As the semester and the class comes to a close, I feel like its been forever ago that we started this journey. It has been a wild ride, with brain storming sessions and people not knowing what to do, to eventually making a campaign that we wanted to show to the judges and hope for a good response. I feel that this class needs a lot of revamping before the next batch start it again in the fall. I feel like there should have been a definite timeline to finish work before we put it in. I did not like the idea of having all of the groups doing things and then putting them together. It might have been helpful with the situation analysis, but otherwise it was confusing and time consuming. I also felt like it should have been said that if you start the class in the fall, you have to continue it in the Spring. When people left, it not only lessened the workforce for the campaign, but also put the burden on a lot of other people who didn't have as much help as beforehand. I also think that the workshops should be used throughout the week, every time. A lot of work might not get down, but at least some things can be settled or something can be thought of for a creative idea, image or event. Anything should be used to make the campaign and the process go smoother.
Overall, this class has been a great experience. It helped to realize how an agency works, how a campaign works and what really is needed to make a great one. I feel like a year long class is tough, but definitely better to make the campaign really effective. I have learned a lot about how to work with others, about media planning, and what not to do during the sessions. I feel like the class as a whole will remember this class and will look back upon it as either a great or at least a memorable experience, one of which they will take lessons from and use them in their own professional lives. When it comes to getting a job, we know that NSAC being simply stated on a resume, could be a great way to start not only a conversation, but to help us put our foot in the door.
I thank you for this opportunity and hope for the best for future classes and campaigns to come.
Bests,
Lisa
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Presenting to the judges....
The judges at the competition were not so nice to us, but we beat out Temple at least! I was not too enthused that the media plan was ripped apart after looking and doing it over and over for weeks on end. Yes, we did mess up, a lot, but it was a great experience to look and see what people really thought of our campaign, especially when we kept looking at it and didn't notice certain things. As a class, we were all so tired of looking at the same things over and over, it became mundane. Our presentation team did the best they could, and after watching the video of them performing, we saw that it was pretty nerve racking. I personally would not have been able to do it, especially when it comes to memorizing. I felt like I would have hiccuped somewhere and then completely lost it. As a class, we were upset to hear that we received 6th place, but happy that at least we got to go to competition. We were able to do something with only 17 people instead of 300, and thats an accomplishment. As a class, we looked through the plans book one last time and looked to see what the judge thought. It was interesting to see their responses.
I felt that this is important for this class because it is better to see what the judges thought, that way we can see what we should have done better. In turn the next class would be able to learn from those mistakes and not repeat them over again. Feedback is important in communications, and learning from that feedback is definitely beneficial to the competition process. I wish that we had feedback midway, that way we could change things if needed and then be able to make the campaign the utmost best it could be. It helps the class to realize that their work is good, it just needs to be tweaked a bit to make it even better. Overall, this end of year look back helps the class to realize that it was hard work, and the judges appreciated what we had done.
I wonder what it could have been if we had the midway feedback....but thats a thought that will never be answered.
Bests,
Lisa
I wonder what it could have been if we had the midway feedback....but thats a thought that will never be answered.
Bests,
Lisa
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Media, still around...
Even after the plans book is finalized and ready to print, the media is still always coming to question, especially now with us moving towards the presentation part of the course. I am not a part of the presentation team, but they still need all of us to participate and make it the best it can be. The media team is making sure the presentation team are prepared for questions that might be asked about the media plan. It has been frustrating that the team doesn't understand the plan at all, and sometimes it is hard to explain. I feel like the team wasn't really that involved with the media, so when questions arise, no one else understood the plan. I also felt awkward when the numbers did not apply or were not correct. I felt like I failed the team and make it harder for everyone not only to fix it, but that the campaign was not as great because of the media plan. It was upsetting to see that our work was not enough.
I think this is important for this class because it shows people that they need to understand every aspect of the campaign, not just their part. People need to look at every aspect and think, well does this make sense? Will it work? Media is one of the most important parts of any campaign, and should be invested into just as much as the creative's are. I understood that the rest of the class was busy and could not fully participate, but a little extra help could not have hurt us. I feel that the next group who become Media Directors should start right away looking up prices and estimates for everything, that way when something comes up or when everything is figured out for which media should be used, they can just look up the prices they already have and use those. It might be unrealistic to do this, but at least it will give them somewhat of a head start to lead them on their way. In the end, the media should have been revisited multiple times, but that is just something we have to learn from our mistakes. Blaming and pointing fingers will get us no where, and the campaign could suffer. For me, the plan and the flow chart were the media teams blood and sweat, and to see it be rejected is just heartbreaking. It was worth the struggle, and hopefully we will be able to take what we learned and run with it.
