Will Work 4 $$$

at what point is behavioral targeting sexist?

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 13:12:00 -0400

i’m searching for a client’s ad, one which, as a consumer, i would certainly be interested in. i need a screenshot to create an “ooh & aah” client deck. one of my staff has had it served to him a handful of times. once he sent me the link to the page where he’s seen the ad, i sit. i refresh. i refresh. i refresh. i have received ads for: crate & barrel, jcpenney, national city bank, hsbc bank, disposable contacts (images of women on the go) and some sort of baby/parenting site. i’m not in the market for any of that shit. i’m not a mom. i think my stained/torn up towels work just fine. i AM in the market for a badass movie/auto promotion.

now, i’m not sure what browsing history indicated i’d be a candidate for a sale on new towels or flatware, but i’m starting to wonder if maybe some other bt segments are missing me. i like a lot of things that traditionally are “men” products/services. i don’t need a jock strap, but maybe i like movies where things blow up. or a car with over 330hp. or a giant triple bacon cheeseburger. these are things that are included in my browsing history, often.

i believe in the power of behavioral targeting in online media, but one consideration that easily gets elminated when you start using large quanitities of bt is the opportunity to reach new audiences. and there is the balancing act. maybe there isn’t a huge audience that you’re missing with bt, but it’s possible.

the other side of this is that i’m offended that the bt machine assumes all i care about are babies, towels and flatware. as the general public becomes more savvy regarding bt technologies, i hope the providers occasionally just take a look at the audience and imagine how they perceive the products being sold to them. similar to the way popular media depicts beautiful women as annorxic and blond (and white), i may get the impression that the site thinks i should only care about babies and flatware. and then, i say “fuck you” and continue building my own pontiac g8.

just food for thought.

social media consumer perception recon

Wed, 06 May 2009 16:38:45 -0400

i am one of the number one poo-poo’ers of concept of “focus group of one”. if you’re in advertising, you know the what i’ll refer to as the “fg1” people. the walk into a meeting and say, “my sister-in-law really loves posting links to websites on facebook. that’s what we should be doing,” while not really considering that their sister-in-law is a retired kindergarten teacher and is amazed by the lightening fast speeds of her dial-up connection.

here’s the “but”, there is endless amounts of valuable consumer perception data outside of building a branding study. social media. and i’m talking about twitter (which i’m relieved is finally losing some hype), facebook, blogs, and even established news sources. people are endlessly talking about what they ate for lunch, where they just dropped a paycheck on new shoes/music, who they hate, who they think are complete idiots, who they want to marry, etc. people broadcast their opinions because they want to feel that their opinions matter and people should listen. that’s not a terrible idea. i wouldn’t base major decisions off of what a high school varsity lacrosse player thinks of victoria’s secret, but it is a good place for thought starters.
if there is significant enough media coverage of your brand or something happening in your brand’s industry, the social media will have opinions on it. possibly thousands within the first couple of days. using tools, such as whostalkin.com can give you a quick gut-check of how consumers are reacting and the emotions connected to the news.

here’s an analogy: you have a sweater. you really love the sweater and you’ve had it forever. perfect colors, soft, warm, and in style. you wear it to work the one day, and you decide to take the train. you pass by busy coffee shops, crowded train platform, bustling streets, etc. you get to work and look at a mirror and think, “hmmm. do i really like this sweater still?” and you start to think that it might look too tight and you resemble a sausage in casing. but you can’t really tell. so, you may ask some people around you. they have seen you in this sweater often. actually, they’ve heard you talk about how great the sweater is and when they think of you, they think of the sweater. so, because they’re so close to the situation, they might not really think anything of it and tell you that you look fine. the problem is, the theory that you look fine could be skewed because of all the people that are used to seeing you in it. you look like you. the social media tools give you the ability to hear the thoughts of the people in the coffee shop that saw you walk by (“i hope that hoochie is not wearing THAT to work.”), the people on the train (“1992 called and they want their sweater back.”), and the people on the street (“oooh. i love that sweater. i wish i hadn’t lost it in 1993.”). those are their honest, unabashed opinions. if i had known that, maybe i would have donated the sweater in 1994.

so, maybe stop yourself from spending an additional $3mill in support of a product that sweetpong thinks is the best thing since rocky road, but walk away knowing if it’s on the radar and general idea of what people might be saying. i promise that if nothing else, it’s good for a laugh*.

