Beyond Interactive/MediaCom Company Visit

We will be going to the offices of MediaCom and Beyond Interactive on Friday, March 27th from 11:00AM to 12:30PM. We will meet representatives from both companies who will present information on both the digital and traditional sides of media planning. There are a limited number of spaces available, so please RSVP as soon as possible by replying to this post with a message that includes your name and email address.

Please note that you can either meet the group at 10:20AM on Gould Plaza and travel together to the offices, or you can meet us at the address below no later than 10:50AM:

MediaCom/Beyond Interactive
Grey Worldwide Headquarters
777 3rd Ave
New York, NY 10003

Meeting Minutes: Edelman 2/10

Hello there Mkt Soc members! For all of you who were able to make it out to our Edelman event, thank you so much! It was a great event with some great representatives from Edelman and great questions from members. For those of you who weren’t’ there (or if you just want to re-live that magical hour and a half), below are the minutes from the meeting that cover some of the main points from the presentation.

The representatives from Edelman were Lisa (HR), Erica (Financial services) and Megan (CSR).

-Edelman is the largest independent PR firm with 13 offices in the USA and 55 globally with their newest one in Abu Dhabi. They are divided “practice areas” that include Health care, Financial, CSR, Technical, Media services and business communication among others. They work with an extensive list of clients including Walmart, Johnson & Johnson, Starbucks, UBS and Pfizer.

-The difference between PR and Advertising was discussed and Megan made the point that PR’s purpose is to engage third party influencers to gain credability for your client.

-Both Erica and megan discussed the importance of staying up-to-date on what is going on in the media. They read on average 3 to 4 newspapers on their way to work and as part of their “media monitoring” in the morning.

-As far as advice on how to get into the PR industry, Erica and Megan shared their backgrounds, both of which included several internships. They all stressed the importance of INTERNSHIPS and networking in order to get one’s “foot in the door.” Erica discussed how she interned for Ogilvy and Mather PR while she studied abroad in China. Megan had 5 internships under her belt when she applied at Edelman and stressed taking advantage of opportunites in NYC.

-Megan and Erica discussed how the current economic crisis has affected their business and the PR industry. Both say it has evened out because on one hand you have clients that leave because they no longer have the financial resources to put into PR but on the other hand you have new clients that need more help now. They explained that, especially in the financail sector, their is a high level of mistrust for big business and that creates a need for better “public engagement.”

-Lisa added a few comments about the internship program. They offer summer, fall and spring internships. The summer program is highly competitive.  She said that in applicants she looks for 1. strong academic background aka high GPA 2.all applicants will have to take a writing test 3. demonstration of being able to multitask and that she recommends reading the news before interviewing with her.

You can apply for the summer program via Careernet or by sending your resume to Lisa directly.

Contact info: Lisa Sahliyeh, Human Resources, lisa.sahliyeh@edelman.com

visit edelman.com to find out more.

love,

Mkt Soc e-board

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Apprentice Challenge

Dear MktSoc members,

I recently attended a meeting of Stern’s Professional Development Society during which they discussed their annual Apprentice Challenge, a contest sponsored by PricewaterhouseCoopers.

This contest requires teams of 3-4 people to select and research a current business issue in any field/industry and present the issue and propose viable solutions to it.

I’m really excited about this opportunity, and think it’ll be a great way to get to know and collaborate with other MktSoc members, practice communication skills, and learn more about an issue currently affecting an industry within the marketing field.

Click here to learn more about the challenge.

Please comment to this post if you’re interested in forming a team with me.  And of course, don’t hesitate to form a team on your own!

Love always,

Cristina

Edelman is Coming!

Hey there MktSoc members,

Join us this Tuesday, February 10th during common hour as we listen to representatives from Edelman, a world-renowned PR firm, discuss the PR industry and various opportunities within the firm.

Come to engage in conversation with members of the firm, consider PR possibilities, and network with industry professionals.

Love,

MktSoc

Macy’s Visit: RSVP!

Dear Members,

Due to recent economic troubles, Macy’s is no longer in a position to host us. Thank you so much for your excitement. We are as bummed about not being able to do the tour as you are! We will see if this can be rescheduled this semester or at some point in the future. Thanks for understanding,

xoxo

Mkt Soc

Get a job already!

Alright, already, we get it- it’s time to begrudgingly grow up and find ourselves a job. But we’re in a recession (if you haven’t heard) and jobs are being cut daily, and now because of that B in Stats freshman year it’ll be even harder to find a job.  And  we can’t stop eavesdropping on the kid sitting next to us in the computer lab who’s stressing over another employer presentation at Wasserman either and that’s making us stress too. 

It all seems a little overwhelming and, though my mom tells me I can be anything when I grow up, I know that requires at least someone else to believe it too (perhaps an employer?) In comes the resume.  Love it or hate it, it’s going to get you that job. 

USNews recently published an article entitled “5 Resume Mistakes You’re Probably Making.”  We all love numbers and lists- and this one happens to be incredibly useful.  According to the article, most people don’t know how to sell themselves.  So read this article and learn.  (Just remember, you’re still a college student- this article seems to be geared more towards professionals. Take everything with a small grain of salt.) And then relax. 

http://www.usnews.com/articles/business/careers/2009/01/22/5-rsum-mistakes-youre-probably-making.html

Love always, 

Cristina

RSVP Here for Cosi Event

Hey Marketing Society,

Before everyone leaves for Thanksgiving, we’re having another social event this Sunday! At our annual Marketing Society Cosi visit, we’ll be eating tasty S’mores. Meet outside of the Cosi on Broadway and 13th Street (near Union Square) at 1:00 PM. Its freeeee!

