Eco-Friendly Digital Marketing Internship

Socrates once said: “The more I learn, the more I learn how little I know.” ages before my time, but could he possibly be foreshadowing the feelings of anxiety and discovery of students constantly searching for ways to get an edge on their competition?

The “cutting edge” is expanding at speeds rivaling to the Indy 500. Students hoping to break out into the large scale agency scene are faced with newer and bolder challenges than our predecessors- especially for creative types.  As a Senior about to graduate from one of the top undergraduate advertising programs in the nation, I still feel like its my first day. Getting hired by a large agency feels a lot like auditioning for Broadway. If your not a triple threat with a killer head shot, you better have a plan B, C and D.

So whats an ad geek to do? Diversify.

When the economy is down the specialist suffers.  The more skills you posses the more profitable you are to an agency and your clients. Unfortunately, at the end of the day its not your beautiful copy, artwork, and strategy that matters - its whether or not you made the client additional profit.

I decided to stick to three areas of study to use as a jumping point to exploit my skills to present myself as profitable new hire: Style, Substance and Rock’n'Roll. The Style aspect being all things design ranging from traditional print to interactive media. Substance, well that’s everything needed to keep everyone on task, trafficking, account and media planning. I don’t work at chach-chi’s so wearing 30 pieces of flair isn’t mandatory, but the one piece of flair I can’t ignore is my crazy imagination and love for music.

I’ve recently started reading the book: Chasing Cool. “How to infuse [the product] with that very desirable, nearly unobtainable factor.” the very essence of the craft. how do you present a product or service fuming with that factor making it the flame your target market is drawn to. parallel to that to a job search and you could possibly take over the world…ok not the world, but anything is possible.

So the challenge still stands can you present yourself as a brand across several mediums creating flow and uniformity to your prospects?  You can’t do it all, it is nearly impossible to be a expert at a large majority of the disciplines required to create an all inclusive campaign for your brand and those you hope to advertising. This is where the real test begins, how well can you network? Of course in advertising its not necessarily what you know but who you know. Being able to network with experts in the field you need help with is as esseintal as being proficient in that field.

As they say in show buisness be nice to the people you meet on the way up the ladder, you’ll see them on the way back down.

Believe it or not, the hottest ticket in town right now isn’t for the Britney Spears concert, but for a pre-order of Apple’s newest iPhone model, the 3GS. In combination with the release of the new 3.0 software update for all iPhones, the new 3GS flexs its muscles with twice the processing power in addition to the much anticipated video camera and MMS feature.

As of today, there is no way to get your hands on one of these badboys, unless of course you are reading this blog post from your iPhone 3G in a tent while camping outside of your local AT&T store. But for those of you not interested in cooking S’Mores with a bunch of geeks in a parking lot somewhere down the road, there is a web publishing company with a few iPhone’s to spare for the lucky chosen ones. A company by the name of Squarespace is currently handing out 30 iPhone 3GS’s in 30 days, and you still have time to get in on the action.

By now you’re probably asking your self, what’s the catch? Lucky for you, this contest is very simple. All you need to do is tweet once a day with their hashtag, #squarespace, and you’re automatically entered to win an iPhone. (From further investigation, it appears that they are only actually only giving out a $200 Apple gift card and not an actual 3GS, oh well.) The contest ends July 7^th and you can enter as many days as you want, and while you’re at it, check out their site and take a tour of their web publishing software. I was very impressed with its intuitive interface and customization options, something I will definitely explore for future projects!

For more information about the contest click here.

Mutual of Omaha prides itself on being the official sponsor of the “aha moment”. I will be waiting patiently by the mailbox for my sponsorship check. I’ve never wanted to pull my all my hair out in frustration as much as I had this past week, - I take that back, I have, but that’s another story for another blog. After raiding libraries and bookstores looking for my answer my quest for the missing FBML code took me back to the Internet. Hidden in plain sight was my golden fleece.  While I don’t plan on changing my name to Jason anytime soon., I am positive I jumped at least a foot in the air of sheer pride after finding the correct code for a Facebook Page I was working on.

I used the Static FBML application to create boxes which can be place through out your Facebook Page via the drag and drop method. FBML: the four letters keeping me up late at night, -ok not really, but nonetheless interesting.

