| is advertising as we know it finished? |
[27 Oct 2009|04:21pm] |
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music |
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LCD Soundsystem |
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Is the advertising glass 1/2 full or 1/2 empty? Depends on who you ask. If you have a good job in advertising and you haven't spent your mornings dry heaving in the restroom over potential layoffs, then you probably feel its 1/2 full. If you are one of the thousands like me, still waiting for someone to give you a chance, well... the glass can often seem 'non-existent'.
To get an idea of where the advertising world is in the recovery process, below are the stock prices of the 'big four' holding companies of IPG, Publicis, Omnicom, and WPP. While 'billings' would paint a more accurate picture, stock price will have to do. Publicis seems to be recovering the quickest but we still have a long way to go before getting back to the 'pre-recession' ad-world.
At the root of this are two things. First, this economy kind of 'blows' (that's an industry term). Clients are slashing marketing budgets right and left as they batten down the hatches on their own ships. Billings are down and clients are signing up for less and less new projects. Second, clients are shifting their media spend and ad budgets to digital. The rationale, it is less expensive and offers a higher ROMI per target. Southern Comfort recently shifted its entire ad budget to digital. Why? You can target consumer groups much easier through digital than traditional, higher production cost TV spots. Not to mention through clever digital creative, brands can create ways for consumers to interact with branded content and increase the branding experience.
While this is all good, the problem for agencies lies in the reduced price for digital campaigns. This comes back to putting a tangible 'price tag' on digital campaigns - value based pricing from agencies to the clients. Digital could still be considered the 'bargain bin' for branding. You will find some gems in there for $.99 but you will also find some junk - but you walk away having got what you paid for.
So with slashed budgets and an increased emphasis on digital, how can agencies regain their footing and bring those billings back to pre 2007 levels? The key lies in their ability to create value based pricing models for digital and social media. Everyone is familiar with the notion of 'pay-per-click' but what about 'pay-per-follower' or 'pay-per-fan'? What is the incremental economic value of a Facebook Fan or a Twitter Follower? That is where the value lapse occurs between agencies billings and client results.
It is has been difficult to measure the effectiveness of digital campaigns on non-transactional accounts. An agency products a digital campaign for a widget, visitor sees ad, visits site, reviews information, and purchases widget through e-store. Game, set, match for the agency. There efforts are trackable and quantifiable. BUT, what if agency produces a digital campaign for widget, visitor sees ad, becomes fan of widget on Facebook, follows widget's tweets on Twitter, uploads user-generated video about how awesome widget is to YouTube, purchases widget later. Not as easy to measure. Which piece of the social media campaign had the greatest impact and generated the biggest percentage of purchase intent? How are all these 'followers' going to make me money now that I have them? Here are my thoughts.
The new school of thought on this matter is getting 'fans' and 'followers' is great, but you have to keep them engaged. Providing incentives and calls to action through your social media channels are the best ways to measure the power those channels have with consumers. Jimmy John's Gourmet Sandwiches does a great job of engaging consumers through it's social media presence. Almost daily, JJ's promotes its $1 sub selection at specific locales. The special is sent out through Facebook and Twitter. Followers see the invite and can now 'go get their grub on' (another industry term) at the closest participating JJ's location. It is now pretty easy to quantify the impact of the program by looking at increase in sales over the average. Not only that, but now followers are coming back daily to see if their local JJ's will be the next store to be part of the 'Freaky Fast Give-away'. This is just one great example of an agency and brand working together to effectively quantify the impact of social media on business. You better believe that this agency can now more accurately bill the client for its digital branding efforts.
Kind of wish that we would just revert back to the era of the 'mad-men'. For starters there weren't tons of 'laid-off' people fighting for ad jobs. Also, back then clients were worried way less about metrics and ROMI and more about 'getting the word out' with the assumption that eyeballs = sales. The biggest decision around the agency was what brand of scotch to have in the conference room. (Over generalizing is fun!)
Leave some love.
With 'less than three'
JSE
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| Do Advertisers Kill Great Music? |
[20 Oct 2009|04:21pm] |
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music |
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Too afraid to even say after this post. |
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Has it ever happened to you? You find a 'hot new track' on the Hype Machine/Pitchfork/other relevant music blog and you are pumped. I mean why shouldn't you be? Finding new music you like isn't always easy and more times than not, leaves you sifting through piles of crap to find the occasional gem.