*note that the laugh could stem from typing inappropriate words into the query and seeing what people have posted and not necessarily stemming from your brand.

let me tell you about an exciting interview...

Wed, 01 Apr 2009 11:49:15 -0400

so, after the partner at job1 essentially told us that no one else would hire us, we all started looking for jobs. i personally, decided to look for a new job anywhere and everywhere related to advertising. my boyfriend at the time worked on a high profile account and one of his vendors, a famous pop culture and music magazine, was hiring. they were looking for an assistant account executive, who would generally be responsible for preparing sales reps materials for the 3 sales reps of different print publications (sales presentations, fact sheets, ad/production specifications). i was excited. the company name, on its own, was like a syren song calling me in from sea.

going into the interview, i was nervous, but eager and excited at all the possibilities. i would meet with 3 people (the sales reps i would be serving). the first two interviews went by pretty quickly, but they were great. laid back, easy to talk to, and ambitious. they needed a great support team and they would help that me grow into a more sales focused position as time went by and i learned the ropes. not only would they have been great to work for, but also great mentors for the future. the last interviewer i met with changed everything.

interviewer #3

i#3, (female, storms in flustered): so, you’re interviewing for the double ae spot?

me: umm, yup. that’s me. i’m soo excited about the opportunity. i’ve been interested in getting into sales, but…

i#3, (interrupting and staring at her manicure): yeah, we really fucking need someone bad. i mean, this office is a fucking mess. i will really need someone to sort out all of my shit and make sure that shit is organized. can you do that?

me: oh, definitely. in my current job, i was able to…

i#3, (interrupting and staring me in the eyes): GREAT! THAT WOULD BE AWESOME! i mean, this shit is sooo disorganized. i don’t know where anything is, and i need someone that can prepare all of my decks and everything so i can do my job. i mean this shit is fast paced. do you think you can handle it?

me: yes.

i#3, (standing up): great. great. that’s what we need. this is good. i mean, i can’t stand how fucking disorganized this place is and i need all this shit with me so i can do my job. as long as you can do your job, that’d be fucking great. i really need some help with this shit. i can’t organize this shit and go on sales calls. i don’t fucking have time to do all this shit. i mean, i need someone who can really do this. this is good. if you can do it, that’d be fucking great. do you have any questions?

me, (meekly and quietly): no

i#3: i’ll send [i#1] in case there’s anything else.

(i#3 storms out of the room)

it’s funny that an interview, one of so many and so long ago, sticks out in my mind so much. it was as if it just happened yesterday.

so, what happened afterward? i was scared shitless at the idea of working for i#3. first, she was obviously scatterbrained. her mind was all over the place and even the way she spoke was disorganized. and, if i actually got the job, it would be my job to organize her…big *eek*. second, her physical cues made her seem frighteningly tempermental. she stormed into the room, made dramatic and angry sweeping statements, then shifted to electric and positive exclamations. is this the person i want to be with when things go bad? HELL NO. third, she wasn’t listening to anything i had to say. sure, it was great that she seemed to like me, but she had no reason to like me, to be honest. she knew nothing about me because she didn’t listen to anything i had to say. what would happen if i tried to tell her something and she didn’t listen? things could go wrong, and how would that tempermental psycho bitch probably react?

this is where i learned that the potential employee is interviewing companies just as much as a company is interviewing them. you have to think about the environment for you to do your best work. this includes the pace, the job requirements, the company, and, most importantly, the people (above and below you). do you think you can understand each other and meet their expectations? do you can meet your expectations? would you like to be in their position one day? how do you think they would handle it if things didn’t go as expected? are they out of their mind?

for the most part, when things go right, everyone should win. granted, the high level execs probably get the lion’s share of credit for leading their team to victory, but it should be a win for everyone. that means, everyone should work comfortably as a team. so, when you’re interviewing a potential job, make sure you think about the kind of team you want to work for/with/lead.

waiting...and more waiting...