According to Facebook reference Wiki “Facebook Markup Language (FBML) enables you to build full Facebook Platform applications that deeply integrate into a user’s Facebook experience. You can hook into several Facebook integration points, including the profile, profile actions, Facebook canvas, News Feed and Mini-Feed.” This HTML language enables users and developers the tools to create ads and applications for pages and profiles. Call up your friends and bring your own extension chord it’s the makings of a party!

Using the Developers Platform you can create ads and applications and this test console will allow you to double check your code so that is up to snuff with FBML.

Since I’m sure I owe the universe a big thank you for this discovery I will share it with you. step by step

1. Download the “Static FBML” application for you Facebook Page

2. Chose edit and then this screen will pop up

enter your code in the provided space and don’t forget to include a title, this will be the title of your soon to be created box. Should you wish to create a hyper-linked banner ad like myself you’ll want to follow these guidelines in you coding

<a href=”Website you wish to link to ad” title=”Title of the Box”>
<img src=”Image you wish to use as banner ad”/>

3. Click save and your box will automatically appear to the left of the wall, should you like to move it simply grab the box and drag it to your desired location.

4. (Optional) should you need to create several custom boxes/applications you can organize them by utilizing the “Boxes” tab.
Facebook is no longer just a way to connect with friends and waste time when you should be paying attention in class. Its becoming a jumping point for interns the world over. Soon we will be able to create customized URLs make it that much faster to connect with users. Facebook was my best friend and the bane of my existence the past week, but I accepted the challenge and my confidence was restored.

PS click here to see the outcome of this process in real time and maybe learn a bit about Ingenex Digital Marketing in the process!

Michigan State University is now offering, to both undergraduate and graduate students, a new course on social media entitled “New Media Drivers License.”

The New Media Drivers License course, or NMDL for short, provides students with a comprehensive overview of new media and digital marketing, and the relevance and importance of each for today’s businesses.  The course is taught by Ingenex Digital Marketing CEO and MSU alum, Derek Mehraban, as well as professor and Chair of Advertising, Public Relations, and Retailing at MSU, Dr. Richard Cole.

NMDL shows students how to take social media, like Facebook and Twitter, normally used to communicate with friends, and turn it into a valuable commodity for companies and clients.  In addition to social networks, the course covers the use of blogging, podcasting, search engine optimization, and a number of other digital marketing areas, including the never-ending uses of Google.

Paul Kanan (me), an MSU alum and a passenger on the maiden voyage of the NMDL ship during the 2009 Spring semester, says of the course, “This class rocks!  I recommend it to anyone going into public relations, advertising, or simply wants to have their finger on the pulse of the future.”

This summer marks the second offering of NMDL at MSU with three full sections.  The class meets at the beginning and end of the semester at Walsh College in Novi, MI, with everything in between taking place online.  For more information on the class, the course site can be found at http://newmediadl.com or follow along on Facebook and Twitter.

So that’s the official Eco-Friendly word, but like I said, this class rocks!  And another thing, it’s long overdue, so check it out!

Back in the good ol’ days (the 1990’s for me), video game consoles and computers were largely separated. However, that all changed in 1999 when Microsoft revealed they were creating the Xbox. Gamers and techno-enthusiasts all over the country were gushing about the possibilities of a half-computer, half-console. When the original Xbox was released in 2001, many were disappointed that it was just another game system; and Microsoft listened to their cries releasing the Xbox 360 in 2005. The 360 can connect seamlessly with another computer to share photos and video and even has the power to download movies and games. However, no browser software existed that could be used for the Xbox 360, so checking your Facebook and Twitter from the comfort of your HD television has been impossible. Until now…

At this years Electonic Entertainment Expo (or “E3″, as it’s most commonly known), Microsoft revealed that Xbox Live members will be able to use Facebook and Twitter through their Xbox 360’s. Both tools will be downloaded and used directly from the 360’s interface as opposed to a browser. To give you a glimpse of what this will look like, here’s an example:

The new interface has been custom made for the Xbox 360 and seems to be very user friendly. Users will be able to view their friends, news feeds, photos, status updates, and wall-posts. They will also be able to add their own comments and updates, but I highly recommend investing in a keyboard that can be integrated with the Xbox 360, as using the contoller to type can be very frustrating and time consuming. It seems that the main feature Microsoft has been talking about is the Friend Linker which will allow players to link their Xbox Live profile with their Facebook; updating their gaming achievements directly to their Facebook profile. Also, if a player decides to go on Facebook through a taditional browser, they will be able to view which friends are playing online at that given moment.

