For advertising-obsessed crazy creatives and demented dataheads, our calendars often seem skewed, with Christmas appearing on an early February Sunday each year. For us, however, our presents come not as pretty packages under a tree but instead as brilliant ad campaigns sprinkled throughout the Super Bowl.
As a responsible advertising student, I dutifully read my copy of Ad Age every two weeks, although I’ll admit the long, repetitive lists of awards sometimes make the process quite mundane. But this week, when I found the latest issue in my mailbox, my heartbeat quickened in anticipation of articles previewing this year’s Super Bowl ads. With the trend of finding ways to advertise besides television spots during the game, it was unsurprising that many of the articles focused on social media efforts for getting involved in the big game. The new Facebook tracking feature seems most impressive to me, as it tracks not only mentions of “Super Bowl” and related terms in general posts but also in content such as “Likes” or event pages. In real time, it will connect marketers with exactly who they want to talk to, reducing wasted coverage and ensuring more efficiently spent ad dollars. Within minutes of posting about the Super Bowl, users will have their data collected by Facebook and cross-referenced with profile information, making it immediately available for sale to marketers. Scary stuff. But also, scarily exciting for advertisers. One thing’s for sure: come Sunday, I’ll be glued not just to my TV but also to all my social media sites and advertising webpages. I can’t wait.
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Some said it was a waste of talent and intelligence. Others said it was a disgraced and sleazy career path. Still others said I would never make enough money to be rich.
But when I chose to pursue a career in advertising, I didn’t view it as an unfulfilled potential of mathematic ability, a shamed profession, or an unfeasible means of survival. Instead, I saw it as a convergence of all my previous paths into a single road to happiness. You see, I somehow always fell into the role of promoting whichever event, organization, or team of which I was a member. When my friend and I ran for Student Council President and Vice President in grade school, I coordinated all the campaign efforts from developing flyers to baking cookies for giveaways. As editor in high school, I drove yearbook sales, and as softball captain, I encouraged game attendance through social media and posters. My creative flair and artistic ability were incorporated into nearly everything I did, while my nerdy love of research and psychology prepared me to develop marketing plans and understand consumer behavior. When I graduated high school as valedictorian with a flawless GPA, my friends, teachers, and advisors all expected me to go into a “smart,” lucrative profession. But as neither medicine nor law held any appeal to me, and a top-dollar salary took backseat to happiness, I surprised many of them by choosing to go into advertising. What others don’t realize, however, is that advertising takes smarts, it takes wits, and it takes high levels of ability. To create a successful campaign, strategy is essential, and research is necessary. It’s important to plan media time and budget costs, requiring a mind for deciphering statistics and executing efficient financial actions. Advertising is more than designing a pretty picture or writing a catchy slogan. It takes intelligence and creativity, while also demanding long hours and strong determination. The road I took when I entered college as an advertising student has led me to places to express my passions, develop my skills, and expand my interests. I am fortunate to love what I do and do what I love. With a path of successes behind me, I cannot wait to see where this road takes me. |
Kristin KreherMy happiness comes from meaningful interactions, the outdoors, thrift shops, and saying "thank you." Archives
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