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Move over Black Friday; it is Cyber Monday! Say goodbye to broken ribs, brawls in Walmart and camping in front of department stores. Black Friday madness is no joke and can be dangerous to participate. Thank god we have the internet now and can entirely skip the long lines and rude customers and order online. Cyber Monday has taken the Internet by storm, each year getting bigger and bigger! Cyber Monday also represents the most critical day of the year for any marketer that wants to hook their business into the digital retail environment.

Cyber Monday takes place the Monday after Thanksgiving and pretty much every online store offers impressive sales and discounts. It is any shopaholic’s heaven. Many people are opting out of Black Friday shopping and waiting for Cyber Monday to get all their Christmas shopping out of the way, who doesn’t love shopping in their pajamas? Following Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday has become the go-to shopping day for techies, lovers of electronics, and, yes, mobile shoppers, too. 2017’s Cyber Monday saw mobile internet’s first 2 billion dollar day, according to Business Insider, while BigCommerce merchants experienced their highest sales week ever. Here are some more interesting statistics on the success Cyber Monday has become.

• Cyber Monday 2017 was the most significant single day of online shopping in U.S. history, according to CNBC. Digital transactions totaled $16.9 billion, an increase of 16.8% from the year before.
• According to MarketingLand, more and more consumers are switching to online shopping during the holidays to avoid the mad dash of foot traffic.
• By just 10 a.m. on Cyber Monday 2017, customers had already bought nearly a billion dollars’ worth of goods online.
• Millennials have become the biggest spenders during the holiday weekend, spending over $400 per person.

Perhaps you are wondering how this incredible holiday sale started? Well, it all began in 2005 by the marketing team at shop.org for the existence of Cyber Monday. Promoting sales online was not always successful and took a long time to catch on. At first Cyber Monday did not even rank in the top ten sales days of the year. Nowadays this sales holiday is the most popular retail holiday of the year.

Due to the significances of Cyber Monday and the holiday season, online retailers better have it together when the digital rush begins. When Cyber Monday rolls around, you’ll want your site to be responsive, mobile-compatible, and most importantly: Up and running. There are a few ways online businesses are making sure their websites will be up to par when this holiday comes around. Check out these tips:

• Site Speed: Check out Google’s developmental tools to run a speed test and get to the bottom of what might be causing load times to lag.
• Uptime: Nothing works unless your site does–but you won’t always be there to check. Use a service like Uptime Robot to begin monitoring your site for downtime.
• Mobile compatibility: With a majority of Cyber Monday purchases potentially coming through mobile channels, it’s never been more critical to ensure your site can handle mobile traffic.
• Run a free compatibility test with Google. Even if you’re ready to handle mobile purchases, this site will help you diagnose slow-loading pages.

Make sure to check out all your favorite online stores this Cyber Monday and cross off those items on your Christmas list! You will not want to miss out on the best deals of the entire year!

-Lizzy Regnery
References:
https://www.bigcommerce.com/blog/cyber-monday-marketing/#cyber-monday-marketing-ideas

Prepping for Finals

 

We come off of Thanksgiving break with our stomach’s happy as can be and our minds are now a bit more clear from the craziness of the Florence semester. There are two weeks left of classes to show professors what we can do. All of the hard work and dedication from this semester is finally paying off. Everyone should feel proud of themselves that we have all grinded through another semester. The finish line is in close sights!

 

As we come up on our final days of classes for the semester, the vibe on campus will begin to change because of the dreaded F word… Finals. They can either make or break all of your hard work throughout the semester. I don’t say that to scare you I personally had to learn the hard way my freshman year of college because I didn’t take it serious enough. That is why finals are on a whole different level than just your average exam.

 

From a seniors’ point of view I would like to share some personal pointers when prepping for finals so that you can have the best experience possible, especially if this is your first time getting ready for finals week.

 

1. Try your best to stay healthy

This is a huge point that is very important for finals week because nothing is worse than being sick and having to go into class feeling terrible trying to take your exam. Drink lots of water, take vitamin C, wash your hands consistently and dress appropriately for the cold weather so that you can avoid the germs as much as possible!

 

2. Find which way of studying best fits you

Everyone has their own way of studying. Some people prefer to go to the second level of the library and study quietly by themselves. This is a great way to steer clear of any distractions (food, Netflix, pets) you might have if you were back at your dorm/apartment. Others prefer the first floor with a group of friends to study with. Some people can study in the comfort of their dorm or apartment. Either of these atmosphere’s are great and I like to switch between all of them. Which best fits you?