And if Facebook isn’t enough for you, how about Twitter? Twitter for the Xbox 360 will be released the very same day Facebook is this Fall. This version of Twitter has been built from the ground-up to give users an experience like no other. Here is an example of what it will look like:

Any updates you make on Twitter 360 will be updated instantly to all of your followers, and vice-versa. Anyone you are following can update their status, and it will instantly be posted on the Xbox’s interface.

Both of these services are in early stages of development and the only information so far has come from the E3 Expo. Is it too early to think that this may be helpful to digital marketing? Or is it just another excuse to have an Xbox 360 in every digital agency in America? I’ll tweet you when I have the answer (and it won’t be from my laptop).

— Dave

Commonly referred to as a micro-blogging site, Twitter is a world wide conversation where each individual voice is clearly heard. My Mom always told me to “dress to impress” but when your having conversations with people all around the world and down the street, its hard to look your best through a computer screen, right? Try again. Your twitter page should be a visual summary of yourself version of you, your company or your organization’s persona in 800 Kilobytes of information or less.

Like most web design, its not the pretty pictures that matter- it’s the content. However, I find the higher the quality the image or graphics the more likely I am to linger on a page. A picture is worth a thousand words, at least that’s what I hear.

As a former Adobe Student Rep I am a big fan of the creative suite and its tools, but as long as the image you plan on posting for your (non-tiled) twitter design is 1208×1024 pixels any design software will work. My legal version of CS4 is updating itself as I type. There are three main sections to work with, the top banner and the two gutters to the left and right of the twitter content. When designing your image its best to leave plenty of room for your twitter content. How you choose to design from there is entirely up to you. If  you’re designing for an organization or yourself, keep in mind your branding strategy. Knowing who you are as a person or organization and be sure your design fits the personality you are trying to convey.  I can appreciate when brands take that extra step to make sure everything flows with the same feeling over several media outlets, it helps me to recognize the brand faster. Keep in mind colors that work well together to tie your background in with the rest of the site, you have the options to change your text, links and sidebar colors of the twitter content. Keep the theme alive. Keeping the theme alive can be the difference between a nice background and a great overall design. Don’t be afraid use your imagination, it won’t bite.

The beauty of twitter is the freedom to design your own background and the opportunity to take part in the worldwide conversation that is the twitter-sphere, giving you the chance to follow and be followed. (not in a creepy way of course.)

It’s that time of year again – the annual rite of passage when new graduates begin to lose their minds because they’ve entered into one of life’s no-man’s lands – the time between the end of college and the beginning of a career.

This time in one’s life can best be described as being somewhat like purgatory. You know you’re not quite in Hell because you’re relieved from the stresses of finals, proud of yourself for getting that degree, and happy to return back to Ma and Pa’s for a bit once the lease is over to hang with all your leftover high school friends while you search for gainful employment (true story).

But about one month in you realize something isn’t right, you can’t shake this gnawing feeling, and you finally realize what it is – you don’t get to go back to school in the fall.  “There are no more excuses.”  “This is your life.”  “A new chapter is about to begin.” A dozen other clichés. You have no answer for everyone when they ask that unbelievably annoying and patronizing question, “So what’s next?”  It’s even worse when you realize that employers aren’t just going to knock on your door because of your fantastic college resumé and that the job market is way down due to the recession. To be honest, it sorta feels like this:

So what’s a college grad to do, short of searching for Mrs. Robinson?  Well the answer for some may be right in front of them.  Just as graduates are beginning to look for jobs, current college matriculators (is that a word?) are also beginning another rite of passage – the summer internship (or their third or fourth such position for the ambitious).  The internship used to be seen as a way for college students to get experience and credit while employers scout the talent and take advantage of inexpensive labor.

