Super Bowl Commercials: Expensive Taste

All in all, I think I’m speaking for many people when I say that I love watchign the Super Bowl game every year, not for the football though, but for the commercials. Known as being the most prominent time for advertisers, you can bet your sweet ad that whatever is going to be played in that time slot during a time out or half time better rock America’s socks off.

Costing over a million dollars all for one place for an ad during the Super Bowl, companies paying this much money are never messing around. To get very specific, the average super bowl commercial costs around $3.5 million dollars! While many different tactics are made during this time, using inspiring messages, celebrities, top music and bands playing in the background, it seems that the one component which most audiences connect to and enjoy is the simple use of humor.

Surprisingly, in these past years the overall use of celebrities has significantly dropped. For whatever reason this may be, many advertisers feel like this is a risky investment, and they would rather play their odds safe, rather than spending money to use a personality that not all people may find to being that favorable. However, one element which did increase in the past years is the amount of animals which have made their fair share of guest appearances. Advertisers have found that although people don’t relate as well to animals as the do humans, the overall humor and light hearted vibe which animals brings to the table really does promote their products more efficiently.

So, next time you watch a super bowl game, let’s just be honest and say you probably weren’t going to watch the game anyways. On top of eating tons of food and chatting it up with your friends, take a look at the different varieties of commercials. As there have been millions of dollars dropped all to catch your attention, take some time to appreciate the brilliant minds of commercial advertising!

Rock the Vote

As the election has recently taken place, I thought it would be very relevant to look a little bit into the communication aspect of this, how essential and vital communication was for both candidates in this year’s election. Although we may not refer to this tactic as “communicating” the art of campaigning is truly what makes or breaks a presidential candidate.

As this election was known as one of the closest elections in history, it makes sense that different tactics through advertising, a vital means of communication, was used through both candidates in very different ways.

As this year’s race was between President Obama and Govenor Romney, we could first see through television commercials how one main component used was to promote their own campaign, and try to pick apart the other candidate for something they did or did not believe in, promote, etc. This, being known as negative campaigning, has and always will be a main route taken during presidential elections.

While both candidates fell prey to the other using this practice, critics, political statisticans and even media related expert all have one observation in common, one of Obama’s specific campaign strategies took over Romney’s, leaving people with his name in their head as they approached their ballots.

This strategy is known as “Brand Obama.” When dealing with the election in general, many claim that this specific tactic is what in fact gave Obama the upper hand in elections. While there is in fact no secret public relations ingredient, and no marketing genius behind the plan which has worked ever so well, “Brand Obama” is simply a communications approach whose main ingredient is persistency.

Stated through the well known, nationally known magazine, Entrepreneur, Obama’s consistent amount of conferences, speeches, press releases, and even Facebook status updates is what people truly combed out through all the political jumble.  Although Romney’s team also worked diligently as well, Entrepreneur journalist Aaron Kwittquen explains how Obama’s strength in informative media connections was what truly connected him to fans, listeners, and enthusiasts, creating a giant base of loyalty.

Going further into the Brand Obama, another main chain reaction his connections created was an overall awareness boost of young voters. Facebook, Twitter, and other social media elements seemed to bond tighter with younger generation voters, creating an overall Obama nation of both young and old.

Therefore, although it may not be apparent to all, campaigning and communicating is an essential step in anything involving the voices of others. Whether it be selling a product, promoting an event, or even running for president, communication is essential to success.

You Had To Be There

When it came to my tweeting about an event assignment, I didn’t take the exciting route of tweeting during some exhilarating, onetime event here on campus. I didn’t get to tweet about anything that happened out of the blue or spur of the moment, but to be quite honest, I am fine with that. The event which I attended took place at the Union, and during this time was when many students all piled into the Union to receive tickets for an upcoming show by Louis C.K., a very well known comedian. I know, this isn’t exactly something that interesting. In fact, I chose to tweet an event which I got time to take in my atmosphere, and let everything sink in before thinking about what to tweet. Too many times I feel many people get so caught up in the moment, with the people around them, in the media, and even in their Twitter account, they seem to overlook the actual  even that is taking place, and only try to focus in on making that specific event which they are attending to be outrageously out of proportion, and very over exaggerated, all in attempts to get more followers, have more re-tweets, etc.

