Archive Page 2
I’ve spent three glorious days at eROI, an interactive ad agency here in PDX. The work and the culture here in Portland are simply fantastic, and I’ve been enjoying some busy intern time ’round the interactive agency.
Sorry it’s jerky, not sure why the internet all of a sudden hates Photo Booth movies.
Like I said, go see Food, Inc. - it’s SO worth seeing. And check out Slow Food Portland (they’re having a picnic in Sept!).
Keep an eye out for more updates and more AWESOME intern projects like this user guide I’m making for Radian6, a useful social media aggregate tool.
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Not so humble advice
It’s a cardinal sin to call oneself an expert (see prior blog post) without being named as such by someone else. But I’m willing to bet my mom would call me an expert on sloughing it through college, so here’s my expert advice to anyone trying to make it through the drunked cesspool of higher education.
Call it a Top Ten of not totally screwing up.
10. Spend as much time outside as possible: I’m not saying you need to go all Cali girl and break out the bikini top every time GoogWeather tops 60, but really. Just get out of the library whenever possible. Your future children with thank you.
9. Go to office hours: Just talk to your professors. They’re real people with real biases and will think kindly on your 2 extra absences if you listened to them regale the story of how they courted their hot younger wife.
8. Get something pierced: It’s less expensive and far less permanent than a tatoo and you’ll feel like a grown up darn quick.
7. Pick something to love: Music, model ships, making garb, riding motorcycles, whatever! Just pick something that you love and find other people who love it. Your sanity will thank you later.
6. Buy bulk cold medicine: You’re literally always going to need it.
5. Be the best friend possible: Everyone will get busy and friends will come and go as you get involved with different activities. Take the time to support firends so they’ll support you when it matters (i.e. take you to the airport/emergency room/7-11 at 4:00 AM or let you mooch their Sailor Jerry’s).
4. Don’t believe your email: Spam. You’ll get it. Trust no one.
3. Read your student publications: They’re paid for with your money and give you something to aspire to/mock openly depending on the quality of your student body.
2. Make friends outside your major: You’ll just be a better person for it.
1. MAJOR IN SOMETHING YOU LOVE: The job and usefulness will come later. Promise.
And here’s how Kristin spent her evening yesterday:
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I am not an expert
Even after a year of researching generational conflict, including countless articles, literally hundreds of books, and thousands of quippy comments from personal interviews, I will openly and whole-heartedly admit that I am no generational expert.
Why? Because that would imply that a) I’m just a little bit full of myself and 2) that I can offer actionable tips on how to solve the problems of generational conflict in the workplace. Neither of these things are true. The one thing I can tell you that my research has taught me is this:
I refuse to tell you what you already know.
You know how to relate to other generations – you’ve been doing it all your life! College kids: you know not to talk about your sex life in front of your grandma. Parents: you know to use a gentle hand when learning about your kids’ technology addictions. We’ve been doing this all our lives, and putting it in the context of a work environment is no different.
Yeah, it's kind of like that.
“But Kristin,” you begin to whine in your best and brightest 3-year-old-but-he-stole-my-animal-crackers voice, “why did you choose this research topic if you can’t provide any insightful, earth-shattering conclusions?”
Listen, reader: I know more about generational conflict than I do about vegan cooking and public nudity laws (which is a lot after four years in Eugene). I can cite studies about productivity variance and work environment preferences, I’ve seen more colon-ridden book titles (Geeks and Geezers: Generational Differences in the Workplace; Generations at Work: Harnessing the Power of Your Workforce) than you can shake a workplace happiness index at, and never again do I want to see a magic 5 things list again in my life (trust me: there are way more than “5 Ways to Lose Trust in the Workplace”).
But the fact is, when it comes right down to it, we all know how to solve these problems. Get to know your coworkers. Don’t sterotype them, don’t gossip about them, don’t get bitchy because Paul doesn’t like using the IM client or Jamie won’t take her earbuds out at the computer. Just do what you’ve been doing since birth and work with people for who they are, not what you think they represent.