So you just found a kick-ass new song to 'bump' that will totally impress your snooty, music-nazi friends. Then it happens. You are in your kitchen making some Pizza Bagels during the commercial break to a How I Met Your Mother re-run when you hear it. Phoenix - 1901 blasting from your TV speakers. NO! That was your song! Why is this commercial trying to ruin your affection for Phoenix? Don't they know that despite this song's 'awesomeness' they can't somehow make GM seem 'hip' again? After all, we haven't forgetten that they had to get bailed out. Let's face it, GM is about as hip as your 35 year old cousin who still lives with his parents and his comic book collection. Next thing you know, the chick who sits on the other side of your cubicle who asked you last week if you wanted to go see O.A.R. with her, prairie dogs over your wall to ask if you if you have ever heard of this band 'The Phoenixes... or something like that...'? What the hell.
I for one am tired of watching my favorite artists be exploited by Madison Ave and turned into mainstream mush. What Modernista + GM did to Phoenix is just the tip of the iceberg. "But John, they were already blowing up, that commercial just expedited it a little," you say. Sure. I'll believe that. While Modernista + GM may not have committed musical murder, they are still guilty of ruining one of the indie world's greatest hopes since 'The Kings of Leon' sold their souls to be an arena-rock band. But, if Modernista + GM deserve a slap on the wrist, TBWA + Apple's iPod deserve to be tried for war crimes. Hell, the way those two turned on their own kind was just downright genocidal. How can the public sit by and allow this to happen?
Since its beginning in late 2001, TBWA + iPod is responsible for the brutal deaths of over 40 songs and 'ruining' the relevancy of countless artists. Think I am kidding? Remember this little ditty?
Feist was one of our brightest young stars. Too young to be taken away from us so tragically.
"Only the Good Die Young"
- Billy Joel
Following the iPod Nano TV spot, '1,2,3,4' beat its original chart position of #102 to become #8 on the UK charts! Every 'tween' and their mother become Feist's biggest fan. The rest of us were forced to just 'Let it Die' and move on. While Feist may be the most tragic, lets not forget about the countless others. 'The Ting Tings', 'The Prototypes', 'Wolfmother', and 'The Vines' are just a few of the deaths on TBWA's hands.
So this is my plea. Creatives, please stop picking your favorite new bands to put in that 'sweet new TV spot' you are developing. Pick something else, anything else. How about NICKELBACK!?! There is no way to ruin them anymore than they have already ruined themselves. Or what happened to the era of the jingle? Those were always harmless. Even more so, they took real artistic talent. You try writing a catchy hook for Pepto-Bismol! Sure lots of times they are annoying and stuck in your head for all the wrong reasons, but they aren't destroying good music. It's like instead of chugging mouthwash and rubbing alcohol to get a buzz, you upgraded to Milwaukee's Best Ice. Tasty!
So please, I am begging you. Stopping making awesome commercial spots with sweet tunes like this:
And make more 'tasty' jingles like this:
(Sorry Martin Agency... but I couldn't resist)
Am I right?
Have advertisers ruined your favorite song?
What song was it?
Do you want to see more Nickelback on TV? I sure do!!!
Leave your comments.
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| The social media catch 22 |
[15 Oct 2009|04:19pm] |
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Jump - Van Halen |
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So I've been sitting at this coffee shop for the last couple of hours because I haven't had power at my house since 7 a.m. Needless to say without internet, television, lights, etc... I was going a little stir crazy - plus I was getting tired of checking my social networks via blackberry. But that got me thinking about the power of social networking sites and the almost 'dependency' they have built with, in Facebook's case, over 300 million users. Think about the last time Gmail had a hiccup. Within 30 seconds, it was the number one trending topic on Twitter and Facebook status update's immediately changed to alert everyone that [insert name] cannot login to g-chat.
But in the age of 'instant branding' over 80% of the top 100 brands have launched Facebook social campaigns, twitter has become the next customer service portal for companies seeking greater customer/brand interaction, and YouTube is well... it's still the premier place to showcase branded content. But what are all those eyeballs worth to brands?
The is a growing question among digital agencies. What are the metrics that measure success for digital campaigns? Emphasis is already placed on time on site, click through rates, and number of pages visited. But in regards to social media, what is the incremental value of a Facebook fan or a follower on Twitter?
