of the game.

A New York Times piece covered the 50 year commemoration of the first 3 African-American players to play in the NBA, which took place at a Knicks game in 2000. The article spoke about the men’s struggles with playing an integrated game in a segregated world. Earl Lloyd, Nat “Sweetwater” Clifton, and Chuck Cooper endured the ugly side of social capital on an everyday basis in the still separated America. Jeering fans often taunted the men when they played well, but ignored them if they played terribly. Lloyd said he “took special pains in those towns” to make sure he was called names.

Though there were many negative aspects of social capital they experienced while in their early days as NBA players, there were also some positive aspects. NBA legend Bob Cousy was one of the white players who created positive social capital as a teammate to Chuck Cooper. Cooper’s widow stated that without Cousy’s continuous support, Cooper’s career wouldn’t have been near as long. She shared “once, they were down south, and the people at the restaurant put Chuck’s food out by a railroad track and Bob went out there and ate dinner with him.”

These historic events happened without much fanfare at all. It happened after Jackie Robinson’s entrance into baseball and the NBA was nowhere near as popular as it is today. The impact of the positive and negative social capital experienced by these 3 players has truly affected the way we come together in sports. Many basketball fans couldn’t really imagine the game without flashy alley-oop passes from the Canadian star Steve Nash or a slamming Amare Stoudemire. Well just think, if the positive and negative social capital between Cousy and Cooper never brought them to a railroad track for dinner some time ago, what would the face of basketball look like today?

Colby Lewis