Bests,
Lisa
I think this is important for this class because it shows people that they need to understand every aspect of the campaign, not just their part. People need to look at every aspect and think, well does this make sense? Will it work? Media is one of the most important parts of any campaign, and should be invested into just as much as the creative's are. I understood that the rest of the class was busy and could not fully participate, but a little extra help could not have hurt us. I feel that the next group who become Media Directors should start right away looking up prices and estimates for everything, that way when something comes up or when everything is figured out for which media should be used, they can just look up the prices they already have and use those. It might be unrealistic to do this, but at least it will give them somewhat of a head start to lead them on their way. In the end, the media should have been revisited multiple times, but that is just something we have to learn from our mistakes. Blaming and pointing fingers will get us no where, and the campaign could suffer. For me, the plan and the flow chart were the media teams blood and sweat, and to see it be rejected is just heartbreaking. It was worth the struggle, and hopefully we will be able to take what we learned and run with it.
Bests,
Lisa
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Moving Forward...
Gearing towards the end of this semester, I have to reflect back on this class. Being a part of the media planning process has been extrememly stressful, but definately worth it. To be able to look at the plans books and see the two pages that Amanda, Tim and I have done, its amazing how far we have come.
The past two months have been a roller coaster. The media team worked overtime to find numbers, contact people, find impressions, and everything under the sun to make our media plan the best it can be. We even got into some problems. Television was the hardest to find, and thankfully our professor was there to help us find numbers. It took weeks to finalize the flowchart and figure out which research to use, and which to dump. The rest of the class was just as stressed, finalizing every single detail for the plansbook and the campaign as a whole. We learned how to work together as a team. At times, we might have snapped at each other, but in the end our hard work has finally pulled off. Now, I see commercials and wonder how they figured them out. I notice more where advertisements are being placed, and wonder why they put them there. For Ad Decision Making, we are discussing the Media Plan now, and my mind goes straight to the flow chart, wondering what this one will look like compared to the JCPenney one. I am thinking like a Media Planner, something I never thought I would be able to do. I think about campaigns I see, and wonder what else was put into it, and even think about what that plans book would look like. I feel more like an advertiser then just a student in a class.
During the process, Media Planning was intense to say the least. The team couldn't find numbers, we look everywhere for them, and the people we contacted never responded. It was frustrating, which made me wonder if I wanted to do Media Planning as a job after school. But now, I understand it more than before. I appreciate it more, and how advertisers figure out every little detail out. Knowing the ins and outs is definately better in the long run. It is a fairly new area to advertising, and I hope that interviewers will see that and think, 'she understands this, she could be a great asset to the agency.'
This is important for this class because it shows how far the team, and the media team, have come. Two months ago we had nothing, and now we have a full media plan, with flow chart and all. I am proud of the media plan, and get excited when I show it to people. Future Advertising competition people should start media early, and think about it as soon as possible. They should make sure to consider every scenario, even if it seems impossible. I'd rather you try to fit another avenue of media, then come short of the budget. Use up the budget as much as possible. This looks good in the judges eyes, and lets them know you tried your best to make it happen. It is important to understand that yes, the competition is intense, its time consuming and at first, you wish you never signed up for it. In the end, it will not only look amazing on your resume, but you will feel more confident going into a job, or even a interview, because you understand what an agency is like. The stress, the late hours, and the hard decisions, its all there. It is preparing you for everything that is going to happen when school is all over, and that is better than just sitting in a class and wondering about it.
Bests,
Lisa
The past two months have been a roller coaster. The media team worked overtime to find numbers, contact people, find impressions, and everything under the sun to make our media plan the best it can be. We even got into some problems. Television was the hardest to find, and thankfully our professor was there to help us find numbers. It took weeks to finalize the flowchart and figure out which research to use, and which to dump. The rest of the class was just as stressed, finalizing every single detail for the plansbook and the campaign as a whole. We learned how to work together as a team. At times, we might have snapped at each other, but in the end our hard work has finally pulled off. Now, I see commercials and wonder how they figured them out. I notice more where advertisements are being placed, and wonder why they put them there. For Ad Decision Making, we are discussing the Media Plan now, and my mind goes straight to the flow chart, wondering what this one will look like compared to the JCPenney one. I am thinking like a Media Planner, something I never thought I would be able to do. I think about campaigns I see, and wonder what else was put into it, and even think about what that plans book would look like. I feel more like an advertiser then just a student in a class.
During the process, Media Planning was intense to say the least. The team couldn't find numbers, we look everywhere for them, and the people we contacted never responded. It was frustrating, which made me wonder if I wanted to do Media Planning as a job after school. But now, I understand it more than before. I appreciate it more, and how advertisers figure out every little detail out. Knowing the ins and outs is definately better in the long run. It is a fairly new area to advertising, and I hope that interviewers will see that and think, 'she understands this, she could be a great asset to the agency.'
