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Ah, The Bitter Sweet Finale

As I wrap up the blog for my class, finish my class project and feel the tingles of summer I am finally realizing that this semester is over. With the exception of one more test of course.
Digital Promotion Management was probably my most useful class of the semester. Often times Visual Rhetoric aligned with the topics we are learning, but it didn't compare to what I have learned in this class. Thanks to a detailed understanding of the digital promotion world, I now have more confident going into the workforce. To be quite frank, I'm not sure how PR students who have not completed this course are going to compare without the knowledge of the valuable promotional techniques we learned about.
I completely navigate the Internet differently now, I understand what is behind my Google searches, I pay close attention to promotional emails and I look at Facebook and other networking sites with a new perspective. I have had to explain away my new fascination with Twitter, and while some think it is another silly social networking site, I know a bit more to it than they do. Many of my friends have disregarded the importance of the seemingly mundane everyday interactions on social networking sites, but that is where they will fall short.
Having the valuable knowledge of these new technologies and techniques makes me feel really confident about my ability to function in the working atmosphere. I am apart of the technology and WWW generation, therefore it had better be me who guides companies and organizations into the uncertain future of digital promotion.
Thank you Digital Promotion Management for opening my eyes and giving me the resources necessary to be succesful in the future. Hopefully I maintain this blog and continue to challenge myself to look critically at promotion across the world. One day it will pay off.

Lostpedia...The Internet Super Star

This blog has already had a post dedicated to my infatuation with Lost, but here it comes again. After last night's ridiculous episode, I hopped onto Lostpedia for my first time to figure out what the heck is going to happen.
It is decent writing and acting if a show is so intense that it pulls you in and doesn't let you forget what you just experienced. Lostpedia, the online source for all that is Lost related, caters to crazy fans like me. It is a whole new way to get involved in a show. Not only does the website offer information, but a blog is available, a forum and even TWITTER! You can bet I just followed Lostpedia.
From my understanding, it started as just a fan site. Soon the producers and creators of the show jumped on board to start giving spoilers and clues to keep the viewers involved and active in the show. When questions aren't being answered for four seasons in a row, anxious viewers like me are going crazy.
This is effective though. When I came into work today my boss, friend and I all gabbed about the most recent happenings. My boss even referenced points brought up on Lostpedia to continue our discussion.
ABC has us hooked and certainly did a wise thing by partnering with Lostpedia to keep us coming back.

Disney Channel Stars on Twitter

I like how my blog about digital promotion has recently turned into analyzing Twitter. Who knew I would become such a junkie?
I have recently figured out how to update from my mobile device and reply to my friend's posts and direct message my friends. I'm feeling pretty confident in my twitter skills.
I have also discovered the comical joy of following celebrities. Michael Ian Black, a comedian, is a particularly funny celeb to follow. Travis and Mark from Blink 182 update the most random stuff and even though I don't particularly care for the music, it makes good entertainment.
Through random lurking of said celebs, I have uncovered a world of Disney Channel Stars twittering with one another. Now, for anyone who knows me, I am an avid Disney Channel fan. I love everything about it and I watch more Disney Channel than any senior in college ought to.
Favorite celebs to follow now: Miley Cyrus, Ashley Tisdail, Demi Lovato and Selena Gomez.
THIS IS SO COOL!
See, the cool part is how realistic it seems. It seems authentic, Miley posted today about how she has a crazy desire for privacy. The posts appear to be from the stars themselves, and if they're not, well... The fake is doing a dang good job of acting the role.

Yay for Twitter. Yay for Disney Channel. Yay for ridiculous social media techniques.

Catholicism Twitters?

