Category: Social Media

I’ve Branded Myself

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And baby it burns.

Earlier this year I signed up for a BrandYourself account and I let this website do a web search of my personal information. On my initial scan my online privacy risk was scored as high, which was pretty frightening. I recently did another scan to see what has happened in the past few months and the results were equally shocking … I was high, again!

New capture.
Old capture.

When I first got my brand identity scanned, BrandYourself gave me a few tips and tricks to lower my score and these tricks were conveniently a subscription away from being fixed. I was cynical at first – c’mon, really? Of course there is a premium cost to fixing my presence online. However, BrandYourself does give you a slight glimpse of what you could delete off your social media.

It’s actually quite impressive how this website can flag posts for alcoholic content in your photos, among other things such as nudity, drugs, weapons, and “lewd gestures”. I saw about five posts that I could delete but the rest were blurred. I went ahead and deleted these five posts, but the fact I had hundreds of blurred posts almost drove me mad.

Look – I get it. Profanity can be trashy. I can drop the F bomb on Facebook and people may think I’m not articulate or intelligent. Potential jobs certainly wouldn’t be a fan of it, either. However, I feel like it’s not as crushing as other posts such as ones with alcohol, nudes, and other provocative things. I honestly didn’t delete many photos with profanity because for most of them I am talking about real issues such as laws, regulations, abortion, gay marriage, etc. It’s not like I’m saying “I was fucking wasted last weekend” – it’s more of a “Get your fucking act together, Washington”. One could argue that both of these statements are equally bad, but I just don’t agree with that.

In short, I did not delete many posts and because of that I am not surprised that my score is still at high risk. While I may sound stubborn, I honestly do believe that my online brand definitely needs a bit of renovating. I probably have a few bombshell posts that could ruin my professional career before it even starts. I think I have a couple inactive Twitter accounts that were created when I was in middle school and high school which could be easily deleted, erasing a big chunk of my online presence. This could improve my score no doubt.

I think going forward I need to be very conscious about what I post, especially since I’m nearing the end of my academic career and will need to apply for big boy jobs. I should lay off the profanity and save it for a post with a punch: make it iconic.

For now I will be left wondering if a subscription to BrandYourself would save my online image. For those wondering too, don’t fear: if I come into an unreasonably large sum of money I shall pay for the subscription and we can learn together if we can save this mess that we call my life.

My Dream Jobs

Posted on Posted in Advertising/PR, Fashion, Social Media, TechnologyTagged , , , , , Leave a comment

Social Media Coordinator
Company: Shinola
Link: https://www.indeed.com/jobs?q=shinola&l=Detroit%2C%20MI&vjk=f626af5ea84da48c

Skills/Requirements:

  • 2 years Social Media Coordination
  • Writing & editing skills that will engage an audience as well as a creative eye for what works in these channels
  • A strong understanding of Social Media Platforms (FB, IG, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, YouTube, etc.) and a passion for learning about new platforms as they develop into opportunities to engage with the Shinola Audience

Action items to become a stronger candidate:

  • I will become very acquainted with social media platforms and how to schedule posts for each website, such as HootSuite
  • Work for the company as an associate for a few years.
  • Get experience using Adobe Creative Suite and Salesforce Marketing Cloud, the latter I have experience with already at Shinola but could definitely improve on. I would preferably do this via a class online.

Assistant Marketing Manager, Campaign & Content
Company: Sephora
Link: https://www.indeed.com/jobs?q=louis%20vuitton%20social%20media&l=Anywhere&vjk=fe24e0ffdebe471a

Skills/Requirements:

  • 3+ years of marketing experience: agency, retail, or beauty industry. CRM experience preferred
  • Outstanding interpersonal skills: the ability to develop and maintain relationships with business partners at all levels across a variety of functions
  • Passion for creative strategy, creative development and campaign execution

Action items to become a stronger candidate:

  • Become familiar with Sephora and the brands they carry in their stores by going to different stores in the Grand Rapids area.
  • Research CRM and how to become familiar with it. I would also reach out in my current job to see if I could have an opportunity to learn about how Shinola uses CRM.
  • Have experience in marketing in another job, such as Shinola. I could go for a Marketing internship in the Spring of 2020.

