Has Halloween Become the New Christmas?

http://www.campaignlive.com/article/halloween-new-christmas/1448721

Our holidays today have become about PR stunts, and how companies can benefit off of it. Every year, Halloween gets bigger and bigger, people investing more time and money into their costumes, and the brands creating limited time offers.

Because Halloween is such a versatile celebration, it does not have a religious background like Christmas, and it’s a way friends can come together to have fun.

I know for me, the weekend before Halloween, something was happening every night, and you wanted to be included. Whether it was a Halloween party, or events happening around town. There is something to go to.

I would not say Halloween is the new Christmas, but I see it as an opportunity to celebrate with friends and a time to have fun.

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T-Mobile Doubles Hurricane Relief During World Series

http://www.adweek.com/digital/t-mobile-hr4hr/

T-Mobile is “literally” doubling their donation during the World Series! For the first game starting the world series off, T-Mobile pledges to donate $20,000 per home run. With every tweet hashtagging #HR4HR, they donate $1 for every tweet. Even major celebrities like Eva Longoria, and Nelson Cruz tweeted to raise awareness.

I think this campaign is awesome and a great way to show awareness of a major event that has happened in the U.S. It’s easy for us to forget a catastrophe like Hurrican Harvey a few weeks after it happened, because most likely, something else has happened, or it hasn’t affected us physically.

For T-mobile continuing to raise awareness for a cause that is still affecting peoples lives today. The fact that they donated a large amount from the World Series also shows their dedication and them wanting to help and make a difference.

 

Top brands for Millennials?

http://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/this-list-of-2017s-top-10-millennial-brands-has-myriad-retail-rich-surprises/

Before looking at the article, what do YOU think the top brands are for millennials?

I would say Netflix, Amazon, and Instagram.

According to the article by Adweek, the top three brands for millennials in 2017, are Facebook, Netflix, and the grocery H-E-B.  This was shocking to me. Mostly because I do not know many people my age using Facebook anymore. Everyone I know has switched over to Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat.

Netflix is something I can understand being at the top. It is an effective way of switching your mind off from the world and taking your mind into an alternate universe.

Going down the list, it was interesting to see the results of the poll. I would have never guessed those were the top brands for millennials in 2017. I figured it would have been different stores and social media platforms.

BRANDS BRANDS BRANDS

Remember brands you loved as a child? Cereal brands, toy brands that were popular?

Let us talk about them!

I remember what started my obsession with the internet. WEBKINZ.

I was addicted. You buy a stuffed animal with a code attached to the foot. With the code you log into your account online and interact with others and play games.

Another major brand was Abercrombie and Fitch.

In my 5th-6th grade years, that was all I wore. I remember bragging to my sisters about how I was wearing Abercrombie from head to toe.

Another brand was Honey Bunches of Oats. My mom loved the cereal and it was the only brand we had in the house. I grew up eating only that for breakfast, and today it is the only brand of cereal I eat. This is the only brand I can recall that stuck with me throughout my life.

Toys R Us Going Bankrupt!?!?!

 

 

Yes, our beloved Toys store is going bankrupt not being about to overcome the 5 billion dollars of debt they have to face.

Looking up “Toys R Us”, you see lists of articles on their bankruptcy.  With Toys R Us having over 1,600 stores across 38 countries, they state that they plan on staying open through the holidays. Crazy fact is that Amazon is taking over all these companies. Payless, Gymboree, and now Toys R Us. In order for Toys R Us to compete, they would have to cut their prices in half!

From a PR perspective, it seems that 5 billion dollars of debt would be difficult, possibly impossible for the company to overcome. Because they are going bankrupt, I believe it would be best to stay open for the next three months to boost their revenue. Keep their sponsors and partnerships for as long as possible.

Although, it says in the Bloomberg article that not all stores are filing for chapter 11. Toys R Us also partners with many brands like Mattel INC. who are backing them up and supporting them through this time.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-09-19/toys-r-us-files-for-bankruptcy-crushed-by-online-competition

https://www.forbes.com/sites/laurengensler/2017/09/19/toys-r-us-bankruptcy/#561837ca574a

 

Cannes Lion 2016 Festival

The Cannes Lion 2016 festival was a success with 26 Grand Prix handed out. Watching these advertisements, there were three that stood out in particular.

The first was “The Family Way” SEEM. Seem was on an app that checks your sperm with your smartphone. The advertisement was informative giving you a clear understanding of what SEEM is. Because men don’t find it necessary to go to doctors for check ups, I like that with SEEM you can do it in the privacy of your own home.

The second video that impacted me was “The Fearless Girl on Walls Street.”

This video embodies women empowerment, and spreading the word of community with within the city. The strongest part of the video was when the little girls would stand next to the statue and pose like her. It represents future leaders, and a great image to young, and older women. It is a video that would be remembered because of the message of women emporment that it sends.

The last video that impacted me was the “Boost Your Voice- Voting for All. Voting is tough when you have to wait all day in a line to fill out a form. Boost mobile opened up their stores for voting in 2016 for the Clinton and Trump election. Not only is it great publicity for Boost mobile, but easier access for voters. The one thing about this is that they compared the election to the one in 2012. Today, we have the ability to  vote online, so the commercial was a little outdated. But I believe the commercial impacted many in communities.

What is my Major About?

What is Public Relations? What does it mean to me?

When I first chose this major, all I knew was that PR is a concentration of Communication Studies. Boy was I wrong. It is its own major in itself and so different from Comm studies. It does have a lot to do with image, and the way you portray yourself within a company.

PR in my understanding is how a company portrays themselves or brand. It involves a lot of advertising and connecting the specific audience to the company. PR is a chance of you to change the image of a brand or to move it into the right direction.

You can see PR everywhere. From girls posting ads on Instagram, or advertisements before YouTube videos, advertising is everywhere! Its a Persuasion Business!!!