After this event however, not to contradict everything I just said about blowing tweets and stories out of proportion I feel like I should mention that the line for this event was so incredibly long, it wrapped inside the entire Union, as well as auditorium, and branched off into three separate lines, one stretching out past the bus stops in the back of the Union, and the other two wrapping around and a ways down on High Street. That’s pretty incredible if you ask me.

Getting back to my point though, while I was sitting at this event and contemplating of what I should tweet, I realized that even I was guilty of this- trying to make my tweets seem exciting, elaborate and stirring, even when all I was doing was standing in a line waiting for a ticket.

All of this being said, I do find it quite interesting how drawn everyone is to the media and the people who create it. I think it would be an interesting trip through the minds of top tweeters, bloggers, and other media users to see how much they over exaggerate their own thoughts and opinions, merely to see what the outcome of it may be. Also, as looking into the future, and seeing where my interest goes with media relations, I wouldn’t be surprised if one day I end up being a computer screen being expected to come up with Tweets, reports, and stories for some type of company. When this time comes, I hope that I can find it in myself, as well as be confident enough and have a great enough educational background and creativity span to be able to create these releases without leading people away from the truth.

Wendy’s: Biting off more than they can chew?

If you haven’t heard the new buzz yet in the advertising world, one of the highlights and main “controversies” I guess you could call it, is the new logo which has been created by Wendy’s. Although many people say that there is nothing exponentially different with this logo, it really has many people talking, and a lot really not approving of it.

Twitter, along with a couple other social media networks are discussing this logo design as being a move taken for the worst. Many believe that this marketing tactic should not have been done, and never should be. Many believe that Wendy’s has been the old-fashioned, comfortable burger joint that goes back through generations. This old and cozy feel of old fashioned ways is something that shouldn’t be tampered with. Rather so, many people believe that customers will be less relatable to the well known burger joint, now that their visual aspect is trying to take on a fresher, more upbeat look.

Here is a link to one blogger who really goes into detail about the history of this logo, along with the minor, and in some cases, major changes which have been created. It is noted that many aspects of this logo were preserved, and the company specifically stated that they wanted to re-energize the company, but keep much of the same feel for their well know and well recognized brand.

Visual communications, just like any other form of communication can be a very touchy subject with any groups of people- whether it be through your customers of a restaurant or clients of a business. Logos and visual elements are extremely important, as it literally represents the overall message of your company.

In my personal opinion, I honestly don’t think that this logo has transformed enough to sweep Wendy’s off the top fast food chain. As long as their burgers are cooked the same way, I really don’t think that this logo is all that prominent in my decision of where to eat for lunch. In fact, I think that for having their trademark “Wendy” since 1983, some type of change should be done. Unfortunately, I think it’s quite clear that a lot of people are not comfortable with any kind of change, so even the slightest color changes, and tweak to Wendy’s braid would set the entire fast food customer chain into a frenzy. I do understand that the old time feel is what makes Wendy’s who they are, but this vibe can be reached to customers in other ways than just the visual component.

In my bottom line I say, bring on the change. It’s good every now and then to change minor things about your company that people maybe haven’t noticed before, and keep the major aspects that drew in customers in the first place. Change is good every now and then, sometimes it can be used just as a reminder to show your customers that you are actually still a company that is alive and functioning.

Advertising

Whenever I tell someone that I am studying Communications, most of the time people don’t understand exactly what I want to do with a career. I usually get a sideways glance and a puzzled look, because not many people really understand everything that you can do with a degree in Communications. That’s what I want to talk about today, what I want to do in the future.

For as long as I can remember, I have loved to be creative, to grab people’s attention, and to make them see something differently than they had before. For this reason, I have immediately gravitated to a degree in Communications because I can see myself being an advertiser in the future. When I say “advertising” this means a very broad range of categories.

First off, I find the world of radio to be extremely interesting. Within this network, there are so many different means of advertising. I particularly got lucky with an awesome summer internship at a local radio station, and got to accompany this station in creating different contests and promotions for listeners of that station.

Along with this, I find web design of advertisements as very complex and absolutely incredible. If you want to take a look, here is the website that I got to work with over the summer at my internship. I helped with managing this internet site, from Kiss 107, adding graphics, communicating with major advertising companies and connecting personally with listeners of the station.

