Group Projects

I really enjoyed all the group projects that were presented in class last week. I think everyone did a great job in choosing different retailers and companies and creating new marketing campaigns for them. One project that sticks out in my head is the one for Kodak. I really enjoyed this presentation because Kodak is something we don't discuss much as retailing students. It was refreshing to see a take on a company that doesn't sale clothing and accessories, since that's what we mostly focus on. I think the campaign the group created for Kodak was well executed and I could actually see it helping Kodak if it were their actual marketing campaign! Great job!

-Jessica

A Career in Marketing and Advertising.

As I prepare for the end of the semester for the fall of my junior year, I can't even believe how fast the semester has flown by and it's all a little overwhelming. I feel like I really have learned a lot from my classes that I am currently taking and feel like the material I have learned recently is really going to be useful in my future career. After taking this Integrated Marketing Communications class, I feel like I would really like to go into marketing and advertising after graduating from college. The thrill of coming up with new ideas to progress a product or a company and make that particular thing very successful is something that I am truly interested in. I really do love fashion and I know that I always will, but I am very interested in the consumer side of retailing and why people buy. I love marketing and advertising because by seeing or hearing different advertisements, we can dissect them and figure out what the core message really is. Why would someone hear or see the ad and think that they NEED that product or service. Advertising is something that I really want to explore and think that this class has really brought me into what I truly may want for my future career.
-Amanda

Keith Richards and Disney

Near the release for Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's end, Keith Richards, who plays Johnny Depp's father in the movie, made headlines for snorting his dead father's ashes. The marketing team behind the movie became worried about the effects Keith's actions would have on the film, so Disney pulled him from doing any publicity for the film. I'm not sure if taking him out of the promotions for the film all together was a good idea. Having such an already famous celebrity promote a summer blockbuster might help bring more people in to see the movie. However, I do understand how Disney could feel apprehensive about having Keith associated with the movie since they are such a kid-friendly company. But the movie is full of inappropriate things like drinking and smoking, so why would it be such a big deal? Do you think Disney should have pulled Keith Richards from promoting Pirate's when he is already in the movie anyway?

-Jessica

BBC or GMA?

I usually start my weekday mornings with a shower, a cup of coffee and Good Morning America on ABC. It's an entertaining way to get the latest news, but also new and interesting products, technological advances, and controversial news stories. Sometimes I get news from the Yahoo homepage and click on stories when the headlines really catch my eye.
When looking at the BBC and NYTimes websites, it was very different than watching TV or even looking at the local newspaper. I found it incredibly overwhelming to look at everything on the BBC website, but I did realize that I should be keeping up with the news around the world more often. I really enjoyed the NYTimes website, even though there was so much to look at, but I really enjoyed the style and entertainment sections and even found myself looking for archived fashion articles and looking up sections in the archives like during 9/11/01. It's amazing how much is on one website, but for right now I think I'll stick to GMA and look at BBC or NYTimes when I need a worldly view of things.
-Amanda

I usually get the news by watching The Today Show on NBC every morning, which also includes a few minutes of local news in-between commercials. I like watching The Today Show because I can get ready for class and just listen to the TV to get the news, rather than having to take time to sit down at the computer and click and read different news headlines and articles. However, a setback to watching The Today Show to get my news is that if I miss it, I can't go back and listen to it again. On the BBC and New York Times websites, you can click on the articles and read them as much as you need to. You are also able to print them out so you can have them right in front of you whenever you need them. Also, BBC allows you to get news from all over the world. However, I find the BBC website to be a little intimidating and overwhelming. I like the New York times because, like The Today Show, you not only get the news, but the latest in health, style, entertainment, and more. I like to have a little mix of everything so that I don't get too bored by just serious news stories.

-Jessica

Cheerios

I really enjoyed class today. The ads we watched and discussed were very interesting, especially the Cheerios ad. I liked that the ad was different than the cereal ads you normally see on TV. Cereal commercials normally either target children with sugary cereal and kid friendly advertisements, or adults with heart healthy and weight-loss cereals. However, this Cheerios ad had a more specific target - adults with children. The ad uses emotion to connect with the viewer and shows how Cheerios can bring people together, even complete strangers. I also liked the fact that at the end of the commercial it said that the story line was inspired by a true story. I think knowing this commercial was based on a true story makes it more believable, which is more affective in connecting with the consumer. I think Cheerios ad is very successful and was money well spent!

-Jessica

Finding the Perfect Internship

Some days it seems like college life will last forever and living in an apartment with your roommates, going to class everyday, is how our lives will be forever, but that is so wrong. As a junior in the CARS department, I am constantly asking myself, what do I want to do after college. The CARS major offers so much and in so many different areas of the Consumer, Apparel, and Retail Industries that it can sometimes be overwhelming as to the number of options that a degree in our major has to to offer.
One of the biggest things you are probably thinking about if you are a junior or senior, is INTERNSHIPS. Yes, I know the word we hear ALL the time and that we are always bombarded with. I have been looking at internships all over the U.S. and am very excited to be an intern in the summer of 2008, but what I don't necessarily find thrilling is the process of searching and searching and searching.
Taking the Pre-Internship class (CRS 331) is really preparing my peers and myself for the business world and the correct way to have business interaction and communication off of the college campus. I have not narrowed my search down for internships in just Greensboro or North Carolina, but it would be nice to be around here, too.
I am excited and nervous to take this next big step in my college career and really learn what I want to do in this industry through an internship that will offer me a lot of great information, learning experiences, and an insight into what I may want to do in the future.

If you are looking for some websites to find internships, here are a few that are really great and reccommended by the UNCG Career Services Center:

www.internships-usa.com
www.internshipprograms.com
www.campuscareercenter.com/students/intern.asp
www.vault.com/top-internships

-Amanda