Some NYC Advice

I am truly glad that I had an opportunity to take this class.  The tours in New York City opened my eyes to what I want to do in the future.  I learned about various positions in the advertising industry, the difference between small and large agencies, and about the work environment that I will be thrown into.  It was all so exciting and informational, and I am now more confident than ever in my career choice. Can’t wait to move to the Big Apple!

My Top 10 Takeaway Pieces of Advice From this Experience…

10.  New York City is expensive… realllllly expensive.

9.  Take an excel class or Photoshop course in college… it will really help you out with any job in the real world.

8.  It is important to have interests outside of advertising.  It makes you unique and gives you something else to focus on.

7.  For many agencies, it is necessary to hold an internship position in New York City in order to earn a permanent job there.

6.  Don’t start out by chasing the money, chase the work and do what you love.

5.  Many agencies are combining Account Services and Brand Planning departments and calling this new sector “Strategy”. 

4. There are benefits to working in both a small and large agency.  (Disadvantages exist for both too!)

3.  You must be willing to work long hours if you want to go into advertising.  Working until 12 a.m.  is not uncommon!

2.  If you want to move to New York city.. just do it!

1.  NETWORK NETWORK NETWORK!

Siri no habla espanol

Although Hispanics are more likely than white adults to buy smart phones, the iPhone 4S’s “Siri” feature is still unable to communicate in Spanish.  Siri also cannot speak Mandarin, the number one language in the world.   According to Kunur Patel and Lauren Wentz in this AdAge article, many consumers believe that this was a huge mistake on Apple’s part.  In my opinion, if Apple hopes to sell their products in the changing American landscape, then they should be able to relate to those in their target market.  This includes Hispanics, Chinese people, English speakers… and pretty much everyone else.  Now more than ever, I think it is crucial for companies to adjust their products and marketing tactics to fit our globalized world.  Without cultural modifications, marketers run the risk of alienating a significant amount of potential consumers.  Thinking global is the key!  

Does Twitter Success Lead to Television Success?

In an article for Ad Age, Simon Dumenco examines which television stars on upcoming shows have the most twitter followers.  Hopes are that a high amount of twitter presence will drive social conversation and increase popularity for these new television series.   Some celebrities, such as comedian Dane Cook (who I follow on Twitter), already have a big presence in social media, which gives their show a head start.  Cultural anthropologists have found that there is a strong correlation between successful shows and shows whose cast members have a strong Twitter presence.  The example that the article gave for this was Fox’s ‘New Girl.’  This just happens to be my favorite show and Zooey Deschanel is my girl crush… and I can honestly say that following her on twitter connects me to the show on a more personal level.  In my opinion, when fans know that a celebrity is “heading to the set to shoot a new episode!” or “just got a new dress that will be featured in next week’s show!” they will be more inclined to tune in to the program.  Check out Ad Age’s list of new television/twitter stars in the attached picture.

HUGE and Inc. & Fast Company Magazine

On our final day of tours in the city, we visited two agencies: HUGE and Inc. and Fast Company Magazine.  HUGE is a full service digital agency located all the way in Brooklyn.  It was cool to travel outside of Manhattan because, as we were told, many young people live in the outer boroughs in order to save up money to move to the city.  I had the chance to go back to Brooklyn a few days after the tour at HUGE, and feel that it would be a very fun place to begin life in NYC.  HUGE primarily works on digital advertising through websites, mobile apps, and CRM.  Their goal is to “transform brands and grow businesses”.    HUGE represents some major clients including American Express, Target, and Pizza Hut, and it was really cool to see how the company transforms the websites of these brands to appeal to consumers.  Our last agency tour at Inc. and Fast Company Magazine introduced me to a different side of the media world.  The agency was located in the new World Trade Center area and offered amazing views of the city from its spot on the 29^th floor (as you can see from the attached picture!).  Inc. and Fast Company Magazine is much more editorial-based than the other agencies that we toured.  It made me realize that there are many different occupational areas that I can explore after college using my Grady degree.  Our host, Alison, gave us some great advice about working our way up in the industry.  She stressed having outside interests, taking an excel class, and networking, networking, networking!  I think that the most important thing stressed by almost all of the people we met in NYC is the importance of constantly communicating to those in the industry in order to stand out amongst the competition. UGEW h