From an agency stand point, the catch 22 lies in how you convince a client to spend more money on social media campaigns when the bottom line impact is often indiscernible. Likewise, how can brands commit marketing budgets to often unproven media channels? These are more rhetorical questions, because if I had the answers, pretty sure I'd be running a digital strategy department. So if you were looking for hard fast answers, sorry. If you find them on another site or blog, let me know - perhaps I can claim them as my own. But it is interesting to read the discussions out there around this subject as both brands and agencies try to put a price tag on customer interaction.
Here are a couple of good (and recent) articles on the topic:
Success Factors for Brands on Facebook
5 Twitter Tactics for Building a Stellar Brand (not quite as awesome as the title leads to believe)
Social Networking and SEM
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| Beyond PR and Experiential Marketing |
[29 Sep 2009|01:20pm] |
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LCD Soundsystem - Someone Great |
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I had the chance to visit with a great friend from my undergrad days a month or so ago up in Washington, DC. We were talking about work and he mentioned that he had stumbled into a rather 'cool' non-profit where he worked in Greensboro, NC. The group called Face2Face Greensboro (F2F) is a group of 20 somethings aimed at getting people off their computers and mobile devices and back to interacting... well face to face. The group has grown rapidly due to some great public relations in the community and their last event drew close to 200 people. The events they host are a combination of performance art and live improv. Think Improv Everywhere but with a deeper social call to action.
F2F as an organization is still incredibly small, only about 12 people. But they are growing as a network of connected individuals. Each event they host draws more people and reaches a broader demographic group. Recently they have began to wonder, 'is it possible to take F2F to the point that it can be our careers?' That is where I start to come in.
They are an incredibly creative group of individuals from a wide variety of backgrounds, but 'business management' is an area where they would like some outside ideas. I was asked to come down and speak with them early next month about how to grow this from a group of friends putting on cool events to a money making agency. I couldn't be more excited to offer some suggestions and guidance. They truly have a unique value proposition and an even more unique business model. With a database full of F2F members, the chance to create targeted brand events is a logical extension.
Since their stated mission is to facilitate interaction between members in a person to person, offline fashion, the opportunity to accomplish this while creating value for brands is definitely present. There are a lot of fantastic PR and Experiential marketing agencies already out there that are doing good things in this area, but there are distinct differences between F2F and the others. First, F2F's business model is easily replicable and can be perfected then applied to new geographic markets - meaning significant growth potential. Second, its the manner in which F2F will fish. While a lot of the companies try to catch the 'big fish' that are seeking experiential branding on a large scale, F2F is set up to land many smaller 'fish' via regional accounts. This comes back to their regional expertise and the existing F2F networks in the cities they operate.
So what are we talking about here? How can an organization like F2F truly make money will staying true to their existing mission statement (a big concern to the members who are skeptical about growing). Well I'll propose a 'hypothetical' brand situation.
Client - Atlantic Coast Conference
Brief - To promote the ACC Women's Basketball Tournament Fan Zone in Center City Park in downtown Greensboro.
Solution - Host an 'impromptu', 'imaginary' basketball tournament in Center City Park. 5x5 with every ACC team represented. Complete with officials and cheerleaders.
Something as simple as an imaginary basketball tournament at the site of the ACC Fan Zone is an easy way to create value for the ACC Fan Zone and stay true to mission of F2F. Obviously 12 teams engaged in an 'intense' game of imaginary basketball will draw some media attention and a few eyeballs. This creates the chance to promote the upcoming Fan Zone at Center City Park as well as the ideals of the ACC - sportsmanship, comradery, etc. More importantly to F2F, it offers the chance to stay true to its mission and unite a diverse group of members in a fun, person to person event.
I will post more on F2F in the coming weeks after I visit and chat with them about the opportunities to grow. I think this is a fantastic organization and I'm really looking forward to becoming more involved with F2F.
JSE
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| What is the value of an MBA? |
[22 Sep 2009|01:27pm] |
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Guns & Ammo - Minus the Bear |
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While I've been sitting around prepping for the NBMBAA Career Fair, I've been reflecting on the last two years I have spent earning my MBA from William and Mary. I've been thinking, 'what is the real value of an MBA?' I remember this great commercial for FedEx from a few years back.
