Post in the Category Social Media
By Alexis
Posted in - Advertising & Media & Social Media on October 11th, 2011
For the first time in the history of marketing, a company that sells a legal item is being forced to package and sell it’s own product in the most negative way possible: starting in September 2012, cigarette packs will be required to contain a rotating series of grisly images depicting the health hazards and possible results of smoking. The FDA is ordering the new packaging as a way to call fresh attention to a message that has gone stale: that smoking is exceedingly bad for your health.The full color images must take up 50% of the package, on both the front and back, and 20% of all advertising. Up until now, the anti-smoking message has come in the form of…
By Alexis
Posted in - Advertising & Media & Social Media & Uncategorized on September 13th, 2011
Ugh. It’s that damn song again. I can’t get it out of my head. “NAPA know how, Napa know how”If you’re an avid sports fan, odds are you tuned in for some March Madness. And if you did, then you are like millions of others who were introduced to Napa’s “catchy” little jingle. The funny thing is I saw more negative comments about this tune on the Internet and Twitter than I can count. But you know what? It worked. I don’t have numbers to quote, but I think it’s safe to assume, from pure media spend, that Capitol One dominated the commercial rotation during the tournament. And as good as Alec Baldwin may have been, I don’t see too…
By Angelene
Posted in - Public Relations & Social Media on August 30th, 2011
Social media has been a buzz-topic across all industries for a number of years now. People are discussing its benefits and its handicaps, its global reach, its popularity, how fast it’s growing. Businesses- large and small- are all hopping on the band wagon and developing profiles, pages, handles and groups. Everyone wants to be involved, but before you jump in, make sure you know what you’re getting into. What many people don’t understand is the bigger picture of social media; take the words apart – and social media is just really a type of media. Dictionary.com describes media as a “means of communication…that reaches or influences people” and social as “pertaining to, devoted to, or characterized by friendly companionship or…
By Alexis
Posted in - Advertising & Media & Networking & Social Media & Uncategorized on August 22nd, 2011
Forget the water cooler, it’s all about the candy bowl at Cotton & Company. Lets face it; we are with one another as much, if not more, than our own family. So it’s only natural that we find some bonding time. And what better way than with candy? Sure this seems simple, but the best part about candy is, unlike with people, everybody likes it. Candy puts people in a happy mood. A happy worker is more productive. More pleasant. And, well, just plain happier.
By Alexis
Posted in - Advertising & Media & Networking & Social Media on August 15th, 2011
The philosophy “two ideas are better than one” is more than just a saying, it is a practice. When the clouds are dark and the rain is too heavy to see further than two feet in front of you, brainstorm. Brainstorming serves many purposes; it creates new ideas, solves problems, motivates and develops teams. Have you ever been in an environment where everyone seems to be working against one another? When you engage people from all branches of the company a sense of involvement is generated and a team environment is formed even without knowing it or purposely trying to. Motivation is formed because everyone wants his or her team to be successful and you can’t get there with an “I.”
By Alexis
Posted in - Public Relations & Social Media on July 26th, 2011
Just as I’ve settled into the social media world on Facebook, with my thousands of pictures and conversations preserved, Google+ has to make an appearance and cause me to question my whole social media presence. Google+ confused me even more than Facebook had when I first created my profile, with it’s clean layout and simple color scheme (in comparison to Myspace), I found myself a little overwhelmed just thinking about creating a whole new internet profile. Sharing my concerns with a friend who had made his Google+ account as well, he responded with, “It is Beta right now. Chill out…Send some feedback…” So I did. One aspect I love about the new outlet is that it enables me to take…
By Alexis
Posted in - Media & Public Relations & Social Media on July 11th, 2011
If you were to ask businesses across the country about market research and advertising 20 years ago, they would have said, “I think we know what people want.” Well, 20 years later they know what consumers want, and in a big way. The marketing and advertising schemes involving door-to-door sales and community events are definitely coming to a screeching halt. The internet is now the community and social platforms are now the marketplaces. As businesses develop, they understand that they can no longer afford to be one-dimensional. For every one customer in person, companies can obtain 10 at the same time via social communities online. As long as a company has a product that the right people want, they will have…
By Alexis
Posted in - Advertising & Media & Networking & Social Media & Uncategorized on June 28th, 2011
These interesting looking icons are “QR” Codes. QR is short for Quick Response. This technology is definitely not new, but it is becoming more popular in the United States as smart phones take over the marketplace. This two-dimensional code, made up of squares and patterns, is a shortcut that can be read through your phone’s camera once you have downloaded the software. In fact, the next generation iPhone will come equipped with the QR reader program already installed. As you hold your phone over the code, your camera will read the code and automatically take you to a website or webpage, launch a video, play music or a game. The Barcode News recently released statistics that show a 4,549% growth in…
By Alexis
Posted in - Advertising & Media & Networking & Social Media & Uncategorized on June 20th, 2011
Recently I was walking the aisle of my local grocery store and saw the most peculiar thing. A golf ball for sale in the beer section. No, this is not a case (no pun intended) of someone placing an unwanted item in the wrong section. This is a brilliant campaign launched by Bridgestone Golf and Michelob Ultra. Think about it. What better a marriage than golf and beer?
By Alexis
Posted in - Advertising & Media & Networking & Social Media & Uncategorized on May 2nd, 2011
Many would argue that art is timeless but design is not. In fact, timeless design is almost an oxymoron but timeless art is accepted by many. If that is the case, then consider the design of something as banal, yet as useful as a spoon. From the oldest to the newest, the basic design of a spoon has not changed for years. That does make it timeless, doesn’t it? Look at a bespoke suit, the Volkswagen Beetle, Le Corbusier’s buildings. All of them are classic examples of classic designs. A particular style can’t emerge and expect to stay at the top indefinitely. Designers indicate that trends have a short lifespan, going through a “now-you-see-it-now-you-don’t” kind of roller coaster. New trends…
