The Madness has officially begun! As basketball fans mourn their busted brackets, businesses are working hard to capitalize on the buzz created by the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s (NCAA) premiere college basketball tournament. Tens of millions of Americans watch the NCAA tournament each year. As a result, businesses have prioritized the tournament as one of the most important sporting events for gaining brand exposure, second only to the Super Bowl. Businesses such as Pizza Hut and Kia are willing to pay the price to advertise to such a large audience. Running a 30-second commercial during the Final Four costs businesses upwards of $700,000, while running a 30-second commercial during the championship game costs $1.4 million. In 2014, businesses spent a combined $1.13 billion on television advertising during March Madness. The hype around March Madness isn’t just limited to television though. Within the last few years, discussions about the tournament have trickled into the social media realm as well. According to the NCAA, 1.5 billion online conversations about corporate partners occur throughout the tournament. Needless to say, any company that isn’t actively participating in these discussions on Facebook and Twitter is missing out on the chance to establish a stronger brand presence during one of the biggest events of the years. Many companies have capitalized on this opportunity though. For example, Chick-Fil-A took to Twitter to remind their followers to “eat mor chikin” as they continue to watch the drama of March Madness unfold. The tweet was accompanied by a picture of the ever-recognizable Chick-Fil-A cows engaged in a game of basketball. Additionally, Pizza Hut purchased promoted tweets in order to place tweets about the 20th anniversary of their popular stuffed crust pizza at the forefront of Twitter during the tournament. These promoted tweets are likely to entice more than a few hungry viewers to part with $9.99 so that they can enjoy a stuffed crust pizza while they watch the games on TV. Another March Madness marketing tactic that has gained popularity in recent years is company-sponsored brackets. Quicken Loans, ESPN, AT&T, Yahoo, Buffalo Wild Wings, Bleacher Report, and many other businesses, including Blacksburg’s very own Gobble Cakes, have utilized the famous NCAA bracket in one way or another to promote their brands in past years. Each business’ bracket offered participants a different incentive, from winning $1 million by selecting the ever-elusive perfect bracket, to choosing a new cupcake flavor amongst a variety of choices. No matter the outcome, these brackets are an excellent way to get fans excited for the tournament, and to engage them in the brand that is being promoted. March Madness is just another example of how businesses step up their efforts in order to created memorable and engaging integrated marketing campaigns during national sporting events. Although not quite at the level of the Super Bowl, businesses have come to realize the importance of promoting their brand during the NCAA tournament. Although very few things are certain during the tournament, one thing that you can count on is that it will continue to be marketing madness for businesses for years to come. Madness Image: http://thefeministwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Bracket.jpg Pizza Image: http://www.brandchannel.com/home/image.axd?picture=2013%2F3%2FDomino-March-Madness-560.jpg Edited by Katharina Elberti, Webmaster and Editor-in-Chief 2014-2015
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Imagine it’s the spring of your senior year and – probably – one of the more stressful times in your life. Your college chapter is coming to an end and it’s time to venture out into the real world…which means getting a job. The question is, how do you set yourself apart from the masses to land you first job? Hokie Alumna, Sarah Field, has all the answers on how to set yourself up to be an ideal candidate by graduation! How did you set yourself up to be an ideal candidate before graduation? I’m glad I spent my summers working both in temporary office positions and in internships in my undergraduate career and as a graduate student. I still had a life and enjoyed my summer break, but anytime you can go into an entry-level interview with professional and/or internship experience under your belt, you’re automatically going to be a more desirable candidate. It’s also critical to do your homework before applying for a job and especially before arriving for an interview. Make sure you’ve researched the industry, the company, and the work it does. An interviewer will want to know why you want to work in the industry and why you are interested in joining that company – avoid superficial answers like “I want to work in this city” or “I want to work in PR.” Show you’re prepared and are interested in that specific role at that company. Finally, show up for your interview looking professional and fully prepared. That means business dress, a firm handshake, copies of your resume and relevant work, questions you’ve prepared for the person facilitating your interview, and something to take notes with. I can’t tell you how many candidates my agency has turned away due to unprofessional wardrobe choices, the dead fish handshake, showing up empty-handed, or a combination of the above. First impressions matter, so make sure you’re giving a great one. What were you involved in that benefited your future? I did a lot at Virginia Tech – Kappa Delta, Sensations A Cappella, Student Alumni Associates, Omicron Delta Kappa, and Relay for Life, to name a few. Getting involved during college – whether that’s through athletics, Greek life, professional and academic organizations, the arts, spirit organizations, or a combination of those things – is going to benefit your future in ways you may not yet realize. From learning to deal with difficult and/or different personalities to becoming comfortable networking and speaking in front of others, getting involved on campus will give you a way to connect with others as you leave college and begin life in the professional world. Work to find something (or many things) you’re passionate about, get involved, and make the most of that time – you never know when the organizations you were a part of in college will lead to a great connection or a job opportunity ten years later. What advice do you have for public relations majors? The PR track at Virginia Tech is fantastic, and we’re really lucky to have the faculty we do – but no amount of education can fully prepare you for the work you’ll do in the real world, especially if you decide to join an agency, which is a very fast paced, sink-or-swim environment. The hours are long and the entry level pay can be low, but if you can work hard, maintain a positive attitude, and figure out what you’re really good at, you can move up the ladder quickly. If you have the opportunity to intern in a PR role, take it. Getting exposed to the basics early on – like pitching editors, tracking editorial calendars, staffing events, and writing press releases – will make your first “real” job a little less overwhelming. Finally, remember that the world is full of smart, talented people. You may leave your undergraduate career with a 4.0, always the lead on team projects, always exceeding expectations – but you may also find yourself joining an organization that is full of those people who also happen to have more experience than you do. Recognize that most workplaces have standard operating procedures for a reason, and try to understand that reasoning before you question them or offer an alternate idea. The best idea in the room should always win, but timing and delivery is critical. If you have a great idea, try discussing it one on one with a colleague or your direct manager before you pitch it to the entire team. What was your first job and how did you get it? After holding two PR internships with a PR agency and a record label while in school, my first full time job after graduate school was an account coordinator role at my current PR agency where I’m now an Account Manager. I found the company through a classmate from the communication department who also worked there, and I applied as a candidate with her employee recommendation. As an Account Coordinator, I spent a lot of time feeling like I was drinking from a fire hose. Agency life is fast-paced, and with many technology clients I’d never heard of, I was often playing catch up on industry trends and jargon while trying to learn the lay of the land and standard operating procedures at the agency. Most of my time went to activities like media lists, coverage tracking and reporting, pitching stories (and getting hung up on a lot), database maintenance, and on-site support leading up to and at events – most of those activities are pretty common in any entry-level PR position. After working hard (and being broke) for a year, I secured a promotion, and was able to take on more responsibility. In the five years I’ve been with my agency, I’ve moved from that entry level role to a management level role, and I attribute most of my success to a strong work ethic and not letting daily challenges derail me from my bigger goal – to move up within the agency. Before I secured my first big promotion, I also began a second job on the weekends as a stylist with Stella & Dot, a social selling accessories line (www.stelladot.com/sarahfield). You may think the idea of two jobs seems crazy, but for many entry-level PR professionals, a second job is often a necessity if you want to live in an area like Washington D.C. or New York City. I found something that I loved that fit into my schedule and provided substantial, flexible income so I wouldn’t have to worry as much about going broke, and I’ve stuck with it ever since. Edited by Katharina Elberti, Webmaster and Editor-in-Chief 2014-2015 |
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