Wed, 01 Apr 2009 11:01:13 -0400

i haven’t been great about creating a regular schedule around posts, but i’m going to pretend to apologize and then i’ll pretend you forgave me.

right now, i’m sitting in the living room, wearing my gym clothes, waiting for the phone to ring. a lot has happened since the last time i posted, so let me catch you up.

i’ve been in multiple telephone and in-person interviews for the initial job that i spoke about in my post about interview prep. amid the interviews, i found another posting for a job that sounds right up my alley and with a familiar company where i have friends in Chicago and NY. so, i applied for it (about 2 weeks ago). to make a long and boring story short and boring, the familiar company contacting me last friday, from NY, to find out which city i wanted to work in and i spoke with someone from familiar company (unrelated to familiar company job or friends at familiar company). i really hit it off with someone from familiar company, so i sent my resume and contact info to familiar company, and i was told i’d hear from them on monday.

then, i had to tell the initial company that i’m trying to make something happen with familiar company…that was painful. initial company is a really well-known, reputable company. telling them that i was also looking into another position was not easy for either of us (to say or to hear).

and now, i wait. i left a message for familiar company a little less than an hour ago. in normal situations, not hearing something two days late probably wouldn’t seem like such a big deal, but since then, i’ve imagined working for this company, living in a house that isn’t my in-law’s, etc. so, now, as each minute passes, my eyes quickly shift from the clock on the bottom right corner of my computer screen, to my mobile. i try to hold off and not look at the time, but by the next time i do look, only a single minute has gone by again. i try to watch the ellen show and pour myself into additional job searches, but my time obsessed eye twitch makes it seem like background music.

i know this sounds obsessive and dramatic, but my mind, my ego, my pride, and my family needs me to find a job. preferrably one where i’m comfortable and able to use my skill set. so, when that certain culmination of characteristics come along together (a great position, great people, great company), it’s hard not to get carried away.

so, now we wait. and write, i guess. but you know my mind is elsewhere.

an example of a great commercial outliving a campaign. this is...

Wed, 25 Mar 2009 12:53:06 -0400

an example of a great commercial outliving a campaign. this is how creatives should earn their stripes.

in a time for envy and dwindling self-esteem, a new test of strength for your friendships.

Mon, 23 Mar 2009 12:11:00 -0400

right now, we are surrounded by very few people that are seeing success and good fortune. we are mostly in the same boat: jobless or potentially jobless, late on bills or worried about next month’s bills…but right now, the biggest issue we probably all have in common is that we’re clinging to our last shreds of self esteem. a year ago, we all probably felt pretty good. then, not having a paycheck was more of a passing thought. now, it just is.

we also have some friends that are somehow recession proof. they’re thriving. they’re not only secure in their jobs, they’re getting raises or even calls from recruiters worldwide. now, we’re faced with friendship test of self control and censorship. while we want to be happy that they aren’t being hit, it makes us feel worse about our own situation. it makes us turn our friends into a yard stick of worth and success.

when listening to the successful chain of events in a friend’s life, the urge to sarcastically blurt out, “Your life is SOOOO great, isn’t it?”, or, the reflex of quietly mumbling, “I’m so happy for you” will arrive. so, what’s the right thing to do? when that happens, here are some considerations:

before and even after hearing a friend’s good news, try to remember your own accomplishments. what’s even better is writing a journal/blog, or even creating a portfolio based on those accomplishments. this will not only remind you of better times, but it will give you something to mentally refer to when you are interviewing.
there’s a chance that you’re better off, even slightly, than another friend. if you had a dream interview, what reaction would you want?
you will have good times again, big and small. as dolly parton once said, “if you want the rainbow, you have to put up with the rain.”
you may find it difficult to be happy with your friend, which is natural, but at least fake it til you make it. in all times, you want to keep the friends that are worth a damn, and we all need those people in the best and worst of times.
after you fake it, change the subject. you don’t have to hammer out every bonus or every new perk that your friends are getting, so after some congratulations go out, talk about something you can both enjoy. ncaa tourney, poker night, video games…whatever.

so, times suck. we can all drink to that. just remember that if you let your vicious green eyes show, you could end up drinking alone (and the bartender isn’t really your friend).

ps. for any of my friends that may be reading this: this isn’t directed to or about anybody specifically. all of my friends and family are having variable levels of success and failure. i’m with you when you win and when you lose.

ah, interviewing. good times.

Wed, 18 Mar 2009 13:10:44 -0400

so, i didn’t get to writing on monday because i actually had my first interview in over a month. don’t expect i’ll tell you what organization i interviewed with, but i can say it’s well-known.

i approached this interview as an opportunity to fine tune my interviewee style, and i’d like to share it with you, in case it helps you in any way.