It just so happens that I found this very interesting blog called Ads of the World which deals extensively with advertising. This blog goes into detail about the actual history of digital advertising, describing how this practice has expanded throughout the years. As you can see, main powerhouses of digital advertising came in pivotal moments, such as the creation of Adobe Illustrator, and the first launch of Face Book.

Although this is all just barely scratching the surface of the complexity of what I find to be so interesting about advertising, I highly recommend looking further into detail. You may be just as swept away by the whole concept as me.

The10 Communicationmandments

Yeah, we all know how to communicate, or so we think! I couldn’t help it, I wanted to make my own personal list of pet peeves when it comes to communication. Hopefully, thou shall enjoy!

1. Do not talk with food in your mouth. I like to talk and I like to eat. Mixing the two however, is a deadly combination.
2. Even though someone is speaking, DO NOT stare at their mouth. While you may think it looks like you are in deep concentration, your blabbering buddy will automatically assume that a piece of lettuce from their salad at lunch immediately came back to haunt them.
3. Quit talking so loudly! Especially when people are arguing, just because you are talking loudly, doesn’t make you any more correct. Sure, more people hear you, but less over time, less probably listen.
4. On the flip side, unless you’re confessing a deep dark secret under your breath to your best friend, speak up!
5. Don’t talk with your hands. Okay Italians, I understand a few hand gestures here and there, but once you start waving your hands in the air, my mute button suddenly tunes your voice out and I’m eagerly waiting for the grand finale of your impressive interpretive dance.
6. When you talk to someone, make eye contact. Any conversation turns awkward in under 5 seconds once you realize the person talking to you looks more interested in staring at the array of pebbles on the cement or the paint chips on the wall behind you.
7. When it comes to technologically communicating, no slang and shortening words, no exceptions! It’s “You” not “U”, and it’s “Before” not “B4”. You speak English, not Bingo!
8. Don’t interrupt someone who is talking.. Rude!
9. Body Language! Face your body towards the person, relax your shoulders and stand in one place. No awkward positions, this shouldn’t be like yoga!
10. Try to keep out the words “Um, Uhh, Err” Peppering these in a conversation reminds me of customers put on the spot in a restaurant and fumbling through a menu last minute to find what they want to order.

No Comment?!

Although I am completely a blog newbie, it is really easy to see that one essential characteristic which makes blogs thrive is the use of comments. I have found this out after only my first blog post, as I was very appreciative, understanding, and had all ears open to hear what people had to say about my first post. Mainly, I believe that blog comments are so important because so many people have so much that they want to say, and from this, there is also so much that they want to hear. In blogs, FaceBook and well, just basically in life in general, people state their feelings, viewpoints and ideologies; mostly for one reason- because they are eager for feedback from others. I find this very interesting, as some people may post negative and disagreeing beliefs from others, all for the reason because they want to hear what the person on the opposing side has to say.

Although it isn’t that common, there have been a few bloggers who have become very well known in the blogging world, not for their own blogs, but actually solely because of their comments! This is why commenting in blogs adds a whole new twist on things- the social interaction with other bloggers, and the mystery of what is going to happen after this initial interaction. Hey, look at this too, I’m not the only one who thinks this! Blogger extraordinaire Dave Lucas also pretty much has the same observation that I have regarding comments. Basically, if you want to become well know, you have to interact with others! Here’s his full blog right here if you want to see what else he has to say, or if you want to leave a comment!

Also, if I haven’t already mentioned the quite obvious, commenting simply makes blogging fun! Others also agree with me! Here’s Allie’s blog, and she’s a fellow blogger who thinks that commenting is what makes the blogging world go around.  Besides commenting just to your friends, you can also even comment to big celebs, pro athletes and major corporations. There’s no two ways around it, it’s fun- who wouldn’t want to take part in that?

If I had to offer any advice when dealing with writing effective blog comments, I would say first and foremost, make sure that your comment is written grammatically correct. I have found that immediately when reading through a comment, my understanding and overall approval of any comment is downgraded if I see a word spelled wrong or punctuation used in correctly. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not knit picky when it comes to grammar, but your credibility is immediately decreased if you are trying to offer your input and you can’t spell a word correctly.

Therefore, even though comments may have the potential to turn friends into enemies and disagreements into dramatic cyber wars, commenting is the magic ingredient in blogs which makes them the tasteful comfort food that we constantly crave.