Almost as much as my good friends in law school, MBA's are the butts of a quite a few jokes. What has not helped is the scandals over the years (via Enron, Lehman Brothers, Burnie Madoff, Arthur Anderson, the list goes on). Most of the scandals have involved 'ethical' violations, others just poor business practices. While unlike some critics of MBA programs of late (just to see what I am talking about check out this Google search result), I don't blame MBA programs for causing a global financial crash. But clearly a lot of bloggers/columnists think the blame starts there. I don't blame MBA programs, rather the individual MBA's who were the enablers. It comes back to the chicken/egg thing (see also 'do guns kill people or do people kill people'). However, MBA's clearly taught these individuals the tools to either create value for their companies and the markets OR bring the global financial world to its knees. The positive side of this backlash has been a growing movement, started by Harvard's program, for an MBA Code of Ethics. While this won't be a governing code like the legal ethics component of the bar, it is a starting point and at least brings the issues into the minds of the business community.
But I digress. So where is the value of an MBA? I have three thoughts on that question.
It isn't the answers, but the approach. Perhaps the biggest benefit of an MBA is the creative problem solving skills developed. W&M put a huge emphasis, as I imagine most programs do, on the problem solving approach. Giving you the modeling tools, analysis skills, and confidence to take a complex, often vague business problem and reach a decisive conclusion. The business world is vague and problems even more so. There is rarely 'one' right answer but usually a 'best'. The case method and business consulting approaches used by MBA programs give students a chance to apply the models taught to frame a problem and develop recommendations. The biggest challenge is to encourage students to frame problems creatively and adapt the tools they have. How many time will the Marriott case for teaching WACC ever resurface in your professional career just as it did when you learned it in b-school? Business doesn't have a cookie cutter approach to problem solving and thankfully my MBA program encouraged us to creatively find the solutions. This has been the greatest benefit I received and one that will truly help me in my future career.
Jack of all trades, but go ahead an master some. Most programs are designed with the first year being filled with core classes in Finance, Accounting, Marketing, Operations, Economics and Organizational Development/Leadership. I was a marketing undergrad and again focused on marketing during my MBA, and while I am not going to ever ascend to the level of CFO or Chief Economist, the big picture understanding of how all these functions support business goals is critical to becoming a high level manager. I walked away with a much more detailed, organic understanding of global business functions and skills - to a level I did not achieve though the required courses as an undergrad business major.
Just as important though is the second year which offers the chance to truly specialize. My marketing skill sets were broadened so much in the second year of the program by giving my the chance to specialize in brand management, brand planning, and strategy and marketing analytics. Combined with projects and consulting opportunities to take the classroom into the boardroom, MBA's walk away with the specialized skills to immediately make an impact in their chosen field with which ever organization they join.
Hooray! You can learn. The last thing I thought was the biggest source of value for an MBA is the ability to learn. So many companies have significant new hire training programs, that it is almost a 'reeducation' to their way of doing things. The MBA's value is that is shows a demonstrated ability to learn complex principles and apply them immediately. To a company, it gives them the confidence that you can absorb and use the technical information they will teach you. The other side of this is that it gives the employee the confidence the they can indeed learn it. If i could learn and successfully apply financial portfolio management principles as a marketer, I should be able to learn and understand the technical sales process for my company.
That's my take on why MBA's are still so important, but maybe you have different views of what an MBA's value is? What did I overlook? I would love to hear any thoughts.
-JSE
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| NOLA |
[21 Sep 2009|01:48pm] |
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Shempi - Ratatat |
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Gearing up for the NBMBAA Career Fair in New Orleans this week. Feel that there will probably be a 'ton' of people there and that the lines for the Proctor & Gamble booth will go out the door and down the street, kind of like a 'trendy night club'.
The career fair is on Thur and Friday but I already have some events lined up on Wednesday evening when I arrive. I'm looking forward to this. For starters, I have never been to New Orleans. Hopefully I won't find too many 'distractions' on nights when I need to get up and get going early. But I'm sure I will wander over to Bourbon Street on Friday night. I also really need the connections I can make at the conference. It seems a lot of my professional networks have 'dried up'. The conference will be a great opportunity to make new connections with a lot of the companies I have been targeting.
Feel like things are starting to get a little better. Saw something on TalentZoo the other day that job postings were up significantly (can't remember that exact % but think it was well over 50%) over the last two months. I just really hope I can find something by the new year.
Oh wells. Guess I should continue 'prepping' for NOLA and the job fair.
