Hit Or Miss

Watching commercials is fun right? But do you actually think about what what your watching?

In Frank's class today, we graded commercials based on the method and effectiveness that the message was delivered. There was so many different ways to look at these commercials and so many different interpretations.

Before this exercise I had no idea that there was a method for grading commercials. It was just thirty seconds of boredom until the next commercial came on. I never really thought of thoroughly evaluating the message. It is easy to be distracted by the content of the commercial and completely miss the point.  This of course, is not a reflection of how I interpret;  it just means the ad didn't do its job.

Sometimes if humor comes into play,  that will be the only thing the observer will remember and the desired message won't register.  There is also the argument that commercials lacking humor are boring, especially with the outrageous campaigns that are currently in play.  An example of this is Old Spice's current campaign. The brand wouldn't be half as popular as it is now if it weren't for that brilliant concept.

However, if the commercial is a complete failure and lacks relevant components, or the message just isn't delivered effectively, then it was just a big waste of time and money- mostly a waste of money.

So the next time you watch a commercial, test it's effectiveness by seeing how much you retain once it has come and gone.  You may be surprised by how little or how much got through. 

Drink Coke; Save the Polar Bears

Have you noticed a change in the Coca-Cola can lately?  Well, if you haven't, it might be time to crawl out from that rock you've been hiding under.

Coke has started a campaign  in partnership with the World Wildlife Fund to raise awareness and funds to help create a safe haven for polar bears – an Arctic refuge.  Hence the white can with the silver polar bear silhouette.

Coke and polar bears go way back, to 1922 to be exact, when they were featured for the first time in print advertising.  The partnership with WWF was established in 2007.  So far, Coke has pledged $2 million to help fund the creation of a arctic refuge and is willing to match up to $1 million in consumer donations.

If you are interested in donating, there are multiple ways to do so.  Looking for the convenient method? You can donate through your mobile device and a dollar will be added to your bill at the end of the month. Credit card donations are also an option (with a $10 minimum).  Finally, to really make your donation count be sure to include the product code (found on Coca Cola merchandise) to have your donation matched.

So if the fact that they are the best soft drink on the market wasn't good enough to win you over, this generous attempt to make the world a better place should do the trick. Just another reason to chose Coca-Cola.

Take My Card

Many people underestimate the power of a buisness card.  I for one, have just discovered its importance.  Unfortunately, I learned the hard way.

Today I took part in a seminar hosted by Frank, where we had the opportunity to meet with professionals in our field who graduated from the IMC program.  I was placed at Ricardo Giuliani's table.  I learned so much from him, and at the end of the session he handed me a business card.  I felt awkward, being unable to do the same.  This card is a direct connect to Mr. Giuliani. I felt like I had not made an equivalent connection because I had not exchanged a card of my own.

The idea is to make your card stand out among the rest.  Ricardo had this in mind when designing his.  His strength must lie in design, seeing as his card strongly reflects that talent.  Tanya and I both received his card and we noticed that the backs were different.  Tanya's had a vacation photograph while I had one of him and his wife.

Your business card is a reflection of you.  You can display so many things about yourself through your card.  The concept is simple; contact information and possibly logo.  Ricardo took the extra step by making it unique and memorable.

Now it's up to me to decide what to do with this card.  It is a vital connection I have made and plan on keeping.  I realize that I will be receiving many business cards in the coming years and have decided to adapt a organizational strategy.  I will place them in a business card book and include (on a separate piece of paper) the 5 w's.  This way, I can't forget them and can refer back to this connection when I need to.

If there's one thing I know for sure, you're only as strong as your network.

Until Stress Do Us Part

Kill me now before my head explodes!

Stress can kill you. I can feel my life bar dropping by the second. Assignments are piling up by the second. I'm forgetting things, and then worrying about the fact that I forgot! In the past couple of weeks, I've learned this; the more you let stress take over the more stressed you'll be. The more you procrastinate, the less likely you'll even START what needs to be done. The key is to overcome these little killers. Here's how;

For starters, you have to pull yourself together.  Think rationally about what needs to be done and how you will go about doing so. Time management is really important. Don't let these feelings control your life. Realize that stress is just a result of having a lot on your mind.  Control stress before it controls you!

It also helps to acknowledge that you are stressed in order to deal with it accordingly. Symptoms of stress include; confusion, disorientation, sickness to your stomach, sweating, and depression. In short, it sucks to be me right about now.  Also, if your hair starts to fall out, it might be a good idea to talk to someone. Bottling it up makes it all the worse for you and others because they can't help if they don't know what's going on!.

