IMC Hawks Blog

Tag: Advertising

  • COM Studies Day is finally here!

    Today may be April Fools Day but this is no joke, it is finally here, Communication Studies Day at UNCW. Our Advanced Integrated Marketing Communication class will be covering the event minute by minute right here on our IMC-Hawks blog. The event starts at 10 a.m. where a panel presentation will be held in Leutze Hall featuring 5 alumni of UNCW informing students, faculty and guests of the different graduate programs and professional positions they have pursued post graduation, which will be followed by questions from the audience.

    This presentation will last till 11 a.m and will be followed with a 30 minute networking session for the panelists. Starting at 12:15 the Communication Studies Society is hosting a fashion show where the students will be strutting their stuff in business professional and business casual attire. This is a part of the event that can’t be missed, fashion tips are always a necessity. Following the fashion show will be an afternoon panelist presentation featuring 5 more alumni of UNCW from 2-3, with a follow up 30 minute networking session. This day is a perfect chance for faculty to see where their previous students have been since graduation and for undergraduates to know what to expect once they leave the doors of Leutze Hall. To follow up the day us Communication Studies students, faculty and guests get to have some fun while continuing to converse and network with Alumni and each other at Fox and the Hound from 4-6 for the reception and social gathering. April 1st is going to be a day of fun, networking and informative learning of what exactly it means to be a Communication Studies major and part of the Communication Studies family. Stay tuned all day for up to date blogging by Dr. Persuits Advanced IMC class….
    Com Studies Day Live Blog

    -Lindsey Baggett, Drew Mayer, Micaela Fouhy, Will Cosden, Brianna Golden

  • IMC Rocks the Vote!

    Here at UNCW, SGA elections are in full swing. It seems everywhere you look around campus there are countless banners, flyers, bed sheet banners, and of course…CHALK. Everywhere you look you can see the candidates’ names written big in just about every color of the rainbow! I think just about every UNCW student would agree with me when I say that every student organization and the SGA utilize the abundance of sidewalk space to literally advertise for their organization, or in this case their candidates.

    If you want to advertise on this campus that means chalking, or painting the spirit rock. I myself have painted that rock and chalked this campus more times than…well, a lot. It is a method that everyone can’t help but notice as all you have to do is take a stroll down chancellors walk and especially around the center of campus and you will inevitably see some form of non-technological promotion and advertising. And when it comes to voting on the next student President, chalking up campus along with a Facebook fan page/group or event just might be the perfect combination. After all, basically everyone has access to the internet and everyone walks this campus on a weekly basis so these advertising techniques are without a doubt very effective in reaching out to students.

    Also coming up tomorrow however is Communication Studies Day and that means the fashion  show. Throughout the week, the popular social media outlet Twitter has been home base to creating buzz about the event and the models themselves. The audience will be able to vote on their favorite model via Twitter or in person. So just the fact that they are taking voting for model favorites and putting it online is very interesting and perhaps more intriguing for students. It also presents a way to have fun with the event and spark friendly rivalries. So come on out tomorrow and check out the 9th Annual Dress for Success Fashion Show, then pull up your Twitter and let everyone know who YOU thought was the best model!

    -Maxann Keller, Ryan Kelley, Eric Holtzman, Chad Graves, Katelyn Truss

  • March Madness: The True Underdog Story

    Every NCAA Tournament kick starts spring and there is truly nothing like the opening days of tournament basketball. People have put all their time and effort into studying brackets for their office or friendly pool. As the tournament starts we all question whether a 16 seed will finally upset a number 1 seed. Yet again, this year it did not happen. No matter what happens there are always upsets, and this tournament was no different. After the upsets occur the “Cinderella Story” comparisons start to fly around. Marketers and advertisers beg to ask who will wear the glass slipper this year.

    For some reason our country loves the underdog story. We love to see Rocky make a courageous comeback and win the fight in the last round after getting beat the entire time. The NCAA Tournament has its fair share of underdog stories this year with Virginia Commonwealth, Richmond, and Butler. Butler is the most ironic of the “Cinderella Stories” because they reached the NCAA Final last year and came narrowly close to beating National Champion Duke. So why do we love to see Butler as the underdog? Reporters continue to ask Butler Head Basketball Coach Brad Stevens about the Cinderella story and he simply responds with “the Cinderella story worked well for us last year so I love to hear it.” The problem is that we are much too quick to forget about Cinderella teams. Marketers and advertisers use these schools and teams to market their underdog story and then after the tournament we quickly forget about them. We don’t hear a word about the universities or their basketball teams until they become the underdog story then marketers pump money to inflate their story. The Butler Bulldogs were not talked about much this regular season yet they find themselves in the Sweet Sixteen again. No matter how successful they were last season Butler will continue to be branded as a Cinderella team because they are a small school that lacks a deep, rich basketball tradition. Teams like Kansas and North Carolina will never be mentioned as an underdog or a Cinderella no matter how much better the opposing team is. These branding techniques seem to always be used during March Madness.

