IMC Hawks Blog

Tag: Media

  • The Age of Social Media Advertising

    Do you ever wonder why your Instagram is magically filled with advertisements of all the things you love and want? Well, Instagram has launched a new targeting tool which allows brands to reach consumers who are highly engaged in their brand.

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    Amy Cole, head of brand development for EMEA at Instagram says “Advertisers are shifting their focus this from people’s mailbox to their mobile phones and Instagram has become brands’ shop window”. Many marketers are hesitant to use Instagram in their marketing strategies despite its growing popularity and usage. According to Greenlight, the digital agency behind the new targeting tool, of the 100 senior marketers they surveyed only 60% of them are not currently using Instagram as a marketing tool. Even after 30% of Instagram users admit to buying items after seeing them in photos or videos on the application.

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    We are starting to see more of our favorite brands pop up on our social media for this exact purpose. Companies are playing off of Instagram, the highly visual social media platform, to show a more personal side of their brands. Instagram provides more than just visual content, it shares a story. With this highly intimate interaction with consumers, companies are able to connect on a different level and increase sales and brand awareness. Along with intimacy, a study done by Visual Teaching Alliance says that 90% of the information transmitted to our brain are visual. This means that we mainly interact with our world through visual contexts! When we see something we are more likely to remember it and therefore buy it.

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    Forward thinking marketers would benefit from investing in marketing tools such as this one for successful campaigns and advertisements. In a techno savvy world where we are in constant contact with our cellphones and social media platforms it is unwise for any company not to invest more time and money into visual social media marketing.

     

    Do you think its necessary for brands to start engaging more with their social media following?

    -Isabella Martinez

  • UNCWingSpan

    11988465_1160279773988423_7033451740836374441_nIn case you haven’t heard the buzz throughout the halls of Leutze, there is a new project on campus called WingSpan. WingSpan is a weekly talk show that discusses political issues with guests who are experts on various topics. In the first episode, Wilmington Mayor Bill Saffo discussed the economic development of Wilmington. During the second episode, County Commissioner Rob Zapple discussed environmental incentives in our region.

    An ETEAL funded project, WingSpan is produced entirely by COM 351, Media and Politics. The students are responsible for the research, production, and promotion of WingSpan, under the guidance of Dr. Jennifer Brubaker. The first step for branding the television show included a naming contest throughout UNC Wilmington’s campus. Students were encouraged to submit possible names for the show, winning the contest and prizes. This contest raised awareness for WingSpan, and directly engaged one of the show’s publics – college students.

    For the remainder of the ten-week show, the students are reaching out to different UNCW campus organizations, who pertain to the topic for that week. In the second episode, COM 351 contacted organizations such as The Plastic Ocean Project. They ensured students who are passionate about the environment- to tune in and watch the show that week. WingSpan recognizes the importance of discussing topics that resonate with the students at UNCW.

    The group of PR and promotion students understand the significant need to have a presence on social media – further connecting and building relationships with the viewers. WingSpan students plan to continually push for the UNCW community to get involved through social media interaction, using the hashtag #WingSpan. Media’s role is to tell you what to think, not how to think. According to the Agenda Setting Theory, mass media has the ability to transfer the salience of issues on the news agenda to the public agenda. WingSpan recognizes the importance of remaining unbiased, and simply giving viewers the tools necessary to form their own opinions on political topics.

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    The twitter account raises political issues with its followers and encourages discussions, without a bias toward one opinion over another. As represented by the tweet, WingSpan is presenting the political issue of education. Wingspan encourages the community to think about and discuss the topic, by sharing data regarding the educational system. It is evident the students understand their roles and goals: to inform students and the community about political issues. COM 351 Media and Politics encourages students, faculty/staff, and the Wilmington community to think about political issues, not how to think about them.

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    In a city that has been a production hub for many years- it is an exciting opportunity for UNCW students to experience the other side of television, first hand. You can follow WingSpan on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and tune in on Fridays at Noon on www.uncwingspan.com, or Mondays and Wednesdays at 6pm on TLN.

