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M8W2

Whistler is unique in that instead of keeping things behind closed doors, and making the media fight tooth and nail for information, they let everything out there, and even giving prompts for what the media could write about. It's such a unique and fresh response to every other company we've looked and makes the company as a whole seem much more friendly.

If I was a journalist, I would greatly appreciate the Story Starters tab, and the Images & Video tab. I have prompts that are given to me to write about, along with visual content to use as well. It's like finding a template and plugging my own writing into it, which again, is unlike any other media room or company we have looked at this semester.

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M8W1 #13

I think Target's big appeal is towards women; I think this can be split between those middle-aged and young.

For the middle-aged women, I think this is obvious in the clothing and home decor. Target has a HUGE home decor section, both online and instore, and while there are cute things for people other than middle aged women, I have always got the feeling that I am just too young for it all. Either I can't buy it because I'm not at that stage in life, or it's meant to be bought by someone who is more established than me. On top of that, especially with clothing, in many children's clothing ads, there will be the phrase of like "clothes that Mom will approve of", or "so cute you're gonna beg Mom to buy it".

For the young women, this really comes from TikTok. There has been an increase and influx in consumer based videos of young girls doing "target hauls". There's a deeper layer to it, but at the surface, I've noticed there has been an uptick in things that are in these very popular videos. The multivitamin brand Olly got popular through being in people's Target hauls.

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M7W1 #12

I am not a big podcast person in general, and I only listen to podcasts if there is something connecting me to that podcast i.e. a special guest that I know or I know a host of the podcast from a different avenue. I also only really listen to comedy podcasts. I feel like I need to preface before I start talking about the podcast I've chosen.

The name of the podcast is called Chuckle Sandwich, which current has two hosts, Youtubers Ted Nivison and Jschlatt, and an on hand producer named Tucker. The podcast started back in 2021 with a third host, Charlie aka Slimecicle, but he left in 2022 due to scheduling conflicts.

Chuckle Sandwich is a comedy podcast where the two hosts will gather for about an hour, talk about random things, or have special themed episodes, including a long-term theme of asking really crazy Would You Rather questions. Other one-off themed episodes include trying to guess the title of Wikihow articles, doing tier list rankings, and two DnD campaigns over the course of an hour.

Chuckle Sandwich, when it first started used to be released every week on Thursdays, but has since moved to be released on Mondays. The uploading schedule has been a little more scarce in recent months, but typically every one to two weeks. It's understandable as both hosts run their own Youtube channels and have their own personal projects that they work on.

I think the personal appeal of Chuckle Sandwich, and why it works the way it does is the personality. All three hosts have their own personal dedicated fanbase that comes together to support the podcast. Internet lingo and culture is something that you can either easily fall into or slip out of, and because Chuckle Sandwich is still heavily involved in internet lingo/culture, it would not work on traditional media. On top of that, the fact that the hosts have known each other for at least 6+ years, the banter that occurs makes it thrive on the internet.

I will include a link to the first DnD campaign that they ever did, as it is one of my personal favorite episodes that I always go back and watch!

Twitter Post: https://x.com/mjxdp/status/1726467901094265270?s=20

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M6W2 #11

McDonalds x Grimace

The first image that comes to mind has to be when McDonald's began the summer craze that was the Grimace Shake.

There a few things about this marketing plan alone that make it unique, but with this post alone I want to talk about a few things. The lowercase caption is not commonly done by brands, as it can come across as unprofessional. Speaking of unprofessional, this picture was not taken professional, and has the vibe of a casual photo taken, which is fine as it helps relate to the younger audience. The entire marketing plan follows that vibe, as if McDonalds is not a multi-billion dollar company, but just a random purple creature's Instagram.

Nike X Colin Kaepernick

I couldn't find the original Nike post, but I did find the ad.

I remember the conversations that Colin Kaepernick's protest started. I believe the aftereffects and legacy is a true statement of the power that Kaepernick had. This ad in particular really struck a chord in people, so much so that former president Donald Trump felt the need to bash the ad. I think that Nike taking a stand with Kaepernick showed where their values lie.