    There is a special story for two of the three Cinderella teams previously named. If Richmond and VCU both win it will be the first time in NCAA Tournament history that two teams from the same city or town will have played each other. Let’s hope that both win so we can celebrate two great teams from Richmond making it to the Elite Eight. More importantly, we can cheer for our fellow Colonial Athletic Association partners the VCU Rams. I’m sure CBS and advertisers will hype up the battle of the underdogs and ask whether the glass slipper fits Richmond or VCU. At this point we might be getting ahead of ourselves, but we can all dream. Hey, it worked for Cinderella.

  • March Madness Scoring Big with Advertisers and Viewers

    The pressure is always on during March Madness and not just for the teams.  This year marks the start of a new strategy that is scoring big with advertisers and basketball viewers across the nation.  Last April, a 14-year $10.8 billion deal partnered CBS with Turner broadcast System.  This new deal means the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship games will be divided between CBS, TBS, TNT, and truTV making all games available without an extended cable package.

    This change in game airing has not only allowed CBS to take corrective action to fix fans’ complaints about not being able to pick the games they want to watch but also allows advertisers to maximize their reach and get more for their money.  With a +15% rating growth and an average of 8.4 million viewers for the first week alone, records were set with the highest first week viewer average in 17 years and +18% growth in viewers for Sunday’s third-round coverage.  This +18% growth on Sunday meant an additional 1.6 million viewers in comparison to 2010.

    Specifically, the areas of largest growth have been males ages 18-34 with a +40% viewer growth.  This is big news for advertisers focusing on this public.  With bigger audiences comes a bigger advertising vehicle. With this type of seemingly exponential increase, the five R’s of receptivity, relevance, response, recognition, and relationship come to mind. Since males were targeted as the areas of the largest growth, companies can now utilize TNT, truTV, TBS, and even CBS and relevance to gear their advertising efforts towards males between the ages of 18-34.

    Someone taking full advantage of this opportunity is Buick. The famous automaker is trying to rebuild its brand image and appeal to younger buyers. What better time to do so than during the NCAA tournament amongst males between the ages of 18-34? Buick utilizes the idea of recognition by recognizing their audience as avid college basketball fans and bringing in a key player from last year’s runner up, the Butler Bulldogs, to help endorse their new brand image. Avery Jukes will appear in one of several TV spots of telling stories of overcoming the odds and hammering through tough obstacles. This is a true appeal to the emotion of the viewers because fans of college basketball appreciate a good Cinderella story, as the Butler Bulldogs were categorized during the NCAA tournament of 2010.

    Avery Jukes, who played basketball in last year’s championship game for Butler University, is the founder of Jukes Foundation for Kids, a non-profit entity dedicated to providing food, clothing and educational resources to youth in the United States and Uganda. (GM)

    It’s certainly going to be interesting to see how advertisers employ the Five R’s throughout the tournament. Will they use the emotional appeals of a good comeback story? Or will they gear themselves towards a more winning attitude of champions never lose? We’ll just have to see what the Madness of March brings…

    -Carissa Niederkorn, Deji Adeleke, Tiffany Evans, Katie Eagle & Anna Kate Babnik

  • The Origin and Fun Related to the Easter Holiday

    Spring is just two days away! The flowers are beginning to bloom, and the birds are finally singing a happier tune and this means that Easter Sunday is just around the corner. Easter Sunday falls on April 24th this year (a little late than usual) and the thought of chocolate, egg hunts, pastel colors, and of course the famous Easter Bunny, come to mind.

    However, where do all of these branded traditions relate to the Christian tradition of honoring the day Jesus Christ rose from the dead?

    Well, there is no connection, simply just another day to eat candy. But, there is some interesting history behind the Easter Bunny, eggs, and how they are associated with springtime.

    The origin of the Easter celebration can be traced back to pre-Christian Germany during the 13th century, according to the University of Florida’s Center for Children’s Literature and Culture. In Germany, people worshiped several god and goddesses including the Teutonic deity Eostra. Eostra was the goddess of spring and fertility and interestingly enough her symbol was the rabbit. The rabbit is a pagan symbol for fertility.

