Dear reader,
The posts below were all written over the course of the last academic year (2014-2015). They chronicle my journey in the marketing/advertising field through the Independent Study & Mentorship program and they showcase the culmination of an entire year's work. If you would like to see last year's blog in its entirety, which I highly advise, please click here.
This year, I will complete the program once again. Using the insight, experience, and knowledge I gained through the program and my mentorship last year, I aim to achieve an even deeper perspective in the marketing field. I am shifting my focus: last year, I had the chance to experience Slingshot LLC (an ad agency) behind-the-scenes with my mentor Scott Eagle, an account supervisor. This year, I hope to round out my education by learning from professionals who are more client-side. I will still maintain a focus on learning about marketing strategy and branding, but from a new point of view.
The rest of this website is the continuation of my story. Thank you for letting me share it with you.
Regards,
Eileen Bau
Sunday, September 6, 2015
Tuesday, May 12, 2015
5/11 Weekly Update #32: Almost there
Dear reader,
There is no fun fact for this week. This is because I want to convey just how unique this post is. This post is possibly my final post about my ISM journey this year. I have complete my final product and I am ready for Final Presentation Night. Looking back, it's been a lot of sweat, blood, and the occasional tear. I have grown not just professionally, but also personally. Being able to see how an actual workplace operates has been an eye-opening insight for me. I think that my Final Product has been one of the greatest things I've done.
I will update this post after Final Presentation Night with my Final Product. I can't wait to share it.
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Update 5/26/2015:
Final Presentation Night was more of a success than I could have hoped for. Being able to show my family, friends, teachers, and the community what I had been doing over the past year was one of the most rewarding experiences I have ever had. I cannot thank my mentor, Scott Eagle, enough for his guidance throughout this year. Without him, it would have been impossible to create my final product (which you can view here!!!!). I am immensely proud of what I have created, and I can't wait to do it all again next year. My ISM 2015-2016 journey is only a summer away. Thank you for reading, and I hope to see you soon.
Regards,
Eileen Bau
There is no fun fact for this week. This is because I want to convey just how unique this post is. This post is possibly my final post about my ISM journey this year. I have complete my final product and I am ready for Final Presentation Night. Looking back, it's been a lot of sweat, blood, and the occasional tear. I have grown not just professionally, but also personally. Being able to see how an actual workplace operates has been an eye-opening insight for me. I think that my Final Product has been one of the greatest things I've done.
I will update this post after Final Presentation Night with my Final Product. I can't wait to share it.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Update 5/26/2015:
Final Presentation Night was more of a success than I could have hoped for. Being able to show my family, friends, teachers, and the community what I had been doing over the past year was one of the most rewarding experiences I have ever had. I cannot thank my mentor, Scott Eagle, enough for his guidance throughout this year. Without him, it would have been impossible to create my final product (which you can view here!!!!). I am immensely proud of what I have created, and I can't wait to do it all again next year. My ISM 2015-2016 journey is only a summer away. Thank you for reading, and I hope to see you soon.
Regards,
Eileen Bau
5/4 Weekly Update #31: Andromeda
Dear reader,
Did you know that Messier object M31 is another name for the Andromeda constellation? In Greek mythology, Andromeda was chained to a rock as a sacrifice to a sea monster, but rescued by the hero Perseus. The reason she was chained to the rock was because her mother boasted she was prettier than some of Poseidon's (god of the ocean) daughters. Poseidon demanded Andromeda as sacrifice for her parents' ignorance.
This past week, I have alternately played the role of both Andromeda and Perseus, the savior and the saved. Final Presentation Night is May 15th, and my Final Product is so close to being finished that I can taste it. I have been the savior, because I had the foresight to start on my final product early to allow time for it to develop into something great. I have been the saved because my ISM family has been supporting me through every step of the stressful process of preparing for Final Presentation Night. I will not only present a 30 minute speech over my ISM journey this year, but I also will be basically showing my parents, teachers, mentor, friends, and the general public what I've done this year, and I want to make them see just how much I've accomplished. I went knowing nearly nothing about real-life marketing to completing an advertising campaign of my own. I hope to do my progress justice.
Until next week,
Eileen Bau
Did you know that Messier object M31 is another name for the Andromeda constellation? In Greek mythology, Andromeda was chained to a rock as a sacrifice to a sea monster, but rescued by the hero Perseus. The reason she was chained to the rock was because her mother boasted she was prettier than some of Poseidon's (god of the ocean) daughters. Poseidon demanded Andromeda as sacrifice for her parents' ignorance.
This past week, I have alternately played the role of both Andromeda and Perseus, the savior and the saved. Final Presentation Night is May 15th, and my Final Product is so close to being finished that I can taste it. I have been the savior, because I had the foresight to start on my final product early to allow time for it to develop into something great. I have been the saved because my ISM family has been supporting me through every step of the stressful process of preparing for Final Presentation Night. I will not only present a 30 minute speech over my ISM journey this year, but I also will be basically showing my parents, teachers, mentor, friends, and the general public what I've done this year, and I want to make them see just how much I've accomplished. I went knowing nearly nothing about real-life marketing to completing an advertising campaign of my own. I hope to do my progress justice.
Until next week,
Eileen Bau
4/27 Weekly Update #30: Senator Amidala
Dear reader,
30 is the minimum age required for a senator in the United States. Clearly, this is a grave mistake, since Senator Padme Amidala from Star Wars was only a teeanger when she became a senator after serving her full term as the Queen of Naboo.
This past week, I have been channeling my inner Padme to motivate myself. Writing this creative brief has had me thinking in circles and running into walls. Thankfully, I had some help along the way from my mentor and several other kind souls at the ad agency. Here's the finished brief:
Until next week,
Eileen Bau
30 is the minimum age required for a senator in the United States. Clearly, this is a grave mistake, since Senator Padme Amidala from Star Wars was only a teeanger when she became a senator after serving her full term as the Queen of Naboo.