The Day Before The Interview: Non-Interview Related Preparation

the Commute

the day prior was my first anniversary with my wonderful spouse. as he has a better knowledge of the city than i do, i had him do a dry run with me to show me how to get to the location, parking, etc. here’s what we learned from the dry run:

pay attention to how much time it took to get from home to the parking garage.
think about what traffic would be like at the specific time i would be driving (morning rush, mid-day rush, afternoon rush).
figure things may not go as planned (gas tank is on empty, the shoes i picked are missing, no coffee available, trouble finding spot in parking garage, etc.)

this gives you appropriate preparation and sufficient estimation of what time you need to wake up + how long it takes to get ready + buffer time + commute.

The Look

then, you should at least think about how you want to look for your interview. i am fortunate enough that most people think i’m younger than my actual age. i realize that this is generally a good thing, but depending on what position i’m interviewing for, this could be a hindrance. now, i understand that many people feel that the way they look should have nothing to do with their capabilities. the problem with that is that these people don’t know you. they don’t know what you’re capable of, so they are going to judge everything about you that they can see. you can be yourself once they’ve indicated to you that they want to get to know you better. the resume does part of the job, but how you look and present yourself counts for much more.

so, here are the considerations for your interview look:

what type of person is the organization looking for (leader, follower, self monitoring, scapegoat, whatever)?
what type of organization is it (trendy, corporate, boys’ club, girls’ club, laid back)? if you don’t know, do some internet surfing to see if you can identify existing employees. facebook, linkedin and myspace can give you a lot of background information about the type of people they have now.
what still represents YOU? this isn’t about pretending to be someone else. this is about YOU being the centerpiece and your clothes are the garnish. so, you still want YOU to shine through the suit that you hate wearing? depending on the situation, that could mean a fashionable, high-end t-shirt or a halter top or a brooks brother’s button down. use good judgement in knowing what’s appropriate. a suit is best in 95% of cases, but make it your own.
what are you comfortable in? this has part to do with representing yourself, but this is also about making sure that while the interviewer is asking questions, you’re not sweating bullets or have major underwear ride-up issues. think about temperature and what movements you’ll need to make (shaking hands, walking, standing, etc.). you’ll present much more confidently if you feel like you’re in your own skin.

The Day Before The Interview: Interview Related

Preparation checklist:

extra copies of your resume on good quality paper (it matters). as a rule of thumb, i always bring 5. 3 could be too little, especially if people want to pass it along within the group. much more and it starts to look like you’re playing a show at the empty bottle.
copies of your references on good quality paper (the same paper as your resume).
pens, usually 3. one for yourself, one back-up, and one in case the interviewer forgot one. i know it’s an apple polisher move, but it doesn’t hurt to be prepared and courteous.
directions and address of interview location. even with a dry run, and even if you’re familiar with the area, you still need to remember the suit number, etc.
who you need to ask for in reception. there have been times where hr has never told me if i ask for them or someone i’m interviewing with. so, this needs to be cleared up before the interview, and i even try to bring the email where this was discussed, so i remember. again, can’t hurt.
portfolio of work. i know this seems like more of a copywriting and creative thing, but it’s actually not. for media folks, this could include any of the following: screenshots/copies of ads placed and a summary of positioning, old presentations, old POV’s, and even copies of what you’re writing for your blog (if appropriate). they might never ask for it, but if you think of this like a client presentation, visual aids always help. two very important notes about this: change any confidential information (i change client names, sites, vendors, and ALL numbers involved), and bring a copy to leave behind. as they recap discussions with either the department or other departments that you could work for, a visual representation of your work is the most succinct way of saying who you are, how you work, etc.
copies of their work. do your homework. know the work they’ve done and have opinions ready, good or bad. it not only shows that you’re familiar with them as a company, but it also gives them an ego boost that you know and care. for bonus, know good AND bad so they know you like them, but you could make things even better for them.
mints. gum is too messy and distracting, but you don’t want to be remembered as the interviewee with dragon breath. they don’t want to work with that guy/girl.
questions. prepare them beforehand so it shows that you thought about it and never forget that you’re interviewing them too. i get questions from the job description and the news. from a job description, you can draw such questions as how did this position come about, how does this position interact with other departments, who reports to you, who do you report to, what does turnover in the department look like, what has the department done that they’re proud of, and so on. questions drawn from the news could be like around how the news has effected them publicly, how much is true, how does the news apply specifically to the job/department, etc.
practice the answers to the obvious questions, aloud. give an example of how you resolved or handled conflict, how you thought on your feet, how you handle clients, what you teach your direct reports or coworkers, how you work with other departments/agencies. the thing is, even if they don’t ask the specific questions, they’ll probably ask something pretty close and you’ll be prepared to toot your horn.
sing in the car on the way there or at home while you’re getting ready, something fun and upbeat. this does 2 things: calms you down and exercise your vocal chords. i listen to queen. i want to ride my bicycle. i want to ride my biiiike.