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| A Marketing Question Part Deux |
[11 Sep 2009|10:50am] |
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Basket - The Blakes |
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Here's the second part of my response to a friend's general marketing question. If you are wondering what I am talking about and had no idea there was a 'first part', you can check it out here.
Designing A Campaign to Get the Word Out Assuming that your research from the 'my audience doesn't know me' piece confirms that hypothesis that this is an awareness problem vs. another brand issue, you need to consider a few items before designing a communications/branding plan.
What to Say First, think about what message to communicate. What is the important 'purchase criteria' of your customers? What makes them pick up your paper vs. the NYT or WSJ? Think about 'competitive advantages' or what your paper offers that others don't. This is where advertising agencies make their bread and butter - understanding the business environment, a brand’s equity and competencies, and consumer insights to generate a business opportunity. To get to the ‘business opportunity’ takes a little creativity and some digging, but is a critical part in framing your messaging. There are four key components of the business opportunity. First it is important to understand the business environment and the relevant trends that are occurring in the marketplace. This includes analyzing the regulatory, economic and competitive environments and looking for opportunities and threats. Next, is the ‘brand awareness’ and equity your brand has. ‘Brand equity’ is the next extension of awareness and looks at more than just ‘does a person know me’ and considers ‘how the person feels about me’. Again looking introspectively, its important to understand what your newspaper competencies are and vice-versa, what your weaknesses are. Are you known for your excellent columnists, your relevant topics, or your availability? And finally, what are the key insights from the customer? This could relate to the ‘purchase criteria’ we talked about before or it could be something completely different. But great strategies are rooted in great insights into the customer’s needs and behaviors. This will require talking to some subscribers and other members or your target market who aren't subscribers. Where to Say It.
Next, consider where to reach your target market. You would reach a group of 'tween' girls much differently then you would a group of female ‘retirees’, or for that matter a group of ‘tween’ boys. That is because these groups have different 'touchpoints' or the potential points of contact to your customers. Examples of ‘touchpoints’ are the websites they visit, channels they watch, magazines they read, and stores they shop in. ‘Touchpoints’ are the available channels you have to deliver your message and are the logical outlets to consider for your campaign.
Then it is just a matter of crafting and delivering your message based on the above sections. Obviously, a lot goes into tailoring and creating a message and then deciding the relevant outlets to distribute that message. Much more than a couple sections can do justice too, but it’s a starting point.
The beauty of marketing is although there is a lot of technical science behind it - it should feel like common sense. My marketing strategy professor from UNCG said if we walked away from his class having only learned and remembered one thing, he wanted it to be that 'everything flows from the customer'. Nothing is truer. They are what keep marketing moving forward and make marketing the most fluid of any functional area out there. Accounting rules rarely change and financial best practices get updated only so often, but the customer - they change constantly. So trying to understand them and stay ahead of the curve is the best thing a marketer can do.
So that was long, I know - but I gave you fair warning. Let me know if you have any questions.
JSE
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| A Marketing Question Part 1 |
[10 Sep 2009|03:49pm] |
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Kiss of Life - Friendly Fires |
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A friend recently sent me this email asking for ideas about an internship project.
John,
For a Spanish community service learning class I’m taking, I’m doing an internship with a newspaper. The guy today told me that he didn’t think that people really knew much about the newspaper, so my task was to form a campaign for the newspaper to help get the word out about it. The only problem is that I don’t think he realized that I’m still taking general business classes and haven’t even started on marketing. So I was wondering if you could give me some ideas as to what to do. If you don’t mind helping me I’d really appreciate your thoughts.
Thanks in advance.
I wanted to share my response because, well I put a lot of thought into it. I'll post my response in two parts since each part is a little long.
Laura,
Good to hear from you. As far as the newspaper goes I’ll give you my thoughts and advice for a ‘perfect marketing world’ - unlimited budget/resources and perfect information from your customers. In reality, it never works this way and plans have to get adapted to 'reality'. In that one sentence description of the marketing problem, you touched on two 'huge' focuses of marketing. First - "my audience doesn't know about me."
My Audience Doesn’t Know About Me
The Target Market.
Inside that simple statement are two key concepts. 'My audience.' Who is it? How old are they? Where do they live? How do they get your paper? And so many other questions about your 'target market'. Understanding the customer is the first caveat to effectively serving them. If you the paper has any information about customer profiles, get it and take a look at it. Even a quick analysis of demographic, sociographic and geographic characteristics can you help you paint a better picture of who you are serving. If the newspaper doesn't keep customer information, suggest they start. Having information on customers to analyze is crucial in this new world of data driven marketing. Suggest keep tracking through some form of database or Customer Resource Management system.
