IMC Hawks Blog

Tag: IMC

  • Connecting to Potential Jobs

    When it comes to the big job hunt, there are a plethora of considerations that come to mind. Seeking out career fairs, perfecting your resume, and getting the right professional look all seem to be high on the list. However, there’s one tool we sometimes neglect when it comes to seeking out jobs in our field, whether it be Marketing, Advertising, PR, or IMC: social networking. Sites such as LinkedIn provide a huge leg up for those looking for a job in our current market. You will be able to get your resume out to multiple different audiences with the click of your mouse, while also putting your resume out to employers who you may have initially overlooked.

    Not only is LinkedIn important for initially creating new job opportunities, it is also useful in growing and cultivating new connections and relationships. Networking is extremely important in the field of IMC and every connection you get could be a potential for a new opportunity. Active use of this resource shows those you have connected with, what you are up to, how you are looking to grow professionally, and if you are currently looking for employment options. With the current economic state, we have to exploit every avenue we can to ensure that we are able to find a job upon graduating.  While it is necessary that we have a strong resume and good interviewing skills, we also have to remember that our potential job opportunity could be found through LinkedIn.

    – Lauren Phelps, Alaethea Hensley, Jessica Kingman


  • Finding IMC related career openings

    Thanks to unlimited online resources, job hunting in 2011 is far more different than what it used to be.   Some people have career ideas in mind, and some people are unsure about what is out there.  For the people who are unsure, we have some advice to help you figure out what careers are available and suited to your skills and talents.  For those who are interested in an IMC related career, advertising and PR firms are great places to start looking for openings.  Even if you don’t know which job is best for you, look at all the openings and read the descriptions, then you will be able to start matching your abilities and interests to the postings.  Eventually, it will become easier to identify job titles that you may be qualified for since most of the companies are set up similarly.

    If you still don’t know where to start, there are many publications, like AdWeek and PRWeek that contain news about communication related companies.
    Both publications have yearly awards that they give to exceptional firms, so if you want to research cutting edge and innovative companies, you should conduct a Google search, like “PRWeek awards 2010.”  Information about the award recipients will become available which is a great way to figure out the names of different firms, and to see what they do well.

    Many PR and advertising companies are owned by a few larger corporations that specialize in communication.  The three that we have noticed are Omnicom, WPP and Interpublic.  Each corporation owns multiple advertising and PR agencies and their websites provide links to the agencies.  When you visit the agencies’ websites, you can find more information about their clients and what they do.  Most agencies’ websites have a careers link as well, where you can start your job research.  Some agencies, like Burson-Marsteller, have a “careers path” section, explaining the levels of employment and how to apply for a position.  The next step is making sure you have a stellar resume and attention grabbing cover letter that displays talents and skills similar to those found in the posting to which you are applying.  Go to a career center for help so that you can have a better chance of landing your dream job or internship.  The UNCW Career Center is located in the University Union Room 2035 and is open Monday through Friday, 8am-5pm.  There will also be a resume coach assisting with tips on resume format and content in Randall Library Lobby on October 13 from 10am-3pm.  Good luck!

    -Stephanie Bakolia, Claire Outlaw, David Glaubach

  • What’s all the fuss about?

             So what’s all the fuss about on Wall Street? Oh wait, you haven’t heard? Not surprising. The major media outlets have all but ignored the events taking place in their own back yard. For almost three weeks, thousands of people have converged on this eight-block-long stretch of asphalt and skyscrapers in lower Manhattan. For what purpose, you ask? That answer remains a bit unclear. Some explanations offered by the media include: the downfall of capitalism, an end to corporate tax incentives, world peace, racial justice, freedom for prisoners, and a slew of others issues boldly displayed on signs and posters covering every inch of usable space.

