Cohn & Wolfe was an exciting visit, allowing me to learn more about the PR agency. In my experience, my only point of contact with a PR agency was when the client requested a PR event or a press release. I never really delved into the work process of PR because it was a different focus from the roles that I have taken on. As always, there is the ‘agency’ feel to the workplace - the culture and environment was very laid back and was reflected through employees. I was intrigued by the projects that the agency took care of, ranging from consumer products to healthcare. Additionally, I thought that it was cool to see that Cohn & Wolfe caters to a variety of clients from B2C to B2B – I think it is probably the fact that PR agencies have a different focus than an advertising agency.
It was especially interesting to hear Amy talk about the Choice Hotels project. This definitely showed Cohn & Wolfe is not exclusively a public relations agency because there is an integration of marketing communications and strategy into their line of work. I had a similar job description back when I worked at Grey – fundamentally working on developing brand strategies for different brands for the variety of clients. I think that it is a challenging job because the clients have different needs and are at different stages in their business. Therefore, having listened to Amy say that her team won the pitch, it is an admirable achievement.
I think that PR agencies have to deal with the constantly changing needs of the clients. For example, in healthcare, they would have to respond to the negative reactions from the public and defend the company from any adverse perceptions. Furthermore, when I listened to the presenters about how sometimes, PR executives will have to be in charge of posting tweets of celebrities or well-known individuals about the particular event that they are hosting – this raises a question as to how much of the news and information we consume are genuinely from the person posting it? Even though this is a smart move implemented by the PR firms, I think that consumers would soon find out about it eventually.
However, the upside of being in a PR firm would allow individuals to keep their eyes and ears open at all times – to be aware of the updates and trends in the market place to foster new ideas for new projects consistently. From hearing about the experiences of the different speakers, I think that most of them did not expect to be in the position that they are in right now – I think that the benefit of being in a PR firm will help individuals learn where they can integrate their passions into the PR field.
Having no knowledge in PR, I truly was able to grasp the basics of what they did from this visit. While it was different from an advertising agency, it was still an agency nonetheless. I found it interesting, but not interesting enough to lure me into working at the agency again. I would like to branch out and explore other jobs under the marketing strategy and branding umbrella to see what other opportunities are out there for me. I think the one thing that is truly keeping me from working in an agency is the fact that I have to be working under a lot of time pressure and client demands. I would like to work on only a few clients and be less stressed about catering to everyone’s needs at the same time!
Current Events
Six out of ten Americans now believe dating sites are good for meeting new people, according to Pew Research Center’s Internet and American Life Project. That is up 44% who felt that way in 2005. The general public attitudes toward online dating have become much more positive in recent years, and social networking sites are now playing a prominent role when it comes to navigating and documenting romantic relationships.
According to the survey conducted with 2,252 adults in April and May, 11% of Internet users and 38% of those who said they are single and looking, have used online dating sites or apps. Among them, 66% said they went on a date as a result of this. Moreover, nearly one in four said they actually met a spouse or other long-term partner through the sites.
I still think that meeting someone in person is still more reliable than through the cyber world. Many people have found that the people that they have met online are not the people they think they are. According to research in this article, 54% said that someone they had met had seriously misrepresented themselves in their profiles and more than 28% said they had been contacted through one of the sights “in a way that made them feel harassed or uncomfortable.” This definitely shows that just because Internet dating has become more accepted, it does not mean that it works for everyone. Sometimes it can get too creepy?
TTIY Project Update:
New Packaging and formula: Earlier this month B&BW has repackaged and reformulated their products by communicating the message, “THE WORLD’S BEST FRAGRANCES ARE NOW EVEN BETTER. GUARANTEED.” Their new products are 2X the moisture 3X the shea. This is a great way to change the looks and ingredients of the products so that customers can feel like they can ‘upgrade’ their products.
New Product: This season, B&BW’s perfumers are coming out with the new fragrance “Forever Midnight” scent. This fragrance was inspired by the story of two lovers, embarking on an exhilarating countdown to midnight. The adventure begins as their eyes meet from across the room and lock together in an enigmatic stare of wonder. Have they seen each other before? Crossed paths in a far away city? Though they can’t place the moment where they first met, the chemistry is oh-so real and undeniable – sending them off on a passion-fueled journey! As they edge closer together, the message is shared ""Forever Starts At Midnight"" and the chase begins. I think that this is a very smart way of introducing a new product on B&BW’s blog. Not only does it give readers a new product to be excited about, but it also allows blog readers to read about the inspiration behind a product by telling a story. This product is, however, a limited edition.
Seasonal Products: To welcome the holiday, B&BW’s is offering holiday traditional scents for a limited time. The holiday that they are talking about is winter. Fragrances offered include:
- Vanilla Bean Noel
- Twisted Peppermint
- Merry Marshmallow Kiss
- Winter Candy Apple
Pinterest & Instagram: This past week, B&BW’s Pinterest and Instagram have been supporting each other to post about different product fragrances. The Instagram posts link to the Pinterest page. As for the Pinterest page, they have been posting about each scent, there are also related posts about things that related to the product. For example, the “Sea Island Cotton” scent – there were posts that relate to the ocean, cleanliness, blue/white colored items etc.
Promotions & Sales: As usual, B&BW has continued on their streak of providing discounted coupons and promotions for their products. Especially now that we are approaching the holiday seasons, they have been promoting their products heavily. I think that this is the main area that B&BW is known for to sell their products to consumers. I personally think that it is effective and they should continue to do this.
This week was probably the only week so far that I have seen B&BW’s new marketing and communications for their products. I do hope that I can see more updates and communications in the next few weeks!
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