An Accidental Advertiser

How Not to Volunteer for SXSW

admin — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 16:17:07 +0000

SXSW volunteers stuff bags with swag in preparation for the conference.

Fifty hours of labor in exchange for a pass worth $700 works out to $14/hour. Volunteering at SXSW made sense, or so I thought. I signed up online and made plans to be in Austin for last weekend’s volunteer call, where I could arrange my committee assignments and create my schedule.

What’s Love Got to Do With It?

admin — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 21:29:14 +0000

Love Changes Your Secret Santa

The obvious problem I have with this billboard is that it’s STILL UP. In January.

But the bigger problem is that I don’t understand it at all. Is there some kind of workplace romance going on where the guy spends way more than the $10 limit on a gift for the cute girl in accounting? Did one of the two of them switch names or otherwise rig the drawing? And why are they skiing?

From the Depths

admin — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 15:51:37 +0000

While I rouse myself to write a new post, here’s an old one on social media from my student days.

Googlebomb

admin — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 21:07:18 +0000

Google’s announcement this week that they will begin personalizing search results based on opt-out cookies and not opt-in accounts has stirred up the following pots:

Privacy

Google will use a cookie to keep track of 180 days of your search history, and it will then use the information it gleans to improve the quality of your results. Don’t like the idea of the information giant knowing what you’re looking for? You’ll need to actively disable the feature. You know what? I like this move, even though I dislike the need to make it opt-out. But I understand. The average user has no motivation to turn this feature ON, but the privacy-sensitive will definitely be motivated to turn it OFF. Google has decided to annoy a small group to improve the product for the whole user base.

Did You Find Everything Today?

admin — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:39:40 +0000

I was asked this very question the other day at the grocery store, and chances are, you’ve heard it in many other retail situations. It’s become somewhat of a stock cashier greeting — a way to acknowledge the customer’s arrival at the front of the line and to express concern for her full satisfaction.

Data Doesn’t Equal Insight

admin — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 18:14:51 +0000

A few days ago, Advertising Age ran an article, “Psychographics: What Your Taste in Beer Says About You,” that read like a horoscope. For instance: “People who drink a broad portfolio of beers … are more open-minded and emotional people who enjoy a variety of life experiences.” The source for this nonsense was a standard psychographic survey that also demonstrated that “Bud Light drinkers are also 48% more likely than the average person to play the lottery every day and 34% more likely to never buy organic products.”

Introductions

admin — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 21:55:17 +0000

As I noted in my last post, I am now a member of the AAF Houston chapter. A few days ago, they contacted me to get details for a new member profile in the upcoming issue of the chapter newsletter. Twelve questions didn’t seem so tough. I was very wrong. It was akin to a job application.

Success by Association

admin — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 17:20:48 +0000

On October 1, the American Advertising Federation’s Houston chapter extended a great opportunity to recent graduates and the unemployed — one year membership in exchange for volunteer hours. To me, this is a win-win. The membership dues go instead to my COBRA premiums and student loans, and I get to work side-by-side with movers and shakers in the Houston ad industry. The AAF gets my labor, my gratitude, and my continued support later as a paying member.

Don’t Ask Customers to Know Your Business

admin — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 21:42:22 +0000

I got my seasonal flu shot last week. The experience was tedious and annoying, but no more so than many other medical visits. The reason I’m writing about at all (and here in particular) is that my shot was administered at the “Take Care Clinic” within my area Walgreens. The Walgreens website promotes these deluxe locations as the ideal place to receive vaccinations, advertising “no appointment needed” and extended hours. Comparatively, the Walgreens I frequent in Austin required advance appointments that stopped daily at 4 p.m.

Women and the “Personal Brand”

admin — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 23:47:11 +0000

As I debated my domain choices for this blog, I ran into a problem. As I establish the blog’s reputation, how closely should I connect that with my own “personal brand”? As a job-hunter, I’m strongly motivated to promote myself to potential employers. My name should be all over this thing, including in the domain.