Wednesday, February 25, 2015

Change. My Internship Reflection.

Change. The dictionary term for making the form different from what it is or what it would be if left alone. My version is a little bit different: inevitable, scary, and nerve-wracking are descriptions that I prefer to use. Graduating from John Carroll University was a change that I was not ready for. The real world, moving back home, and leaving my home for the past four years were all less than appealing.  

Summer came and went and this “big girl" job that was promised if I graduated college was still out of sight. In September, I finally landed a position as an intern at Rebecca Adele PR & Events and my hopes began to turn around. I was more than excited for this experience and to begin my journey towards the real world. 

I accepted this position eager to learn and gain knowledge and experience in the PR and Event Planning world. This internship has allowed me to do just that. I have written my first blog posts, my first press release and more social media plans than I ever would have imagined. In addition, working the Avant-Garde Art & Craft Shows were a learning experience into the long hours, excitement, critical planning and problem solving of event planning. 

I have accepted my first “big girl” job at Invent Now and my time at Rebecca Adele PR & Events is coming to an end. I am more than thankful for this opportunity and believe it has been a huge stepping-stone into my career. I am faced with another change but I guess that’s what life is all about. I am excited to begin this next journey and see where life takes me next! 

Written by Morgan Hartz of Rebecca Adele PR & Events





Wednesday, February 4, 2015

Funny Bone No More, Lessons in Advertising to the Heart

If you were among the 4.5 million viewers of Super Bowl XLIX then you might have been reaching for the tissues this year during commercial breaks (even more so if you are a Seahawks fan). This year major companies decided to appeal to viewers’ hearts rather than their funny bone.  Companies such as Budweiser, Always, Nissan, Coca-Cola and Nissan ditched the giggles and made us all cry with their advertising messages (it wouldn’t be a Super Bowl without at least one memorable ad!).  

Brands are starting to think a little more seriously about the role they play in their audiences’ lives. These ads are becoming helpful for the rest of us looking to change up our marketing game. Here are three lessons we learned while watching this year’s Super Bowl ads:

Get Emotional: Ever since the beginning of consumer marketing, we know that humans buy emotionally. We buy something because we feel a certain way or want to feel a certain way. Later, we find ourselves looking back on that purchase and then justify it with logic.  If you want your marketing strategy to be a success, hone in on how your brand can provide your audience with a positive emotion about life. Coca-Cola beautifully embodied this with their ad, which transformed online hate messages into happiness on the Internet.
  - Don’t Be Morbid:  Who DIDN'T hate that ad from Nationwide where the kid dies? While Nationwide probably had the best intentions for that ad, they overkilled the emotions and made the message outright depressing. Fear-based advertisements only go so far with your audience.
  - Use the Power of Social Media: After watching Always #LikeAGirl commercial, who else hopped on Twitter to be a part of the movement? Today, social media is an integral part of all advertisement. Many viewers turn to social media outlets to comment or share their opinions about advertisement on social media outlets.  So, why not give them a hashtag to start the buzz with?

What do you think about this year’s Super Bowl Ads? Let us know!

Written by Tori Simmons of Rebecca Adele PR & Events