April 2013
#TornadoWeek Targets Interns
As the semester is winding down, a lot of use are finishing up our internships or on the search for one for the summer. We’ve all been in the position where we’ve had to work tireless hours and drain our brains in hopes of impressing our bosses. Well, what if you were going about your normal day, but periodically blasted with tornado winds that are controlled by public mentions of #TornadoWeek on Twitter? This week, during Tornado Week, The Weather Channel has a group of excited interns who came up with the idea to have their office blasted by Twitter powered tornado winds. If you tweet @TornadoWeek, the interns will receive your message, so go ahead and send some winds their way! They’ve even set a goal at 1,000,000 mentions to blast the office with a full-blown EF-5 tornado. Good luck to the world’s most dedicated interns.
Intern Life: One Year Later
I have had the unusual privilege to transition my summer internship at PNC Bank, into a fall internship and finishing up with a spring internship. As I now come upon one year in the same job, I have seen a glimpse of the dedication and persistence it takes as a professional. We as college student interns see a snapshot of what a working business model is and how it feels to work in a ‘real world’ setting. However, we capture our interpretation of that, generally, in three to five short months. I have learned that the key to being a good employee, in any profession, is maintaining interest and revitalizing your excitement towards your job. With that, it is easier said than done, jobs can become monotonous and stale after you have been doing them for a long period of time. I’m sure that there is not a single person who has ever loved their job every day, every year for their entire career but staying positive curbs the bad days.
As prospective advertising and marketing professionals we are granted a luxury many other professions are not. Our jobs are constantly changing, which makes maintaining longevity at a particular company easier. I have learned in my year at PNC that, even though it’s a more entertaining field of work, making copies and filing paperwork is never, ever exciting, but it is part of the job. Additionally, I have learned that after a few months, the excitement of the new internship wears off; however, it is at that point as an intern you need to dedicate yourself that much more. Being on time to work and finishing projects by the set deadline sets apart interns who are there for the credit, and those who actively want to be considered for full-time positions.
Happy Earth Day, Google!
Happy Earth Day 2013! While you’re all being especially green today, do yourself a favor and head over to Google‘s homepage to see their interactive logo for the day. Google has presented us with a beautiful landscape that goes through the changing of the seasons. As the sun moves westward and the moon goes through it’s phases, the seasons pass, showing us different days starting with spring going slowly into summer, fall, and winter.
Branding Yourself on LinkedIn
Throughout many of my classes, the majority of the teachers have been strong in pushing the professional use of social media. Facebook and Twitter are easy for us to use because they cross with our personal social lives. We know how to use them because we are on them all the time any way. One tool that I think slips a lot of our minds is LinkedIn, the world’s largest professional network. The purpose of LinkedIn is for us to broadcast our professional experience to connect with colleagues, teachers, mentors, and potential employers. If used correctly, LinkedIn can be a great tool for connecting to people in our industries as well as finding and acquiring jobs. So, how can someone use LinkedIn effectively? Here are just a few tips that I’ve found through my own research and experience using the site.
The Free Journal Project
I recently came across an amazing project developed by Kelly Clawson, a fellow advertising student here at Temple and President of the Temple Ad Club. The Free Journal Project is a socially based art project founded in providing free handcrafted journals, for all to use and enjoy. The project focuses on making journal keeping accessible and enjoyable while establishing a space for personal inspiration and creativity.
Seeing The Music Business From The View Of A Trade Association
The National Association of Recording Merchandisers (NARM) is a trade association for the music industry. NARM and digitalmusic.org, NARM’s sister organization, hold a convention each year. This year’s convention, Music Biz 2013, is being held in Los Angeles. The convention brings together every part of the music business including retailers, record labels, distributors, and start-ups, to discuss issues within the industry, share ideas, and learn about how the industry is evolving.
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Rolling with the PUNCHes at my First Internship
This semester I began my very first internship at PUNCH Media, a very small PR company based in the Mount Airy section of Northwest Philadelphia. It is owned and run by James Zeleniak and Alicia Crawford-Zeleniak, both of whom are Temple alums. PUNCH is food and beverage centric with clients such as South Philly Bar & Grill, McCrossen’s Tavern and MilkBoy, but also represent others, such as the Shops at Liberty Place.
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Start-Ups Are The New Black
Interning at NARM, one of my main responsibilities is compiling information for Music Biz 2013‘s Official Guide, a comprehensive list of the convention’s schedule, speakers, programs, attendees, sponsors, and award winners. The convention will consist of over 100 speakers educating attendees on a variety of topics and issues relating to the music industry. These presenters are CEOs, presidents, VPs, founders, and higher-ups from major and indie labels, traditional and digital distributors, music services, and apps along with a plethora of other companies. I receive and edit the bio of every single Music Biz 2013 speaker. Through this task, I am learning about the paths these people have taken to success. As I aggregate information on more and more people, I have seen that a lot of the most successful people in the industry have made their own way instead of climbing the traditional ladder.
Think Bigger, Learn More Design Software (after effects)
Hike up your pants and put on your rain boots, there is a flood.
None of that is necessary actually because the flood I speak of in regards to design. There has been a huge influx of graphic designers in the past few years, with more schools and online programs popping up, competition is as fierce as ever. A good way to secure a position and beat out a fellow designer for a spot at an Ad Firm, is to KNOW MORE SOFTWARE! One major thing I learned at my internship is that you will get paid double for being able to produce motion graphics, and you will be twice as important!
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‘Your Ad Here: The Cool Sell of Guerrilla Marketing’ Lecture
The School of Media and Communication will be hosting Dr. Michael Serazio of Fairfield University on Monday, April 22nd. Dr. Serazio will be delivering a presentation on ‘Your Ad Here: The Cool Sell of Guerrilla Marketing.’ Dr. Serazio writes about popular culture, advertising, politics and new media. His work has been featured in journals such as Critical Studies in Media Communication, Culture and Critique.
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Philadelphia Advertising Industry Adjusts to the Times
Contrary to popular belief, Philadelphia Business Journal says that Philly’s Advertising Industry is hiring!
Agencies like LevLane, Machinery and O3 both say they are looking to hire young, new talent in the upcoming year. But the qualities they are looking for have changed, saying that a lot of the positions they are trying to fill didn’t even exist 5 or 6 years ago. Scott Tattar, director of PR at Lev lane said, “Being tech savvy is only part of it — everyone younger is tech savvy now. They grew up with social media in their DNA. There’s a creative surge in Philadelphia — I’m seeing it just in the number of bikes in the racks below the building.”
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crowdSPRING: Quick Money & Portfolio Pieces
Temple Ad Student Wins Peanut Chews Billboard Contest
A big congratulations to one of Temple’s very own Advertising students, Andrew Arbitell, on winning the Peanut Chews billboard design contest. Contestants were challenged to create ten word billboard slogans. His winning idea “enjoyed when the Rocky Steps were just steps” won over contest judges as the best line, showing their old school original feel and relating that to the city of Philadelphia in such an emotional connection. The billboard can be seen on I-95 near the Peanut Chews factory now through April 28th! Another prize from having his slogan chosen is a year’s supply of Peanut Chews that will be hand delivered througn company spokesman and former Eagles QB Ron Jaworski in “Goldie,” the brand’s vintage 1967 Volkswagen Microbus.
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