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  • Aerial Advertising: Benefits Versus Downsides

    (Photo credit: Aviad.com)

    Seeing as it is spring break, I thought this would be an appropriate time to talk about an advertising medium that does not get a lot of attention in the marketing world. Aerial advertising has been around since shortly after World War II when aerial advertising pioneer Arnold Sidney Butler first started attaching banners to his airplanes. Aerial advertising does not receive much attention when it comes to marketing because it is a bit antiquated and is very location specific. This however, does not mean that it does not fill a particular gap in the advertising world and because of this, should not be overlooked.

    Unforeseen Benefits 

    Aerial advertising allows brands to advertise not only where there is a large gathering of people, but also where there is usually no other means of advertising. These are both bull’s-eyes for anybody looking to expand brand awareness quickly. The most popular of these locations are normally outdoor sporting events, beaches, and even over highways where there is regularly heavy traffic.

    These criteria mean that certain locations are going to allow the aerial advertising industry to thrive, while in other locations it is obsolete. 

    (Photo credit: http://www.southbeachvision.com)

    One of the locations where aerial advertising is more than thriving is South Beach, Miami. Here aerial advertising has become a primary method for brands to reach thousands of people at a time. The combination of beaches, youth, and plenty of sporting events, makes South Beach the number one location for aerial advertising companies. This can be seen by the fact that the two biggest aerial advertising companies in the country, Van Wagner Aerial Media and Aerial Banners Inc., are both located in Miami.

    Dangerous Downsides

    While aerial advertising may be relatively cheap in terms of cost versus amount of people reached, there are a few innate risks.

    The more obvious risk involved with aerial advertising, just like any other business involving giant metal machines flying through the air, is how dangerous it can be. Think about it— airplanes are already a scary concept, now add large crowds of people to the mix with planes flying lower than normal, and it becomes a dangerous situation. The process of getting banners attached to planes is no easy feat either. It requires a low-flying plane moving at full speed to carefully drag a hook through a loop. While there have only been a few aerial advertising related crashes, the potential for disaster is clear.

    In addition to the physical risk that comes with aerial advertising, there are plenty of lawsuits to go with it. This is because the Federal Communications Commission does not have control over what is said during aerial advertising. Aerial Banners Inc. has experienced lawsuits when they were sued for slander after flying a banner that read, “Club Space — Please Pay Your Banner Bill!”. This is just one example of how lawsuits can pile up if you are not careful about what banners you agree to fly.

    Parting Thought

    Besides the dead of summer, spring break is the prime time for aerial advertising. Millions of college students flock to destinations where all the criteria for aerial advertising are met. South Beach may be the number one spot for the aerial advertising industry, but no matter where you go this spring break you are sure to see plenty of aerial advertising.

    How do you feel about aerial advertising when you see it? Is it worth the risk?

    References:

    Pfeffer, Ryan (2016, May). In Miami, Aerial Advertising Is the Wild West of the Marketing World. Miami New Times. Retrieved from http://www.miaminewtimes.com/music/in-miami-aerial-advertising-is-the-wild-west-of-the-marketing-world-8445969

  • The Rising Trend of Alternative Spring Break

    The spring break experience has been evolving since the early 60’s. According to Lauren Bohn of Time Magazine, the annual student holiday began with swim coaches bringing their teams to Florida for swim practices. It was not until the mid-80’s that the vacation was brought into the spotlight as a wildly overpopulated binge-drinking party.

    However, in the last decade travel and tourism experts have noticed that many students would rather spend their spring break making a considerable difference in the lives of others or embarking on educational adventures. Many students think the traditional spring break is a fun one-time thing, but after that it is more meaningful to engage in some form of service learning.

    Alternative spring breaks have become seemingly more popular over the course of the past several years. An alternative break is a trip that consists of a small to medium-sized group of students. The aim of the trips is to actively enhance students’ ability to perform civic engagement and to positively impact the lives of whom they are working with.