This is important for this class because it shows how far the team, and the media team, have come. Two months ago we had nothing, and now we have a full media plan, with flow chart and all. I am proud of the media plan, and get excited when I show it to people. Future Advertising competition people should start media early, and think about it as soon as possible. They should make sure to consider every scenario, even if it seems impossible. I'd rather you try to fit another avenue of media, then come short of the budget. Use up the budget as much as possible. This looks good in the judges eyes, and lets them know you tried your best to make it happen. It is important to understand that yes, the competition is intense, its time consuming and at first, you wish you never signed up for it. In the end, it will not only look amazing on your resume, but you will feel more confident going into a job, or even a interview, because you understand what an agency is like. The stress, the late hours, and the hard decisions, its all there. It is preparing you for everything that is going to happen when school is all over, and that is better than just sitting in a class and wondering about it.
Bests,
Lisa
Thursday, February 3, 2011
A New Chapter...
It has been a very long and the team and I are still getting into the swing of the new semester. Over break, Amanda, Tim and I discussed media and our plan for the campaign. We looked through everything we could think of according to Television and Magazines. There is so much information, we are going to need to narrow everything down. The team all came in early for advertising, and it was an extrememly productive weekend. The media group also got more insight into what we needed, with the information we recieved from the IMC group and all of their ideas. They had various ideas, including direct mail, coupons and photo booths. Hopefully, creatives can also give some insight so we can narrow things down. I liked the idea of the war room during our meetings together. Having all the pictures, words and lists around us helps to think and visualize what needs to get done. Those words could trigger something else that we might need for later or even a slogan we can use for the commericals. It also felt like we were a real agency, with everything surrounding us while we discussed things. Visuals really help with the process.
Although we did get a lot done, I am nervous about everything that still needs to be done. It is only a few weeks before our Plans Book is due and we are in crunch time. Everyone needs to participate at their fullest potential, me included. I took so many pictures over our meetings, but I want to take more and make sure the ones I have are of the best quality. I am crazy like that with my pictures. This weekend, the media team will be meeting again to look at prices for television and out of home. We can see what the creatives say, and hopefully they can help us choose whether to run one or two ads on TV. Our last class was a great way to think about the emotions behind buying, which is definately something we, most of us being girls, think about all the time. It helps us to consider what would go better with our ideas, to gear toward one emotion more than another.
I think this is important part of the class because we really did do a lot during those meetings, as well as last semester. Even so, we still have a long way to go. We are gearing up for late nights and hopefully no one fighting in the end. The next class should realize that they need to do as much as they can during the first semester, like the research, and over the intersession. That will help out so much with the rest of their campaign. Its better than scrambling at the end and having a horrible compaign. Hopefully, we will not have to scramble. Lets see how Monday goes again. I am nervous, but excited for whats to come.
Bests,
Lisa
Although we did get a lot done, I am nervous about everything that still needs to be done. It is only a few weeks before our Plans Book is due and we are in crunch time. Everyone needs to participate at their fullest potential, me included. I took so many pictures over our meetings, but I want to take more and make sure the ones I have are of the best quality. I am crazy like that with my pictures. This weekend, the media team will be meeting again to look at prices for television and out of home. We can see what the creatives say, and hopefully they can help us choose whether to run one or two ads on TV. Our last class was a great way to think about the emotions behind buying, which is definately something we, most of us being girls, think about all the time. It helps us to consider what would go better with our ideas, to gear toward one emotion more than another.
I think this is important part of the class because we really did do a lot during those meetings, as well as last semester. Even so, we still have a long way to go. We are gearing up for late nights and hopefully no one fighting in the end. The next class should realize that they need to do as much as they can during the first semester, like the research, and over the intersession. That will help out so much with the rest of their campaign. Its better than scrambling at the end and having a horrible compaign. Hopefully, we will not have to scramble. Lets see how Monday goes again. I am nervous, but excited for whats to come.
Bests,
Lisa
Monday, December 13, 2010
Final Journal Entry for Fall
The semester has finally ended. It definately flew by. We have done a lot so far, especially when it comes to research. Over break each group will be doing their own projects. Its going to be hard to do work over break, but it will definately be worth it. For the Media Planning group, Amanda and I met with Dr. Mohammed and dicussed Simmons. Now that we both know how to use the program, getting the Media Plan together will be a lot easier. Although Media Planning is not easy, it is a start though. I will be looking up the TV part of everything, while Amanda will be looking up the magazine. Tim will then call and look up the pricing for everything
As for the class, we definately have come together as a team and discussed a lot of things. We might not agree on everything, but we do talk it out, and not let these things get to us. I hope maybe next semester we can switch up the mini groups though. I did like my group, but I think it owuld be beneficial to switch things up so we can all get different perspectives on things, and not the same ones generated from the same groups. It will help the class to bring themselves closer as a team evenmore.
I think this applies to the class because we have to consider everyones ideas, and make sure they not only fit with the research but also with what JCPenney is asking us to do. Its important to consider every possible option, and then knock them away as we go along. We need to keep the ball rolling, even when we are not at Scranton. Hopefully when we do go back at the end of January, we will not only be refreshed but full of creatives ideas. Till then, have a great break!