But I’m no expert.
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I’ve heard from several reliable sources this week that advertising is one thing:
The intersection between ART and BUSINESS.
Coming from a business background (if we can really call an undergraduate education a background worth coming from) I’m reveling in seeing things from an artist’s viewpoint. In the UO Journalism School, there’s a huge emphasis on everyone being a “creative strategist” first, then focusing on being an art director, account planner, media buyer, etc.
We’ve heard from several agencies during our trip, including Strawberry Frog, TBWA/Chiat/Day, BBH, and JWT (all these acronyms bring me back to my accounting firm days). Between the professionals we’ve heard from and just being in the living creature that is NYC, I’ve gleaned a few humbled insights.
1. What can you do for me?
We can serve you a good burger.
Professionals could care less about where you come from or who you are. Advertising in particular is all about your “book” or portfolio of work. Your work truly speaks for itself, and pedigree is the last thing on agencies’ minds.
The broader truth of the job market is obvious here: be in the right place at the right time with the right skill set and you’ll be the lucky one. The tricky part is the 95% of preparation it takes to get these rights components where your 5% luck will kick in.
2. Are you listening?
Even Trump does it.
We’ve all heard the cliched “active listening” schpeel, but when it comes to the advertising landscape, listening is going to make or break each and every brand in the near future. Strawberry Frog is all about “cultural movements” that leverage what consumers are already engaged in to integrate the brand into real life. Much like in the dating market, research is done in advance to determine what a prospective mate is interested in.
3. Are you surviving to thrive?
Call it evil, corporate, soul-sucking, or downright icky, but marketing and advertising are here to stay, and in the words of one professional we heard from, if you don’t do it, someone else will. The top three things our professionals said they would never work on were:
- pharmaceuticals
- tobacco
- McDonald’s
No matter how badly we may want to change the world for the better, we’ve got to put in the time to survive before we can thrive. We need to crank out some McDonald’s print ads before we get to work on promo for TED talks to make sure food gets on the table.
Just don’t call it “paying your dues” or I might have a thesis fit all over the place.
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NYC Day 3: Any way you want it
I was born in a small town in the year 1987. For those of you keeping score at home, this makes me a child of the 80s. When I discovered Rock of Ages opened on Broadway April 7th and we happened to be rolling into town that very month, I could not be convinced by any stretch of the imagination to contain my spasms of excitement.
It really got us in the mood to rock out with our…umbrellas out. And I was even proposed to in Times Square!
They're opening you with Open Arms.
I think the umbrella really makes the romance.
We also saw a nostalgic slice of home: 30,000 bikers in the Five Boro Bike Tour riding 42 miles through the city, all along Broadway for our walk to Times Square.
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NYC Day 2: Material Girl
The shopping happened today. The shopping and walking…and walking and shopping.
There was one of these beauties on every other corner.
We started off trying to get to Central Park, but due to a number of egregious navigation errors, we ended up in Greenwich Village instead. We made the executive decision to pretend like that was our plan all along.
This woman really liked telling her dog he was beautiful.
We found an adorable sandwich shop in Greenwich called Lenny’s (pretty sure it’s a chain, but at least it’s not the McD’s, okay?) and I had the messiest pile of delicious pastrami and corned beef every conceived by man.
"Home of the world's greatest sandwich"
Not much to look at, but really. So good.
Next we ventured on to SoHo in search of the brand new Top Shop store, the first to open in the US. We were greeted by three stories of neon tank tops with zippered backs, 5-inch grey and pink leather t-strap stilettos, and more 6-foot-tall amazon model women than you could shake a Fendi at.
What if your job was to be that mannequin?
We also visited an adorable boutique on the way to TS where picture taking wasn’t allowed. I therefore HAD to snap this beauty of the treasure trove of little antiques they had for sale.
Like your mom's closet...if your mom was Ivana Trump.
Being that we are indeed here to learn about the fine art of advertising, a few gems of the city didst not escape our glance:
On the base of a traffic light. What it's about time for, I'm not quite sure.