    This year, for spring break 2017, our university has sent a number of fellow Seahawks to Atlanta, GA and Asheville, NC. These two service learning trips are organized through the Office of Student Leadership and Engagement at UNCW.

    atl-trip-2016smaller

    Students serve in Atlanta with a non-profit organization called Restoration ATL at the largest shelter in the metropolitan area. The shelter is called the City of Refuge.

    Trip experiences include:
    • Service at the City of Refuge (serving meals, crafts and activities with the after school program, and more)
    • Fellowship with City of Refuge residents (meals, karaoke, development activities, and an optional church service)
    • Service in the Atlanta community (serving meals in the community)
    • Exploration of Atlanta attractions (Museum of Human and Civil Rights, Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site, and more)
    • Individual and group reflection

    Students travelling to Asheville have the opportunity to serve the local community as well.

    Trip experiences include:

    • Service with local non-profit organizations
    • Team building and leadership development activities on site (for example: group hike, ropes course)
    • Recreational activities on site (hiking trails, disc golf, athletics courts, and more)
    • Exploration of Asheville attractions
    • Individual and group reflection
    Something that comes to mind when hearing about this opportunity for college students is the term Tikkun olam. This is a Hebrew phrase which in translation refers to the repair of the world. Dr. David Weber, an associate professor of Communication Studies at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, strongly advocates for this philosophy. He encourages his students to actively participate in the repairing of the world by way of effective communication, or “managing of mutual responding”.
    The reason this phrase comes to mind is because regardless of whether or not you are on an official service learning trip, one can always engage with local communities around them. Even if one chooses to go with friends on a cruise, they have plenty of opportunities to meet with people and learn about their cultures over spring break.
    For those who opt to take the traditional spring break trip, what ways could one contribute to the repair of the world? For those who take the alternative break trip, what opportunities come to mind that could positively impact the lives of others? Just remember, regardless of what you choose, know that you can make a difference wherever you go.
    To learn about UNCW’s Service Break Trips, go here:
    References:
    Bohn, Lauren (2009, March). A Brief History of Spring Break. Time. Retrieved from http://content.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1888317,00.html

  • Non-Profits of North Carolina

    Hello everyone! Today let’s recognize just a few companies who exist not for profit, but rather to help out those within their communities here in North Carolina.

    The Hope Center of Wilmington is a non-profit that helps the less fortunate, unsheltered individuals in the community to find homes and shows them how to do important life tasks that they may never have the chance to learn otherwise. They share food with local individuals who experience homelessness on every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Opportunities to donate or volunteer time are offered online.

    paws4people is quite a unique organization with many locations throughout North Carolina that helps to provide assistance dogs to those with various physical, neurological, and even psychological and emotional disabilities. These dogs are highly trained by volunteers for various purposes to help those in many communities. paws4people believes that all children with disabilities should receive treatment as good as any other individual and should be treated as clients. In their mission statement they believe that these clients should be like family.

    Unlocking Silent Histories while headquartered in Austin, TX has chapters located in both Guatemala and Pembroke, NC. They strive to provide indigenous youth of their communities with learning opportunities and encourages them to provide the world with the histories of their community and their heritage. The youth in these communities are taught leadership skills at a young age so that they can lead in expressing themselves. They are taught creative skills and digital skills so that they can create documentaries that tell their stories, and they can then share those stories with peers and with others around the world.

    We should all do our part to volunteer at organizations to support our communities and help make the world even just a little bit better.

    Tell us about some of your non-profit experiences down below!

    –Andrew Moody ’17

  • The Key to Success

    What would happen if every company in the world was socially conscious? Would we diminish poverty or maybe end world hunger? This would be a simple solution to much of our worlds problems and it seems as though only a few companies have this figured out like The Giving Keys, a Los Angeles-based jewelry company.