-Lisa
As for the class, we definately have come together as a team and discussed a lot of things. We might not agree on everything, but we do talk it out, and not let these things get to us. I hope maybe next semester we can switch up the mini groups though. I did like my group, but I think it owuld be beneficial to switch things up so we can all get different perspectives on things, and not the same ones generated from the same groups. It will help the class to bring themselves closer as a team evenmore.
I think this applies to the class because we have to consider everyones ideas, and make sure they not only fit with the research but also with what JCPenney is asking us to do. Its important to consider every possible option, and then knock them away as we go along. We need to keep the ball rolling, even when we are not at Scranton. Hopefully when we do go back at the end of January, we will not only be refreshed but full of creatives ideas. Till then, have a great break!
-Lisa
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Observations and Interviews
The semester is coming to a closer yet the team has only skimmed the surface on this campaign. Over the Thanksgiving break, the team had to do 10 osbservations, as well as 5 interviews. We also had to prepare the Media Plan, and soon a rough plans book.
For the observations, I went to the JCPenney in Roosevelt Field Mall, on Long Island. It was the dayafter Black Friday, so the mall was pretty packed. I observed 10 women and their shopping habits. Most of them were with children or friends, asking them for advice and browsing. Out of the 10 women, only a few bought the clothes they were looking at, or they just seemed to walk away. One women was in the home good section and she did not look pleased with the selection they had. Another women didn't like the quality when it came to sweaters. It was interesting to watch people and see how they shopped. Most were so busy, they just skimmed at everything. Children were pulling at their heals, the prices were checked, the brands and the quality. The store was cramped and confusing, the signs were small and I only found one directory. I couldn't find departments easily, and the signs didn't help me much. I notice there wasn't a Sephora at this store (it's in the mall and not in JCPenney). After all the observations, it gave me a good insight into what women do when they shop, and the things JCPenney needs to change.
I also did 5 interviews. 3 of them were my cousins, and 2 were my brothers girlfriends. One was a huge Kohl's fan, and expressed her loyalty to them, yet still shopped at JCPenney. Two refused to shop at JCPenney because they didn't have quality clothing, which also did not fit them properly. It was interesting to hear what the women did all day, and what they did like. The ranking of JCPenney was average, so that is something to consider when we look at the campaign.
Overall, this pertains to the class because it is a great way to look at JCPenney customers and actually interact with the women, instead of just reading statistics on an online survey. The class needs to do so much research, and making us do observations and interviews will definately help us in the long run. Over the long break, we really need to analyze this information and figure out definitive answers to our questions. The lesson in this is: research is a long ongoing process. We need to do it. It's a big pain, but the more we have, the better. As for the rest of the time in class, our group put together a Media Plan. As one of the Director's of Media Planning, we will have to look through all four of these and pick a rough media plan for the rough plans book. Over break, Amanda, Tim and I will be able to look at it more throughly and pick the best plan we can pick. Hopefully, our classmates made plans that coincide and can help us when picking media.
In the end, this class was worth it. Even though we have so much work to do, and the class isn't even close to being over in the long term sense, it is something all Advertising tracks should do. It brings you into the team and campaign like atmosphere and forces you to do every little aspect of a campaign. So until the end, we will keep driving and keep making our plan the best there is.
Bests,
Lisa
For the observations, I went to the JCPenney in Roosevelt Field Mall, on Long Island. It was the dayafter Black Friday, so the mall was pretty packed. I observed 10 women and their shopping habits. Most of them were with children or friends, asking them for advice and browsing. Out of the 10 women, only a few bought the clothes they were looking at, or they just seemed to walk away. One women was in the home good section and she did not look pleased with the selection they had. Another women didn't like the quality when it came to sweaters. It was interesting to watch people and see how they shopped. Most were so busy, they just skimmed at everything. Children were pulling at their heals, the prices were checked, the brands and the quality. The store was cramped and confusing, the signs were small and I only found one directory. I couldn't find departments easily, and the signs didn't help me much. I notice there wasn't a Sephora at this store (it's in the mall and not in JCPenney). After all the observations, it gave me a good insight into what women do when they shop, and the things JCPenney needs to change.
I also did 5 interviews. 3 of them were my cousins, and 2 were my brothers girlfriends. One was a huge Kohl's fan, and expressed her loyalty to them, yet still shopped at JCPenney. Two refused to shop at JCPenney because they didn't have quality clothing, which also did not fit them properly. It was interesting to hear what the women did all day, and what they did like. The ranking of JCPenney was average, so that is something to consider when we look at the campaign.
Overall, this pertains to the class because it is a great way to look at JCPenney customers and actually interact with the women, instead of just reading statistics on an online survey. The class needs to do so much research, and making us do observations and interviews will definately help us in the long run. Over the long break, we really need to analyze this information and figure out definitive answers to our questions. The lesson in this is: research is a long ongoing process. We need to do it. It's a big pain, but the more we have, the better. As for the rest of the time in class, our group put together a Media Plan. As one of the Director's of Media Planning, we will have to look through all four of these and pick a rough media plan for the rough plans book. Over break, Amanda, Tim and I will be able to look at it more throughly and pick the best plan we can pick. Hopefully, our classmates made plans that coincide and can help us when picking media.