    -Jonathan Callahan, Erin Fouhy, Julia George, Joseph Hines, and Sarah Suggs

  • The fall of network TV

    With the start of fall comes much anticipated television network premieres. Major broadcasting networks debuted new series to compete with the established streaming community. Fox’s Minority Report, Scream Queens & Rosewood, ABC’s The Muppets, NBC’s Heroes Reborn, Blindspot & The Player, and CBS’ Limitless & Life in Pieces were expecting high ratings, but most did not meet expectations. The Muppets and Rosewood were the two exceptions.

    With Netflix growing to over 65 million subscribers, the streaming platform has started to gain control of the TV market. AdAge reported every single TV network drama that aired on Tuesday night suffered a double-digit decline in ratings. One theory that could explain the drop in numbers is the Media Ecology theory.

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    Media Ecology theory is defined as the study of complex communication systems as environments, furthermore, how the medium in which the message is delivered is equally as — if not more — important as the message, itself. In this case, Netflix is taking advantage of its medium by being more convenient for the consumer. Viewers can stream content on multiple devices, anywhere, at anytime. According to Reed Hastings, Netflix CEO, all TV will move online by 2030, proving true to the theory.

    While Netflix is currently thriving, network TV still has an appeal to viewers. Families still watch TV together and the anticipation of a new episode each week brings viewers back; a few disadvantages of Netflix. Although streaming is convenient, some viewers appreciate the ability to follow a show together as a community. However, Hastings believes the transition to an online platform is “kind of like a horse – you know, the horse was good until we had the car.”

    Netflix-Streaming-Devices

    With networks still releasing shows next week, will they follow the current decline of network TV? As a viewer, do you prefer an online platform or network TV?

    – Nick, Melanie, Mary & Patrick

  • How to Pitch to the Who’s Who of Wilmington Media

    So maybe you aren’t an advertising or public relations expert, but you do need to get your local business’s name and message out to the media. Pitching to the media isn’t as easy as submitting a release and expecting it to show up in publications. Despite being aimed at mass audiences, media outlets still have targeted content. It’s important to keep in mind a variety of factors when deciding which outlets you want to pitch to and how to execute those pitches.

    The first and most important factor is understanding the audience. If you know your audience this will “help you choose the media that will deliver your sales message most effectively”.

    In “How to Pitch 6 Things You Must Know” Jeff Haden explains that understanding the media’s readership and demographics ensure that your advertisement and business match. Outlets often provide a page that covers information such as the demographics and psychographics of their readers or subscribers – average age, most predominant gender, and what their interests are. Below is an example from Wilma Magazine’s website.

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    Once you have decided on the outlet you want to make sure your pitch has the seven values of newsworthiness such as, timeliness, impact and proximity. You can read more about these here.

    The hardest step in a pitch is actually finding the right person to pitch to. So below are some tips from Carrie Morgan and some suggested Wilmington area outlets to pitch to.

    Local Broadcast: WECT 6 Wilmington, WWAY 3 ABC, CBS 10 Wilm, News 14 Carolina, The Cape Fear CW 3.2.

    • Start with emailing the news desk.
    • Look for an online staff directory.
    • Call and ask questions.
    • Pitch the producer for that specific show.
    • Watch the news.

    Local Newspapers: Star News, Lumina News

    • Look for specific beat reporters.
    • Don’t pitch to the editor in chief.
    • Get familiar with the staff directory.
    • Read their job descriptions.

    Local Magazines: Encore, Salt, Men, Ink., Wrightsville Beach Magazine, Wilmington Magazine, Focus on the Coast, The Greater Wilmington Business Journal, Wilma.

    • Always pitch to the editor.
    • Obtain a staff directory.
    • Don’t reach out to the publisher.
    • Identify regular columnists.

    Local Radio: Coast 97.3, Z 107.5, Sunny 104.5, WWQQ 101.3, 94.5 Hawk, 93.7 & 106.3 The Dude

    Noticing a theme? Be familiar with who the writers are and what they write about. Don’t auto generate your pitch; personalize according to readership, reporter, and relevance. Furthermore, make it easy for those you are pitching to. Don’t add extra fluff, make sure the who, what, when, where, and why of the pitch are all clearly identifiable.

