Cheers To New Beginnings

Sadly my time of learning at Sheridan College is coming to an end. However, that does not mean I am finished with learning; I will always be learning and improving on my writing and advertising. Accumulating more knowledge in these areas will only help my success.

For those of you out there who are considering Advertising as a career choice, look into post-graduate programs to help you specialize in the field. Programs such as Sheridan's Post-Grad Advertising Account Management Program can provide knowledge that will benefit you in your future endeavours. Through my post-education learning experience, I have developed skills in both my writing (creativity) and various areas of advertising: digital, account management, sales, creative, media, laws and ethics of advertising, and so much more. The opportunities are endless.

If you are unsure where you fit within the industry, then a post-grad program may be right for you. Post-grad programs can provide the knowledge and skills required of all areas in the advertising industry, so you can have a sense of where you are most passionate or qualified.

I have been asked many times: why advertising? How did you first get interested in the industry? It's actually kind of funny. I knew from high school that I was going to end up in the advertising world. I planned out my education from there: Western University for 4 years and 1 year of post-grad education at Sheridan College. I've always been a creative individual. Since I was eighteen, I have had a wide imagination that has been hard to contain. As a result, I found a love for writing fiction novels. So logically I was seeking a career that would allow me to use that creativity in more complex ways. Advertising seemed to reach out to me. The idea of physically designing what billboards or commercials would look like suddenly appealed to my passionate side. Upon learning more about the industry, I was driven to account management to balance my imagination with writing and my creativity/business side with advertising.

Advertising is not merely creating and executing advertisements. There is so much more that goes into the industry than most people realize. There are plenty of opportunities in developing campaigns, creating content, buying and selling advertising space, digital advertising, mobile advertising, integrated marketing communications, the laws and ethics of advertising… I could go on but I'm sure you are able to research more about the available jobs in the industry. Or you could enter a post-grad program to increase your knowledge in the industry to find your place among it.

By communicating with others in the advertising world and following my passions, I have found my way. Now it is time to find yours.

Cheers, to your new beginnings.

You've Been Challenged: Staring Contest!

Samsung challenged any passerby to a 1 hour staring contest to encourage the promotion of the new Samsung Galaxy S4's "smart pause" technology in 2013. This "smart pause" technology can detect when you are looking at the screen. If you look away, it will automatically pause the video you are watching. To demonstrate its ability to do so, Samsung challenged anyone who passed by the machine to a 1 hour staring contest. If they continued to stare at the eye-tracking screen for 1 hour, they would win a free Samsung Galaxy S4. However, there is a catch. It's a set up! There are actors hired to argue beside you, "police" dogs wanting to sniff you, motorcyclists driving around, a growing audience and much more to bring your attention away from the screen.

This experiential event brought plenty of attention to the brand as well as the event itself. It was successful in that people did not realize they were participating in a promotional event until it was over. The hype and excitement over what was happening was the sole focus. Everyone wanted one person to pass the test and win the Samsung Galaxy S4. The campaign's very first "staring contest" took place at the Zurich Main Station in Switzerland and branched out to various locations to spread the word. Samsung succeeded in getting their audience interested, involved, and invested in their brand through participating in the staring contest, watching from the sidelines or even online. I first discovered this event back in 2013 and it has stuck with me ever since. I still admire it. It has an up-lifting attitude while promising a happy outcome. It is entertaining and allows the audience to forget the brand for a moment in order to fully participate in what is happening before them. The audience remembers who the brand is at the end and associates those recently felt emotions with the brand itself.

Experiential events can highly benefit a brand. They do not push the brand in consumers' faces but merely remind them that the brand is there and can be associated with the emotions felt during the experience. They are enjoyable. When I come across them, I find myself attracted to the event, wanting to participate in some way through recording what is happening, becoming a participant, or looking them up online. Even though Samsung's staring contest is a few years old, I believe it is worth discussing because of the innovative idea behind it. How do we promote this new technology? Let's make it a game! The main critique I have relates to the impact growth of this event had it been implemented in more cities nation-wide or pushed more virally online.

Check out the event below! 

Communication Through Memes

Advertising can be found everywhere these days: TV, internet, on billboards, transit, digital boards, smartphones, video games, apps… the list is endless. Now advertisements are using trends as a way of connecting with consumers through highly recognized images that relay certain messages (memes). Memes can be found everywhere, but the specific memes I am referring to are the ones found online. Typically, they are amusing and are highly identifiable: Success Kid, Grumpy Cat, and even Ryan Gosling's "Hey Girl" memes.