This past week, I have been channeling my inner Padme to motivate myself. Writing this creative brief has had me thinking in circles and running into walls. Thankfully, I had some help along the way from my mentor and several other kind souls at the ad agency. Here's the finished brief:
Eileen Bau
4/20 Weekly Update #29: Pizza
Dear reader,
It is possible to cut a pizza into a maximum of 29 pieces in seven straight cuts through. The pizza pieces end up looking pretty funky, though. This is kind of how marketing works. You could try to reach many slices of the market, but some of your strategy would probably end up looking kind of funny. It's impossible to hit every target market, and the narrower and more specific a target market is, the easier it is to develop a solid strategy for it.
This past week, I have been continuing to develop my Final Product. I have started drafting my creative brief. Basically, a creative brief is a one-page piece of paper that is supposed to encapsulate the campaign's marketing strategy and inspire the creative team by giving them a good perspective of just what the client wants. Writing the creative brief is a crucial step in the advertising campaign, and I've never done anything like it before. The best way to start is to just take a crack at it. I'll be writing and revising it in the week between my mentor visits, and then revise it again with my mentor.
Until next week,
Eileen Bau
It is possible to cut a pizza into a maximum of 29 pieces in seven straight cuts through. The pizza pieces end up looking pretty funky, though. This is kind of how marketing works. You could try to reach many slices of the market, but some of your strategy would probably end up looking kind of funny. It's impossible to hit every target market, and the narrower and more specific a target market is, the easier it is to develop a solid strategy for it.
This past week, I have been continuing to develop my Final Product. I have started drafting my creative brief. Basically, a creative brief is a one-page piece of paper that is supposed to encapsulate the campaign's marketing strategy and inspire the creative team by giving them a good perspective of just what the client wants. Writing the creative brief is a crucial step in the advertising campaign, and I've never done anything like it before. The best way to start is to just take a crack at it. I'll be writing and revising it in the week between my mentor visits, and then revise it again with my mentor.
Until next week,
Eileen Bau
4/7 Weekly Update #27: Hand
Dear reader,
There are 27 bones in the human hand. That's a lot of bones for such a small area, but it's why our hands are so versatile.
This past week, I have started to develop a brand compass for my Final Product. The brand compass is a marketing model unique to Slingshot LLC, and it's helped me a great deal in sorting out my thoughts to have a clearer strategy. Basically, it looks like this:
I'm not going to go through and explain each facet (because I could go on forever), but the gist of it is that each company has some defining, core characteristic that its entire existence is based off of. Find that, and you'll find your way to successful strategy, because you now know what angle the company is going for, what their brand stands for, and what they want to express themselves as.
Until next time,
Eileen Bau
(Update 5/11/2015: Here's what my final brand compass ended up looking like, after many rounds of revision and some adjustment to the original model):
There are 27 bones in the human hand. That's a lot of bones for such a small area, but it's why our hands are so versatile.
This past week, I have started to develop a brand compass for my Final Product. The brand compass is a marketing model unique to Slingshot LLC, and it's helped me a great deal in sorting out my thoughts to have a clearer strategy. Basically, it looks like this:
I'm not going to go through and explain each facet (because I could go on forever), but the gist of it is that each company has some defining, core characteristic that its entire existence is based off of. Find that, and you'll find your way to successful strategy, because you now know what angle the company is going for, what their brand stands for, and what they want to express themselves as.
Until next time,
Eileen Bau
(Update 5/11/2015: Here's what my final brand compass ended up looking like, after many rounds of revision and some adjustment to the original model):
3/30 Weekly Update #26: Rubik's cube
Dear reader,
Apparently, a Rubik's cube can always be solved in 26 moves or less. Considering that I have yet to actually solve a Rubik's cube, that seems daunting to me. Can you imagine what sort of power you would have if you could solve a Rubik's cube in 26 moves or less? Amazing.
Weirdly enough, the same daunting feeling that I get when I look at a Rubik's cube was the same feeling I had at the beginning of this year. Theoretically, I knew that many before me had successfully made it through the ISM program. However, in practice, it was more difficult than it seemed before hand. This past week, I have been continuing to work on my Final Product. My mentor and I have drawn a sort of roadmap that details what steps I'll need to take to complete this project. Basically, it's divided into three large chunks: marketing research, marketing strategy, and creative execution. I'll be focusing mainly on the first two, since my field is strategic marketing and not graphic design. Currently, I've finished the research stage and am working on developing marketing strategy for a small business that I'm familiar with, my martial arts school. This is the most difficult part of the entire project.
There are procedures that I follow when conducting marketing research, and performing the research itself has not been particularly difficult. However, analyzing the results of said research and forming strategy from it is the real challenge. I have to be careful to draw useful conclusions and integrate them in a meaningful manner into my strategy. Additionally, strategy isn't something that you can get from a machine, or from manipulating a physical object. It's literally all in my head. Sometimes thinking and strategizing can get tiring just from sheer mental exertion.
Although I can't solve a Rubik's cube, I know that after I finish my final product I will have solved a real-world business problem.
Until next time,
Eileen Bau
Apparently, a Rubik's cube can always be solved in 26 moves or less. Considering that I have yet to actually solve a Rubik's cube, that seems daunting to me. Can you imagine what sort of power you would have if you could solve a Rubik's cube in 26 moves or less? Amazing.
Weirdly enough, the same daunting feeling that I get when I look at a Rubik's cube was the same feeling I had at the beginning of this year. Theoretically, I knew that many before me had successfully made it through the ISM program. However, in practice, it was more difficult than it seemed before hand. This past week, I have been continuing to work on my Final Product. My mentor and I have drawn a sort of roadmap that details what steps I'll need to take to complete this project. Basically, it's divided into three large chunks: marketing research, marketing strategy, and creative execution. I'll be focusing mainly on the first two, since my field is strategic marketing and not graphic design. Currently, I've finished the research stage and am working on developing marketing strategy for a small business that I'm familiar with, my martial arts school. This is the most difficult part of the entire project.
