On September 3, the next phase of my career begins at LevLane, where I'll be a Social Media Manager. After spending three and a half years in Corporate Communications at Digitas Health, it's time to take the next step and embrace the next challenge. When I joined Digitas Health, I expected to work with some of the most talented people in the industry and to do work that made me proud. I didn't expect to make a brain in a jar, paint beautiful murals at Philadelphia schools, work with brilliant people across the globe, fall in love, be truly inspired, or meet some of my favorite people in the whole world... but I did. Digitas Health is leaving big shoes to fill, but I can't wait to utilize the skills I honed there and to learn even more at LevLane. Challenge accepted – let's do this!
Nike’s “Just Do It” Slogan Turns 25
I’ve just come to a startling realization: Nike’s iconic “Just Do It” slogan and I are the same age. That’s right. At 25 years young, the phrase “Just Do It” is part of our vernacular and culture, and clearly Nike shows no sign of slowing down. The brand’s latest spot – “Possibilities,” created by Wieden+Kennedy– issues a challenge to the masses: chase down your dreams, test your limits, set new goals, and take on the legends. Trust me: the fastest I’ve run in years was to a nearby buffet line. Even I was motivated to get out there by director Nicolai Fuglsig’s beautiful and inspirational film. For the slogan’s 25th anniversary, Nike really pulled out all the stops, as Sam Thielman notes for AdWeek:
“The dance party, the marathon, the blacktop, the table-tennis room and the football game all have a surprisingly large number of extras involved, and then there’s the use of actual sports stars to put the cherry on the whole thing. It’s a massive undertaking by W+K, and director Nicolai Fuglsig manages to keep the whole thing fluid not merely by having the lead actors dress the same way from fantasy to fantasy, but by editing the shots together so that they switch over in the middle of a pan.”
See for yourself.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPkyPdubqDs&w=420&h=315]
While the average viewer and I may not be oozing with talent, the spot itself is. Bradley Cooper narrates over cameos by actor Chris Pine, world tennis #1 Serena Williams, footballer Gerard Piqué, boxer Andre Ward, and the NBA’s Most Valuable Player LeBron James.
“Possibilities” even extends the #justdoit mantra to the Nike+ digital ecosystem, where its 18 million global users can take part in a series of Nike+ Running and Nikefuel challenges. Through these Nike+ challenges, which take place from now into September, Nike+ users will be tasked with new goals, like running a marathon in a week or taking on Nike stars in various fitness activities.
For years, Nike has been building a brand on the idea that anyone can unlock his or her potential by getting out there and just doing it every day. If only we could all be so iconic at 25.
Originally posted on the Advertising Week Social Club by yours truly here
How Do I Get Started?
At the end of July, Pharyl Weiner wrote a great AWSC piece for soon-to-be and recent grads reaching out to adland for a chance to score a job in the industry. Before you ask for just any job, she advises, you have to ask yourself “What Do I Want?” Doing the necessary research on what’s out there and finding out what you want is a vital first step, but one that’s all too easy to misunderstand or skip altogether.
After all, there isn’t exactly an abundance of job opportunities for every college graduate. In fact, a few years ago one of my college professors actually advised that we should fail all of our classes. “Even if you graduate, you won’t find jobs anyway,” he said. Charming, right? So, if you want to have the best opportunity to earn a spot at a top agency, you’ve got to know the basics. It’s more than knowing the other players with whom you’re dealing. It’s about you, too.
What do you like to do?
If you’re going to spend at least one-third of your day doing something, please, for the love of Tom Hanks, let it be something that you enjoy. No, every day will not be sunshine and unicorns, even when you’re done interning. But if you can find an opportunity that lets you do what you like, chances are that you’ll do great work. If you love working with people, find a job that relies on that skill for success — work directly with clients as an account manager or consider giving project management a try so that you can keep a team on task.
What are your strengths (and weaknesses)?
Knowing your strengths and weaknesses goes beyond basic interview questions. There are very few people who would admit to not being a hard worker, but be honest with yourself. Whether you’re a writer, designer, account manager, or janitor, knowing your own skillset is essential to success. Can you craft content like nobody’s business? Maybe you should get into copywriting. Do you doodle the way others only dream of? Consider design jobs. Do you have what it takes to keep people in line and on time? Project management may be your calling. But it’s even more than that. It’s about your time management skills — for yourself and for anyone else with whom you might work. It’s about when and where and how you come up with your best ideas. Some people come up with their best ideas in 10-minute brainstorming sessions, but many more find inspiration after a night’s sleep, after a run, in the shower, after time alone, during time with others on their team. How do you do your best work?
How can you find out what’s right for you?
At the end of the day, no amount of research on the interwebz is going to tell you if you’re right for a particular role or a certain company. So do more than just read. There are local advertising, marketing, and public relations associations in presumably every market in the world. Find out what your local group is up to and get involved. Get to know the industry folks at local networking events, ask them about their jobs and how they got started. You might be surprised by what you hear. You’re probably not going to get a job offer at a networking event, but you’ll get to know more about the industry and what it takes to get in and succeed. Maybe you’ll find out about agencies and companies that weren’t even on your radar. Maybe you’ll realize you need to do something different to stand out — like build a social presence or volunteer your talents to a local non-profit to expand your portfolio. Maybe you’ll make a friend that will try to help you get your foot in the door. Getting offline and out into the real world can work wonders.
Once you’ve done that, you might just find new opportunities even better aligned with what you want. It’s not about getting just any job; it’s about finding a way to combine your interests and skills in a way that gets you churning out great work before you apply.
Originally posted on the Advertising Week Social Club by yours truly here.
Real-Time Social Media: Art, Not Science
Since the early days of social media, brands have sought ways to connect their products and messages with the real-time interests of their audiences through “newsroom marketing.” These attempts to create timely, but tasteful brand content linked to cultural events have landed many brands in the spotlight. While some have clearly missed the mark, others have proven how powerful real-time responses can be.
When the lights went out during Super Bowl XLVIII, Twitter feeds were suddenly overloaded with bad jokes and misdirected rage from football fans across the U.S. Brand teams, however, strategically sprang into action. Oreo’s now-famous tweet perfectly placed the brand in the moment: “Power’s out? No problem. You can still dunk in the dark.” Other brands – including Audi, Tide, NBC, and VW – capitalized on the chance to connect themselves with an audience now craving both an explanation and Oreos, for some reason.
Power out? No problem. pic.twitter.com/dnQ7pOgC
— Oreo Cookie (@Oreo) February 4, 2013
Since Oreo sparked the surging interest in “real-time marketing” at the Super Bowl, we’ve learned a lot. The brand and its agency of record, 360i, collaborated to craft that tweet in just a few short minutes. And while some laughed when 13 people were listed in the creative credits for its Bronze Innovative Media CLIO Award, it proved that getting it right takes preparedness, a clear process for assessing and responding to opportunities, and great collaboration on all levels.
Still, no brand has real-time social media marketing completely figured out. This week alone the birth of the Royal Baby stymied some and elevated others. Clearly, real-time social media marketing is not a science, but an art – and one that will continue to change as our channels, technologies, and culture evolve. I’m just hoping I never see a branded twerking video.
Originally posted on the Advertising Week Social Club by yours truly here.