Overall, I feel as if the class is progressing in a layered way. The synergy of information from class to class is really enhancing my experience and helping me to comprehend and retain general concepts; the way that the readings and visits interconnect - like when the discussion of paid ads on Google from TargetCast came up again today at McCann, for example - really reinforces what we've been learning and hones in on key points without belaboring the subject. Also, visiting different work environments is such a valuable tool to help gain clarity in what I am looking for and what I might not want in a future career.
Today at McCann, I really enjoyed listening to Grant and Arvind talk about the advertising industry. As an avid fan of Mad Men, it was fascinating to hear the modern perspective of such a gilded aspect of the communications industry. In many ways, advertisements are the background music of our lives, whether we are watching them on TV, seeing them in print or online, or even being thrown one in a taxi on TaxiTV. Meeting the people who actually create these campaigns that touch our lives was really inspiring and increased my appreciation for the work that goes into one single advertisement. On a personal level, I was surprised by the level of creativity in the office. I was caught off guard by the gorgeous furniture and eclectic work environment, and was very intrigued by the organic flow of the office. I really liked that there weren't any cubicles and that ideas seemed to bounce from one person to another. While I still see myself entering the PR field, it was interesting to see how a firm like McCann works, and I am now even more excited to see Cohn & Wolfe, because right now I am really set on in-house, and I want to see what a firm environment is like in the PR industry. I am really hoping that the Cohn & Wolfe visit will give me some clarity in that arena, and I am definitely looking forward to that day!
As far as my Dove "Go Fresh" research - I have decided to pursue Dove's branding for women as a whole due to a dearth of research on the "Go Fresh" campaign. I am energized about this decision because I will get to look at other aspects of Dove's marketing towards women, such as the "Real Beauty" campaign, which is the most famous, as well as sensitive skin, deodorant, body washes, etc. I think that increasing the endeavor will provide me with a more robust picture of both Dove as a company and Dove's women's branding initiatives. I immediately thought of the latest Real Beauty ad, in which women describe themselves behind a curtain to an ex-police sketch drawer, and we see that women perceive themselves to be much less attractive than they actually are. I saw this video when I was still in college this past year and I remember about four of my friends emailed the same link to the video to me in the span of one week - the video went viral. Below is a link to a NY Times article about the video as well as a link within the article to the video. I highly suggest everyone watch it!
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/19/business/media/dove-ad-on-womens-self-image-creates-an-online-sensation.html?_r=0
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