There are procedures that I follow when conducting marketing research, and performing the research itself has not been particularly difficult. However, analyzing the results of said research and forming strategy from it is the real challenge. I have to be careful to draw useful conclusions and integrate them in a meaningful manner into my strategy. Additionally, strategy isn't something that you can get from a machine, or from manipulating a physical object. It's literally all in my head. Sometimes thinking and strategizing can get tiring just from sheer mental exertion.
Although I can't solve a Rubik's cube, I know that after I finish my final product I will have solved a real-world business problem.
Until next time,
Eileen Bau
Monday, April 13, 2015
4/13 Weekly Update #28: icosikaioctagon
Dear reader,
Icosikaioctagon is the proper terminology for a 28-sided polygon, apparently. I didn't even know those had a name. Honestly, though, who named it? It makes me curious. Was it a mathematician? Or a linguistics expert? Anyways, the reason I chose this fact as my fact of the week is because, despite its unwieldy-ness , an icosikaioctagon is a pretty unique name. I can bet that if you saw it again somewhere, you'd know what it meant. Similar to good branding, the name sticks with you.
This past week, we've been really ramping things up to prepare for Final Presentation Night (FPN). Everything from my invitations to my display board to my outfit has to be somewhat sychronized in order to brand myself. It's facetious and meticulous, but getting just the right shade it important.
My final product has been progressing quite well and I'm about 70% of the way through. I have finished doing all of the marketing research portions necessary and I'm currently working on developing a creative brief and finding someone to help me develop the creative. Because the due date draws ever closer, my mentor and I have now decided to start meeting once a week, doubling my time at the ad agency.
If my final product and FPN are even close to being as memorable as an icosikaioctagon, I'll be one step closer to success.
Until next time,
Eileen Bau
Icosikaioctagon is the proper terminology for a 28-sided polygon, apparently. I didn't even know those had a name. Honestly, though, who named it? It makes me curious. Was it a mathematician? Or a linguistics expert? Anyways, the reason I chose this fact as my fact of the week is because, despite its unwieldy-ness , an icosikaioctagon is a pretty unique name. I can bet that if you saw it again somewhere, you'd know what it meant. Similar to good branding, the name sticks with you.
This past week, we've been really ramping things up to prepare for Final Presentation Night (FPN). Everything from my invitations to my display board to my outfit has to be somewhat sychronized in order to brand myself. It's facetious and meticulous, but getting just the right shade it important.
My final product has been progressing quite well and I'm about 70% of the way through. I have finished doing all of the marketing research portions necessary and I'm currently working on developing a creative brief and finding someone to help me develop the creative. Because the due date draws ever closer, my mentor and I have now decided to start meeting once a week, doubling my time at the ad agency.
If my final product and FPN are even close to being as memorable as an icosikaioctagon, I'll be one step closer to success.
Until next time,
Eileen Bau
Thursday, March 19, 2015
3/23 Weekly Update #25: Quarters
Dear reader,
We call coins quarters because 25/100 = 1/4. However, the word quarter has many meanings. The verb quarter also means to basically slice someone to death (this expression belongs a series of three: hanged, drawn, and quartered), and another noun form of quarter means living space. In a similar fashion, marketing has multiple definitions. In fact, it's difficult to even define marketing because a) it's such a broad field, b)it's forever changing, and c)everyone has different opinions on what the term means.
However, I believe that even though we have universally agreed to disagree on what exactly marketing is, we have universally agreed that it is difficult. I've written earlier on that marketing isn't something that can be learned in a textbook (to a certain extent), but that marketing (of any kind) takes experience in the real world. I am lucky enough to have a mentor that gives me plenty of these opportunities. This past week, I went on another mentor visit, in which I sat in on a client meeting. Besides learning more about how my mentor and his team have been developing a specific ad, I learned more about how to communicate with clients.
Whenever my mentor speaks with his clients, he is assertive but not aggressive, firm but not demanding. It's important to find the right way to approach clients and talk to them. Establishing camaraderie or using humor can also help greatly. Being able to work effectively with a client entails being able to listen to what they are saying, but it also entails being able to tell them (in the correct fashion) when their views don't line up with yours. In the end, the client is in control, but as someone who is responsible for advising them on marketing/strategic decisions, you are entitled to provide them with the knowledge and information to make their decisions.
As I continue sitting in on these meetings and seeing ads progress from being an idea to a reality, I come to appreciate more and more the work that goes into every facet of an advertisement. Additionally, as I continue working on my final product, I come to appreciate more and more the thought that goes into every facet of branding. Though I've got less than a quarter of the year left, being able to live these experiences has helped me quarter my way through the mystery surrounding marketing and create my own quarters in this field.
Until next week,
Eileen Bau
We call coins quarters because 25/100 = 1/4. However, the word quarter has many meanings. The verb quarter also means to basically slice someone to death (this expression belongs a series of three: hanged, drawn, and quartered), and another noun form of quarter means living space. In a similar fashion, marketing has multiple definitions. In fact, it's difficult to even define marketing because a) it's such a broad field, b)it's forever changing, and c)everyone has different opinions on what the term means.
However, I believe that even though we have universally agreed to disagree on what exactly marketing is, we have universally agreed that it is difficult. I've written earlier on that marketing isn't something that can be learned in a textbook (to a certain extent), but that marketing (of any kind) takes experience in the real world. I am lucky enough to have a mentor that gives me plenty of these opportunities. This past week, I went on another mentor visit, in which I sat in on a client meeting. Besides learning more about how my mentor and his team have been developing a specific ad, I learned more about how to communicate with clients.
Whenever my mentor speaks with his clients, he is assertive but not aggressive, firm but not demanding. It's important to find the right way to approach clients and talk to them. Establishing camaraderie or using humor can also help greatly. Being able to work effectively with a client entails being able to listen to what they are saying, but it also entails being able to tell them (in the correct fashion) when their views don't line up with yours. In the end, the client is in control, but as someone who is responsible for advising them on marketing/strategic decisions, you are entitled to provide them with the knowledge and information to make their decisions.