PR Manager, Watches & Jewelry
Company: Louis Vuitton
Link: https://www.indeed.com/cmp/Louis-Vuitton/jobs?jk=c86802577121d551&l=&q=social%20media#cmp-skip-header-desktop

Skills/Requirements:

  • 7+ years of progressively responsible public relations experience preferably in High End Fashion or Luxury Goods Industry
  • Possess a Bachelor’s Degree in Ad/PR
  •  Experience in Microsoft Office and managing staff are preferred.

Action items to become a stronger candidate:

  • Work my current job at Shinola for a longer period of time to expand my knowledge of what it’s like to work for a luxury goods company.
  • Get a degree in Fashion Merchandising, which I can do in two years after I finish my Ad/PR degree at Grand Valley.
  • Become familiar with LVMH Group (which owns Louis Vuitton). There is extensive resources online.

GUCCI Marketing Manager – Wholesale Timepieces & Jewelry
Company: Gucci
Link: https://www.indeed.com/cmp/Gucci/jobs?jk=fce5bd5d9632b301&l=Anywhere&q=marketing#cmp-skip-header-desktop

Skills/Requirements:

  • Minimum of 4 years’ experience in a marketing and advertising related position
  • Highly proficient in Microsoft Word; Excel; PowerPoint: Outlook; Adobe Acrobat
  • Bachelor’s degree

Action items to become a stronger candidate:

  • Try to get a management position within my current job so I get experience what it’s like to manage a team. Ideally I’d like to work at a flagship store since the product is at full retail price, whereas the outlet I work at has discounted rates for discontinued product.
  • Get a degree in Fashion Merchandising to coincide with my Advertising/PR degree. That would take about two years for an associates.
  • Take a class to fully understand Microsoft programs. Microsoft has online classes, or I could take an in-person class.

UO Visual Merchandising Manager
Company: Urban Outfitters
Link: https://www.indeed.com/cmp/Urban-Outfitters-Inc./jobs?jk=7b2a56c0761445ec&l=Anywhere&q=marketing&start=12#cmp-skip-header-desktop

Skills/Requirements:

  • No requirements were listed for this position, but I imagine I would need retail experience among visual merchandising experience.

Action items to become a stronger candidate:

  • Try to get experience doing visual merchandising for Shinola through an internship in Spring of 2020.
  • Get a degree in Fashion Merchandising, which would take about two years for an associates.


Digital Performance Marketing Manager
Company: Fendi
Link: https://www.indeed.com/cmp/Fendi/jobs?jk=cd4f2719055d15b6&start=12#cmp-skip-header-desktop

Skills/Requirements:

  • 4-6 years of experience in Digital Advertising/Marketing and/or e-Commerce – agency experience preferred.
  • Experience managing and working with 3rd party digital marketing partners.
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including ability to present information succinctly to brand team and senior management.

Action items to become a stronger candidate:

  • Increase my knowledge and literacy of digital marketing. I can do this by taking more online classes and obtaining certifications, although that may be expensive – perhaps I could get my job to sponsor them.
  • Take a class to fully understand Microsoft programs.
  • Keep on updating myself on site analytics platforms like Google Analytics. I would want to be well versed in at least two other platforms.