Brand Awareness.
The other key part of 'my audience doesn't know me' is the 'knowing' more commonly referred to as 'brand awareness'. Understanding, more so 'quantifying' your customer’s awareness of your brand is important.
Without getting too deep into consumer behavior, customers have needs that prompt a purchase. For a particular product or brand to be considered in this purchase process, it has to be part of their 'purchase set'. A 'purchase set' is usually 3-4 brands that have the highest level of awareness with a consumer. For example, when standing at a grocery store check out counter, I impulsively decide that I have a need for something sweet and chocolaty. This defines my purchase criteria (eliminating products such as Skittles) and leads me to the think, 'I want a chocolate bar'. Now however, I may only consider 3-4 actual products rather than the 10-20 that are displayed (maybe Snickers, 3 Musketeers, and Kit-Kat). That is the 'purchase set'. Lots of things influence a brands ability to be in a purchase set, but one of the most highly correlated factors is ‘brand awareness’.
The point is this, understanding your brands awareness relative to competition is key. Because if your 'brand awareness' is at par with your relevant competition and your target market knows your brand exists, that signals a different marketing problem. It is a question of 'If they knew who I was, they would buy me' vs. ‘my target marketing knows who I am, but they don't buy me'. The first option is a communications and promotions issue, the later is more significant and could be an issue with content relevance, brand position, etc.
So if your boss has numbers on brand awareness, take a look at them. If he doesn't, you can do some quick and easy marketing research on your own. If the later is the case, I can provide suggestions on easy ways to design a plan for getting the info you need.
A Marketing Question Part Deux
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| Getting Close |
[10 Aug 2009|04:50pm] |
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music |
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Cut Copy - Far Away (Bag Raider Remix) |
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Let me start by saying I am not trying to be Michael Crabtree. I want to get to work but have still yet to reach an agreement on salary with the company that has given me a written offer. Unlike Crabtree, I am not asking to be paid like a top 10 star, I just want a "fair" wage. I am hopeful that we can reach an agreement soon so that I can start work in the near future. It is NOT all about the money and they can offer some great experience... at least that's what I am counting on.
In the meantime I am going to keep interviewing and keep looking. Have an interview tomorrow with Smithfield for what could be a good position. We'll just have to see how everything pans out. A little Packaged/Food Goods experience never hurt anyone.
Spent the weekend up in Washington DC going to the Real Madrid v. DC United game. Had great seats and a great time. DC tried their hardest but their subs couldn't play anywhere near the level of Real Madrid's 2nd team. But it was still a great game and Pete and I got to see some great goals by Real Madrid.
Right now I am back in Williamsburg hoping to get some much needed answers about the future. Trying to finish negotiating salary/finding a new place to live/getting things out of storage.
Would you take a job that could offer you some good experiences but may not pay the bills in the immediate term? Don't know if I have that answer right now. Its the million dollar question though.
JSE
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| Lulz |
[09 Jul 2009|08:09pm] |
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| Waiting for the next stage to begin |
[26 Jun 2009|11:00pm] |
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music |
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something really indie that will make me look "authentic" |
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The last few weeks have been interesting to say the least. Visiting with old friends in new places brought on a myriad of emotions - ranging from exuberance, to depression, to blackout drunk. Now, I find myself in what can only be described as "purgatory". The dreaded in between. I am back with my parents in Roanoke due to how leveraged my life has become and my inability to keep myself afloat (on account of not having a job). This next period will not be without trials, but I can take solace in the fact that I am not the only one in this precarious position. Things will get better, for me, for everyone. If we take three things away from this economy and the challenges it has brought with it, it should be this: everybody needs more passion, patience, and resilience!
Today was also a first for me. I have never read a novel cover to cover in a day, but started Mother Night this afternoon and only put it down for dinner.
Before someone chimes in with a "I read that book in high school... why are you just reading it?" I had every intention too years ago. When I was packing up things from my house in Williamsburg to bring back to "purgatory", I found it sitting on a bookshelf and threw it in a duffel bag. Did not expect for it be as good as it was but one thing really stood out: I cannot see Chuck Palahnuik as anything short of a grotesque, uncreative Vonnegut want to be. I had read other Vonnegut books, but Mother Night must have been the one Chuckie P. had wet-dreams about when he was a confused adolescent.
