Closing Time

I can't believe this class and semester are already wrapping up and summer is about to begin! I just wanted to leave a few thoughts on this class and blog process as a whole and what I learned about strategic communications from this class. I also wanted to thank those who have looked at my posts and those who have commented as well!


This class has been extremely informative and I am so glad that I was able to be part of it. I think this class did a great job of touching on the subjects that we as future strategists should definitely know about. It was wonderful learning about social media and viral marketing, two of my favorite subjects to learn about but can always find out something new. In this profession and industry, everything is constantly changing and it is important you stay up to date and current in all realms of communication. I also really enjoyed the professional blog aspect of class, it was really cool to learn and create my own blog and now that I see that it's pretty fun and interesting to keep up, I want to start my own running/fashion/pop culture blog! I have wanted to for a while now but running this blog has given me the confidence to do so.


I also wanted to take the time to thank my professor, Dr. Padgett. He did an absolutely amazing job with this class and was very sad to hear he was retiring after this course wrapped. I would have loved to have taken another course with him but I understand that after years of hard work he deserves this. Thank you again for creating such a wonderful class experience! What a great way to really involve the class with discussion posts and of course our professional blogs.


And, thanks to those of you who have read be it either a classmate or someone who just wanted to learn more about strategic communication. I leave you with these words from Benjamin Franklin "Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn."


Have a great ending to the semester and enjoy the summer!



Thanks for reading!!


LT

Children and Technology

It's hard not to notice that on a daily basis you see children with electronic devices. Tablets, smartphones, laptops, etc. is all evident by children carrying, watching, looking and playing, it would be a safe assumption to say that some children have better technological skills than some adults. Which brings us to this question, is that good? It seems gone are the days where kids played a simple game outside, now it is all about Flappy Bird, Candy Crush and whatever the next cutely titled game will be. Are children losing their imagination or expanding it? Ruining social skills or improving them? And, what does the world of technology do for the education of kids? Let's discuss.

Technology is everywhere and kids take notice of this. Look at a few commercials on popular children's television stations such as Nickelodeon or Disney, chances are you will see plenty of opportunities for your child to get online encouraged by the networks young stars or advertisements for the latest technological fad. The question is should this behavior be encouraged? In my opinion, yes...but in moderation. The world changes and you have to be ready to change with it or you will be left behind. In today's world, technology is everything. In my last few blog posts I have discussed everything from viral videos to marketing social media, and the world shows no signs of slowing down on increasing technology. A point I do want to make before we continue, yes I absolutely support children learning and using about technology but no I do not think this should be a main focus in their life and I believe children should always have outside factors such as real friends, outdoor exercise, social skills ,etc. not just sitting on a computer day in and day out.

The pros of technology can be limitless, there are ways to help educate your child through the use of games which what every parent and teacher want to "make learning fun". There are also ways of downloading books by way of the Nook and tablets such as an I-Pad, what better way to spend time in a crowded restaurant or restless trips to the grocery store than allowing your child to ready classics such as To Kill a Mockingbird or Charlotte's Web and even more recent classics such as the Harry Potter series? You can even get your child started learning about  digital art programs such as popular programs including Photoshop and InDesign. Reading, writing, and art can be some of the most creative outlets for children and they can be available to them at the touch of their fingers.

Education can also thrive under technology, especially for the younger set. Pages literally come alive on tablets with bright colors and graphics and even ways for you to change the size of the words so you are able to see every word clearly. Instead of lugging around all your books you now have a easy tablet that stores hundreds of books, games, writings, and art. Many schools have started adapting to the use of tablets and some schools even use this as their main form of teaching and require the use of tablets and technology. Another interesting aspect is to look at tablet use for the children who may have a disability such as autism or a learning disability such as dyslexia. Tablets can open up another world for these children and there has been significant research that says that I-Pads can help from everything to from social situation to learning to speak to others. It will be amazing to see what other forms of help and improvement these forms of technology will bring in the coming years.