    Also, the season of spring symbolizes new life and rebirth.

    The Easter bunny, a counter part to Santa Claus, dates back to the 1500s. In 1680, the first published story about a rabbit laying eggs and hiding them in a garden was printed. Soon after the German settlers arrived to the Pennsylvania Dutch country, the word about the Easter Bunny traveled and became known as one of childhood’s greatest pleasures.

    On April 1st check out the movie “Hop”,  which blends both art animation and live action in a film with the voice of Russell Brand. The teenage son of the Easter Bunny leaves his home on the eve of taking over the family business in pursuit of his dreams, to become a drummer. “Hop” stars James Marsden, an out of slacker business guy, whom accidently hits the Easter bunny. This movie gives the story of the origin behind Easter and provides humor to this holiday that is dated back to the 1500’s. This movie allows the viewer to see someone else’s meaning behind Easter and how this holiday makes a brand for itself.

    -Micaela Fouhy, Lindsey Baggett, Drew Mayer, Will Cosden, Brianna Golden

  • Make this Spring Break about Helping Others!

     

     Instead of partying in Panama City or Cancun and ultimately only hurting your liver, make this spring break or next years about helping others by becoming a volunteer for Habitat for Humanity.

    More than 10,000 students in 2011 are volunteering their time for spring break. The numbers are rising from 2006 when 1,531 students volunteered to spend spring break to help rebuild the storm-torn US Gulf Coast.

    According to Desiree Adaway, the Habitat for Humanity senior director of Volunteer mobilization said, “Students have a number of options to consider for their school spring break, and we are so grateful for their interest in volunteering their time with Habitat,” “Their efforts will help provide safe, decent and affordable housing for so many families in need.” Habitat for Humanity is trying to market now towards college students on their spring breaks.

    Not only are these spring breakers helping others but they are also “building” social capital. Habitat for Humanity is a great way to meet others and spend time with friends who enjoy doing the same things as you. This opportunity gives you a chance to travel across the country to different places and learn of other cultures. From February to June Collegiate Challenge participants will volunteer in 200 Habitat locations and donate 1.3 million to the Habitat affiliates they visit.

    For more information on becoming a volunteer.  www.habitat.org/volunteers.

     -Lindsey Baggett, Drew Mayer, Micaela Fouhy, Will Cosden, Brianna Golden

  • Spring Break for Adults?

    Spring break has become an iconic holiday celebrated around the world. In the US, Florida has developed into the prime destination for spring-breakers with its enticing warm weather and endless beaches.  Originally Fort Lauderdale took the lead in the number one spot for college kids beginning as early as the end of World War II. It began to gain further recognition with the 1960 film Where the Boys Are, in which college girls met boys while on spring break there, and so the tradition took off! Over the years, the American spring break tradition has spread to other parts of Florida and the country; however the holiday has remained constant in marketing to students, until now.

    The holiday is a time for students to get away from school, but could it also be a time for adults to get away from the everyday hustle and bustle of “9 to 5’s”? US Airways Magazine seems to think so! The infamous spring break has delved into the confines of the “real world.” While spring break remains successful at maintaining its unique brand, a new outlook on the vacation week has been introduced as seen on the cover of US Airways Magazine, Let’s Go.  The article, Spring Break for Adults, lures adults in with promises of rest, relaxation, and most of all, no students! The cover highlights High Point, North Carolina as “the small town with a big presence,” which can lead one to question just how far spring break marketers are willing to go to beguile adults into joining the fad.

    The article however quickly recovers from its puzzling choice in cover story, and goes on to list 12 most appealing locations for adults.  While offering quirky encouragement that college students will be out of sight, the article focuses on marketing luxury and mature fun. They even go so far as to include Fort Lauderdale as number 10 stating, “That’s right: Fort Lauderdale. This former spring-break favorite is all grown up and home to a W hotel. The chic oceanfront property hosts the city’s premier hot spot: the stylish, popular patio at the Whiskey Blue lounge.”

    Although the choice in scenic beaches and crystal clear water may draw the same attention from college students, the article offers alternative hot spots within those ideal vacation destinations. Number eleven, Riviera Maya explains, “Don’t worry: This isn’t Cancun. Serene Rosewood Mayakoba is 40 miles south of the frenzy, tucked between the ocean and the jungle.”  Through marketing, spring break has diverged into two completely different brands, both coexisting in IMC harmony.

    Check out other chosen destinations here!

    -Katie Eagle, Carissa Niederkorn, Deji Adeleke, Tiffany Evans, Anna Kate Babnik