                                     Image: Occupy Dallas protest

            Only in the last few days have  the demands from the protestors have become somewhat understood, although their presence in the city has cost Mayor Bloomberg two million dollars in police overtime alone. When you consider the damage to local businesses from lack of access, the burden of cleaning up behind thousands of unruly campers, the inevitable strain on the judicial system from the ever-growing number of arrests, and a multitude of other factors the price of these shenanigans is certain to be staggering. So where is the media coverage? Just now are we beginning to see headlines addressing this controversy. With the addition of several powerful workers unions and a handful of celebrities taking up the cause, we are beginning to formulate a picture of the reason for the last three weeks of frustration. A decade of costly foreign war, millions of Americans out of work, skyrocketing foreclosure rates, and the disappearance of stock portfolios and pension plans galore are all contributing factors. Americans are angry and apparently it’s time to show it. But why go through the trouble of protesting if you are not even marketing your purpose?
           No one is blind to the problems we face as a nation, yet the solution seems beyond reach. Take to the streets or take to the polls? No matter what you choose, if no one knows what you are fighting for, you are wasting your time. You could have the best idea or the most sensible solution, but ultimately it’s about marketing your idea clearly that determines if you will make any difference at all.

    -Claire Dillard, LaPuasa, Reinhardt

  • Losing balance during tough economic times

    In the current economic climate, corporate mergers and takeovers are happening frequently for many reasons.  Many companies cannot afford to stay afloat, while others have shareholders wishing to maximize profits.  Either way, we are seeing the rapid consolidation of businesses everywhere.  To some, this issue is not bothersome at all, but to others, who worry about monopolies, corporate competition and consumer sovereignty, there is great concern and confidence is slowly starting to vanish.

    Today, while driving down the streets of Wilmington, NC, we noticed that two banks have changed names within the last year.  Both banks were native to the Southeast, and one even shared its name with our state.
    Some customers identified those banks as area staples, since they were both based in the Carolinas, but now one is owned by a company from California, and one by a company from New Jersey.  In a snap, two banks from our region, gone and without a trace.

    Though many experts rightfully argue to the contrary, we have been hearing in the news that hefty government spending has led to our monstrous national debt and deficit, and that we must rely on private sector spending to spark the economy.  But private sector spending only takes place when consumers are confident that the markets are stable, otherwise, they hold onto their money in preparation for downturn.  When you notice familiar companies disappearing and being replaced by institutions from across the country, do you feel that all is well with the economy?  Probably not, which is why we ask: Why didn’t the companies retain the banks’ original names?  In our opinion, we do not feel like the world looks highly on only a few corporations controlling the majority of an industry.  In addition, the loss of thousands of jobs due to the takeover of a certain investment bank by the largest financial institution in the world is still fresh on the minds of many even though it happened almost four years ago.

    From an IMC standpoint, we understand that companies try to communicate consistent messages for branding reasons to encourage familiarity, but in this case, it may have been more important to keep things close to the way they were.  Some consumers are not welcoming to change, and others know that consolidation is indicative of a bad economy; therefore, they may not want to spend their money.  Could keeping old names around despite new ownership benefit consumer confidence?

    -Stephanie Bakolia, Claire Outlaw, David Glaubach

  • College Reps: The True Meaning of Product Placement

    As we know, product placement usually gets associates it with the entertainment industry; the obvious examples are seen in movies, on television, found in song lyrics, or simply connected with celebrities. In movies and television shows, it appears that the most effective uses of product placement are when the presence of the product doesn’t take away from the story.  Although many brands have been using this strategy for years, other companies have started to play off of this model as they determine the new way to practice subtle product placement: college reps.

    You might be wondering, what is a college rep? A college, or campus, representative, commonly known as a “college rep”, is a university student directly associated with a brand whose job is to promote that brand around their campus.  Brands who use college reps, such as Apple, Playboy, Red Bull and clothing companies like COAST Apparel and Emma Graham Designs, all realize that their products appeal to the college market. And who better to reach out to the college market than a college student?

    It might seem risky targeting college kids, but companies know that this market’s members aren’t as broke as they seem. They know that students are at a point in their lives when they are beginning to make many decisions on their own, including what brands they want to be loyal to.  But like most consumers, college students won’t believe it till they see it—this is why the idea of hiring a student representative, who can effectively promote a brand by simply making others see it.  These reps are subtle, yet influential among their peers; they wear the clothes, they use the products, and they are educated on the brand.  These students are the epitome of a walking billboard, and they have been placed in the heart of their target market. And while they do a lot of promotion, they also report feedback to their brand as a representative for their campus.