Go For Gold

So, in order for me to get a better feel of the blogging world, I decided to look at Mignon Fogarty’s Grammar Girl’s website. Along with giving me some helpful tips in blogging and ways to make different topics and categories stand out and seem appealing to me, I also got a few helpful guidelines on grammar and writing, some of which I really needed to brush up on. Basically, visiting this website was kind of like killing two birds with one stone, less brutally of course.

One of Mignon Fogarty’s posts which was the most intriguing to me was dealing with a very current event which has taken place, a prominent time for not only America, but the world as a whole. Whip out the medals, and carry on the torch, I’m talking about the Olympics! Mignon touches base with Olympic medalists, how they never seem to have the words to describe exactly how they are feeling. Although chances are pretty much slim to none that I will ever have an interviewer pushing a microphone down my throat, waiting intently along with the rest of our nation to hear what I have to say about beating out the best athletes in the world, I still found her hints quite helpful.

First off, descriptive words help. Absolutely anything sounds better than saying, “Words can’t describe how I feel right now.” No one wants to really hear you not being able to describe something; they want to hear your inspirational words of wisdom, almost as if you are a modern day prophet of all athletes. Just as something is better than nothing, you can’t really go wrong in your explanation or answer, as long as your listeners feel like they actually have something decent to listen to.

Second, body language works magic. This I find a bit harder to compose after running a thousand miles in less than five minutes or swimming laps in a pool faster than modern day motor boats. Regardless, a simple smile and even just a look into the interviewers face while they are talking really can make a huge difference. That being said, if winded and exhausted athletes can do this after a fatiguing race, everyone else really has no excuses for not having good body language!

Lastly, vagueness isn’t going to win you any medals. If anything, be wordy and even a bit longer with your answer, telling what has inspired you, who you want to thank for your accomplishment, etc. Okay, telling your entire life story may be a bit over the top, but just as if you were writing an essay, the use of thorough descriptions and explanations is very necessary.

Therefore, I can conclude from this intriguing post that people are always looking for more. Whether you are an Olympic Gold medalist or just casually having a conversation with someone, clear and concise answers which keep your audience in tuned with your emotions. Bottom line, this is the best route to take! We have to remember, people can’t read your mind, read your lips, or read your actions. Basically, in order to be read at all, we have to be an open book .

To set you off on a good note, here is one of our favorite American swimmers, Ryan Lochte. In swimming, obviously he’s amazing. With interviews, however, not so much.

Here, take a look!

Always in Style

 

In the realm of religions, we have the Bible. In the bounds of our humanity, we have laws. In the mainstream of public relations, we have the Associated Press Style. Without following the three of these bigwigs, we basically would have uncommunicative convicts who don’t keep holy the Sabbath. Kidding obviously. Anyways, here’s what I’m trying to say. Some guides are meant to be set and to be followed to keep order in the big scheme of things.

Let’s get a little bit more into the nitty gritty of the Associated Press Style. I mean, it kind of is important, right? If we couldn’t communicate effectively, we wouldn’t have any type of religion, and no one would even be able to understand laws to begin with.

When I found out I had to buy an AP Style Book, of course I was a bit peeved to spend my money on what I once again thought was a book I would open maybe once or twice throughout the semester. However, I carry this thing around with me to every single class, and use it much like my own literary bible for writing papers. If you aren’t familiar with this little slice of Heaven, AP Style is basically the consistent writing form used by literally millions of writers- whether it is from a newspaper reporter or a magazine journalist.

If you have read a newspaper column, a magazine article, or pretty much anything else, you’ll find out that the main objective of any type of writer is to get their point across. For many reasons, it’s easy to see why this form of writing is SO important for public relations writers. As I have already learned in my major, you have to know your audience in order to be successful. PR writers have the very challenging task of being able to write catchy, clever, and intellectually stimulating enough to be eye catching, yet also be simple enough to be understood by all different types of their audience. How are they ever going to sell their talent on paper if they don’t follow the rules which we all unconsciously know and love? This all starts with writing in a fluent, clean cut style.

Basically, if you want to run with the big dogs of PR writing, you’re going to have to start by going to obedience school and proving that you don’t need a leash. Staying in the guidelines of AP Style will assure any type of writers that their work is credible and reliable.

