Marketing: Sustainable Conversations

Oh the exciting world of marketing! I recently came across an interesting article in the blog, "Take Me To Your Leader." In his article entitled, Creating Sustainable Conversations Will Define Success in Future, Freddie Laker writes:

"The key to creating long term sustainable conversations is picking a campaign position or theme that encourages multiple points of view that are equally viable. Just think about it. If no one can ever be "right," the conversation cannot end and in turn will evolve into an endless debate with the brand positioned directly in the middle. Great campaigns that embody this ongoing discussion include Dove's "Campaign for Real Beauty." This campaign is centered on widening the definition and discussion of beauty. It's a topic that literally has no definitive answer as it represents many things to many people. Subsequently the conversations around this topic are endless, as is its connection to the brand. "

A connection to the conversation/idea/theme of a campaign will bind consumers to a brand. I think about this tendency in my own life, with my attraction to certain products. This idea also occurs in music. We can often relate to song lyrics, identifying with the situations and experiences sung by the artist. If the song really resonates, it becomes a "favorite" and is played repeatedly for times to come. The song will also represent many things to many people. One might also share the song with others, discussing the lyrics and quality of the music.

One day I hope to lend my creativity in creating endless, sustainable conversations for a brand, product or service.

The Little Things

The "little things" in our lives are often unnoticed and unappreciated. While watching the 2006 film Stranger Than Fiction, I couldn't help but be moved by the closing quote. The film is about Harold Crick (Will Ferrell), an IRS auditor who finds himself the subject of author Kay Eiffel's (Emma Thomas) novel by hearing her impeccably accurate narration inside his head.

"Sometimes, when we lose ourselves in fear and despair, in routine and constancy, in hopelessness and tragedy, we can thank God for Bavarian sugar cookies. And, fortunately, when there aren't any cookies, we can still find reassurance in a familiar hand on our skin, or a kind and loving gesture, or subtle encouragement, or a loving embrace, or an offer of comfort, not to mention hospital gurneys and nose plugs, an uneaten Danish, soft-spoken secrets, and Fender Stratocasters, and maybe the occasional piece of fiction. And we must remember that all these things, the nuances, the anomalies, the subtleties, which we assume only accessorize our days, are effective for a much larger and nobler cause. They are here to save our lives."

While I cannot relate to hospital gurneys, nose plugs, or Fender Stratocasters, I have come to be conscious of and relish these small yet significant events. Especially at such an uncertain and humble point in my life!

Healthcare Reform

This post is quite a leap from my usual, personal topics, but I had an interesting discussion with my father at lunch today and thought I would attempt at public feedback...

First, let's look at the facts:

-Nearly 50 million Americans do not have health insurance, while another 25 million are underinsured.

-The amount people pay for health insurance increased 30 percent from 2001 to 2005, while income for the same period of time only increased 3 percent, as reported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

-Healthcare expenditures in the United States exceed $2 trillion a year. In comparison, the federal budget is $3 trillion a year.

Due to this inadequate system, President Obama is proposing a public/universal system where the government will subsidize healthcare. While many people argue that since the US is the only industrialized nation without some sort of universal healthcare system, creating one will give more people access to affordable healthcare.

"Duh. Tell me something I didn't already know," you may say.

Well, here's how my father looks at that proposal. A general agent for big-name insurance carriers, my father's worst enemy is public healthcare. He uses the analogy of the hardware store "wipe-out." A decade ago you had many mom-and-pop hardware businesses all over the nation. Then, a few huge corporations came into town and monopolized the market. How? They were able to access hardware products at a cheaper price and thus sell them cheaper to consumers, gaining optimal profit. According to my father, a similar situation would occur if the U.S. resorted to having both private and public healthcare. Insurance carriers would never survive in competition with the government, thus inhibiting them and many physicians from staying in business. (There are over 50,000 people employed in the healthcare industry in Ohio alone!) My father proposes giving everyone a "ticket" to purchases minimal health insurance. This would require the insurance companies to accept high-risk applicants (ie., cancer patients) at a much lower rate.

There are many, many other factors involved and issues to be considered, but the question remains: can we have both private and public healthcare?

...And We're Back!

After five months, I have returned to my neglected blog! A lot has happened in my life since my last post! First off, I enjoyed an amazing last semester at the University of Dayton. I can proudly say I made the most out of my college experience. I graduated in May, and joined the rest of my classmates in Daytona, FL for "Dayton to Daytona."

Now I consider myself in the awkward post-graduation-pre-career phase. I'm living with my parents and it actually hasn't been too bad! I'm working as a Communications Assistant for my father's insurance brokerage and aggressively searching for jobs in the Cincinnati area. Although the outlook is bleak, my goal is to have a somewhat rewarding job lined up by September. This year is the absolute WORST time to graduate from college and find an entry-level job. A friend of mine told me it usually takes graduates 3-4 months to find a job and it will most likely take SIX in this economy! That news is highly discouraging but I'm going to try and be the exception. Can't live with John and Deb forever!... :/

Back to Reality

After a seemingly long Christmas break, it's time to head back to UD for my last undergraduate semester (scary)! I am a bit disappointed in myself, I did not make much progress in the job search as I intended. However, I did some research and found a promising PR market in Cincinnati, which is where I prefer to re-locate.

Cincinnati is home to quite a few PR agencies, some strictly PR - others a mix of PR, marketing, and advertising. I also researched significant area employers in the fields of healthcare, government and education.

Now it's just a matter of sending my resume and cover letter to countless recipients, hoping to secure an interview. I also need to gather some recommendation letters to have on hand.

Where are YOU on your job search? Any advice?

Thanksgiving Break!

This year for Thanksgiving break I got to spend an entire week at home! It was very relaxing, I think I got more sleep than I have gotten all semester! I got to spend time with family and friends and eat a LOT. It was definitely hard coming back to snow and schoolwork!

These next two weeks before we're done for the semester are always fun, but I was wondering if I would rather be on quarters and be done with finals when I go home. Ohio University has a six-week intercession before their winter quarter, so they just go home at Thanksgiving and stay until after New Years. Then, I thought NO WAY! OU doesn't get to experience Christmas on Campus or Ugly Sweater parties, and they're on quarters! I then realize I prefer and appreciate UD semesters.

Happy Holidays,

Kelley

Jobs in PR

It's about that time for me to start looking for a post-college job. (Enter freak out.) I went on the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the information was very promising! Here is what it said about jobs as "Public Relations Specialists":

Employment change. Employment of public relations specialists is expected to grow by 18 percent from 2006 to 2016, faster than average for all occupations. The need for good public relations in an increasingly competitive business environment should spur demand for these workers in organizations of all types and sizes. Those with additional language capabilities also are in great demand.

Employment in public relations firms should grow as firms hire contractors to provide public relations services rather than support full-time staff.

Among detailed industries, the largest job growth will continue to be in advertising and related services.

Job prospects. Keen competition likely will continue for entry-level public relations jobs, as the number of qualified applicants is expected to exceed the number of job openings. Many people are attracted to this profession because of the high profile nature of the work. Opportunities should be best for college graduates who combine a degree in journalism, public relations, advertising, or another communications-related field with a public relations internship or other related work experience. Applicants without the appropriate educational background or work experience will face the toughest obstacles.

Earnings. Median annual earnings for salaried public relations specialists were $47,350 in May 2006. The middle 50 percent earned between $35,600 and $65,310; the lowest 10 percent earned less than $28,080, and the top 10 percent earned more than $89,220.