In The Interview

firm handshake. it shows your confident and helps generate a strong image. don’t be batman. be bruce wayne.
really listen to what they’re saying and respond appropriately. sometimes it’s easy to go into the speech that you prepared the night before, but they need to know that you’re hearing and listening to them.
eye contact, but don’t be creepy. give them enough so they know you’re listening, but not to the point where they have to look away. there’s a fine line, sometimes, but use your gut instincts and common sense.
relax, but be professional. you want them to know that you’re a comfortable person to be around, but, since they just met you, they don’t want to know about the man from nantucket.
take notes. seriously. real notes. this not only shows that you’re paying attention, but, if you’re like me, you’ll need the notes for a follow up interview. my biggest problems are that i forget and while i’m in an interview sometimes, it’s more of an out-of-body experience. notes help refresh my memory of what was discussed and help me start off on the right foot in a second interview. bonus: you can create more questions based on your notes.
thank them for their time. they’re busy, or else they wouldn’t need to hire someone. so, show them that you know their time is valuable and you’re appreciative that they met with you.

The Aftermath. Now what?

first, you can write on your blog.

second, give them time. remember that they’re probably interviewing multiple candidates and that can take weeks because of busy schedules. not only that, but, even if they end up offering you the job, you may not be their first choice (not the worst thing in the world), so they may even need time to offer the job to someone else and for them to turn it down. i generally give interviewers 2-4 weeks.

third, after 2-4 weeks, if you haven’t heard from them, contact HR and just politely ask for an update. “i’m really interested in the position and i’d like to know the next steps.”

fourth, thank you cards. nowadays, this can include a professional sounding email. cards are nice, but, email also generally works fine.

wrapping it up

i did some, but not all of the things i listed above. i have no idea how i was perceived, but these are the thoughts i had coming out of it. i hope it was helpful and good luck!

gone fishing...for the day

Mon, 16 Mar 2009 11:12:05 -0400

well, fishing for a job. i’ll tell you more about it after it’s all said and done, but fingers crossed!

from adage.com, "P&G Gives Its Marketers a Crash Course in Social Media"

Thu, 12 Mar 2009 23:11:28 -0400

here’s the LINK . now go read it. i’ll wait….i’m not going to summarize this one for you, so you’re going to have to read it your own damn self.

now that you’ve read it, here i go: i love this campaign. i love it because it’s able to demonstrate a lot to digital media and brand managers that there are more than one way to skin a cat. since the myspace and even friendster.com’s of the world came around with their billions of people served, i’ve always been hounded with questions on how to use social media (and before that, it was how to make campaigns “buzzworthy”, “viral” and “grass roots”). ideas were brainstormed, trimmed and presented, but immediately shot down because there were seen as risky (“what if that joe six-pack doesn’t like the idea?”), or the absolute payout wasn’t an exact profit calculation.

what this tide example gives to the digital community is the opportunity to see how making a little investment and reaching out to the right people (digital ad agencies) to gain some bigger learnings. also, it gave digital ad shops to flex a little brain muscle in front of a sexy client. they were able to show off their resourcefulness, ingenuity and street cred, all for the sake of charity (at least as a final result, but maybe not entirely as the main objective).

big kudos to the tide team for creating the even and sharing some of the results with the rest of the community.

at this moment, my favorite jobless activities:

Thu, 12 Mar 2009 22:43:15 -0400

playing mario kart with my fellow unemployed or mini-strangers from foreign lands
listening and downloading songs from rcrdlbl.com
writing blogs
going to the gym
cooking for the in-laws, as rent payment
seeing who’s viewed me on linkedin.com
responding to various people’s twitter feeds or facebook status’
spooning with the dogs and cat
reading the first three twilight books, marley & me, and the watchmen
creating wii versions of various presidents (most recently, teddy roosevelt)
i’m almost sick of tv, but not yet. if ellen has one more lame guest on, it’s over.
bothering friends on im with stupid questions (“should i buy an ipod shuffle for the gym? i mean, i already have an mp3 player, but…”)
playing multiple games of the various scrabble rip offs on facebook
playing dress up
eavesdropping on people at starbucks. whether you realize it or care, people are listening…

gym day 2: i'm a fucking idiot

Thu, 12 Mar 2009 22:18:24 -0400

did all the same machines as i did yesterday and decided the pain meant it was working. the only thing not a’painin is my va-jay-jay.

first day at the Y

Wed, 11 Mar 2009 21:54:14 -0400

we’ll see how i feel tomorrow, but i spent about 1.5 hours lifting weights and riding the stationary recumbant bicycle. the hubs and i just joined the local YMCA so that i would have something to do other than job searching, writing blog entries and getting fatter. this could be the start of something painful…but hopefully successful. i’m not sure how successful, though, since i was doing the same weight machines and weight as the 80 year old ladies also at the Y at 2:30pm on a Wednesday. better than nothing. :)

On "Cable, Satellite Providers to Push Pay-per-View Porn"

Wed, 11 Mar 2009 21:50:06 -0400

if you hadn’t read the actual article, it discusses the shifts in how major cable providers are approaching offering and promoting PPV adult films. previously, adult films were unpromoted and the man with the need to get his rocks off had to look and browse around the PPV channels until he found his jackpot. cable providers wouldn’t think of promoting adult films and considered themselves on the moral high-ground. now, DirectTV will begin promoting adult content on male-oriented channels (think ESPN or Spike) between 2am and 6am.

why the change? porn is profitable. when a cable provider works with a hollywood studio to broadcast films, the cable provider is getting the short end of the stick and generally has a smaller pay-off cut than the hollywood studio. but with porn, cable providers get 90% of the PPV revenue. that’s a much sexier meatball.

then, you have the competition: internet porn. which is practically the internet’s first born. it’s has always had huge growth (ha ha) and provides a wide variety and great pricing (free, a lot of the time). the bigger problem? computer viruses. well, and people discovering your secret stash of beastiality bondage films. but the good news is that they’re developing a more variable pricing options for your new porn that will be a bang for your buck.

on top of that the article talks about traditional porn ailing condition (think hef, and the $145 million loss playboy took last year), raising costs of producing HD porn films and increased marketing as the solution.

why do i love this article? well, for one thing, everything about porn is unintentionally funny (the dialogue, the man perms, the glimmer of hope it gives men that the slutty sports bar waitress will give them a bj). and the more relevant points of interest:

tight financial times have caused cable providers to reevaluate their smut tolerance level. money over morals. that’s a heart-warmer.
PPV porn is a hugely undertapped market. the majority of cable subscribers weren’t aware that PPV porn was available (or so they say). marketing it to the target demographic could result in some big profits (that’s what she said).
they’re figuring out how to be competitive with online porn. they know one of their biggest advantages is being able to be on a bigger screen (yikes!) and high definition. computers are great for that too, but you’re not always going to have as great of graphics if it’s coming from your Dell.
they’re looking into the future. they’re not only seeing this as an opportunity to get more PPV porn in more houses, but it’s also looking into what will make PPV porn hand over fist better than internet porn: production-wise more expensive porn. exotic locations and high definition.

also, though, i think the article opened my eyes to the resourcefulness of the cable company and the porn industry. it shows the porn industries willingness to evolve to best compete with it’s biggest threat: the internet. they’re really riding their core competitive competencies with HD and using targeting to market to their audience. they’re working with the cable companies in a win-win situation that helps their industry grow. they’re diversifying their pricing structure to reach greater audiences. i would think the next step is to have a more wholistic offering the marries the power of the variety on the internet and the thrill of the bigger and more life-like small screen. time will only tell. i hope the porn/cable model plays out in other media industries as well. and, i think some major broadcasters have started consider more adaptation to the marketplace, but i definitely think one thing they could learn from porn: flexibility.

"Being a champion opens lots of doors—I’d like to get a real estate license, maybe sell..."