Dylan Mulvaney x Budlight

This was a hot one when it dropped. I feel like this is one of those situations where it won't be till 50 years later that people can truly start to analyze why this failed so horribly. Props to Bud Light for trying to take a step in the right direction, but I do think the way they handled it was poor. I can't think of a more violent reaction to this ad then the way people were acting. Kid Rock was shooting cans of BudLight, people were actively destroying merchandise, it was insane. It definitely divided beer drinkers, but I think it gave other brands a chance to view their audience and figure out where the morals lie.

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M5W2 Blog post #9

The takeaways I like the most are from Concordia College, Disney, and Reverb. I think each of them really focus on making a connection with the audience, which to me is one of the most important parts of trying to sell a product. We are creatures of relations, so having relationships make us much "softer" to things we might typically not be open to.

Reverb's takeaway was to "earn your audience's trust through the content you create". I think this helps your audience know that YOU also care about what you're selling, and YOU care about how they view what you're trying to sell.

Disney's takeaway was to "show your audience how to create an experience when they visit you". Regardless of if your company is an amusement park or a hardware store, it's important for the audience to feel safe, have a good experience, and make the most of whatever you're offering.

Concordia College's takeaway was to "reinforce the idea that your organization creates a community". Humans have a natural tendency to want to belong. If they feel that they can't belong to a brand, they will take themselves (and their money) to another brand. It's important to know that your audience isn't just buying a product, they're buying into a community.

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M5W1

I would definitely say that any clothing website is content rich - however for the purpose of this post I will be using Aerie/American Eagle.

Aerie is a subset of the popular jean brand American Eagle. Aerie has much to offer to a consumer, and much to offer on their website. I will walk you through the entire home page, before diving into some of the hyperlinks.

The top of the Aerie homepage has a scrolling header of some of the deals they have going on, and a place to "Enable Accessibility". Clicking on that hyperlink makes a blue box appear around any hyperlink. Underneath that is a mini header that allows you to go to the American Eagle website, the search icon, log into your account, look at your favorites, and your shopping bag.

Below all of that is the actual Aerie content where you can see what is offered online. There are different hyperlinks that lead to the different categories of what are offered: Clothing+Accessories, Activewear, Swimsuits, and more. This little header stays with you the entire time you scroll on the homepage.

After that, there is a little video that plays that is a commercial for what looks like Aerie's Christmas lineup. Scrolling past that brings you to specific hyperlinks with photos of the deals that were scrolling along the top that I mentioned earlier.

After that, it has a social media campaign that Aerie has called # AerieREAL.

Below that is where you can find a 25% for referring someone for the rewards program, a place to give feedback, and then many other things like gift cards, the mobile app, signing up for email/text notifications, careers, and their social media links.

Going back to the header with the different content offered online; when hovering over these links, a drop-down menu appears, showcasing all the items within the specific category. If you click on one (say Activewear) it takes you to a brand NEW content-rich page. Here, you have the option to separate what you're looking for into specific pieces of clothing, by size, color, or price. There are tons of photos, especially if an item has multiple colors that it comes in.

I think it's important for clothing websites to be content-rich as it helps showcase their product better, and helps consumers find any specific product they need easier, as well.

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M4W2

Kraft Mac n Cheese is changing - but for the better! Starting in January of 2024, we will be removing the synthetic coloring and artificial flavoring from our beloved Kraft and substituting it for better and real ingredients. You can read more about it here:

Tweet: https://x.com/mjxdp/status/1713612066324422662?s=20

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M4W1

Zippy's has been bringing you comfort for the last 20 years, and we plan to bring you comfort for the next 20 years with our new line of shoes, ZipFactor. The new line, ZipFactor, is the smoothest, comfiest, and best performing shoe we've had grace our shelves so far.