 

3. Reward yourself!

Finals week is definitely stressful so it’s important to take breaks in between studying. Some people prefer to pull an all-nighter and others don’t. Doing the simplest things in between studying can really make you feel more energized when you get back to it! What are some things that you do to reward yourself?

At the end of the day, finals are about doing your best. Remember we only have finals 8 times out of the 4 years that we are in college. Take those 4 years that go by faster than you can blink and learn as much as you can until you are out in the working world as an adult. Work hard, be proud in all that you have accomplished and you might actually end up liking the F word (finals).

 

-Katie Woodard

Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving when consumers flood into businesses to begin their Christmas shopping. Many stores offer extreme sales on this day to promote shoppers. In the earlier years of Black Friday shopping stores would open early morning on Friday but, as it has evolved through the years, stores have opened earlier and earlier. It even started to creep into Thanksgiving where larger stores began opening on the evening of Thanksgiving Day. Black Friday is named because of the large profit businesses get from this day. “In the black” means that a business is turning a profit.

Businesses everywhere participate in this mass shopping. However, each business promotes their sales differently depending on their brand identity. Some businesses flash their sale and how low their prices will be on Black Friday to entice customers to come spend their money on that day. These companies are attempting to get customers to think that this is the lowest the prices will be and that they should just buy without thinking too long about it. This is more popular with larger stores like Target, Walmart, Lowes, Kohl’s and Home Depot.

This is a Target ad for Black Friday deals this year (2018). This ad focuses on the savings that are to be had on Black Friday and even shows specific deals that they are holding.

Other businesses continue to promote how they would usually and just assume that consumers know they will be putting some items on sale because of the nature of Black Friday. These companies don’t send out ads like Target and Walmart to draw customers in. They advertise their sales in their store and on their website once customers have already decided to shop with them. This is a more popular Black Friday strategy used by higher end companies. These are companies like Madewell, Nike and Nordstrom.

This is an ad from Madewell’s website. This is the only advertising of their sale that they did. They didn’t send it out in the newspaper or buy ad space anywhere specifically for their Black Friday sale.

A newer Black Friday advertising strategy is the environmental/give back approach. Companies that root their brand identity in giving back to the community or anywhere really use this as their main advertising. These are companies like Half United, Mission Made (local to Wilmington), Patagonia, and Pura Vida. They ask their consumers to shop with them because of the good that their companies do. They advertise that they would be a “conscious consumer” and that they are “creating jobs”. This, along with their sales, pushes their consumers to spend their money with them.

Black Friday is an important day for all businesses and it is just as important for them to find the best way to bring customers to their store rather than somewhere else. They do this by advertising through their brand identity which is why their consumers love them already.

– Lauren Delavigne

On Thursday, over 50 million Americans will watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade from the comfort of their homes. With this kind of massive audience, advertisers know this is just as important as the Super Bowl. But how did this yearly tradition get the coverage it has today? Let’s take a trip down memory lane.

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade began as Christmas parade. Floats designed to match the scenes portrayed in the New York City shop windows traveled down the streets . They even borrowed animals from the Central Park zoo to come along for the ride. In 1927, the signature gigantic helium balloons made their entrance and are still around to this day.

The target audience for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is, not surprisingly, children. The goal of their whole campaign is to encourage children to ask their parents to go to Macy’s during the holiday season. It’s the ideal platform for other companies like Disney, Cartoon Network, and even Broadway to debut their new shows and programs.

Another one of the benefits of advertising at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is that Thanksgiving is non-partisan. There’s an overwhelming amount of pride that Americans feel on this specific day. It’s advantageous date of the year plus the happiness Americans feel on that Thursday triggers a consumer need to shop for their loved ones for the holidays in American stores.

The consistent viewership of the parade is an advertiser’s dream. They are able to spend all year preparing for this one day that they know millions will see. It’s pretty exhilarating  when you think about it.

One on hand, the wholesome holiday of Thanksgiving just isn’t the same without the annual parade in NYC. However, on the other hand,, advertisers love taking advantage of the opportunity to reach the largest audience they may encounter all year with persuasive broadcasts.

So, this Thursday when you’re snuggled up in bed with your family and watching the parade, what will you see?

 

–Olivia Walsh

Friendsgiving is the time of the year when college age students come together to celebrate friendship over the canned/instant food we can afford! We call our moms in search of the recipe for her casserole, trying to recreate her wonderful masterpiece. The idea is, no matter how good the meal or occasion, nothing beats being around the people that know you best.