Not anymore, my friends.  The internship is now for everyone.  With the current job market as tight as it is, an internship can be the cure for the occupational blues.  For current students, it’s still the tried and true way to get a leg up on your peers while putting to use what you’re learning in the classroom.  For the newly graduated, it provides a plethora of positives.  For starters, it’s a morale boost for those who haven’t yet found the career their looking for.  It’s also another notch on the resumé belt and an opportunity to show your stuff to an employer for when they eventually (and hopefully) resume the hiring process.  And, perhaps most importantly, it can serve as a bridge over troubled water stirred up by the recession.

An especially beneficial opportunity is that of the digital internship. The digital internship (especially the Eco-Friendly Internship - no hyperlink necessary.  You’re already here!) combines the best of traditional internships past and the necessary skills of the future (which is really now).  With the digital internship, you still head down to the office once in awhile, so your office social skills remain primed, but a lot of what you do can be virtually accomplished (and you save gas, which is Eco-Friendly).

In a digital internship (yes, I realize I’ve said “digital internship” quite a bit, but it’s important) (and I’ve used an abundance of parentheses, but I like them) you learn the crafts of blogging, social media as a business tool, podcasting, Google, and the innumerable other spheres of the Internet that are being introduced to the lexicon of businesses on a daily basis.  Becoming versed in these techniques will give you a leg up on the competition for jobs over those who don’t possess the requisite technical abilities of the future.  Not to mention you can deepen your writing and communications skills, which has been a growing complaint of employers regarding the lack thereof amongst college students and recent graduates.  Oh and so as not to end this paragraph on a boring note like writing skills, digital internships are super cool and fun.

The bottom line? Digital internships are where it’s at!  Fun times, job skills, way of the future, resume placeholder, occupational peace of mind…whatever you’re looking for, they fit the bill.  So quit sitting on the couch, playing PS3 and Wii (guilty) or acting like mowing the lawn is grounds for a successful day (again, guilty), and start scouring the Internet for one.  Oh yeah, and as this blog entry began, a regular internship is cool too…just not as cool.

Hello World. To introduce myself, I am Emily Pawlak one of the newest additions to the Ingenex Summer 2009 Intern Team. I am an incoming senior at Michigan State University and an aspiring digital media designer. I am gaining  an understanding to the needs and expectations for social networking and the web 2.0 landscape in order to become a designer who can create a visually interesting and functional sites. I was a late comer to the world wide web, I didn’t have my own computer until I was a freshman at MSU. However, that hasn’t held me back by any stretch of the imagination. I am growing and changing with the web. The great thing about the being on the forefront of the “digital revolution” is there are no rules yet. As a creative type living in  a world with guidelines rather than set rules and principles is a great place to be.

When I finally discovered my passion for light, color and design, the clouds parted and the sun shined down. Of course this happened in March…so it was more along the lines of  the blizzard ceasing for 30 seconds and the winds only gusted at 10 miles per hour. Either way I was determined to make a difference in the industry. What better way to make a difference than to become a trail blazer on the digital frontier. Designing for new technologies we only dreamed of as small children when we should have been sleeping. Don’t pigeon hole me just yet, I am also honing my skills in the written word and fusing it with the limited space of our computer monitors. I can’t do it all, but I can guarantee I’m going to give it my best. I’m not certain where my experiences will lead me, but I’m more than confident it will be the path I was meant to travel.

In the meantime I will constantly be seeking out new information, the latest trends, and chasing the ever expanding “cutting edge.”

Headshot for the ages...

Time to break the proverbial ice and introduce myself to those of you who may not know me. My name is David Hilton and I’m one of the new interns here at Ingenex Digital Marketing. This is my first blog post EVER, so don’t judge me too harshly if this reads a like a “noob” wrote it…because that is exactly what’s happening. My fellow interns and I were hired to learn and experience the world of digital advertising and so far so good. I’ve learned a lot in just one week by reading The New Rules of Marketing and PR by David Meerman Scott and I’ve looked online at some of the marketing concepts mentioned in the book in order to gain a better understanding of how a digital agency like Ingenex helps their clients.