(source: http://www.disabilityscoop.com/2013/11/19/ipads-autism-speak/18904/)

As with most things, there do have to be some cons to the use of technology with children. As with everyone who used online portals such as message boards, social media, and videos to name a few, you must be careful. Children, much like an older generation, can be extremely naïve and trusting which is sometimes not the best combination when dealing with the Internet. It's crucial you talk to your children just as you would talk to them about strangers in the real world, not everyone online is a friend. Especially important for pre-teens and teens, the use of social media is fun and a great way to stay connected but can also be dangerous and for some kids a prime area for bullying. The news is often filled with troubling stories of children some as young as 10 or 11 that have been bullied through means of online connections by way of social media. If you find out your child is being bullied online then its important to get involved perhaps even more important if it is your child who is doing the bullying, you must intervene. Children are very aware and take things very seriously, bullying can seriously mess with one's emotions and it is not something to play around with. Also, important make sure you know who your child is talking to online. Now this may become more difficult to check into as your child gets older but always try to stay aware and ask questions if your child makes friends online. Most of the time they are probably harmless but there have been enough true stories to fill To Catch a Predator. Especially in today's time where just a few short years ago the popular term "Catfishing" got it's name. Sometimes you really have no idea who you are talking to, children (and adults!) need to always make sure they are making smart choices when dealing with anything online, always exercise caution and do your homework so you and/or children aren't taken advantage of.

Others worry that perhaps too much technology can hinder children's social skills, maybe they can't handle real conversations in real life without the use of technology. I could see how this could be a problem as well as the issues that arises about health, children are notorious now for staggering type 2 diabetes statistics and obesity issues, many which claim the Internet and television are mostly to blame. Make sure your kids are seeing real friends, go to the zoo, go for a hike, even go get ice cream with your child and their friends for a social outing. Make sure there is a good balance of everything if your child's life, you want them to be well-rounded, they know how to use technology but they can also hold a conversation that isn't over Twitter. Everything works well in moderation and technology is no exception, it will be very exciting to see what new technology develops for children in the years to come!

 What do you think about kids using technology? Good or bad idea? What's the youngest child you've ever seen using a smartphone or tablet? Any good stories about kids and technology? Post your thought below and thanks for reading!

LT

What's Your Brand?

Today's blog post talks about the importance of "branding". It's crucial that we as strategic communication specialists understand the importance of branding and especially in the field of public relations, the idea of branding is crucial. We'll take a look at what exactly branding is, ways to utilize branding, and some successful examples to show you the whole picture of branding. You never know what you might find out to help you build your brand!

First off, let's take a look at what "branding" actually is. Have you ever seen a catchy slogan? An eye-catching ad? Clever commercial? Chances are you have and that is essentially the foundation for building a successful type of brand. Branding is all about what you want your product to say, what you want people to think about your product, and essentially not only get people to notice but be interested as well as explain what it is your product/client/ etc. Branding is everywhere! Take a moment and think about some commercials, social media ads, print ads, and so on that made an impression on you. Maybe it was a fast-food ad such as McDonalds, in recent years McDonald's has always been popular among children, of course known for happy meals which include toys mostly in the form of a current film promotion. But, McDonald's has tried to show ads that feature a mixture of children and adults and some feature only adults. The branding is trying to show that while McDonald's is for kids, it is just as much for adults or a family friendly spot but also suitable for those without kids who just want to enjoy a Big Mac. Speaking of family friendly, let's take a look at one of the leading tourist destinations in the world, Orlando, Florida.

Orlando, Florida is hands down one of the best places to look for successful branding. Not only is it home to the Walt Disney World Resort but also world known theme parks such as Universal Orlando and Sea World along with more local and smaller attractions. With so many options, it's important that these theme parks utilize their brands to help vacation goers choose where they spend their days and most important to the theme parks, where they spend their hard-earned money. Let's look at Disney World, it is easily one of the most promoted and heavily visited vacation locations in not only the country but world-wide. Disney is known for being family approved, the branding is that Walt Disney World is fun for the entire family. Campaigns are based on the idea that at Disney everyone is a kid, Disney utilizes eye-catching graphics, beloved characters, and in Disney lingo "pixie dust".