RSVP by making a comment.

The S’mores are waiting…

too far?

A couple of weeks ago I was reading a very interesting article on Slate.com about a new add for HSBC (you can see it here, and read the article here). The author was somewhat criticizing the add, saying that it was not convincing in spreading its intended message – that HSBC is made for different people, in different circumstances, and they can work with you whenever you need it. Granted, I personally know the bank for doing exactly that, and their former campaigns have worked well at pointing out their company motto. Just walking through the West 4 train station gave me the comfortable feeling that HSBC had, somehow, a human character to it. I’m sure anyone can recognize their “What’s crazy to me is normal to someone else” adds, spread around hundreds of billboards everywhere in the world really. Convincing marketing, to say the least.

This latest clip, however, left me wondering if perhaps they’ve gotten too far into this strategy. Really, the connection is minimal. Yes, I get the metaphor, but I’m not going to lie, it took me a while to figure it out. I’ve also noticed a few similar billboards in Buenos Aires (where I am currently located), and although I recognize the red brackets and the overall “feel,” they’re not that convincing anymore. Which made me think about other companies that seem to have lost track of their initial goal also, or have at least gone too deep into it. I’ll only mention one other commercial, which is currently running on Argentine TV and is for Nextel. You can watch it here, and I’m sure you’ll get what I’m talking about. Yes, the message is simple, king of the city (or world), part of a family, Nextel brings you closer and makes you feel important, BUT, and here comes my but…isn’t a bit too out there? I mean, this is a phone company we’re talking about, not a life coach there to help you out with whatever is bothering you. My personal feeling is that they’ve lost touch a bit with what the company really is, perhaps lost in the need to differentiate themselves from competition.

I keep thinking about it, and I can’t shake the feeling that often times companies either “over do” a campaign past its expiration date, or simply over do it. And when that happens, I think consumers feel a little cheated. Yes, your company might be great, but behind all the fancy commercials and soulful messages, it is still just a company who, in the end, needs consumers to buy stuff. Of course we all need reliable service (e.g. Nextel commercial) and a good bank (HSBC), but once in a while I feel like I’m being pushed too hard. More and more I believe that consumers don’t need to be pushed, they need to be convinced. There are plenty of companies out there who have managed to create a strong brand reputation through strategic advertising, and whether we like it or not, the image of what they project onto our television screens and billboards sticks with us. Mostly, it’s a good thing for both parties involved. But I have seen good campaigns go to waste because people didn’t know where to stop and…move on. A good marketer should know that good things don’t last forever. You experiment, you learn, you adjust, and then you move on to the next great thing. It might be very similar to what you have been doing so far, but novelty always incites. It’s an evolutionary process that will never cease to exist, mostly because our minds evolve, and with them our need for … the cure to boredom I’d say.

So, what should we take from this? My opinion is that progress is the answer. Don’t lose track of your goals just because they’ve gotten outdated. Change something about them. It’s probably a good thing, a sign that it’s time to show the world a different side, just as good as the old one. Now, how often do we forget that, whether we’re talking about marketing or not? I do it pretty often. I’m curious what other people think about this, so go on…drop by with an opinion =)

love from abroad,
-Julia

Magazines are dead.

With our “marketing in the digital age” event coming up, I got to thinking about the flip-side, a more traditional outlet that, like the dinosaurs, is likely soon to be extinct. I’m talking about that glossy, coffee table and travel campaign: The Magazine.

The NY Time’s recent article, “Conde Nast Cuts Focus on 2 Magazines,” is just one is a multitude of articles that points to the media’s slow decent. What happened to the days where magazines were jam-packed of advertisers and weighed as much as a brick? Those days are long gone.  Thanks to a shift and focus on alternative media (aka the Internet), advertisers have slashed, cut and eliminated many of their print advertising budgets.

Magazine sales for the first half of this year alone dropped 6.3%. So what do companies do in such an environment? As all good companies do, they evolve. They have to explore the online landscape to see if their product can breathe new light. They have to create new multi-media programs that allows advertiser’s goals to fall inline with what they have to offer. The outcome: online versions of the magazines online, exclusive online content, online communities centered around the magazine, consumer events and a host of other programs to try and attract advertiser dollars.

I for one, am saddened by the state that magazines find themselves in. Yes, I love the internet and it’s ability to give me rapid info (not have to wait a month for it). But as a lover of the magazine Runner’s World, it is sad for me to see it’s size shrink month to month. So I guess, I would love to hear how other people feel about this? Are there any magazines that you can’t live without? Do you think magazines are doomed to die or do they have some hope yet?

love from abroad,

C-moc

The New Museum

Our first social event of the year!

• November 2nd, 2008
• 2pm – Whenever
• The New Museum: 235 Bowery (at Prince Street)
  

Sign up by commenting below with your name and email address. We will contact you with further information.

The mission statement of the New Museum is to support “New Art, New Ideas.” One of the most important parts about being in New York City is immersing in the rich culture it provides. One of the most important parts about being in the marketing industry is being up-to-date in artistic trends to always keep your advertising fresh and stimulating.

Take part in this incredible opportunity this Sunday. Don’t forget to RSVP!