As I was flying through the book, a passage and its current relevance jumped out at me:
"There are plenty of good reasons for fighting," I said, "but no good reason ever to hate without reservation, to imagine that God Almighty Himself hates with you, too. Where's evil? It's that large part of every man that wants to hate without limit, that wants to hate with God on its side. It's that part of every man that finds all kind of ugliness so attractive."
Sounds like Vonnegut got the point of blind hatred of what is different from our own. There is none. I wish more people in the world would see and understand this too.
Read any good books lately? Suggestions on what book I should read next?
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| using new media in your job search |
[03 Jun 2009|05:32pm] |
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air france - beach party |
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I wanted to share an article I recently read on TalentZoo titled Heads up Grads by Paul Marobella, managing director of Wirestone Chicago. In this article, Marobella outlines “5 ideas that can help college graduates in this recession.”
1.) If you don’t have the desired work experience, leverage what you know. If this means talking about the hours a day you spend on Facebook, go for it. Companies are looking to expand into social networking and they will need Facebook savvy employees.
2.) Utilize the social networks you belong too and join the ones you don’t. Use sites like LinkedIn to expand your network, but do it with a purpose. Don’t just add someone and expect to get a job, ask to set up informational interviews – if they want to help you, they will.
3.) Get well read and conversant on the top industry trends. Marobella recommends creating a Google Reader and subscribing to top industry blogs to stay abreast on trends. Also take this time to read academic books on your career field, it will give you something meaningful to discuss in interviews.
4.) Incorporate social media into your job search. Marobella recommends creating a Social Media Resume. I personally have adopted this technique and created a personal YouTube Channel to share video cover letters and work I’ve done. While I wish I could say this helped me land the job of my dreams, I can say that the feedback I have received has been overwhelmingly positive. It is a definite opportunity to differentiate yourself from the rest of the applicant pool.
5.) Blog it out. Chris Perry, MBA 2009, just wrote about the benefits of blogging in Brand building for Mason and for you. Marobella would agree with Chris. Blogging about your career field is a way for recruiters and managers to see your passion and writing skills. You can’t expect recruiters to read every article you write, but with the right promotion in your cover letters, they will be able to see this passion through a quick skim.
No doubt the environment we are faced with calls for a little creativity and a lot of resilience. But taking some of this advice could help you stand out from the rest of the MBA’s from those, “other schools”.
Happy hunting.
JSE
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| Jobs, Jobs, Wherever you are? |
[26 May 2009|04:40pm] |
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music |
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Bag Raiders - Shooting Stars |
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How do you find jobs when there are none to be found? I am back in Roanoke since I was supposed to have an interview with a small, regional ad shop today but that ended up getting postponed... good thing I drove back here. Oh well, despite the shitty horrendous bleak unique economic times, I keep trying to remain resilient and optimistic.
For the most part I am, but it has been an interesting process. I want to say that I am making progress with a handful of agencies, but I can't help but think my resume is sitting on a lot of "deleted items" folders. In an effort to try something different and not just be another unsolicited cover letter, I have begun using YouTube as a part of job hunt. I'm still figuring out the best way to use this, but I think it could be an effective way to differentiate myself. Anybody else on LinkedIn, if you are, connect with me.
Also, a friend sent me this song, it's pretty boss.
Bag Raiders - Shooting Stars
Also, there is a 50% chance I will be in Brooklyn for the last half of June. Figured, don't have a job so why not live in New York for a couple weeks. Sounds like it could be a hip time. I'll make sure I let people know if I end up in the area.
jse
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[09 Mar 2008|08:47pm] |
A few of the pictures from Paris.
I would have done the whole LJ cut thing.... but i'm afraid i've forgotten how -- it's been a while.
the street our hotel was on.
the Louvre
Sacre Coeur (sacred heart)
for the record... it was daylight when we start climbing the eifel tower. but by the time we got the second level... well you can see.
elevator to the top of the world.
this was the greatest trip of my short life. i feel in love with france -- the people, the food, the woman, the culture -- i could go on and on. i also found the new love of my life, possibly the most beautiful woman in the world. I haven't figured out how to make her mine... but i'm still working on a plan for that.
back to the fucking real world. class tomorrow at 8:00 a.m. gh3y.
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