Disney prides itself on being for families as well as children at heart. But, what about rival theme parks? As stated earlier, Orlando is the central point so how do other companies make their product stand out? What is the brand that they want to convey to the public so they ensure tourists that they are making the correct choice in picking their vacation get-away. Let's look at Disney World's biggest competitor, Universal Orlando. Located about 20 minutes away from the famous mouse, Universal Orlando makes no qualms to say they are not Disney. Universal has branded their product as edgier, more adult oriented (but also family friendly), and a more hip theme park. Universal Orlando has even used slogans and commercials that featured phrases such as "tired of pixie dust?" which is clearly a jab at Disney. Universal unveiled their most popular area of their park with "The Wizzarding World of Harry Potter" a few short years ago and the new expansion of this area opens this summer. The branding of the theme park now largely depends on Harry Potter as well as the movies the rides are named after. Universal has done a good job with revamping rides and updating the theme park as a whole, gone are rides based on classic but older films such as "Jaws" and "Back to the Future" and in their place are rides based on the popular franchise films "Transformers" and pop culture favorite "The Simpsons" as well as newer children's classics such as "Shrek" and "Despicable Me". Look at a few ads below and see how the branding has changed, Universal is now a true contender with the Walt Disney World Resort and not just an attraction you pass on the way to see Mickey. The "Ride the Movies" and family adventure remain relatively the same but there are obvious upgrades which signifies that this brand is here to stay.

While we are on the subject of Disney and Universal, we know they are competitors and while at times their product and brand are similar we can see that there are some differences. Disney on one hand, prides itself on being family entertainment and fun for the whole family, while Universal does want families to enjoy they also have popular events for adults only. Case in point, Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando. The event started in the early 90's and has since become an almost two month weekend nightly event that is one of the most popular in the country. There are "dead" bodies, gore, alcoholic beverages, and adult humor among other things and Universal lets parents know this event is not for children, it is strictly for adults. However, Disney seemed to have noticed and countered with their child-friendly version "Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party" which is definitely for children but adults as well. The branding is imperative and is really critical for events and products like this. It can tell you exactly what it is just by looking at the poster/ads. Take a look at the campaigns below, can you tell the difference for the audiences?

                                  

 

Similar sounding events at similar theme parks but completely different events! Thanks to branding you can shape and cater to the audience you want as well as explain the event is just a few details.

Branding is useful for everyone and it's amazing once you learn what branding is, how you can begin to look at things and notice successful brand techniques and can be very crucial in times of crisis. For instance, what happens when an honored event has tragedy that caused world-wide news? The 2013 Boston Marathon found out first-hand when the tragedy shook the running community as well as the country. As an avid runner and frequent distance runner, I was shocked and saddened by the event that took place that day and wondered what the response would be like. Honestly, I was a little scared to attend and participate in races after seeing the events unfold. Could that happen to a race I was at? Would there be similar individuals trying to copycat? Just when I had almost shut the idea down of attending big races, I began to see the words "Boston Strong" everywhere. It was like telling the city we knew the pain they were going through and we were standing right there with them for support. "Boston Strong" was an excellent phrase to sum up emotions in just a few words. And a few short weeks later when I completed my second marathon, I noticed many runners and non-runners with the words on their shirts, socks, hats, etc. Branding can be beneficial but in some cases it helps out more than you might know and sometimes you just need to know that others are going through the same feelings as you.

On a lighter note and with the subject of running and branding, let's look at one final excellent example. We can actually bring up Disney again as we take a look at one of the most popular distance running organizations, runDisney. Disney has already proven that they are excellent when it comes to branding, they consistently have some of the most creative campaigns and runDisney is no exception. The branding of the product let's you know a few important details such as its great for beginners, you get to run in the theme parks, everyone is welcome to join (they even title the 5k distance as the "family 5k or royal family 5k" for the little ones who can't participate in the longer distances, lots of distance options (5k to marathon) and most of all fun! I noticed an ad about three years ago and quickly registered for the "Princess Half-Marathon"(the branding has done so well that these events now sell out in record time on the day they are open for registration!). The main branding slogan is "every mile is magic", it's truly a perfect saying for a Disney running organization. As stated earlier, the brand has grown so much and there are now more events than ever and I have a feeling thanks to their branding, there will be even more events on the horizon. Take a look at a few ads, wouldn't that make you want to run 13.1 miles?

 Branding is not only extremely useful and beneficial but also fun to learn about! Hope you enjoyed today's blog post! 

What is your favorite thing to learn about branding? Any branding ideas that caught your eye? Any you didn't care for?

Thanks for reading!

LT