In the end, this class was worth it. Even though we have so much work to do, and the class isn't even close to being over in the long term sense, it is something all Advertising tracks should do. It brings you into the team and campaign like atmosphere and forces you to do every little aspect of a campaign. So until the end, we will keep driving and keep making our plan the best there is.
Bests,
Lisa
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Creativity At Its Best
The team has finally implemented the survey within facebook, as well as through the alumni network. We have already 270 women take the survey and so much more to come! The alumni network has become a great resource for us to use, and hopfully we can use that network again for future reference. Each of us was assigned a specific year. Within that year, we had to e-mail every alumni women we wanted in hopes that they would take our survey. It was a painstaking process, since there are so many women in the network! It was all worth it though, since so many people have already responded by taking the survey. The interviews and the focus groups are still in the works, and I am nervous we won't have the information before the semester is over.
Recently, we have been doing in class excersizes for creativity, and have been coming up with a lot of great ideas. My mini group and I have come up with some commercials as well. Some of our ideas are as follows:
A woman walks into an empty apartment with a JCPenney’s bag as movers bring in furniture. She then leaves the apartment. The woman opens the door again, this time the apartment is filled with furniture, and she is holding another JCPenney’s bag. She pulls out a dress this time. You then see her leaving the apartment with the dress on. The door opens for the last time and the women is seen pregnant followed by her husband. She is carrying a JCPenneys’ bag and pulls out baby clothes. The woman is then seen carrying a toddler wearing the new clothes. The tagline reads: JCPenney, with you along the path of life.
Another one we thought of is a women emergin from a jungle, dirty, tired, pushing a stroller and having her children tug at her. In front of her is a path and at the end is JCPenney. The commercial goes with her walking toward JCPenney's, slowly smiling as she goes. The tagline reads: Let JCPenney pull you through lifes jungle.
Another idea was a women at a gym, and someone asks her where she got her shorts. The same women is a party, and somewhere asks here where she gets her outfit. The same women is then seen at a babyshower, shower her friends the gift she just got. She then responds each time that the items are from JCPenney, and the other women one by one respond with really? This shows that they are surprised that the items are from JCPenney because they are of good quality, who knew?
It was a lot of fun to brain storm with our group and I am excited to see what the other groups have come up with. I hope one of our ideas gets used. I feel this is relevant to our course work because it shows that the team is starting to think about the future and what creatives we might use for the actual campaign. We have been working well together, and although we need to rework some of our previous work, it will be better then before. It also shows us that the research needs to be done earlier, as well as approved earlier with IRB. Even though the survey has just been recently been put up, more work still has to be done. Also, I think we are learning now what need to use the sources on campus the best we can, whether its alumni, graduate or even our teachers. They are the bests assests we have to make this campaign great. My media planning skills will soon have to be implemented along with Tim and Amanda as the class will be doing the media plan soon. I am excited to do that, as well as take pictures in class. The weeks are coming to an end and so much is still yet to be done. It will be stressful, but it will get done and it will be awesome.
Recently, we have been doing in class excersizes for creativity, and have been coming up with a lot of great ideas. My mini group and I have come up with some commercials as well. Some of our ideas are as follows:
A woman walks into an empty apartment with a JCPenney’s bag as movers bring in furniture. She then leaves the apartment. The woman opens the door again, this time the apartment is filled with furniture, and she is holding another JCPenney’s bag. She pulls out a dress this time. You then see her leaving the apartment with the dress on. The door opens for the last time and the women is seen pregnant followed by her husband. She is carrying a JCPenneys’ bag and pulls out baby clothes. The woman is then seen carrying a toddler wearing the new clothes. The tagline reads: JCPenney, with you along the path of life.
Another one we thought of is a women emergin from a jungle, dirty, tired, pushing a stroller and having her children tug at her. In front of her is a path and at the end is JCPenney. The commercial goes with her walking toward JCPenney's, slowly smiling as she goes. The tagline reads: Let JCPenney pull you through lifes jungle.
Another idea was a women at a gym, and someone asks her where she got her shorts. The same women is a party, and somewhere asks here where she gets her outfit. The same women is then seen at a babyshower, shower her friends the gift she just got. She then responds each time that the items are from JCPenney, and the other women one by one respond with really? This shows that they are surprised that the items are from JCPenney because they are of good quality, who knew?