    Knowing how to pitch your business or brand is a valuable asset. Do you have any tips on pitching to the media? Share them with us in a comment below!

    –Caroline Robinson, Elizabeth Harrington, Savannah Valade

  • FCC Reviews Rules and Regulations

    As the final four teams prepare to battle it out in March Madness, it’s a sure bet that sports fan are waiting to see what else the tournament has in store this season. With coverage, updates, and analysis, it’s also a pretty sure bet that these fans are tuning into ESPN – the station that has become the sports authority. But did you know that the testosterone filled station is owned by a company that producers princesses fairytales – Disney? Did you know Disney also owns ABC, Marvel, Pixar, and Touchstone. Part of what’s known as the “Big Six” – Comcast, News-Corp, Disney, Viacom, Time Warner, and CBS – account for 90% of media ownership across the ­states.

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    The process of consolidation through mergers and acquisitions, has led to media conglomerates – few companies owning all of the media outlets.

    Many argue that media consolidation hurts competition by blocking out new media companies. According to Senator Wellstone, media give people access to a wide variety of opinions, analyses, and perspectives and it holds concentrated power accountable to people. With only a few companies controlling all the media the two functions of media (listed above) are compromised. Specifically related to advertising, a combination of media also leads to monopoly over audience and advertisers.

    Today, the Federal Communication Commission (FCC), an independent US government agency responsible for controlling media regulation, will vote to make TV station’s joint sales agreements (JSAs) subject to current ownership rules. The commission will also vote on a rule that prohibits two or more of the top four TV stations in a market from jointly negotiating agreements with pay TV providers.

    Tom Wheeler, FCC Chairman, cited that the considered changes were motivated by evidence that suggested the rules that protect competition diversity and localism have been circumvented.

    JSAs are an arrangement many see as a loop hole around the limits on owning no more than two TV stations in a market. With endorsement from the Department of Justice, the FCC is now moving ahead with the rule “that if the owner of one station in a marketing sells 15 percent or more of the advertising time for another, then it will be deemed to have ownership interest in the station.”

    Broadcasters are fighting back. Gordon Smith, president and CEO of the National Association of Broadcasters, says, “The real loser will be local TV viewers. This proposal will kill jobs, chill investment in broadcasting, and reduce meaningful minority programming and ownership opportunities.”

    Stations that do have JSAs will have two years to dismember deals. However, stations can apply for a waiver in which JSAs will be examined on a case by case basis to determine if public interest is served by keeping the agreement.

    Additionally, as part of the 2014 review, the FCC will propose to keep the ban on owning more than two TV stations, but question whether the cross-ownership ban between TV, radio, broadcast, and newspapers should be lifted.

    However, while the five commissioners of the FCC will all vote on the issue, the ultimate decision may be left in the hands of just one, Democratic commissioner Mignon Clyburn. The issue has split the five down party lines with the GOP commissioners, Ajit Pai and Mike O’Rielly speaking out against the proposal. In order to advance the ruling, Wheeler will need the favor of both democratic commissioners.

    While the commissioners are deciding, we are left wondering to what degree will these rules affect our media markets? Will Clyburn’s decision trend toward more or less regulation?

    Tell us what you think. Should the FCC approve the JSA rule? Are media conglomerates affecting the free flow of information to society? Or has the Internet made possible enough independent outlets?

    –Savannah Valade, Caroline Robinson

  • A Few of the Careers

    Everywhere we turn we are faced with some sort of an advertisement. Products, services, and ideas are more profound than ever due to the easiness of communication from mass mediums. When we stream music online, go to “on demand” for the television shows we missed, or even surf the internet, we are stopped from our entertainment to encounter an advertisement that was carefully and purposely placed there. Although we might dislike waiting to hear our favorite song, our discipline from a Communication major can eventually lead to careers in fields that contribute to such advertisements.
    The process of producing an Advertisement takes several different people, with several different talents. Jacquelyn Smith, reporter from Forbes magazine, described how “Marketing and advertising professionals are also responsible for a company’s message and brand image, ”Your brand’s promise, or unique selling proposition, separates it from all the other brand”. Smith featured eight professions in Advertising and Marketing, ranging from the artistic careers of writers, photographers, and graphic designers to more business savvy jobs as marketing manager to sales reps. These eight professions were also broken down by median salary and job out look, which is listed below. http://www.forbes.com/sites/jacquelynsmith/2013/03/13/the-marketing-and-advertising-jobs-with-the-best-future/