How did Friendsgiving become so popular? Well, let’s take a trip back to the 1990’s. The iconic television show Friends had several episodes where they sat around the table for Thanksgiving. While they wanted to be with their families, variables such as weather, ticket pricing and more hindered them from reaching their loved ones. Instead, they chose to be around each other. They played touch football games, ate lots of turkey and even invited new people to join in.

Friends is very popular among millennials. In reference to brand identity, Friends captured the hearts of many. They created their own version of Thanksgiving and now millenials try to recreate the iconic show’s take. What was once a plot line in a sitcom is now a viral tradition that friends carry on every year. Several television shows and programs have recreated their different interpretations on what Friendsgiving should look like.

This past Friday, my roommates and I hosted 65 of our closest friends for our very own Friendsgiving. The amount of time, energy and effort that goes into planning an event for 65 people is outstanding. Tables, chairs, food, and decorations are just a couple of the various tasks we were given to help the event take place. Below are 4 key takeaways I learned from planning a Friendsgiving.

Things I learned from Friendsgiving:

1) Event Planning is more than creating an event:

Yes, telling people to come over for a Friendsgiving is the first step. However, you cannot stop there. You need food, decorations, tables, chairs and more. We coordinated with our church volunteer director, who let us borrow tables and chairs to help seat people. The next step was finding out what to tell people to bring. I created an excel spreadsheet, in which I had a list of who was coming and what they were planning on bringing. This helped us from not having 65 of the same side dishes. We created our own brand identity with a logo and typography. Our decorations matched the font and scheme, making the event have an identity.

2) Marketing the event is easier said than done:

We all hate those big group texts that blow your phone up all day during class. Phrases like,”I’m bringing this,” “Ooo that sounds good I can cook that,” “Be sure to not burn the turkey!” are only half of the texts we would get if we took the group chat route. Group chats are complicated, simple as that.

Instead, we chose to send separate texts with the same message. Sending individual text messages to people felt more intimate and also carried a more personal message. When creating an event, always make sure to either use word of mouth marketing or send individual messages.

In addition, having an excel spreadsheet helped us to see who hadn’t been invited. We did not want anyone left out or double invited, so once a roommate invited someone, they either put a check or an “X” on whether or not they were coming. We only had room for a certain amount of people, so advertising it on social media was not the best route. Word of mouth marketing worked best, as we got multiple responses and coordinated how our guests would park and when they would arrive.

3) Utilize the people and items you have:

You do not have to go out and spend every dime you have for an event! Using the items you have around you will be of great use. For our event, we went out into our yard and collected leaves and branches. We used them as our table decorations and they were a big hit. In addition, we created a photo booth made out of an old sheet and some string lights we found in the closet.

 

 

 

 

 

 

My favorite decoration was our makeshift cover for under the deck. We currently have a pool in our back yard that still has water from the hurricane in it. The background scenery did not go with the theme of our event, so we decided to look around the house for what we could find. I went in a closet and saw multiple curtains hanging around. We grabbed them and nailed them to the deck, covering the view of the pool. This was a big hit and really made the event seem more intimate.

4) Make it memorable and have fun doing so:

A Friendsgiving would not be proper without some special guests. Adding your own flavor and unique taste to it is just apart of what makes Friendsgiving, well, Friendsgiving! Whether it is making a photo booth, playing games, a bonfire, people are sure to come back to another event if you make it memorable. This year, we decided to unveil our giant 10 foot inflatable Santa Claus to all our friends. We had people move from under the deck to the yard. Here, we thanked everyone for coming out and hoped that they would stick around. Then, we began to raise up Santa and everyone started to cheer. I never thought in my college career that I would be able to get 65 people to cheer for an inflatable Santa in our yard.

As you can see, event planning takes time, energy and effort. If you utilize what you have, create your own brand image and successfully market your vision, you too can create a successful event!

Happy Holidays, everyone!

-Andrew Williams

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Image Credit:

https://memegenerator.net/instance/27594096/ermahgerd-its-friendsgiving

https://food52.com/blog/14979-the-ultimate-friendsgiving-with-episode-pairings-from-friends

https://memegenerator.net/instance/65598217/alan-hangover-calculating-trying-to-plan-friendsgiving-in-a-group-chat

 

November 18: World Remembrance Day for Road Traffic Victims

November 18th this year falls on the third Sunday of November, a day that is taken in remembrance for road traffic victims. This is a less widely recognized day of remembrance that takes on the heavy topic we are all aware of but rarely discuss due to discomfort and uneasiness.