It was a lot of fun to brain storm with our group and I am excited to see what the other groups have come up with. I hope one of our ideas gets used. I feel this is relevant to our course work because it shows that the team is starting to think about the future and what creatives we might use for the actual campaign. We have been working well together, and although we need to rework some of our previous work, it will be better then before. It also shows us that the research needs to be done earlier, as well as approved earlier with IRB. Even though the survey has just been recently been put up, more work still has to be done. Also, I think we are learning now what need to use the sources on campus the best we can, whether its alumni, graduate or even our teachers. They are the bests assests we have to make this campaign great. My media planning skills will soon have to be implemented along with Tim and Amanda as the class will be doing the media plan soon. I am excited to do that, as well as take pictures in class. The weeks are coming to an end and so much is still yet to be done. It will be stressful, but it will get done and it will be awesome.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Mulberry Marketing
Finally, the class has become a team. The team has decided on a name after many debates: Mulberry Marketing. Now with the name, we have gotten closer as a team. We also got our positions within the agency, and I recieved two: Director of Media Planning with Tim and Amanda, as well as Director of Photography. I am excited to be in these positions, but now the reality of the work is upon us. It is already November and the semesters close is coming upon us quicker then we imagined. I have already made plans with my other directors to meet up to start the media planning process. As for photrography, I am most likely going to be under the Creative Directors, listening and adhereing to what they want from me. I am excited to start this process. Besides the team positions and names, we have also been narrowing down the survey questions and are ready to implement them online. Hopefully, the survey will be a great success, along with the interviews and focus groups. I have been looking up within my group of friends, whos 25 or above in age. My brother's girlfriend is, so hopefully I can send her the survey and then in turn she will send them to her friends. Fingers crossed! We need to now make a schedule and due dates, sticking to those dates and making sure others do the same. If not, our agency could fall apart. Hopefully, the whole problem with registration will be solved soon so that we don't lose half of our agency next semester.
How does this all relate to the class? The team name, the positions, the research, it is all the becomings of an agency. We are a full oiled machine, and now we just need to put our heads together and push something out that will blow the competition out of the water. The class is more then just a competition. We also learn what it is like to be in those certain positions, and if we want those positions in real life after graduation. Now we just need to fulfill those goals. After class, we split up into our comittees and decided how to move forward. The Media Planning group will be looking up information as we go along, including what TV spots and magazines work best. As for Photography, Tuesday will be the first "photoshoot".
Say Cheese!
Lisa
How does this all relate to the class? The team name, the positions, the research, it is all the becomings of an agency. We are a full oiled machine, and now we just need to put our heads together and push something out that will blow the competition out of the water. The class is more then just a competition. We also learn what it is like to be in those certain positions, and if we want those positions in real life after graduation. Now we just need to fulfill those goals. After class, we split up into our comittees and decided how to move forward. The Media Planning group will be looking up information as we go along, including what TV spots and magazines work best. As for Photography, Tuesday will be the first "photoshoot".
Say Cheese!
Lisa
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Research
Our team has started to do research to know more about our Target Audience. We had to do observations over the Fall Break, and I went to the Roosevelt Field Mall on Long Island with my mom. She needed to buy a coat, while I went around the store to see if I could observe people. Of the people I observed, three of them had wedding bands, two were with a friend or children, and one was alone. The one with the friend always listened to what the friend said, and they helped each other pick out clothing or other items. The women that was alone was looking at make-up. She would pick up the make up and try it on before using it, amd was very selective about what she was buying. The women who had the children was in the children section, but she was extrememly distracted and seemed to have touble picking out something while making sure her kids did not wonder too far. I found that interesting and wondered if there was a section for kids to go to while their mothers shopped. My mom found a coat that she liked, but there was no one around to help her at the register. There were not a lot of personal around on the floor either. The signs seemed to be confusing, and you could not tell which section you were in, since they did not seem to be very cohesive. I was annoyed that a personal was not around to help us, but my mom says that is regular occurance for JCPenney (as well as Macy's, she pointed out). The overall experience was ok, but most of the time the store was very confusing and uninviting to shop in.
I think the observations apply to our class because it helps the team to go to their own JCPenney stores and figure out what are the main problems that the store has. It also shows us what kind of research still needs to be done, since we are now going to implement surveys online, as well as focus groups and interviews. These three things along with the observations will be a great way to learn more about the women we are targeting. I find it interesting that we are trying to push these surveys through facebook, which could be a great way to get a lot of responses from these surveys. I hope that they do respond, and we can get the ball rolling on the other aspects of the campaign.
Bests,
Lisa
I think the observations apply to our class because it helps the team to go to their own JCPenney stores and figure out what are the main problems that the store has. It also shows us what kind of research still needs to be done, since we are now going to implement surveys online, as well as focus groups and interviews. These three things along with the observations will be a great way to learn more about the women we are targeting. I find it interesting that we are trying to push these surveys through facebook, which could be a great way to get a lot of responses from these surveys. I hope that they do respond, and we can get the ball rolling on the other aspects of the campaign.
Bests,
Lisa
Thursday, October 7, 2010
...What to do now?
Class has started to speed up. We have been discussing research, creatives, and just what we thought about JCPenney as a whole. Even during class, although we are discussing research methods and our SWOT, I still wonder what we should we doing next. I am itching to get into the more creative and planning side of things. I keep wondering...what is our team name? What is our big idea? Before we can dive into these ideas, research needs to be done.