After doing some project or another, I am signed up to receive AdAge emails. Every once in awhile I open them thanks to an interesting subject line. Obviously, the promotional email and the ever-so-important subject line could be the topic here in itself, but not today.
Today's email was telling me that the Cardinal of Ireland had reached out to the people of his church and encouraged them to email, text and twitter a prayer for those they love. The article went on to say how this could be a catastrophe for Twitter because it may encourage that many more users to sign up. I couldn't understand how this could be a catastrophe, aren't the more members the better?
Turns out not! According to this article Twitter is running off venture capitalism rather than a solid revenue-making business plan. After all we learned in class about how important advertising is and how search engines are not just for searches but to make money, it astonishes me to find this information out. Twitter has only been in existence for the last three years or so, and while its user basis is growing, it may be on its way out in popularity. Where does the money aspect of this fit in?

I have no answers, mostly because I probably don't understand it as well as I ought to, but it does make one curious. Could Twitter be in for a rough finish? As a young professional, do I need to really work on internalizing this concept of advertising in order to be successful?
Sounds complicated, maybe I should have done a business minor...

What did you See?

As an avid Lost fan, I was glued to my TV screen last night as the series progressed with yet another wild and surprising episode. Since I am such a nerd when it comes to marketing and advertising I do not really channel surf much anymore. Throughout the commercials I would look away and look back to see a black screen with the simple text, "What did You See?" appearing in white font. Each time I was confused since it only lasted seconds at most and led into a seemingly completely unrelated commercial. Finally I caught a flash of school children coming out of a building and then the phrase appeared. Next came a Grey's Anatomy preview which I concluded had nothing to do with these curious advertisements.
After Googling the phrase, the third organic result yielded to my curiosity. I wondered whether this was similar to the one second Superbowl commercials sponsored by Miller.
It turns out ABC is promoting a serious that isn't even contracted yet entitled, "Flash Forward." It is a spin off of the popular book by Robert J. Sawyer's Flash. The story basis is something along the lines of the entire human race blacking out for two minutes and seeing a flash of their future in 21 years.
The show doesn't interest me much, but the teasers did. Is this a good advertising tool? It gets the viewer's attention and curiosity if they are paying attention. I had text messaged a friend to see if he knew what they were and he didn't even know what I was talking about. I also looked to see if I could figure out whether ABC is promoting this on all their hit prime time serious, or just Lost. No research revealed the answer to this though, which means the viewer's of Lost was the chosen audience.
Is this effective?

It is curious advertising to say the least. I actively looked it up and researched into it, but then I know I am a minority when it comes to watching commercials let alone researching the advertisements.
I'll look for more of these weird flashes tonight while I watch the epic Grey's Anatomy this evening.

For your viewing pleasure, here is the video I found online of five flashes. :)

http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid21500443001?bclid=21520217001&bctid=21592854001

Social Media Releases

Over the past weekend I was fortunate enough to have the daunting task of writing the paper from hell. It was for my Visual Communication class and involved analyzing an image, or set of images, with the semiotic analysis and other technical terms like that. After flip flopping six or seven times, I finally chose to analyze Pepsi's new logo and the billboard they put up in Times Square for the New Year. Here are the actual images I analyzed:




















Most of my research for the project came from Blogs. In the process I learned about the "Pepsi 25" which was Pepsi's innovative way of getting their new campaign out there. The gist, is that during one coordinated hour, 25 prominent Bloggers would receive three packages within an hour and a DVD. The packages would be spaced twenty minutes apart, exactly. Each package contained ten cans of Pepsi soda with each can holding a classic logo Pepsi once held.



I thought this approach was interesting. It was a real example of the new digital promotions that we've been learning about in class. Throughout reading about it, I came to a couple of conclusions.

1. The goal was not to turn these prominent bloggers into Pepsi drinkers, but gain exposure on their blogs highlighting the new logo.
2. It would have been more effective if Pepsi could guarantee delivery to the person directly. I am under the impression many didn't get the packages until later and learned the strategy from other bloggers.
3. While it promoted the new logo and gained exposure, it did not persuade consumers into buying Pepsi's product. Which you would assume would be their primary goal.

I thought it was fascinating. The paper was probably mediocre at best, I don't think I went as deep as my professor would have liked, but the research I did gave me real life examples of interesting promotional techniques in today's ever-changing world.