As a Strategic Communications major, I’m definitely jumping on the band wagon with this one- it’s trending, hot, and everyone’s doing it! This all being said, it’s no wonder why the Associated Press is seriously in style, for pretty much everyone.

 

Blog Comments

Date: 9/19/12

Type of Post: Another student’s blog

Copy of Comment:Hopefully all of these incidents come to an end soon enough. Thanks to the social media, it allows us to be informed of the events taking place all around us!

Hyperlink of Comment: http://toolonginthewasteland.wordpress.com/2012/09/18/the-boy-scouts-responding-in-a-crisis/#comments

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Date:9/20/12

Type of Post: Another student’s blog

Copy of Comment:Hey Alysson! A lot of the information that you gave in this post really reminds me of myself! When I started my college career, I wasn’t all that sure of what I wanted to do either. All I did know was that I wanted to be in a field where I could use creativity and I could interact with other people. I always knew that working in a  lab or filling out paper work and statistical stuff was never something that I would want to do. Anyways, I think you have probably made the right choice with where you are right now!
I also think that your summer internship with a marketing company sounds very interesting. I just completed my first two internships this summer, and both really helped me in narrowing down what it is I want to do in the field of Startegic Communications.
Anways, it’s comforting for me to see that many peopel are going through the same decisions and experiences that I am!

Hyperlink of Comment: http://awallingosu.wordpress.com/2012/09/12/welcome/comment-page-1/#comment-4

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Date: 9/27

Type of Post: Another students blog

Copy of Comment:

Lisa, I totally agree that it seems like different viewpoints, perspectives and opinions are everywhere that we look! At times I do think that this does get very overwhelming, especially in this time period right before an election.

I also read this article which you poste from the New York Times. I found it somewhat intriguing and interesting reading this after you pointed out the different adjetives which were used to describe the candidates. I can see why for this reason, so many different opinions easily turn into disputes and even fights among different people, as there are words which people may find to be distasteful and critical.

This all being said, I do find it to be an interesting topic of where a line should be drawn for when something is a blatant opinion or a downright insult. I just created a blog post dealing with leaving comments, and I found much information to be very similar and in this specific category of what is okay to say.

Bottom line, although we cannot stop what people say and what we see through the media, we can try to appreciate everybody’s differences, and embrace this variety in a civil manner.

Hyperlink of Comment: http://lisasteffes.wordpress.com/2012/09/27/observation-v-opinion/comment-page-1/#comment-6

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Date:10/1/12

Type of Post:Students blog

Copy of Comment:

Being an avid twitter user, I have to admit that I really enjoyed reading this post. Ii finid it very interesteresting of all the differe do’s and don’ts, I really feel like for the most part, I completely agree with everything that you said. I also, just like you, find it a major no no when people post quesitonable things, comments and opinions, and later on regret it. Just don’t do it!
I also think that it is very important to be timiely with yoour tweets, and make them relevant to the audience.

Hyperlink of Comment:http://awallingosu.wordpress.com/2012/09/28/tweet-tweet/comment-page-1/#comment-6

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Date:10/9/12

Type of Post: student’s blog

Copy of Comment:

First off, I’d like to say that I loved reading your sense of humor through out this blog post. It’s always easy to appreciate a little sense of humor in my opinion. Regarding all of your thoughts on grammar bloggers, I completely have to agree with you. I do believe that grammar bloggers are “god sends” as you may have called them, in the sense that some people are naturally passionate about grammar, and have a gift of connecting it within the social media. I don’t know how this comes to be, but I completely agree with you, some people have a way with finding light hearted thoughts, and even witty humor in pretty much anything in life, even grammar.

Possibly one of the reasons why I was so drawn toward this specific blog post of your is the fact that I too find from all grammar bloggers, Grammar Girl pretty much does stomp the competition. I didn’t think it was possibly, but I really did laugh out loud at some of her thoughts, opinions and tips when it comes to grammar.