Remember, things aren't always as bad as they seem.  Talk to someone you trust; it might just save your life or your career. Learn to manage your stress so that you can live your life at a comfortable pace. As Dory puts it, "Just keep swimming!".

For more tips and tricks, be sure to check out morethanmedication.ca's take on how to manage stress.

Coke Vs. Pepsi

This drink is so good, I'm almost sure you can snort it.

  You walk into a restaurant, you sit down, your waitress says,  "Can I start you off with something to drink?" You say back,  "That would be delightful.  Can I have a glass of Coca-Cola please?"  She says, "Is Pepsi okay?"  You stand up and flip the table and yell back,  "God no; what kind of person do you think I am? I'd rather drink my own piss!"

Insistence!  Isn't it a great feeling?  Insistence is feeling so loyal to one product that you won't ever switch one for the other.  In this case, it is Coke vs. Pepsi.  I know...I know...you're thinking, 'why these products; they're practically the same thing!'  Coke just has more sugar and the can is red and Pepsi is blue.  Kind of like the Bloods vs Cripps.  But it's more than that it seems to me.

Coke advertising plan and way they advertise to me, just seems more real.  You can see that Coca-Cola is on top and Pepsi tries and tries to challenge Coke but Coke is so good at what it does, it's just way too hard to beat.

Coca-Cola was introduced in 1886...now that's a classic!  Pepsi trailed behind, starting in 1898 as something called 'Brads Drink' then switched in June 1903 to Pepsi-Cola.  Both companies were born in the United States.  Coke is sold in 200 countries around the the word.  We have Asa Griggs Chandler to thank for that, whose marketing tactics brought Coke to its dominance of the world soft drink market throughout the 20th century.

The famous Coca-Cola logo was created by John Pemberton's bookkeeper, Frank Mason Robinson in 1885.  Robinson came up with the name and chose the logos distinctive cursive script that everyone loves.  The typeface used, known as Spencerian Script was developed in the mid 19th century.

Pepsi has some history too but I have no desire to look it up anyway.  I'm sticking with Coke and only Coke because that's the drink I want to see more often in the hands of loyal soft drink  drinkers.

Coke has great taste and I hope you think so too and just remember if you want to open happiness, just have a Coke because Coke is it!

It's All About the Tie

Dear uniform, you look terrible, stained and worn.  I hate you. Except for the tie, that kept it classy.

I went to Regiopolis Notredame Catholic High School. The only colour tie I wore was garnet and gold, day in, day out.  I can't say I learned very much in high school, but if I learned anything at all during my 4 years there, it was "dress to impress".

When making a first impression with a potential employer, it is always a good idea to dress to impress. His or her judgment will start as soon as he or she sees what you're wearing. Thats why it's always important to dress for a job interview even if the work environment is casual.

What are some of the proper dress codes you might ask? Well there are a variety of do's and don'ts. More often than not, interview attire consists of a suit, long sleeve shirt, belt, tie, dress shoes, little to no jewelry, neat hair and a portfolio. Some don'ts would be a t-shirt and track pants or having no shoes at all (hint hint cool dudes, flip flops are a big no.) Also, don't bring your cell phone, Ipod or chew gum.

Make sure you dress to impress. You never know who's watching.  

Knowledge Is Power...Point

Yes, St. Lawrence strikes again with an assignment using this program Powerpoint created by Microsoft. It is part of the Microsoft suite, and runs on Microsoft windows and Apple’s Mac OS X operating system.

Microsoft Office Powerpoint 2010 for windows and Microsoft Office Powerpoint 2011 for Mac’s. Originally designed for the Macintosh computer. It’s first name was “Presenter” and it was developed by Melody Ausin and Ruckin Forethought. In 1987 it’s name was changed to “Powerpoint”. Powerpoint was officially launched on May 22nd 1990. Oh I couldn’t wait, if only I was born earlier to study this program.

The projects that have been assigned to me on Powerpoint have to do with making a slide show for KCHC. I also have another Powerpoint that deals with Molson Canadian Beer, I have to present the products history and advertising pitches.

This program pretty much shows what your brain is thinking and transforms it into an image format. Its also a great way to throw a sales pitch, define something, show its perks or lead you to a location.

When someone’s presenting a Powerpoint to you, their serious! Its like proving your point!

Powerpoint