As I continue sitting in on these meetings and seeing ads progress from being an idea to a reality, I come to appreciate more and more the work that goes into every facet of an advertisement. Additionally, as I continue working on my final product, I come to appreciate more and more the thought that goes into every facet of branding. Though I've got less than a quarter of the year left, being able to live these experiences has helped me quarter my way through the mystery surrounding marketing and create my own quarters in this field.
Until next week,
Eileen Bau
Sunday, March 15, 2015
3/16 Weekly Update #24: Ribcage
Dear Reader,
The average human has twenty four ribs in their ribcage, twelve per side, as even as day and night, which also have twenty four hours in them. The ribcage, as I'm sure you know, is especially important because it protects the heart. It's kind of weird, isn't it? Who decided a bone cage was the best way to protect one of the most important parts of the body?
Ribs were meant to take hits. It's kind of unavoidable really - everyone's bound to take some sort of damage to their torso sometime over the course of their lives, whether it's because they're a boxer or because they're clumsy. In a way, what I'm doing right now with ISM is kind of life constructing myself a ribcage - except to protect not just my heart, but myself. Even though I've definitely chosen Marketing as my career field, you never know. Things change, and people change, and that's scary. Hopefully, by gaining real-world experience through ISM into the marketing/advertising field, I'll be able to protect myself from whatever uncertainty the future holds, because I'll already be a step ahead of everyone else in the game.
This past week was Spring Break (yay!). Because I didn't have to go to school, my mentor visit this week was especially long. I had the privilege of staying at the ad agency for 6-ish hours. During these 6 hours, I got to see what a "typical" day looked like for my mentor (although he assures me that there isn't really such a thing in the advertising field), and I made lots of headway on my Final Product. My mentor provided me with access to Iconoculture, which is like a database on current consumer trends, with reports written by marketing researchers on what the general populace is up to. I found this fascinating, because not only is it another possible job option, it's also a great place to get ideas from. I learned about new trends in the consumer market that allowed me to brainstorm possible new marketing strategies for my advertising campaign.
This next week, I'll be focusing on getting back in the swing of things and possibly revamping my display board from Research Showcase to use on Final Presentation Night.
Until next time,
Eileen Bau
The average human has twenty four ribs in their ribcage, twelve per side, as even as day and night, which also have twenty four hours in them. The ribcage, as I'm sure you know, is especially important because it protects the heart. It's kind of weird, isn't it? Who decided a bone cage was the best way to protect one of the most important parts of the body?
Ribs were meant to take hits. It's kind of unavoidable really - everyone's bound to take some sort of damage to their torso sometime over the course of their lives, whether it's because they're a boxer or because they're clumsy. In a way, what I'm doing right now with ISM is kind of life constructing myself a ribcage - except to protect not just my heart, but myself. Even though I've definitely chosen Marketing as my career field, you never know. Things change, and people change, and that's scary. Hopefully, by gaining real-world experience through ISM into the marketing/advertising field, I'll be able to protect myself from whatever uncertainty the future holds, because I'll already be a step ahead of everyone else in the game.
This past week was Spring Break (yay!). Because I didn't have to go to school, my mentor visit this week was especially long. I had the privilege of staying at the ad agency for 6-ish hours. During these 6 hours, I got to see what a "typical" day looked like for my mentor (although he assures me that there isn't really such a thing in the advertising field), and I made lots of headway on my Final Product. My mentor provided me with access to Iconoculture, which is like a database on current consumer trends, with reports written by marketing researchers on what the general populace is up to. I found this fascinating, because not only is it another possible job option, it's also a great place to get ideas from. I learned about new trends in the consumer market that allowed me to brainstorm possible new marketing strategies for my advertising campaign.
This next week, I'll be focusing on getting back in the swing of things and possibly revamping my display board from Research Showcase to use on Final Presentation Night.
Until next time,
Eileen Bau
3/2 Weekly Update #23: Et tu, Brute?
Dear reader,
Julius Caesar was (allegedly) stabbed 23 times by his friends at the time of his death. Not to be especially macabre, but I figure that a couple stabs is sufficient. 23 seems to be overkill - or compensation, perhaps, to those who killed him. It's kind of like this other funny quote I've recently read, which goes something like this: "If he writes a couple sonnets about her, he loves her. If he writes three hundred sonnets about her, he loves sonnets." If they stabbed Caesar a couple times, they wanted him dead, but if they stabbed him twenty three times, they probably wanted his entire system of government and legacy dead.
So what does this have to do with my ISM journey? Well, I figure that if I spend a couple hours poking into the Marketing field, I'm looking out for a potential career field, but if I spend hundreds of hours in the Marketing field, I'm definitely looking into Marketing as my future. ISM is a lot of work, which is at the same time hard but satisfying. It's hard, because true work isn't ever easy, but it's satisfying because I know that if I'm willing to put this much effort into it, I'm definitely in the right place.
This past week, I had the opportunity to go behind-the-scenes for a TV shoot that Slingshot was doing. It was amazing to see how much preparation went into a few seconds of footage. The ad agency was responsible for planning out everything, but seeing it in action is vastly different from writing it out on paper. There was one item being shot, but there were at least 20-30 people on set, ranging from camera crew to directors to clients relations to the actual client.
The reason this particular post is being updated so late is because I have been on spring break, which was a much-welcomed rest. I'm now ready to get back in the game and ramp up my efforts to complete my Final Product and get ready for Final Presentation Night.
Until next time,
Eileen Bau
Julius Caesar was (allegedly) stabbed 23 times by his friends at the time of his death. Not to be especially macabre, but I figure that a couple stabs is sufficient. 23 seems to be overkill - or compensation, perhaps, to those who killed him. It's kind of like this other funny quote I've recently read, which goes something like this: "If he writes a couple sonnets about her, he loves her. If he writes three hundred sonnets about her, he loves sonnets." If they stabbed Caesar a couple times, they wanted him dead, but if they stabbed him twenty three times, they probably wanted his entire system of government and legacy dead.
