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
Thursday, March 19, 2015
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
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