    The idea of the college rep is a creative and effective strategy that challenges guerilla marketing tactics.  Especially with the rapid growth of the social media scene, it only takes one person with a large network of friends to promote a brand that he or she believes in and if all works out that brand can instantly go “viral”.

    -LaPuasa, Dillard, Reinhardt

  • Wonka Vision

    Have you ever gone out and bought something simply for the
    fact that you saw your favorite celebrity or athlete endorsing it? Or, have you
    watched your favorite show or football team-play on TV and be mesmerized by a
    product?

    Many companies use product placement on television shows to
    advertise their brand. A lot of times, the company will sponsor a certain show,
    and in return their brand may be used in various ways throughout an episode; it
    may be used as a product in the episode or the company’s commercial will play
    during a break. For instance, have you ever wondered why all three judges on American Idol are always sitting behind
    large glasses of Coca-Cola? It is not because they cannot get enough
    daily-intake of Coke; it is because American Idol is sponsored by the Coca-Cola
    brand. Television shows are a major source of advertisement. The reality show The Kardashians is a show focused
    around the life of the Kardashian brand and family. They now have a clothing
    line through the Sears Company which is marketed on the show, a boutique
    clothing and accessory store Dash, and even market perfumes because who doesn’t
    want to smell just like a Kardashian!

    Product placement is a way for companies to inject their
    products to be endorsed by celebrities so the product will then be “cool” and
    acceptable for everyone else to buy. The show The Restaurant, on the Bravo network, starring the high-end
    restaurant chef Rocco, was paid by the show’s three main sponsors: American
    Express, Mitsubishi Motors and Coors Brewing. Bravo
    did not pay a single penny of
    license fee to have the show made. To justify its investment, each of the shows’
    sponsors has received a prominent place in the show: American Express provides
    the financing for the restaurant and the show.

    Of course, in the early days of television, such
    integration between advertiser and show was quite common. Such links persisted
    into the 1970s from the movie Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, which was entirely funded by Quaker Oats. The
    Quaker Oats brand used the movie to promote its new “Wonka” brand of
    candy and sweets. Beware and conscious of what you are buying.

    – Jordan Hill, Michela Noreski, Ashley Nelson

  • Walking Billboards

    When we first hear the term “product placement” our minds invariably flash to ill-disguised attempts by companies to sling their brands into popular television shows and movies. The movie Transformers 3 was bashed for looking like one giant advertisement for a litany of companies including Mercedes, Nokia, and Apple.

    But what about the infamous red carpet? As stars twirl their way down these crimson lanes, they will all face one important question: Who are you wearing? By having a star tout your brand, it raises its stock tenfold. For instance, in 1998, Kim Basinger arrived at the Oscars in an Escada gown raising the then relatively unknown German fashion house’s profile to an international status. Jewelry also has a big stake in the red carpet industry. Jeweler Harry Winston can usually be found dripping off of no less than 20 celebrities, but when rival brand Chopard wanted a part of the red carpet action they offered celebrities Hilary Swank and Charlize Theron a six-figure paycheck to wear a pair of their earrings.

    Off the red carpet, celebrities are still walking billboards for fashion companies. Take a look at the Australian footwear brand UGG. After the tabloids started picking up shots of Cameron Diaz and Kate Hudson flouncing around town in their boots, sales went through the roof. At this point, almost everyone either has a pair of UGGs or knows at least two people who do. And in this vein, when The Today Show featured a segment about Madonna’s infatuation with designer Steve Madden’s Iglou boots, the company racked in 240 orders for the boots in a grand total of 13 minutes giving the company a whopping $30,000 in profit. 

    So what does this all mean? Must our favorite celebs only be seen as walking product placements? Do they not have any taste of their own? Of course, they do. But the next time you run out and buy a pair of shoes because Kim Kardashian was wearing them at her birthday party, think how you might be doing exactly what their marketers intended.

    -Jessica Kingman, Alaethea Hensley, and Lauren Phelps