Recently, advertisers have begun utilizing well-known characters and their personalities/messages to reach more consumers through humour and recognition. This unique content breaks away from the clutter of everyday advertisements. Immediately, someone who knows of Success Kid would do a double take of this billboard to see why a trending meme is up there. It's an attention grabber as mentioned in my previous post, which is all too important.

Virgin Mobile using Success Kid

Success Kid

Memes can be found anywhere representing a variety of companies, opinions and ideas. They can relate to college or university, which most of them tend to do, trying to find a job, or even work experience as demonstrated by the Success Kid meme to the left. Most meme personalities or messages are relatable through experiences or lifestyles. They may even remind you of someone you know. Either way, these memes have yet to go out of style. In fact, more are being created each day. It only makes sense that advertisers start using memes as a way of connecting with consumers.

At Western University, I once took a class regarding the importance of communicating through memes. Memes portray everyday messages. A meme is more than a picture with a personality. As I've mentioned, these images have a meaning. For example, a stop sign is a meme. When you see a stop sign, you recognize it and what the image represents; therefore, you know you must come to a stop, so you do not break the law. The same goes for any other meme. An image of Success Kid will provide an internalized meaning that whatever is written beside him will lead to a successful or profitable outcome that is likely to be relatable with the audience. When pairing this knowledge with a brand, the association will be immediate: Success Kid will lead to a successful outcome that Virgin Mobile can provide for you.

There are even memes about advertising as "dumb" or "evil". Advertising is not always seen as a positive industry in the minds of consumers. Keeping tabs on memes related to advertising will allow you to better understand why your advertisements may not be appealing to your target market. Why not use these insights to your benefit? Or create a meme associated with your business to increase awareness and demonstrate humour or better yet, an understanding of your audience.

You get them. You understand how they feel about advertising. You understand what these images mean to them. And those can be used to develop a more positive position with your audience that can ultimately benefit your consumers as well as your brand.

Dumb and Dumber

Dr. Evil

Attention Grabbers

There has been a long time feud in the fast-food industry between McDonalds and Burger King. The two companies have been biding for attention as well as retaining and obtaining loyal customers for years. Recently, however, McDonalds came out with a new tactic by somewhat helping Burger King advertise in France. Obnoxious, and hilarious, McDonald's created a sign for Burger King stating that the driver only had "258 KM to go" (160 miles) to reach Burger King's drive thru. Meanwhile a much smaller sign is located next to the hard-to-miss Burger King sign stating that McDonalds is merely 5 KM away. There are over 1,000 McDonalds drive-thrus in France, which is far more than the amount of Burger King drive-thrus in the same country. This kind of advertising not only grabs attention but makes clear to its local audience that McDonalds is always convenient and there for you whereas Burger King is not. This location was likely chosen as a result of its remoteness from any nearby Burger King drive-thrus (Adweek)

This feud has always been public knowledge. Even this sign from Brioude has become widely recognized online as of recently. However, I do not believe that the company expected the sign to blow up as much as it has. As a result, more visuals of the McDonalds brand in North America has been embedded with the association of McDonald's having a better understanding of its consumers. Through the accomplishment of having more drive-thrus, McDonalds can demonstrate its understanding that consumers come to McDonald's for convenient, good-tasting food on the road because of their fast-paced lifestyles. People are busy. Food should be convenient. McDonalds can provide that, but can Burger King? It is true that consumers may be loyal to Burger King and will make that extra trek for a Whopper, but if you don't have to go farther for a burger, why would you? 

Many questions can be implied through these 2 signs side-by-side. 

I love this advertisement. It is hilarious and innovative. It is eye captivating and makes consumers think about the positives of McDonalds while simultaneously demonstrating some of the drawbacks of its competition. 

Grabbing the attention of consumers in a unique and comedic way can benefit a company's image as demonstrated. The photo of the McDonalds sign compared to the "Burger King sign" has increased in popularity online, impacting consumers across the world. Being able to make an impact such as this demonstrates the power of grabbing attention with advertisements. Anything can happen as a result, and it can serve to benefit a company such as McDonalds beyond possible expectations.