So what does this have to do with my ISM journey? Well, I figure that if I spend a couple hours poking into the Marketing field, I'm looking out for a potential career field, but if I spend hundreds of hours in the Marketing field, I'm definitely looking into Marketing as my future. ISM is a lot of work, which is at the same time hard but satisfying. It's hard, because true work isn't ever easy, but it's satisfying because I know that if I'm willing to put this much effort into it, I'm definitely in the right place.
This past week, I had the opportunity to go behind-the-scenes for a TV shoot that Slingshot was doing. It was amazing to see how much preparation went into a few seconds of footage. The ad agency was responsible for planning out everything, but seeing it in action is vastly different from writing it out on paper. There was one item being shot, but there were at least 20-30 people on set, ranging from camera crew to directors to clients relations to the actual client.
The reason this particular post is being updated so late is because I have been on spring break, which was a much-welcomed rest. I'm now ready to get back in the game and ramp up my efforts to complete my Final Product and get ready for Final Presentation Night.
Until next time,
Eileen Bau
Monday, February 23, 2015
2/23 Weekly Update #22: I'm Feeling...
Dear Reader,
There is a catchy pop song by one Taylor Swift called "22", with the famous tagline: "I don't know about you / but I'm feeling 22 / everything will be alright if / you keep me next to you."
The entire song is about feeling young and free, despite any obstacles or burdens a person may have. In times like these, such a song is comforting. Though ISM doesn't have any big events coming up immediately, on the horizon lurks Final Presentation Night, where we must each give a 30-40 minute speech on our journey this year along with present our boards for about 1.5 hours. It is the culmination of this year. And it is May 15.
May 15 comes at the end of a two-week testing period for AP exams. During those 2 weeks, I will probably experience vast amounts of stress. So as a result, I'm attempting to do as much work as I can now to avoid having to do more work than necessary during those two weeks.
This past week, I had the privilege of going on another mentor visit. During this visit, I met Slingshot LLC's Senior Media Planner, Production Supervisor, and my mentor's team that works with him on a certain client account. The highlight of my day was definitely getting to attend a team meeting where a new ad was being discussed. Though probably a very routine meeting for everyone else in attendance, I was amazed by the way each person contributed to the discussion. The team was clearly comfortable with one another, and thus also excellent at communicating. When trying to figure out the best placement for the ads, what to put on each part of the ad, and part of the wording that would go on the ad, the team looked at it from the consumer’s point of view. This isn’t any new concept: every ad agency does this. However, what stood out to me was they way that they not only looked at it from the consumer’s point of view, but the way they manipulated it from the consumer’s point of view. They brought up possibilities that I would’ve never thought of, and bounced their ideas off of each other to create the best possible outcome.
Until next time,
Eileen Bau
There is a catchy pop song by one Taylor Swift called "22", with the famous tagline: "I don't know about you / but I'm feeling 22 / everything will be alright if / you keep me next to you."
The entire song is about feeling young and free, despite any obstacles or burdens a person may have. In times like these, such a song is comforting. Though ISM doesn't have any big events coming up immediately, on the horizon lurks Final Presentation Night, where we must each give a 30-40 minute speech on our journey this year along with present our boards for about 1.5 hours. It is the culmination of this year. And it is May 15.
May 15 comes at the end of a two-week testing period for AP exams. During those 2 weeks, I will probably experience vast amounts of stress. So as a result, I'm attempting to do as much work as I can now to avoid having to do more work than necessary during those two weeks.
This past week, I had the privilege of going on another mentor visit. During this visit, I met Slingshot LLC's Senior Media Planner, Production Supervisor, and my mentor's team that works with him on a certain client account. The highlight of my day was definitely getting to attend a team meeting where a new ad was being discussed. Though probably a very routine meeting for everyone else in attendance, I was amazed by the way each person contributed to the discussion. The team was clearly comfortable with one another, and thus also excellent at communicating. When trying to figure out the best placement for the ads, what to put on each part of the ad, and part of the wording that would go on the ad, the team looked at it from the consumer’s point of view. This isn’t any new concept: every ad agency does this. However, what stood out to me was they way that they not only looked at it from the consumer’s point of view, but the way they manipulated it from the consumer’s point of view. They brought up possibilities that I would’ve never thought of, and bounced their ideas off of each other to create the best possible outcome.
Until next time,
Eileen Bau
2/16 Weekly Update #21: Blackjack
Dear Reader,
If you are not familiar with card games, this title probably doesn't make sense. However, 21 is the magical number in the game Blackjack (in which you attempt to make a sum of 21 from your cards- and luck- to win).
I feel like Blackjack is a pretty accurate description of what I'm doing right now. In Blackjack, you start out with two cards. Based off of the values on these cards, you can ask the dealer for another card or pass. The goal is to get the value of the cards to add up as closely as possible to 21 without busting over it. With ISM, that's how it feels sometimes with the workload. You take on as much as possible to guarantee maximum quality without going over your limit. Otherwise, it's a bust, because then the quality of your work isn't very good.
This past week, I have been ever more aware of the fact that I have a limit. Though ISM hasn't been too demanding lately, I am still on a tight self-imposed timeline for my Final Product. Everything that I'm doing for it is wholly new to me, and I have to do it well and in a timely fashion.
The redeeming fact about all of this is that it's fun for me. I like being challenged, as much as I may complain about it. Additionally, for my Final Product, it's all pure marketing and advertising work, which is something that I actually enjoy, unlike slogging through calculus homework (however, I understand math is important and thus calculus is a necessary evil). This has been a quiet, but busy week. Next week, I'll meet again with my mentor and get even more of an experience into this strange, fascinating world of advertising.
Regards,
Eileen Bau
If you are not familiar with card games, this title probably doesn't make sense. However, 21 is the magical number in the game Blackjack (in which you attempt to make a sum of 21 from your cards- and luck- to win).