    4-Charitable-Companies-we-LOVE-The-Giving-Keys.png

    The Giving Keys is not a nonprofit but a social enterprise.  They believe that the solution to ending generational poverty and homelessness is to provide jobs for those in need. Instead of raising donations, the company employs those transitioning out of homelessness. The Giving Key is a pay it forward company where you can purchase an collection of different vintage keys with phrases like love, breathe, courage engraved into them. You pick the key with the word that speaks most to you and then once you feel as though it has served its purpose in your life you give your key to a person who needs the message. Through your purchase you help those transitioning out of homelessness get jobs, the company has currently provided 70 plus jobs opportunities to those in need.

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    Simple and meaningful. These are two words which can be used to describe the keys. It seems as though it is the meaning and purpose behind the keys that sells them. Founder Caitlin Crosby says “We aren’t in this just to make money and be fashionable. We exist to change people’s lives”. Being socially aware and using that to set you apart from other companies can turn a simple idea turn into a widely known enterprise.

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    Check out their website and see how they are changing the world one key at a time!

    Does a company with a social purpose make you more prone to buying their product? Why or why not?

    • Isabella Martinez

     

  • Yes, I saved $5!

    Why do stores have discount cards? Is it because they want to be nice? Hook you up with some great deals?

    Not really. You might think that you are winning because you are saving two dollars on a loaf of bread or three dollars because you bought two boxes of cereal instead of one. However, you are not the real champion; the store is.
    loyalcards

    By using a store discount card, you are giving away very valuable information. Information about you, what you buy, when you buy it and how often you do so. The store is now able to track your purchases and your spending’s, something that is in their favor. If they can see what you buy and how often, they can specifically target you. When you swipe your loyalty card, the store obtains valued information that they can use to get you back in their store to spend more money.

    Of course, the stores won’t tell you this. They want you to think that you are being rewarded for being a loyal customer, and sure, you are, since the word loyal translates to profit in their ears. Because the cost of obtaining a new customer is around five times as high, stores always try to find ways to get you back in the door.

    loyalty5times

    Just think about it, by looking at what you are buying stores know that you prefer a certain brand of soy milk over another, or a certain kind of chips for example. It is not a coincidence that you are getting coupons and offers for items that you frequently purchase. Once you swipe that “loyalty” card your purchase history goes straight into the stores computer system and they can start analyzing it. Your buying habits are being compared to other customers to figure out patterns, trends and other valuable information that can benefit the store.

    I do have a Harris Teeter Vic (Yes, I’m a very important customer) card myself and I do get excited when I save 4 dollars on ice-cream. However, I do understand the idea behind a store card and that every time I swipe that Vic card my shopping spree is being analyzed into a statistic that is used to target shoppers.

    How do you feel about store cards? Do you have a Harris Teeter card, or any other customer loyalty card?

    –  Olivia Nilsson

  • Four ways Companies Brand Themselves Through Mardi Gras

    New Orleans Celebrates Mardi Gras

    1. Brand Awareness

    During the parade, brands attract their target audience by the use of digital strategy. The use of billboards, street signs, and social media. Brands take advantage of the standing crowds and influx of tourists to bring awareness of their brand.

    mardigrasindians

    2. PR Opportunities

    Mardi Gras has become a chance for companies to promote their business. Whether it be a hotel trying to allure a prospective tourists, a popular restaurant convincing people to eat at their restaurant, or a famous attraction wanting people to come and visit. Mardi Gras allows the cities where the parade is held to prosper in public relation efforts and in credibility.

    personmardi.jpg

    3. Sales Promotion

    Mardi Gras is also an opportunity for brands to have sales and discounts to bring people into their business. Businesses in the area of where the parade is happening will post on social media and other marketing platforms. This gives them the ability to alert tourists on what their promotion happens to be .

    mardiiggras

    4. Content Marketing

    Brands are able to promote themselves because their products and its usage are helpful during Mardi Gras. From clothing stores to hospitality companies, Mardi Gras is a chance for them to market the content which they specialize in. This is also a chance for these business to get tourists to become repeat customers and consumers.

    masquerade

    Images from: www.rentquo.com, stunning places, mardi gras , Black Enterprise, and Mardi Gras New Orleans.