Tue, 10 Mar 2009 17:13:33 -0400

““Being a champion opens lots of doors—I’d like to get a real estate license, maybe sell insurance.”
—Mike Tyson—”

- source: http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Mike_Tyson

From Adage, "Cable, Satellite Providers to Push Pay-per-View Porn"

Tue, 10 Mar 2009 16:45:00 -0400

From Adage, "Cable, Satellite Providers to Push Pay-per-View Porn":

of the few industries that thrive in recession, the porn industry is certainly the most scandalous. with new technologies and lotion in hand, i’d like to share my thoughts on this tomorrow.

"“People might not get all they work for in this world, but they must certainly work for all..."

Tue, 10 Mar 2009 12:19:00 -0400

“

“People might not get all they work for in this world, but they must certainly work for all they get.”

-Frederick Douglas-

”

the first agency: "where else are they gonna go?"

Tue, 10 Mar 2009 12:11:55 -0400

A BAD TIME TO LOOK FOR A JOB

i graduated from DePaul University in chicago in June 2001 with a bachelor’s degree in marketing. i was dating one of the many men i thought i would spend the rest of my life with. my friends and i went to thailand as our last big hurrah before we had no more summer and winter breaks. when we came back to chicago, i procrastinated job hunting, using “i have the rest of my life to work” as an excuse. on a random day, during this “down time”, is when i was awoken at 10 am (at minimum an hour and a half earlier than usual) to my roomate telling me that we were being bombed. the first of the twin towers in nyc had been struck. this immediately had me up and at the tv, watching in horror as the attack i could have never imagined on US soil had started. of course, you remember all of this, so i don’t need to remind you.

for the next couple of days, my friends and i stayed clear of the chicago loop, as the occasional military jet or helicopter screamed overhead and kept watch over the city. every morning, we would stay in our pajamas and watch tv, waiting for a safety confirmation that would give us enough confidence to leave the house. this was one of the absolute worst times that my generation had to start job hunting.

the american economy had started sinking and during hard economic times, marketing budgets are one of the first things to go. most marketing and ad agencies were laying off their staff, so hiring new blood was out of the question. things were looking bleak. i had to start considering moving back to st. louis.

FUCK IT. I’M NOT DOING ANYTHING ELSE

then, a friend told me that his roomate’s ad agency was looking for interns. an internship? i am way overqualified for an internship. i have a bachelor’s degree. i had lots of great internships in college. but…i’m not really doing anything else, am i? fuck it. i have to start somewhere.

later that week, i took the redline to the chicago stop and hiked over to 737 Michigan Ave. a street that is usually a sea of dark roots and bald suburbanites was a ghost town. everytime a police siren or there was a plane overhead, the half a dozen brave pedestrians stopped in their tracks and held their breath. we were confident leaving the house, but there was a general consensus that THAT is what THEY wanted us to think. so, the walk that morning took slightly longer than it would later on (when it became a part of my working girl’s routine). i met with my friend’s roomate *milhouse and his boss, and they let me know i had the internship. i would work 9am to 5pm every weekday for 3 months and i would be paid $4 per day (they actually paid me out of petty cash at the end of the week with a crisp $20). i was finally working.

THE AD AGENCY

advertising seemed pretty cool. the agency had laid off pretty much anyone over the age of 30, other than 5 partners and 1 media director (my boss). so, we were a bunch of 20 year olds. mostly single. probably alcoholic. and we each worked harder than viagra in a whore house. that was one of the best times in my life. i was working in media as an intern, but because they had laid off the vast majority of the media team, this $4 employee was writing media plans, writing ad copy, doing traffic, sitting in creative brainstorms, working on the pr group’s street team, and occassionally making mass quantities of jello shots. i watched ads go from a random passing thought in a 11pm meeting to photoshop to client present to the side of a bus. well, not only did i get to watch it…i got to touch it. i even got to help mold it along the way. at this stage in my life, it was the best thing that ever happened to me, because i didn’t care about money and i didn’t know shit about advertising.

over time, i got really comfortable with my lot in the agency and even started dating the roomate (another man i thought i’d spend the rest of my life with). things were great. we made friends with the local bartenders and were drinking on pennies usually 5 nights a week and we maintained our sanity with 16 inch softball and karaoke. really, it doesn’t get much better than this.