I feel like Blackjack is a pretty accurate description of what I'm doing right now. In Blackjack, you start out with two cards. Based off of the values on these cards, you can ask the dealer for another card or pass. The goal is to get the value of the cards to add up as closely as possible to 21 without busting over it. With ISM, that's how it feels sometimes with the workload. You take on as much as possible to guarantee maximum quality without going over your limit. Otherwise, it's a bust, because then the quality of your work isn't very good.
This past week, I have been ever more aware of the fact that I have a limit. Though ISM hasn't been too demanding lately, I am still on a tight self-imposed timeline for my Final Product. Everything that I'm doing for it is wholly new to me, and I have to do it well and in a timely fashion.
The redeeming fact about all of this is that it's fun for me. I like being challenged, as much as I may complain about it. Additionally, for my Final Product, it's all pure marketing and advertising work, which is something that I actually enjoy, unlike slogging through calculus homework (however, I understand math is important and thus calculus is a necessary evil). This has been a quiet, but busy week. Next week, I'll meet again with my mentor and get even more of an experience into this strange, fascinating world of advertising.
Regards,
Eileen Bau
Sunday, February 8, 2015
2/9 Weekly Update #20: Venti
Dear Reader,
There are 3 sizes of drinks at Starbucks. You can get a Tall, Grande, or Venti, aka Small, Medium, and Large. However, this system makes no sense. In no universe does small mean tall. Grande is literally "big" in Spanish. However, the most ridiculous one is Venti. Venti means 20 in Latin. Hello, yes, I'd like a size 20 coffee please. Yet, it works. I'd like to think Starbucks does this on purpose. From a marketing point of view, it just sounds so much more empowering to say "venti" than "large", which often comes with negative connotation (thanks to our health-conscious society). Additionally, saying "tall" and knowing that you purchased a "tall" drink could boost consumer satisfaction, because "tall" obviously sounds like you got so much more than if you said "small".
There are 3 sizes of drinks at Starbucks. You can get a Tall, Grande, or Venti, aka Small, Medium, and Large. However, this system makes no sense. In no universe does small mean tall. Grande is literally "big" in Spanish. However, the most ridiculous one is Venti. Venti means 20 in Latin. Hello, yes, I'd like a size 20 coffee please. Yet, it works. I'd like to think Starbucks does this on purpose. From a marketing point of view, it just sounds so much more empowering to say "venti" than "large", which often comes with negative connotation (thanks to our health-conscious society). Additionally, saying "tall" and knowing that you purchased a "tall" drink could boost consumer satisfaction, because "tall" obviously sounds like you got so much more than if you said "small".
This past week, I have been working on my Final Product. I had my second mentor visit, and received approval to finally disclose who my mentor is.
My mentor is Scott Eagle, an Account Supervisor at Slingshot LLC, an advertising agency. When I went for my second visit for him, we basically hashed out a plan for my final product, which is going to be an advertising campaign for a small business. The steps (not in any particular order) include:
Competitive Research (category trends) (martial arts or rec sports)
Stakeholder interviews
Developing a Creative Brief
Analyzing the business situation (micro/macro environment)
Insights/Research (consumer trends)
And many more. Tomorrow, I will give a 25 minute speech over my ISM journey so far. Wish me luck.
Until next time,
Eileen Bau
My mentor is Scott Eagle, an Account Supervisor at Slingshot LLC, an advertising agency. When I went for my second visit for him, we basically hashed out a plan for my final product, which is going to be an advertising campaign for a small business. The steps (not in any particular order) include:
Competitive Research (category trends) (martial arts or rec sports)
Stakeholder interviews
Developing a Creative Brief
Analyzing the business situation (micro/macro environment)
Insights/Research (consumer trends)
And many more. Tomorrow, I will give a 25 minute speech over my ISM journey so far. Wish me luck.
Until next time,
Eileen Bau
Sunday, February 1, 2015
2/2 Weekly Update #19: Suffrage
Dear Reader,
Did you know that the 19th amendment was the women's suffrage amendment? Probably. (That's the fact of the week, and it has nothing to do with the US History course I'm taking at the moment, at all). Women were one of the most underrepresented groups in history. Nowadays, it's impossible to walk around a city and not see advertisements geared towards women. Women represent such an important target market because they not only have their own purchasing power, they also influence the buying decision of the entire household. Additionally, women tend to respond to marketing and advertising techniques in different ways that men do, which makes for interesting studies and even more interesting ad designs. However, before womanhood, every girl must go through being a teenager. Although many have got the art of marketing to women down to a T, there are not many who can say the same about teenagers. Often labeled as one of the hardest groups to market to, ads towards teens can end up disastrous or way off target. This is something that (as a teenager), I am especially interested in.
This past week, I finished my Original Work. It was a packaging study over Band-Aids marketed specifically at teenagers. I won't go into too much details because you can find it in this blog under the "research" tab, but basically I interviewed a small group of teenagers in order to gather qualitative data about how they reacted to package design. This means that I was more interested in subjective consumer taste rather than in objective statistics like ideal font size or something like that.
These next couple weeks are going to be less hectic than this week was, but it's actually going to be the calm before the storm. Final Product is looming ahead, along with more things like 30-minute speech preparation. Wish me luck.
Until next week,
Eileen Bau
Did you know that the 19th amendment was the women's suffrage amendment? Probably. (That's the fact of the week, and it has nothing to do with the US History course I'm taking at the moment, at all). Women were one of the most underrepresented groups in history. Nowadays, it's impossible to walk around a city and not see advertisements geared towards women. Women represent such an important target market because they not only have their own purchasing power, they also influence the buying decision of the entire household. Additionally, women tend to respond to marketing and advertising techniques in different ways that men do, which makes for interesting studies and even more interesting ad designs. However, before womanhood, every girl must go through being a teenager. Although many have got the art of marketing to women down to a T, there are not many who can say the same about teenagers. Often labeled as one of the hardest groups to market to, ads towards teens can end up disastrous or way off target. This is something that (as a teenager), I am especially interested in.