Internal Communications Specialist
Company: H&M
Link: https://www.indeed.com/cmp/H&M/jobs?jk=dbeef4db586bf7ad&l=Anywhere&q=marketing#cmp-skip-header-desktop

Skills/Requirements:

  • Bachelor’s Degree or years equivalent experience in internal communications, strategic planning or branding
  • Proven ability in writing, editing and strategic planning
  • 3+ years’ experience in Communications, Marketing , or PR

Action items to become a stronger candidate:

  • Gain leadership experience whether it be at my current job at Shinola or at another apparel/luxury goods company.
  • Work on my critical thinking skills so I can showcase solutions during my interview. That really comes down to self studying and actively engaging myself to work out problems, whether they be real or in a scenario.
  • Develop strong diplomacy and inter-personal skills to negotiate competing priorities and resolve conflicting points of view.

Material Planner (Leather)
Company: Shinola
Link: https://www.indeed.com/cmp/Shinola/jobs?jk=260d39b54997c50b

Skills/Requirements:

  • 2-3 years of experience in Supply Chain (Procurement, Manufacturing, and/or Logistics)
  • Experience with an ERP/MRP (Microsoft Dynamics AX a plus)
  • Proficient with Microsoft Suite (Excel, PowerPoint, Word, and Outlook)

Action items to become a stronger candidate:

  • Go to school after I finish my degree to get a degree in Supply Chain. Ideally I’d like to get an associates for the shorter time frame.
  • Get an internship/apprenticeship with a local artisan that specializes in leather so I can learn more about the tanning process and what it takes to create leather. There is a place in GR called Gemini, I could check that place out.
  • Keep up with trends in leather on WGSN. That site is extremely expensive for a subscription, but it’s an industry standard and may pay off in the end.

Marketing & Experiences Manager
Company: Filson
Link: https://www.indeed.com/cmp/Filson/jobs?jk=0b83277b922aa580

Skills/Requirements:

  • 7+ years’ experience in consumer marketing with progressively larger responsibility
  • Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing or related field
  • Experience with multi-channel marketing, as well as making marketing recommendations, setting marketing goals, providing insight on analytics, writing marketing briefs and leading teams through concept and development

Action items to become a stronger candidate:

  • Since Filson is owned by Shinola’s parent company, Bedrock Manufacturing, I could potentially work my way up and transition to Filson.
  • Get a feel and understand the Filson atmosphere: it’s a lifestyle brand, so to become a strong candidate I need to appreciate and be able to “live” in the brand.
  • Keep up with trends (especially for outdoor apparel) and understand what markets Filson appeals to the most, and which markets we can successfully penetrate. Again, I could use WGSN for this.

Digital Marketing Specialist
Company: Saks Fifth Avenue
Link: https://www.indeed.com/cmp/Saks-Fifth-Avenue/jobs?jk=16a56f5394bc28c1&l=Anywhere&q=marketing#cmp-skip-header-desktop

Skills/Requirements:

  • A Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited four-year college or university (preferable in Marketing, Economics, or Business Management)
  • Minimum 2 years of full-time experience managing media campaigns (e.g. paid social, display, search) including tracking, planning, and reporting
  • Ability to leverage Excel on a daily basis

Action items to become a stronger candidate:

  • Try to get experience working at Shinola in digital marketing. We use Salesforce, which could be a bonus on my resume.
  • Be familiar with all of the brands that Saks carries. I could do so by visiting their Chicago location, although the associates are extremely judgmental and rude if you don’t have the money to buy their products.
  • Develop time management skills and be comfortable managing multiple projects and dealing with shifting priorities. This really comes down to me working on my procrastination and completing projects to show Sak’s that I am well versed in completing projects.

Inside the Magic and Math of Digital Marketing: Review

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Everyone on the internet has pretty much heard the phrase “Break the Internet”, all thanks to Drew Elliott. He is the mastermind behind Kim Kardashian’s Paper Mag cover that brought in 16 million users to Paper Magazine’s website within two hours. That cover also made up 1% of Google traffic in the United States. He is now the co-owner and chief creative officer of Paper Communications. Business of Fashion, one of my favorite podcasts, brought him on as a guest in their episode called “Inside the Magic and Math of Digital Marketing”.