    Advertising, Promotions and Marketing Manager
    Median Salary: $108,260
    Job Outlook: +14%

    Advertising Sales Representative
    Median Salary: $45,350
    Job Outlook: +13%

    Film and Video Editor
    Median Salary: $45,490
    Job Outlook: +4%

    Graphic Designer
    Median Salary: $43,500
    Job Outlook: +13%

    Market Research Analyst
    Median Salary: $60,570
    Job Outlook: +41%

    Meeting, Convention and Event Planners
    Median Salary: $45,260
    Job Outlook: +44%

    Photographer
    Median Salary: $29,130
    Job Outlook: +13%

    Writer
    Median Salary: $55,420
    Job Outlook: +6%

    These advertising jobs pertain primarily to traditional forms of advertising (More careers are emerging as online ads get more popular.) All the careers listed show promising median salaries and positive outlooks! One interesting one to think about is the outlook for Advertising Sales Representative. Online only campaigns are becoming widely used by companies everywhere and rightfully so. They have the potential to go viral, reaching millions, all while being virtually free to put out there. This of course is a bit more ideal than paying thousands for fifteen second time slot. But the outlook for Ad Sales is still up 13%. One would think that with all these campaigns going online, the outlook would be less promising. This just goes to show that the advertising industry is full of promise and opportunity! In a world of constant innovation and evolution one must be dynamic within our fields. The use of advanced computer programs helps to aid in the quantification of online data. The interpretation of this Big Data opens up a new field of market analysis.

    Austin Johnson, Jade Lester, Jami Rogers, Ty Thomas

  • Ready or Not, Here We Come!

    Well, it wasn’t ready. The Affordable Care Act website, that is. Commonly known as Obamacare by critics, the program officially launched October 1, 2013 and attempts to allow each American the opportunity to have affordable health care. The program was signed into law in 2010, but only just now became part of daily American life. The website experienced technical errors last week, and again this past Tuesday. However, this was unrelated to the government shutdown. Instead, the system experienced a major overload due to mass traffic to the site, claimed those who run it. An estimated 8 million visitors forced the site to send a response of “Please Wait and Be Patient,” CNBC reports. Run by the Department of Health and Human Services, the process to acquire a health care quote is actually quite simple. I myself did it and, just shy of giving my contact information, I was inches from an affordable quote in less than two minutes.

    Page that loads with technical issues, courtesy of MSNBC
    Page that loads with technical issues, courtesy of MSNBC

    Fox News said that the 93 million dollar website was the victim of poor Java Script coding, to the point where, simply put, the site freezes up. It doesn’t know where to go or in which direction to proceed. Yet MSNBC follows the path of the HHS, saying it was simply a matter of visitor overload to the site. MSNBC did not report, as of posting, that there were Java Script coding issues.

    So. Which to believe? It is common knowledge that news stations lean differently towards their side, whether it be right or left. Even CNN, a major world news outlet, leans toward one side. This post is neither liberal nor conservative, and it neither promotes nor discourages the Affordable Care Act. However, it does encourage that American citizens not rely solely on one news outlet for information. Rather, gather your news from a multitude of sources. Otherwise a viewer faces the possibility of being a victim of “Spiral of Silence.” The Spiral of Silence is an instance where an individual, with one opinion differing from that of the majority, is unable to voice said opinion for fear of judgment. For instance, if I believe Theory X, but my neighborhood only watches one news channel that reports solely on Theory Y, the neighborhood will only be educated on Theory Y. If the entirety of the neighborhood, apart from myself, believes in Theory Y, I would be uncomfortable in expressing my opinions and differences. I am lost in the Spiral of Silence. If you support a cause that one news station does not, you are only educated on their belief. In the land of the free, is our free speech being suppressed by the media?

    -Hilary Hall