Message: wearing our jeans will result in a drug-induced orgy of denim-y fun.
Don't stand under them and try to read, you'll just look dense.
And dozens of bubble vendors were out en masse on a nice day like today. Here’s the best way I can think of to sell bubbles to unsuspecting passersby (thanks to Erin @emaydavis for the narration).
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Tags: Advertising, Canal Street, NYC, shopping
NYC: Day One
Here are the highlights of our trip to NYC for the One Show so far:
I'd just love to.
“Our shower is the epitome of a supportive partner.”
“I’m going to turn on the hair dryer since I’ll be trumpeting out my ass.”
A nicely pixelated view of the hotel room from my relaxation point.
“We have quilts!”
“These robes are like a hug.”
Kim loving all over the towels.
We were going to stay at the Ace Hotel, but they aren’t quite open yet. Therefore, we were set up at the amazing Hotel Roger Williams (in a trendy, Yoda-like place where nouns comes before their descriptors).
And free internet? Why yes, HRW: I think I’m in love.
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Can I Be Honest?
I’m burnt out on this thesis topic. Know why? It’s downright depressing.
On the one hand, I’ve got way too many articles that are just down and out on Gen Y. Every one I read and cite chips away at the precarious bubble of self-esteem I’m clinging to despite a bad economy, despite a precarious future post-graduation.
On the other hand, I’ve got a shelf full of books telling me that Gen Y is the wave of the future and thank GAWD we have you around or else the world would be boring and always want to work.
Tell me this, oh great collective of Gen Y experts: where’s the happy medium? Where’s the middle ground where tempers aren’t aroused and deep-seeded emotions don’t rear their ugly heads to dictate behavior across generational lines? Where’s the point where we can put aside everything else and just do our darn jobs and live our darn happy lives like grownups without bickering over whose life path is right or wrong?
I’m talking to you, body of generational research and knowledge. Take a cue from the few helpful sources I’ve found in this cluster of blame and pity parties. Sack up and help me out here. My first final draft is due in three weeks: it’s go time.
For the sake of positive energy, here’s a reprise of Bizkit (he never bickers about generational differences):
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Philosophizing
I got some great feedback on my last post from the community over at Brazen Careerist, none the least of which was a general disillusionment and weariness at the very talk of generational conflict period.
Trust me: I’m right there with you.
So I decided it was time to infuse some new blood into the discussion. Enter Karl Mannheim, esteemed Hungarian philosopher and so-called “Father of generational studies”.
Looks like someone's studying inter-generational relations right now...
Introductions having been made, here’s another nugget from the official Thesis Vault:
The goal of effective marketing communication is shared meaning. The very terms Gen Y, Gen X, and Boomers are often dismissed as “marketing terms created by salespeople who would like their statements to be meaningful”. A research analyst from Javelin Research extolled advice on a furniture retail website, explaining that, “Businesses must talk to Gen Y where they hang–and in their language.”
Call me crazy, but I’m just not sure this is a new concept.
Karl Mannheim, a Hungarian scholar and philosopher widely renowned as the father of generational studies, defined three building blocks generations as:
Site or location: a generation could be defined by a shared response, especially a traumatic event that unites a cohort (think the Vietnam War or 9/11)
Actuality: Mannheim criticizes Marx’s reliance on class division citing that age groups were just as likely to instigate social change as economic or social classes
Units: though divisions within a generation undoubtedly exist, they are still collectively defined by their proximity to one another
Through one or a combination of these lenses, Mannheim suggests that the closer a younger generation gets to actually living through the same experiences as generations prior, the more disillusioned they become with the disparity between the ideals they were promised and the disappointing realities. This gap in expectations leads to the development of values original to that cohort, referred to by Mannheim as a “set of collective strivings,” and media and other external factors serve “as vehicles of formative tendencies and fundamental integrative attitudes” for the evolution of these collective strivings.
So what is Gen Y collectively striving for?
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A Little Bit of Uplifting
You know you’re having a good night when a troop of Radical Cheerleaders pays homage to your name:
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