ZipFactor was made with the customer in mind. We've worked tirelessly to create a new shoe that will reduce impact on joints and knees by at least 25%. Check out our website to check the shoes and preorder now! Leave a comment telling us what color you think we should make the new shoes in!

Twitter Post: https://x.com/mjxdp/status/1711095831011496358?s=20

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M3W1 #4

When I think of a brand that gives live updates, it has to be ESPN. ESPN is the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network. They're known for updating on sporting events that are happening around the world. The most common social media that they use is Twitter, and their app. When you type in ESPN in the twitter search box, multiple different branches of ESPN pop up - NBA on ESPN, MMA on ESPN, NFL on ESPN, etc. Most of their communication is one way, it's not that they don't allow people to respond, but their tweets are worded in a way that are really meant to inform rather than have a discussion.

I think if they wanted to be more interactive with their audience, they could pose more questions, such as "Who do you think will win the game today?" or "What do you think about this coach's decision?"

Here's a link to their main Twitter/X page: https://twitter.com/espn

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M2W2

Think of a time you’ve encountered AI marketing online. Was it an automated email sent to you by a company? Was it an ad you encountered on social media that was targeted at a specific interest of yours? How did it make you feel? Did it make you take action? Was there anything the brand could have done better to reach you and make you take action?

I encounter AI marketing online more than I probably notice, but I still notice a lot. I am signed up for newsletters for certain online brands, and usually it's automated about their deals and sales they're having. However, I think the biggest culprit of marketing AI is Instagram. We've all heard the "our phones are listening to us" theory, but Instagram really seems to drive that home. I have used the app Temu a few times to buy little stationery things for my desk and room, and now I get an ad from them on Instagram whether I'm scrolling on the feed or tapping through stories. I also follow an online company that I've talked about before called Cider, and I get ads for their company on my feed all the time. Half the time I find it annoying, as it's usually multiple things to tap through, but every so often, I'll look through what they have. It didn't make me want to take action, however, there really is no better way for brands to reach me.

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M2W1 Blog Post #2

Social media can be a massive contender in handling crises. There are few and far between situations of ignoring social media chatter working out, but it's more likely and usually more favorable to acknowledge the chatter.

Normally, ignoring the chatter when it's silly internet drama, can usually make it go away. With e-celebs, influencers, and content creators, the drama is normally not serious. However, with more serious issues, addressing the chatter can either save you in the eyes of the public, or completely tank you.

An example of when a brand dealt with a controversy, was back in 2021, when Burger King tweeted out "Women belong in the kitchen" on International Women's Day. The statement alone has been used to validate sexism, and invalidate women in their achievements. Even though the tweet was supposed to be an announcement for their scholarship, with the history of the statement and the day it was tweeted on, it allowed for Burger King to be mercilessly flamed by the Twitter community. They eventually tweeted out an apology and put heavier emphasis on what they were intending with the tweet, but it still left a bitter scar on their reputation. Of course, Burger King is a global chain, so I feel like it would really have to take a lot to really crumble them, but if this happened to a more local, or "Mom n Pop" type store, it could totally burn the place to the ground.

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M1W2 Blog Post #1

One brand that I think does a really good job at getting its message across is a store in California called Reconstruct (stylized as RCNSTRCT). They're a clothing store known for their mismatched pieces of clothes. Multiple examples of this can be seen on their Instagram, which highlights new pieces consistently. They post at least twice a week, showcasing new pieces both in stores and on models. They have a link to their website, their hours, and their address in their bio.

Another brand that I think does a good job of getting its message across is the Visit Missouri Instagram. The point of the account is to promote tourism within and to Missouri. One thing I think they do really well is the utilization of Instagram Reels. Some of their posts include highlighting different spots in Missouri. I would really recommend it if you're looking for places to go or things to do in Missouri!

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First Post!

Hello! My name is Mel Johnson, and this is my first post for my class, COMM 3370!

Included is a photo of one of my cats, Queenie in the dryer as I was packing up for school.

Time stamp: 08/25, 6:18pm CST