Something the class came up with as a whole is that S.O.F.I.A is using JCPenney as a one stop shop for all her needs throughout the stages in her life. Now that we have the general theme, we had to look up some research on what customers and the brand already thought about the product. Many customers are dissatisfied with the store, mainly with the layout, the dirtiness, and the customer service. It is hard for us to change completely how the JCPenney employees are, but we can change the experience when a customer walks into the store. One idea we had was to seperate the different departments, either with different walls, rigs, or music, just to give a feel as if the customer is walking into a store within a store. I asked my mom what she though about JCPenney and although all of her experiences have been decent, she mostly used the catalog for ordering clothing. Whenever she did go into the store, the thing that turned her off the most to it was how disorganized it was all the time, even when it wasn't the holiday season. The team as a whole felt we had to try to get away from that department store feel and be more like a Macy's, high end but not that expensive. Putting too much emphasis on the low price could hinder their look, making them seem too cheap. The customers want cheap products, but ones that are still high end and an experience that makes you want to step into the store.
I feel that this is relevant to our coursework because we are trying to figure out how the target market really ticks, especially since we are not apart of that age group yet. We need to figure out these things before we really dive into the creatives, or else then we will not know how to move forward. Our target market needs to be able to look at our campaign and think, I want to shop there. We have to figure out how to draw these customers in, and this research can help us to put together the pieces of the puzzle. How can this help in the understanding of the course? Our ideas and our research put together can help us to grow as a team, and really set our minds to a specific task. We can see what works, what doesn't, and what information we really need to move forward. It is a tedious and sometimes boring task, but by doing so we are one step closing to the Big Idea that will put all of this rearch and ideas into focus. The next step is the primary research, which should be really interesting, especially to go out there and actually talk to the target audience.
Until then
Bests,
Lisa
Something the class came up with as a whole is that S.O.F.I.A is using JCPenney as a one stop shop for all her needs throughout the stages in her life. Now that we have the general theme, we had to look up some research on what customers and the brand already thought about the product. Many customers are dissatisfied with the store, mainly with the layout, the dirtiness, and the customer service. It is hard for us to change completely how the JCPenney employees are, but we can change the experience when a customer walks into the store. One idea we had was to seperate the different departments, either with different walls, rigs, or music, just to give a feel as if the customer is walking into a store within a store. I asked my mom what she though about JCPenney and although all of her experiences have been decent, she mostly used the catalog for ordering clothing. Whenever she did go into the store, the thing that turned her off the most to it was how disorganized it was all the time, even when it wasn't the holiday season. The team as a whole felt we had to try to get away from that department store feel and be more like a Macy's, high end but not that expensive. Putting too much emphasis on the low price could hinder their look, making them seem too cheap. The customers want cheap products, but ones that are still high end and an experience that makes you want to step into the store.
I feel that this is relevant to our coursework because we are trying to figure out how the target market really ticks, especially since we are not apart of that age group yet. We need to figure out these things before we really dive into the creatives, or else then we will not know how to move forward. Our target market needs to be able to look at our campaign and think, I want to shop there. We have to figure out how to draw these customers in, and this research can help us to put together the pieces of the puzzle. How can this help in the understanding of the course? Our ideas and our research put together can help us to grow as a team, and really set our minds to a specific task. We can see what works, what doesn't, and what information we really need to move forward. It is a tedious and sometimes boring task, but by doing so we are one step closing to the Big Idea that will put all of this rearch and ideas into focus. The next step is the primary research, which should be really interesting, especially to go out there and actually talk to the target audience.
Until then
Bests,
Lisa
Thursday, September 23, 2010
S.O.F.I.A...the secret weapon
Advertising Class is starting to get interesting. The class had a brainstorming session where we really got the creative juices flowing. We decided as a group to make a fictitious women that would represent the target market name Sofia, an acronym of the attitudes JCPenney gave us that they saw their target market having.Savvy Optimistic Fun Indulgent Authority. We would then be able to put here through the stages in life JCPenney provides, single, married, and children. The first stage would be clothes to go out when she's single and dating, then a gift registry for engaged and married, and then clothes for when she has children. If we ever had a question about the target market or a creative we would then think well what would Sofia do, what would she like? Then, if we don't know the answer, thats what we would need to find out. I love idea of being able to just have a class to brain storm, and everything we talked about seemed really interesting. Now, the campaign seems to be coming to life, and so does Sofia. I wonder what kind of clothes she likes when she wants to go out? Is she more of a dress up girl, or a casual cute jeans and a top? These are the kind of questions we need to figure out to know how Sofia ticks. What if she doesnt get married? We figured that she would, but a mutual friend of hers wouldn't and we could use her as an example of women who stays single longer. Sofia is turning into a real person, and I feel the team is excited to bring her to life.