This past week, I finished my Original Work. It was a packaging study over Band-Aids marketed specifically at teenagers. I won't go into too much details because you can find it in this blog under the "research" tab, but basically I interviewed a small group of teenagers in order to gather qualitative data about how they reacted to package design. This means that I was more interested in subjective consumer taste rather than in objective statistics like ideal font size or something like that.
These next couple weeks are going to be less hectic than this week was, but it's actually going to be the calm before the storm. Final Product is looming ahead, along with more things like 30-minute speech preparation. Wish me luck.
Until next week,
Eileen Bau
Sunday, January 25, 2015
1/26 Weekly Update #18: Catnaps
Dear reader,
This week's update title is not a pun, partially because it is pretty hard to think of a pun that contains the word "eighteen" and partially because I feel like a new era has begun. Instead of number puns, I will now be using number facts instead. This week's fact: Did you know cats can sleep, on average, up to 18 hours a day? I think I stay awake for 18 hours a day. However, cats and I have something in common: simply because we can do something doesn't mean we actually do it. Not all cats sleep for 18 hours a day, every day.
Similarly, I don't always do what I can do. On the surface, this sounds like a bad thing. Why not be all that you can be? Here's the answer: it's because in the real world, you have to make decisions and sacrifices and choose which doors to open and which doors to close. This past week, I've made a lot of choices and closed a lot of potential pathways. For example, while working on my Original Work, I decided to focus on qualitative research, not quantitative research. I will be surveying people over how certain elements of packaging make them feel, not surveying to see how many people like each type of packaging. I will be writing a formal research paper, not creating a slideshow.
However, my choices extend beyond the scope of this week's work. I made the decision to aim high for my Final Product (similar to Original Work, but instead of doing original research, we must create an original, tangible thing that showcases our learning) when I could have chosen to do some easy, mediocre product. I chose to challenge myself because it would be no fun otherwise. I chose to dream big and take risks.
I choose to make this journey remarkable, memorable, and unique.
I choose to try and amaze you.
Until next time,
Eileen Bau
This week's update title is not a pun, partially because it is pretty hard to think of a pun that contains the word "eighteen" and partially because I feel like a new era has begun. Instead of number puns, I will now be using number facts instead. This week's fact: Did you know cats can sleep, on average, up to 18 hours a day? I think I stay awake for 18 hours a day. However, cats and I have something in common: simply because we can do something doesn't mean we actually do it. Not all cats sleep for 18 hours a day, every day.
Similarly, I don't always do what I can do. On the surface, this sounds like a bad thing. Why not be all that you can be? Here's the answer: it's because in the real world, you have to make decisions and sacrifices and choose which doors to open and which doors to close. This past week, I've made a lot of choices and closed a lot of potential pathways. For example, while working on my Original Work, I decided to focus on qualitative research, not quantitative research. I will be surveying people over how certain elements of packaging make them feel, not surveying to see how many people like each type of packaging. I will be writing a formal research paper, not creating a slideshow.
However, my choices extend beyond the scope of this week's work. I made the decision to aim high for my Final Product (similar to Original Work, but instead of doing original research, we must create an original, tangible thing that showcases our learning) when I could have chosen to do some easy, mediocre product. I chose to challenge myself because it would be no fun otherwise. I chose to dream big and take risks.
I choose to make this journey remarkable, memorable, and unique.
I choose to try and amaze you.
Until next time,
Eileen Bau
Tuesday, January 20, 2015
1/19 Weekly Update #17: Sewenteen, Sir!
Dear reader,
Can you do a Russian accent? The reason for this week's post title involves one. In the 2009 Star Trek reboot movie, Officer Anton Chekhov miraculously pulls off an engineering feat to save the ship, upon which Dr. McCoy asks him, "How old are you?", and Chekhov replies with "Seventeen, Sir!", except in a Russian accent, so it comes out as "Sewenteen".
Even though this entire exchange took all of 10 seconds, it really resonated with me. Oftentimes, people misunderstand or underestimate me because of my age, just like how McCoy didn't believe Chekhov could pull off something like that at 17. This is a big thing in ISM: we accomplish many things at a highschool age that many people don't expect us to be able to do.
However, we are lucky to have an astounding support network. Personally, I know I am extremely lucky to have found a mentor who is encouraging and helpful yet shares control of this mentorship with me. For the past week, I have been making my Original Work a reality and I had my first mentor visit!
My first mentor visit was amazing. I learned, in a couple hours, possibly more than I have in the past couple of months about how an ad agency runs. I got to see what it's like to work with clients and what it's like to conduct true market research. I also received priceless advice on how to conduct the research on my Original Work. Speaking of, once my Original Work is finished, I will upload it on here. There is so much more to come.
Until next time,
Eileen Bau
Can you do a Russian accent? The reason for this week's post title involves one. In the 2009 Star Trek reboot movie, Officer Anton Chekhov miraculously pulls off an engineering feat to save the ship, upon which Dr. McCoy asks him, "How old are you?", and Chekhov replies with "Seventeen, Sir!", except in a Russian accent, so it comes out as "Sewenteen".
Even though this entire exchange took all of 10 seconds, it really resonated with me. Oftentimes, people misunderstand or underestimate me because of my age, just like how McCoy didn't believe Chekhov could pull off something like that at 17. This is a big thing in ISM: we accomplish many things at a highschool age that many people don't expect us to be able to do.
However, we are lucky to have an astounding support network. Personally, I know I am extremely lucky to have found a mentor who is encouraging and helpful yet shares control of this mentorship with me. For the past week, I have been making my Original Work a reality and I had my first mentor visit!
My first mentor visit was amazing. I learned, in a couple hours, possibly more than I have in the past couple of months about how an ad agency runs. I got to see what it's like to work with clients and what it's like to conduct true market research. I also received priceless advice on how to conduct the research on my Original Work. Speaking of, once my Original Work is finished, I will upload it on here. There is so much more to come.