What I love about this episode is that Drew Elliott is pretty relatable, at least to me. He is a guy from a small town in Indiana obsessed with pop culture. His dream school was NYU – mine, too – and attended when he was 18 at the Gallatin School. He wrote his thesis on the Osbornes, which was a total throwback upon hearing that. When I think of reality families I automatically think about the Kardashians – but really, the Osbornes is the OG.

He began his internship at Paper Magazine while attending NYU. He interned for two years and then worked there for five years. He mentions how slow their dial up internet was when he began working there: the front end of the office was allowed to use the internet in the morning and the back-end of the office could use it in the later day. He then left to work at Ketchum doing experimental marketing, working for big companies like Frito-Lay and IBM, and then came back to Paper to build an agency to contact with big brands and create content. He left again to work for The Audience in Los Angeles and then came back to Paper, once again, with an agenda: to modernize the brand and entertain the consumer.

https://abc7chicago.com/entertainment/kim-kardashian-breaks-the-internet-with-nude-magazine-cover/391881/

He then talks about how Paper’s project with Kim Kardashian “broke the internet”. He says that the element of surprise was a key factor to the success of their cover campaign; there was no build up or teasers. He talks about taking the images from the shoot and using them in different social media platforms, focusing on Kim Kardashian’s status from “celebrity” to “influencer”, and working with different media brands to popularize that concept. He also says that user-generated content (meeemes) from the internet helped popularize the shoot, too.

He defines “influencer” as “someone in the digital world who is an extreme expert in something that they do” and also “just cute”. He also talks about “micro-influencers” as someone who is “able to start a conversation and lend huge credibility” without having a large audience. Elliott says that the days of publishing is gone and creation of content that entertain the audience is the new way of digital marketing, with influencers being a huge part of it.

He then talks about the relationship between “math” and “magic” in digital marketing. By math he refers mostly to data and algorithms, and by “magic” he talks about the content that the audience wants and loves. He says that companies can be too reliant on data and forget how important the actual content is. Companies will lose themselves in the math and paid media trying to reach the consumer instead of putting out attractive content that the consumer will love. He thinks the conversation should be shifted to creating the magic first, then figuring out the math on how to get the content to the consumer. “Break the Internet” was centered around that philosophy.

Overall, I think this podcast was pretty interesting. It was really cool to hear the perspective from the man behind Kim Kardashian’s iconic #BreakTheInternet. What I think the podcast could’ve improved on was a little bit more depth about the relationship between math and magic. I noticed there was no advertising in this podcast. I think it’s because Business of Fashion has an established online presence and isn’t reliant on advertisements to keep its podcasts relevant. However, if they were to bring an advertiser on its podcasts, I think it would be a great idea to partner with Fashion programs to advertise courses, degrees, etc.

Check out Business of Fashion’s podcast with Drew Elliott, titled “Inside the Magic and Math of Digital Marketing” at apple.co/2MKc6LU

Hold Up, Boomer: You’re on Instagram?

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“Boomer”: my favorite passive aggressive way to refer to Baby Boomers. I was trying to figure out a title that wasn’t as offensive as “Shut up, Boomer,” a common phrase on Twitter. Baby Boomers are pretty interesting to me: they prefer cable, still read the newspaper, and are the dominant target market in infomercials. What interests me about them the most is their social media use.

The research found online was pretty predictable: Boomers don’t have a dominating presence online. However, I did find that 20% of Twitter users are 55+, which was pretty interesting find. Twitter a constant stream of information with a plethora of hashtags; while it supports media such as photo and video, it’s much more text based than other social media such as Facebook, which is the social media site most commonly linked to Baby Boomers.

I think Facebook is a favorite among Baby Boomers because not only does it allow them to connect with friends and family in a way that was never attainable to them before, but it is eye candy full of videos, photos, games, and more. This is a visually stimulating way of advertising product and pretty lucrative for companies who deal with weight loss supplements, political campaigns, life insurance, and other Boomers’ interests.