So let’s take some time to talk about it. This year, the WDR has adopted the theme of “Roads Have Stories.” As COM majors, we love to talk. We love to stay in touch, to always be socially available. More than anything, we love to tell stories. Do we think enough about all the stories that are happening around us though? Do we stay present, aware, and in the moment? What about the stories that have taken place on the roads we drive on every day?

In an ideal world when I’m driving to campus each day, I’d be aware and focused on nothing but the road. The reality is that I’m often thinking ahead about the class I’m worried about running late to, or the essay I know I have to work on in the library. Maybe my impatience is running high when I’m stuck behind a truck going 5 under the speed limit while my clock keeps mercilessly counting upward. I’m not thinking about the danger I could very swiftly be in. Today serves as a reminder to slow down and think about the countless other scenarios people have been in that don’t end with getting to class on time. Maybe their scenarios don’t even end with keeping their life, something we take for granted without ever realizing it.

“Road deaths and injuries are sudden, violent, traumatic events. Their impact is long-lasting, often permanent. Each year, millions of newly injured and bereaved people from every corner of the world are added to the countless millions who already suffer. The cumulative toll is truly tremendous… The grief and distress experienced by this huge number of people is all the greater because many of the victims are young, [and] because many of the crashes could and should have been prevented… This special Remembrance Day is therefore intended to respond to the great need for public recognition [of road crash victims for] their loss and suffering.”

Roads tell precautionary stories of the countless people that came before us. Despite improvement, the US still holds the highest car crash death rate out of any other country. The reality that we live in a town trademarked as a “college town” and “retirement town” only exponentially increases these risks. What is the best way to honor and respect the people who have fallen victim to car accidents? The answer is staying safe and promoting safety so that we don’t contribute to the suffering and instead work to decrease it.

What are some ways we can do this?

• Use a seat belt in every seat, on every trip
• Make sure children are always properly buckled into the back seat or booster seat
• Choose NOT to drive impaired by alcohol or drugs
• Obey the speed limits, cut out more time to make it to class
• Drive WITHOUT distractions like texting or calling

The concept is very familiar, we’ve all been told to never text and drive. We’ve been told to keep our eyes on the road, be aware of weather dangers, watch the people around us. Where do we catch ourselves pushing the limits? We love to stay in contact no matter how short the drive can be, but unless we want to let the road dictate our story, our communication tendencies need to take the back seat to safety, for the betterment of everyone.

– Jordan McFaul

Works Cited:
WorldDayofRemembrance.org
CNN.com

Have you ever considered studying abroad? How lucky you are to and this university! UNC Wilmington offers more than 1,000 education programs in over 50+ countries. I remember being a Freshman attending the Study Abroad Fair and knew I wanted to take advantage of this awesome opportunity and travel somewhere. This Summer, I studied abroad in Spain for six weeks and had the most rewarding experience.

Even though I knew I wanted to study abroad, I did not know where. Having a Spanish minor, I would receive weekly emails about what is going on in the Spanish Department. In those emails, information sessions about traveling abroad are always included. Last Fall, one caught my attention. It was an information session about a small city called Santander located in Spain. After attending the information session, I knew this was the place for me.

Santander is located two hours North of Madrid. It is the capital city of the Cantabria Region along the North Coast of Spain. It is home to the fifth largest bank in the world, Santander Bank (formerly known as the Bank of Spain). From the beautiful beaches, you are able to see the mountains in the distance. One of the main tourist attractions in Santander is El Palacio de Magdalena, where the popular Netflix series El Gran Hotel was filmed.

When I signed up for the trip to Santander, I only knew one person going. But after six weeks in Spain together, the group of 17 other students I went with became my new friends. We all got along and helped each other figure out the new culture. We each had the opportunity to live with a host family who showed us the way around the city. It was difficult at first adapting to a new way of life and understanding the communication methods they used, but the families were kind and welcoming and did their best to make us feel at home. With our professor from UNCW, Professor Jara, we took two classes at a community college in the city and earned six credits. One of my favorite activities we got to do was hang out with the students who attended the University of Cantabria. We would work with the students who were learning English. Everyone paired up with a speaking partner and we would speak in Spanish to them and they had to speak in English back to us. It was a cool experience to help someone learn a new language and have them teach us the slang that people used in the region.

UNCW offers numerous study abroad programs in places all over the world. Programs are available for a semester, summer session, spring break, and more. If you have any interest in traveling, I encourage you to attend an information session, talk to an abroad ambassador, or make an appointment with an abroad advisor. Visit Studying abroad was the best decision I made in college. It made me step outside of my comfort zone and realize my love for travel.

– Kelcy Duffy

https://uncw.edu/international/abroad/

https://www.google.com/destination?q=santander+spain&site