Hyperlink of Comment: http://whatsatweet.wordpress.com/2012/10/01/dear-grammar-bloggers-thank-you/comment-page-1/#comment-8

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Date:10/9/12

Type of Post: student’s blog

Copy of Comment:

I completely agree with the fact that Twitter is pretty much dominating the social media network, and even society as a whole. It is quite incredible how Twitter almost emerged over night, one day you don’t even know what to “tweet” is, and by the next day there are hash tags stamped across football fields. While some people really do find this trending twitter trend as somewhat annoying and very overwhelming at times, I for one enjoy everything that Twitter is offering to my generation.
I believe that unlike MySpace, Twitter has a way of connecting people far and wide to whatever it is they enjoy, appreciate or show interest in. There is such a broad range to find where you fit in the Twitter world, and once you find yourself your own little Twitter nest, you really do understand what all the hype really is about.
I also appreciate Twitter for the fact that it keeps me updated on current events, people’s moods, and even the current scores of Ohio State Football games. All in all, I am totally on the bandwagon with the allure of Twitter, and hope to see this vibe continue.

Hyperlink of Comment:

http://tonybenedetti13.wordpress.com/2012/10/01/twitter-taking-over/comment-page-1/#comment-13

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Date:10/11/12

Type of Post: student’s blog

Copy of Comment:

Reading this entire blog post just blew my mind! It really is downright excessive at the amounts of different applications which we now have for our phones. Although I myself don’t have an iPhone, many of my friends do. It almost seems like their faces are always buried in these phones, whether it is playing a game, texting, or just searching through the internet.

Do I believe that these different technological advances are making our lives easier? Of course I do. Although I do give two thumbs up to innovative technology, I think as a whole we really are overdoing it with the whole apps thing. There are just too many, and people are literally becoming reliant on their iPhones for everything. Not to mention, I strongly believe that since the upcoming steady rise of cell phones, the overall means of just communicating face to face has really been lost.

Overall, at the rate that we are going with all these different apps, and iPhones and other devices and gadgets, it’s going to be interesting to see where we are as not only a generation, but as an entire planet in the next couple years. If we keep getting new appliances and tools to make life easier, I can’t even imagine how this will change humanity, for better or for worse.

Hyperlink:

http://adobras.wordpress.com/2012/10/01/apps-on-apps-on-apps/comment-page-1/#comment-4

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Date:10/15/12

Type of Post: student’s blog

Comment:

It was very interesting reading about this blog post, as it is so pertinent to the election which is readily approaching. Debates are an extremely important factor in the voting process, as well as just rooting out who would be the best selection for our nation as a whole.
I think reading something like this really is needed in a thick time of debate.  While I do admit, there are times when humor is frowned upon, but in this instance, I really do believe that Pizza Hut’s challenge would lighten the mood, and even possibly find a way to attract more people to vote.
It also is somewhat obsurd when we reflect back upon how much money is really being filtered into not only the presidential debate, but also the marketing and campaings which go along with it. These staggering statistics, as we have seen in the past, easily anger many people, therefore I think a little bit of pizza humor really could lighten up the mood.

Hyperlink:

http://toolonginthewasteland.wordpress.com/2012/10/11/making-yourself-part-of-the-debate/comment-page-1/#comment-18

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Date:111/19/12

Type of Post: student’s blog

Comment: obrien420 says:

November 19, 2012 at 3:35 am

It is very interesting to see how such a well known and well respected advertising campaign really does make or break an entire prduct or industy. This is so interesting to me that for many advertisments much like the Got Milk campaign, it is either a hit or miss, either people love the message being portrayed and it becomes a vital aspect to the product, or the ad completely fails and people feel no connection. Many good points were made in this blog showing how the Got Milk campaign truly did leave an impact on not only the milk company, but raised the entire bar for the advertisign industry.

Hyperlink: http://lisasteffes.wordpress.com/2012/11/18/119/#comments

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Date: 11/20/12

Type of Post: student’s blog

Comment:

I have to admit, reading this blog post really did get me excited, first because Beat Michigan Week really is an amazing week for the student body as a whole, and also because of all the different means of ways we as students really do communicate and connect to one another. Being a communciations student, this simple yet powerful tactic really does make me excited!

While students do go out of thier way to spread our superiority over that school up North, it is interesting how other media connections have seemed to sprout up over night. Example, I just became friends with Mirror Lake on Facebook, I am able to follow them on Twitter, and countless videos are on You Tube from years past Mirror Lake jumps. All of these different communication connectors really are what makes this event such a huge hit.

Hyperlink: http://adobras.wordpress.com/2012/11/19/jump-dont-jump/comment-page-1/#comment-23