Maybe it’s about time we give the Boomers their credit for being social media savvy, at least in some social media sites.

Can I Just Please be One of Your Top Friends?

Posted on Posted in Social Media, TechnologyTagged , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

I remember a time before social media. That time was before sixth grade when I was fat, jolly and careless. It was when I was still high off the magic that you lived off of as a child. I had a Windows 98 computer on which I would play The Sims. I remember aggressively clicking [ “Compliment” “Talk” “Joke” “Tickle” ] (x5) before getting the option to “Hug”, then “Flirt”, then “Kiss”, and then BAM! you had a freaking baby that would pop out of nowhere. As much as I enjoyed that game, I realized it gave me a skewed view on how human interaction (and human conception) actually worked in real life. It’s not that easy to just simply “Compliment” and “Talk” and “Joke” and certainly not “Tickle” someone in real life. I might’ve been able to recover and learn from what The Sims inaccurately taught me about human interaction — but then MySpace happened.

I’m not sure if some of my classmates know what MySpace is because I’m 23 and in classes with a lot of freshmen. Lucky for them, I suppose, because they will never know the stress of not being on a Top 7 Friends List, or the gratification you got from being on the most popular girl in school’s Top Friends list – but only for a week, because it was just the luck of the draw. I would scheme ways to get back on the list, or to get on the lists of her friends, without actually interacting with these people in school. Oh no…that would be too nerve-racking. Never mind that we sat three rows away in the same class and I avoided eye contact with them while simultaneously internally begging for them to take the first step and talk to me. It was easier to contact them on MySpace and to add them as a friend on MSN Messenger. I gave them the satisfaction of increasing their friends list and they gave me the validation I needed.

Yeah, it’s f–ked up how social media emerged when I was in middle school.

Fast forward to now – after multiple MySpace, Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, LittleMonsters, and God knows what other social media accounts – I primarily use Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter. I use these accounts for personal use. I do have a “professional” Instagram account, a fashion blog, that I used for two days and never logged back onto. Other than that pitiful account I don’t have much experience using a professional social media account. Ideally I would like the make the transition from personal to professional social media use for many reasons, some of those being:

  • Social media for personal use can be so toxic
  • I’m 23 and I feel like my obsessive use of social media might make me look like a grandpa on these apps
  • Seeing minors on my Twitter feed and me relating to them and their memes makes me feel weird – like, really weird

I think the concept of social media is brilliant: at any time of any day you have the access to reach out to anyone you want (as long as they follow you/have the desire to be reached out by you). Information spreads at lightspeed on the internet and especially on social media websites like Twitter. Because of Facebook I’m able to keep up with my one year old niece in Texas and I’m able to watch her grow. I have access to the world’s most premium memes on Twitter which gives me entertainment for hours.

However, there are negative implications of social media. My middle school experience, for example, was based heavily on validation from my peers not only in person but online — and I was the first generation to experience that. I can only imagine how messed up it is now with middle schoolers owning iPhone 11s and subtweeting about each other on Twitter, or how Taylor feels left out after seeing her BFF Sarah’s Snap story of her at Jessica’s birthday party that Taylor wasn’t invited to. And then past the woes of middle school comes real world problems — like politics. We have world leaders using Twitter as a weapon against large masses of people, stirring up controversy for entertainment in hopes to divert attention from one issue to another. It’s mass manipulation at its worst.

I wish the world was as simple as The Sims and I could just “Compliment” and “Talk” my way to best friends. And I wish social media wasn’t what it is today. I can only hope that people learn from what we’ve seen in the beginning stages of social media and that we as a society become vigilant and responsible using these powerful tools.

I think I’m going to go ahead and log back into my fashion Insta. BRB.

simsbaby
Photo Credit: https://www.dailyedge.ie/the-sims-1-2000s-2347223-Sep2015/