I feel like the class needs to be more like that, with a chance to talk about creatives and other aspects of the campaign. The making of Sofia was a big step in the process. I feel this is extremely relevant to what we have to do because its helping us to work as a team and see what is good and what isnt. We can tell who are the big contributors and who needs to step it up. I feel like I need to get more involved in the process, when it comes to brianstorming and other aspects as well. I am usually apprehensive to do so, but I hope next session can help.
How can this help in the understanding of the course and what we have to do? Simple, it is helping us to become a team. It is helping us to think beyond the classroom and really about what the client wants. This is helping us to learn how to buckle down and think like real Advertisers, but still have the professor in the room to stear us in the right direction. The course is helping us to picture a campaign and the step by step ways it is built, and Sofia is the first step. Although the other steps might be an uphill battle, I'm excited to see what other ideas the team can make.
Till then
Bests,
Lisa
I feel like the class needs to be more like that, with a chance to talk about creatives and other aspects of the campaign. The making of Sofia was a big step in the process. I feel this is extremely relevant to what we have to do because its helping us to work as a team and see what is good and what isnt. We can tell who are the big contributors and who needs to step it up. I feel like I need to get more involved in the process, when it comes to brianstorming and other aspects as well. I am usually apprehensive to do so, but I hope next session can help.
How can this help in the understanding of the course and what we have to do? Simple, it is helping us to become a team. It is helping us to think beyond the classroom and really about what the client wants. This is helping us to learn how to buckle down and think like real Advertisers, but still have the professor in the room to stear us in the right direction. The course is helping us to picture a campaign and the step by step ways it is built, and Sofia is the first step. Although the other steps might be an uphill battle, I'm excited to see what other ideas the team can make.
Till then
Bests,
Lisa
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
The Agency...almost.
The past two weeks have been busy with the advertising class. As a team, we have been trying to figure out what positions we want to have in the agency. We had to look beyond the name and research which position we wanted in the future, and in the agency as well. After some research, I read information about Media Planners and Photographers. I always wanted to be a photographer, so hopefully I will be able to take that position in the agency. I love photos and trying to capture a moment, so hopefully I can capture a great picture to use in one of the creatives. I also wanted to help out with the Media Planning portion of the agency. I like being able to research and consider which types of media would suffice for the advertising campaign that we are doing. It seems interesting to do be able to do both. I liked how we were all able to discuss who wants to be what in the agency and have the opportunity to voice our opinions on the matter. We were even able to talk about our client and conduct mini research by some people going to JC Penny and shopping. It was interesting to hear what other people said about the client and their experiences within the store. I am going to ask my mom about her experiences at JC Penny and eventually go on a trip to the store myself, if I can ever get the time! I have also been thinking about a name for the agency, but they will probably more talk of that in the near future.
We have not done a lot for the campaign yet, but the case study has been put into place and so we will be going through that soon. I am excited to start the process and really buckle down on this campaign. Next class should be interesting!!
We have not done a lot for the campaign yet, but the case study has been put into place and so we will be going through that soon. I am excited to start the process and really buckle down on this campaign. Next class should be interesting!!
Monday, August 30, 2010
First Journal Entry
The second week of school has finally begun and so does my first blog for advertising competition class.
Upon stepping into class, I was nervous about what the semester held. I have been in another country the last semester, and still not used being back to Scranton just quite yet. I even felt a little behind because of it. Hopefully, the next few classes will bring me up to spead and make me feel better about the upcoming semester.
Our last class, we had a class exercize where we had to build a house out of paper with only paper, tape and paperclips, to create a sense of working together and learing each others names. It was interesting to not only work with the other students on making the paper house, but also to watch the other students interact with each other. We were all cooperative with each other, taking each others advice, and helping each other out. If anyone was trying to add onto the project, we would listen and either take the advice or make it better. It was an interesting mini project to help the team to bond. Hopefully, later on, this cooperation will help us with our initial project and will be a great way to make a great campaign. I liked working with the other students with our project in class and that the teacher would be there if we had any questions. I think it was a great way to break the ice and show the class that we can work together and great things can come from it. I am excited for future classes and what we can make for our client. Until then, have a great day.
-Lisa
Upon stepping into class, I was nervous about what the semester held. I have been in another country the last semester, and still not used being back to Scranton just quite yet. I even felt a little behind because of it. Hopefully, the next few classes will bring me up to spead and make me feel better about the upcoming semester.
Our last class, we had a class exercize where we had to build a house out of paper with only paper, tape and paperclips, to create a sense of working together and learing each others names. It was interesting to not only work with the other students on making the paper house, but also to watch the other students interact with each other. We were all cooperative with each other, taking each others advice, and helping each other out. If anyone was trying to add onto the project, we would listen and either take the advice or make it better. It was an interesting mini project to help the team to bond. Hopefully, later on, this cooperation will help us with our initial project and will be a great way to make a great campaign. I liked working with the other students with our project in class and that the teacher would be there if we had any questions. I think it was a great way to break the ice and show the class that we can work together and great things can come from it. I am excited for future classes and what we can make for our client. Until then, have a great day.
-Lisa
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