IMC Hawks Blog

Tag: Charity

  • Carolina BalloonFest

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    What is it?

    Every year Statesville, North Carolina hosts the annual Carolina BalloonFest.  This is a three-day event full of hot air and fun.  With over 50 hot air balloons taking to the sky, Carolina BalloonFest will definitely leave you speechless.  This festival consists of numerous family-friendly events to keep everyone entertained.  From hot air balloon rides to a balloon 5k run, this festival has a little of everything.  The festival includes: ballon viewings, balloon flights, live music, beer and wine tasting, kite making and much more.

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    Tickets are $10 dollars and can be purchased onsite at the festival.  For more information regarding the festival see: http://www.carolinaballoonfest.com.

    For a Cause

    Each year the festival chooses a variety of local charities to support.  Last year, over 17 charities received donations from the event.  Distributing over $76,000 dollars last year, Carolina BalloonFest not only provides fun and entertainment to the community, but also, a helping hand to those in need.  The organization states on their website that over the past five years they have contributed over $274,000 dollars to the community.  Ranging from cancer organizations to Boy Scout troops, many benefit from this weekend of fun.

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    Com as Design

    Think of words you would use to describe fall.  Was “festival” one of the words?  To many, fall means dedicating weekends to a vast variety of festivals.  County fairs, pumpkin patches, corn mazes, and apple picking are all part of the fall theme.  But what is it we find so attractive about these events?  Is it the goods sold at them?  Or the idea of a group of people coming together for a united reason?  The design an organization or company decides to pursue for an event is very important.  Promoting what their target markets will find most attractive is crucial.

    By focusing on language in their design, Carolina BalloonFest uses phrases such as “help continue our charitable mission” and “experience the magic” to persuade their target audiences to attend their event.  This organization has decided to put a large emphasis on the charitable aspects of the festival.  The website has a section labeled “Our Mission” that describes exactly what charities benefit from the proceeds.

    The festival also places a large emphasis on being family-friendly.  Adding a list of activities that will take place over the course of the event, Carolina BalloonFest uses strategic naming of these activities to catch a parents’ eye.  “Kid Zone,” “Kid Fun Run,” and “Learning Center” are a few examples of designing language to fit a certain target market.

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    It is clear when dealing with communication, design is key.  Remembering the power of design aspects, such as language, will ensure that you are successful in your communication efforts.

    Sources:

    http://www.carolinaballoonfest.com

  • Tackling Consumers

    A round of applause for the Seattle Seahawks as the champions of the Super Bowl XLVIII. Even if you were not a fan of either the Broncos or the Seahawks, it almost a sure bet you tuned into the game. Every year over 100 million people observe what is arguably the sporting event of the year.

    The Super Bowl, however, is known for more than a fierce round of football – it’s known for the commercials. Here is time where advertisers pull out all the stops. Audiences expect commercials of both artistic and humorous grandeur. Prices for spots annually rise, this year topping at $4 million for a 30 second spot.

    Yet companies don’t spend millions for spots merely to entertain viewers. Unlike in decades past, advertisers are no longer in the business of explaining, but in the business of convincing and reinforcing. This is often the purpose of commercials we see every day. So, other than the guaranteed viewership, what is the worth of a Super Bowl spot?

    Credibility, claims Joe Glennon, assistant professor of advertising at Temple’s School of Media and Mass Communication. In an article for the Philadelphia Business Journal, Glennon explains that many advertisers walk away from the exorbitant price tag due to the simple financial standpoint that $4 million for 30 seconds is a largely impossible return on investment. He explains that of those who do justify the expense there are two primary advertisers – large, well known, companies who use the spots to reinforce brand propensities among current users, and smaller companies who use the spot as a means to launch into the market by gaining notoriety.

    So, in the myriad of last night’s entertainment, we have selected four commercials that beautifully represent the two credibility building categories Glennon noted; some attempting cut into, or further into the market, others reinforcing brand attitudes.

    Squarespace

    Squarespace created a spot that was a humorous, but accurate depiction of what the Internet is like – cluttered. Personifying memes, obnoxious advertisements, and the “duck face”, Squarespace offered to consumers that when using their services for website building and maintenance, the company could alleviate such distraction. So, why did Squarespace make it onto the list today? Simple, the Squarespace commercial introduced the company values and brand in a creative, weird, funny, and somewhat true way. Justifying the $4 million dollar expenditure seems to working so far – we are talking about – there’s probably a good chance other people are too.

    WeatherTech

    Although the ad was neither humorous nor heart-warming, WeatherTech’s commercial built on a sacred theme in the Super Bowl: American pride. Their slogan, “American Factories, American Raw Materials, and American Workers”, was enough to draw people’s interest and introduce their company as a defying the odds, sticking with their gut, and overcoming obstacles many American companies have faced. During a time when many gripe about US jobs becoming outsourced, it’s hard to say that WeatherTech didn’t prove their credibility with their national pride.

    Cheerios

    Yes, the adorable little girl is back and this time she is getting a brother. This 30-second ad wraps up what all of us remember of Cheerios and what the Cheerios brand wants us to remember about them; families coming together over love. Here Cheerios is showing how they are continuing to be a hearty and healthy part of growing families.

    Bank of America/(RED)/U2

    What does this commercial not do? It introduces U2’s new song “Invisible” (there is still time to get your free download if you haven’t done it), it highlights and raises money for the charity (RED), increases knowledge of AIDS/HIV, and shows Bank of America’s humanitarian efforts. Reinforcing their slogan, “Life is better when your connected”, Bank of America is giving a chance for its customers and the world to connect by helping to end an epidemic.

    What is your opinion? Do you think these commercials deserve a spot in these categories? What other commercials did you see that introduce the brand or reinforce existing brand propensities?

    –Caroline Robinson, Savannah Valade