A REAL SALARY

then, after 6 months, they began paying me $10 a day (which, i considered a 150% raise). a couple months after that, the agency won 2 new business pitches and were able to offer me a full time position with a real salary (let’s just say it was enough to rent a small, shanty, but i couldn’t afford to pay the bills). it wasn’t much, but that first paycheck felt like a winning lottery ticket, even if it more closely resembled the dollar amount on a speeding ticket. i was proud. the agency wanted to keep me and had the funds to do it. things were starting to turn around.

FAST FORWARD ONE YEAR

so, things were good. mostly. the agency had started to make more money. they at least had enough to remodel the lobby and hire some new copy writers. they still owned a box at united center and overall, the agency was doing better. that’s when the natives got restless. review time was upon us. all of us had glowing reviews of how much we had accomplished in the last year and how much more we would be responsible for. promotions were going around and people there was a happy electricity in the air. that was before we realized that, yes, we kicked some advertising ass in the past year and ,yes, there were a lot of new responsibilities and projects coming our way, but, no one would be receiving pay raises. and, being all of 22, this was an outrage. all the long hours, client verbal abuse, and 12 client’s per person were killing us. sure, the agency was doing great, but there was no relief or reward in sight. we were one pissed off group of 20-somethings. the agency didn’t really want to tell anyone that they weren’t getting raises, so the partners just avoided the topic and eye contact in general. they had a shit storm brewing and had no fucking clue.

a couple of weeks went by and the tension was palpable. the general background noise of coworkers flirting and laughing was gone. office doors were constantly closed so no one could see the desperate sobbing from unpaid bills and what now? things were getting done, but the magic and the fun was gone. that was when an account executive went out to drinks with *fred. they were just blowing off some steam and after a couple of drinks, she asked *fred what they were going to do with all the unhappy employees that were really counting on a pay raise. fred looked up from his whiskey and water, put his long fingernails on the table and said “where else they gonna go?”
SOMEWHERE
oh, fred. those are some famous last words, aren’t they? once word got out of his attitude towards his young and struggling workforce, every resume was updated. i think we all actually worked harder so we’d have more and stronger fluff to include. we started showing up to work in suits and taking long lunches, and by the time a year had passed, all of us had found somewhere to go.
we all kept in touch, but it never had the same magic or twinkle it used to. some of us broke up and some of us got married, but one thing remains. it was a really, really great ride.
TO MAKE A LONG STORY SHORT

we were a bunch of advertising toddlers tossed together in the deep end. there were times we struggled and frantically gasped for air, but we held on to each other and found someway to tread water. the biggest mistake was that one of those who had thrown us in told us that he wouldn’t throw us a floaty and we couldn’t go to shore, so we taught ourselves to swim. what an asshole.

so it begins…

Mon, 09 Mar 2009 13:58:21 -0400

so it begins…

why am i doing this?

Mon, 09 Mar 2009 13:32:21 -0400

this is where i give you the background of this blog and what you can expect from me in the future. well, i’m an out of work media supervisor who just moved to the detroit area from minneapolis (and chicago before that). i’ve worked for one of the biggest and exciting retailers in the country and on some of the sexiest and buzzworthy campaigns (as well as some real duds). things have always been great. great jobs. great companies. great friends. great beer. i have a really kick ass resume, great connections and a controllable drinking “problem” that has nothing to do with my liver. so far, i’ve had a great career.

then, i moved to detroit . don’t get me wrong. i’m happy to be here and i’m here for all the right reasons. the problem is this damn economic crisis we’re in.

and now we’re here. i live with my husband, 2 dogs and 1 cat in the home of the in-laws. we just sold our house in minneapolis for 20% less than our purchase price (and after dealing with the real estate agent from hell). there are no jobs, and not just in advertising. so what is an unemployed, functioning alcoholic to do? write. write to the people that are in the same situation as i am. write about the industry, how to stay relevant and how to keep yourself busy. how to keep yourself marketable. how to keep yourself sane and laugh when it hurts to even smile. i know i’m not in dire straits and i am truly blessed for the many reasons why, but my ego is in the same muddy gutter as many others.

so, given the current economic conditions, break out the cardboard and sharpees and i’ll see you at exit ramp 12.

*note: the only reason i call it a problem is because it’s a lot and often, but it’s in quotes because my grandpa can still put me to shame.