    — Stephanie Spencer

  • Brands That Take a Stand

    Many brands have recently found themselves in the middle of political debates, and even if a brand isn’t taking a side, their consumers still are. Most brands claim to have a social mission, but few act on it.

    Today’s top brands are not only starting socially-relevant conversations about issues that matter, but they’re also getting off their a**** and actually doing something about them. Smart brands see tough times as an opportunity to step up; however, not all brands react to controversy with intelligence.

    Here are four companies that have taken a stand against a controversial issue, and how their consumers are reacting to it.

    Carolina Hurricanes #HockeyIsForEveryone

    The Carolina Hurricanes are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina. Being in Raleigh since 1997, the Hurricanes haven’t been ones for taking a stance on social issues. Sure, they’ve shown their support for the military and have contributed to their community through a number of charities and foundations; however, they have never taken a stand on a social issue – until early February.

    #HockeyIsForEveryone is a campaign created by the NHL that uses the game of hockey, and the League’s global influence, to drive positive social change and foster more inclusive communities, “We believe all hockey programs – from professionals to youth organizations – should provide a safe, positive and inclusive environment for players and families regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, disability, sexual orientation and socio-economic status.”

    carolina-hurricanesSince posting a photo on February 20th announcing their #YouCanPlay night, there has been a strong response from fans. While many support the initiative, others have harshly criticized the Hurricanes taking a social stance at all. Despite the negativity, the organization has responded to many of the comments on their social media sites and plan to continue to promote the idea of inclusivity and that #HockeyIsForEveryone.

    Ben & Jerry’s “If It’s Melted, It’s Ruined!”

    screencapture-benjerry-values-issues-we-care-about-climate-justice-1488130745648Even though we live in Wilmington, I think we can all agree that February is not supposed to be this warm. The leadership at Ben & Jerry’s would agree! Ben & Jerry’s wants to remind their consumers that even ice cream is not immune to environmental change by having an “Endangered Pints” list. To combat the potential loss of everyone’s favorite flavors, Ben & Jerry’s is urging concerned consumers to sign a petition to support the Paris Agreement.

    Ben & Jerry’s is not new to the idea of brand activism; they have been active in supporting causes like sustainable food systems, social justice, and a fair and global economy for years. Their consumers don’t seem to mind either, as long as the ice cream is cold and in stock, I think everyone stays happy.

    Lyft Donating to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)

    In response to the recent political atmosphere, Lyft co-founders John Zimmer and Logan Green announced in late January that they would donate $1 million to the American Civil Liberties Union over the next four years.

    giphy (1).gif“Banning people of a particular faith or creed, race or identity, sexuality or ethnicity, from entering the U.S. is antithetical to both Lyft and our nation’s core values,” the co-founders wrote in an email to Lyft customers. “We stand firmly against the actions, and will not be silent on issues that threaten the value of our community.”

    Since Lyft’s announcement, not only have their downloads increased but their rival, Uber, has received backlash from consumers. According to the New York Times, as of February 2nd, 2017 more than 200,000 customers had deleted their Uber accounts.

    Starbucks “Refugee Hiring Plan”

    In January, Howard Schultz said his Washington state-based eatery will hire 10,000 refugees in what was seen by many as a response to President Trump’s executive ban on travel from several nations. Since the January 29th hiring announcement, Starbucks’ consumer perception levels fell by two-thirds, as measured by YouGov Brand Index’s Buzz score.

    starbuckschart
    The Bottom Line

    In today’s political climate, consumers are communicating that they want their brands to do more and be more. However, just how taking a stand can increase sales, as we saw with Lyft, it can also cause an uproar from fans, like with the Carolina Hurricanes. What do you think about brands being advocates for policy change and social justice?

    –Kyndall DySard ’17