Until next time,
Eileen Bau
Sunday, January 11, 2015
1/12 Weekly Update #16: Sweet Sixteen
Dear reader,
Why do we celebrate sweet sixteens? I actually have no idea, but I'd like to think it's not to celebrate coming of age, but that it is rather to celebrate the beauty of youth. Sixteen is that age where you're young and you know it, and the possibilities are seemingly endless. The reason this post is titled as it is is because this past week has given me that same sense of possibility and potential.
I have started to truly hash out the details to my Original Work, which will be a packaging study. Additionally, I have started to arrange mentor visits and it is all falling into place. Although I haven't gone on any interviews or completed anything new this week, it has been one of the most refreshing weeks in my journey. This week was a week of inspiration, of recharge, and of brainstorming.
I think best with a marker in my hand and a whiteboard at my disposal. For a solid 45 minutes, I brain-dumped all of my ideas onto the whiteboard and molded the beginnings of my Original Work. This creative catharsis is one of my favorite feelings in the world. You can practically taste the energy, and there is nobody there to tell you "no" but yourself. You get to try and consider things from as many different perspectives as possible, and it's immensely fun to put yourself in other people's shoes. You get to step back after you're done, look at the monster you've created on the board, and go Yes. I made that. And it's beautiful, even if nobody else understands it quite yet.
Next week, I will update you on my first mentor visit (if scheduling goes well) and the progression of my Original Work!
Until next time,
Eileen Bau
Why do we celebrate sweet sixteens? I actually have no idea, but I'd like to think it's not to celebrate coming of age, but that it is rather to celebrate the beauty of youth. Sixteen is that age where you're young and you know it, and the possibilities are seemingly endless. The reason this post is titled as it is is because this past week has given me that same sense of possibility and potential.
I have started to truly hash out the details to my Original Work, which will be a packaging study. Additionally, I have started to arrange mentor visits and it is all falling into place. Although I haven't gone on any interviews or completed anything new this week, it has been one of the most refreshing weeks in my journey. This week was a week of inspiration, of recharge, and of brainstorming.
I think best with a marker in my hand and a whiteboard at my disposal. For a solid 45 minutes, I brain-dumped all of my ideas onto the whiteboard and molded the beginnings of my Original Work. This creative catharsis is one of my favorite feelings in the world. You can practically taste the energy, and there is nobody there to tell you "no" but yourself. You get to try and consider things from as many different perspectives as possible, and it's immensely fun to put yourself in other people's shoes. You get to step back after you're done, look at the monster you've created on the board, and go Yes. I made that. And it's beautiful, even if nobody else understands it quite yet.
Next week, I will update you on my first mentor visit (if scheduling goes well) and the progression of my Original Work!
Until next time,
Eileen Bau
Monday, January 5, 2015
1/5 Weekly Update #15: Quinceanara
Dear reader,
The past couple of weeks have been amazing. I've been on winter break for the past 2 weeks (which why I've been MIA), but now I'm ready to get back to work. This update will be written about the week before winter break.
To recap (from Weekly Update #14): I needed to find a mentor before the semester ended. Research Showcase was also coming up.
Tuesday was Research Showcase. It was exciting and nerve-wracking at the same time. I've been working on my display board for hours and this event was basically the culmination of the first semester. Additionally, several school officials, professionals, and people important to me attended. I am satisfied with my performance. Basically, I knew that I had to stand out among the dozens of displays, so I set up a little marketing survey (data/results and analysis posted soon) in which each person physically put a sticker on my display (kind of like crowdsourced art/research). This data will be used as a preliminary study to help me plan my Original Work. (If you're confused about what this is, I believe it was addressed it Weekly Update #13)
On Thursday, I went to Slingshot LLC, an advertising agency in Dallas. I had a series of interviews with several professionals in their team, and they were all brilliant. However, in an even more exciting turn of events...I found a mentor! I haven't yet asked my mentor if I can publicly release details about them on this blog, so for now it will be kept under wraps. But I can tell you I am infinitely excited because I know that this mentorship will be invaluable.
The reason this post is entitled Quinceanara (A Latin-American tradition in which a girl celebrates her 15th birthday with a special religious ceremony and party) is because besides being the 15th week, this week was better than any birthday present anyone could for. I successfully found a mentor and proved that I'm not just another student interested in marketing, but that I am a student actively pursuing my dreams.
Until next week,
Eileen Bau
The past couple of weeks have been amazing. I've been on winter break for the past 2 weeks (which why I've been MIA), but now I'm ready to get back to work. This update will be written about the week before winter break.
To recap (from Weekly Update #14): I needed to find a mentor before the semester ended. Research Showcase was also coming up.
Tuesday was Research Showcase. It was exciting and nerve-wracking at the same time. I've been working on my display board for hours and this event was basically the culmination of the first semester. Additionally, several school officials, professionals, and people important to me attended. I am satisfied with my performance. Basically, I knew that I had to stand out among the dozens of displays, so I set up a little marketing survey (data/results and analysis posted soon) in which each person physically put a sticker on my display (kind of like crowdsourced art/research). This data will be used as a preliminary study to help me plan my Original Work. (If you're confused about what this is, I believe it was addressed it Weekly Update #13)
On Thursday, I went to Slingshot LLC, an advertising agency in Dallas. I had a series of interviews with several professionals in their team, and they were all brilliant. However, in an even more exciting turn of events...I found a mentor! I haven't yet asked my mentor if I can publicly release details about them on this blog, so for now it will be kept under wraps. But I can tell you I am infinitely excited because I know that this mentorship will be invaluable.
The reason this post is entitled Quinceanara (A Latin-American tradition in which a girl celebrates her 15th birthday with a special religious ceremony and party) is because besides being the 15th week, this week was better than any birthday present anyone could for. I successfully found a mentor and proved that I'm not just another student interested in marketing, but that I am a student actively pursuing my dreams.
Until next week,
Eileen Bau
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