It’s interesting to me how easy it is to market a company efficiently using internet tools I usually take for granted. Like Facebook for example. I use it to connect with friends and family, share pictures, and find people I haven’t seen in a long time. Companies have taken advantage of Facebook by adding their businesses to the site through viewable profiles and creating applications for people to use that can result in a possible sale. Even CEO’s are creating Facebook accounts every day to better connect with customers. I used to hear about Facebook all the time on television and in the news. But, lately I haven’t heard anything about it. Not even a peep. No, lately I’ve been hearing a lot of tweets about a new and more popular social networking tool. And yes, pun intended.

Last night I was watching the Orlando Magic put the smack down on the Boston Celtics. During the broadcast I couldn’t help but notice that the commentators were constantly talking about Twitter. They must have mentioned it over 30 times. Even Charles Barkley was talking about how he had one. Also, as I finished the New Rules of Marketing book earlier yesterday I came across a section about social networking and how Twitter can help to keep customers updated with their favorite companies. Even earlier that day CNN was talking about how viewers can follow Wolf Blitzer’s Twitter to find out more on stories he will be covering or if he’s currently buying groceries. What have I been missing? Usually I adopt a social networking tool long before the media does! Not so with Twitter. They beat me to the punch.

So what exactly is Twitter? Twitter is a social networking tool that allows users to create tweets: micro-blogs that are limited to just 140 characters. Think of it as a constant Facebook status update, but without the clutter of wall posts, profile updates, etc. And did I mention it’s incredibly easy to sign up for it? I just did a few minutes ago and it only took me about 2 minutes. I even added people from my g-mail account to my new Twitter account instantly and I am also tracking some celebrities right now such as Kevin Smith.

So, maybe your still wondering just how the heck can this be used as an effective marketing tool? Well, let’s go back to Kevin Smith. Twenty-one hours ago Kevin Smith posted this: “ThatKevinSmith: One month from today I’m on Carnegie stage: http://www.tinyurl.com/carn… Hoping in tomorrow’s update, we’re under 1k left to sell.” Now, I had no idea that he would be at Carnegie doing a stand-up routine until I saw his tweet. He even mentions that there are only 1,000 tickets left to sell which establishes a call to action. And, to top it all off, the post is personal. Kevin Smith wrote it himself and didn’t have to pay a cent hiring an ad agency, PR person, or marketing firm to announce this information. And it’s not just his fans that will receive this information. News agencies, radio stations, blogs, podcasts, and anyone who is a follower of Kevin Smith on Twitter will receive this information and report it to people at NO COST. This is what marketing is all about now and this is why Twitter can be such an important tool. In 140 characters or less you can reach a wide audience and accomplish your goals for practically nothing. How cool is that?

So, I urge you to join Twitter and immerse yourself in this powerful tool. I’ve been a member for 20 minutes so far, and already I feel like telling the world about my goings on throughout the day. You can do this right from your phone as well, making it possible to update your status at any time, any where. This tool can also have the potential to allow business people to start writing their own blogs pertaining to their company and job.

As I get more acquainted with Twitter and other social networking tools, I will continue to blog about new and exciting things throughout my time here at Ingenex. This blog was more about “testing the waters” I guess, especially since most of you may already know about Twitter. I’m sure it’s fun to hear a newbie’s thoughts on the subject anyway, but as my experience grows so will these posts. I hope to meet a lot of you in the coming months and make sure to follow me on Facebook, Linkedin, and now Twitter. Thanks for reading!

– David H.

Or Both.  For those of you unfamiliar with the latest foray into digital reading devices, Amazon has provided us with the Kindle DX.  The major difference being the larger screen it offers from its predecessors.  The finer details, however, being, according to Amazon (because who can say it better, right?):

“At Amazon, we’ve always been obsessed with having every book ever printed, and we know that even the best reading device would be useless without a massive selection of books you want to read. Today, the Kindle Store has more than 275,000 books available, plus top newspapers, magazines, and blogs. This is just the beginning. Our vision is every book ever printed, in any language, all available in less than 60 seconds. We won’t stop until we get there.

Whether you prefer biographies, classics, investment guides, thrillers, or sci-fi, thousands of your favorite books are available, including 107 of 112 books currently found on the New York Times® Best Seller list. New York Times Best Sellers and most new releases are $9.99, and you’ll find many books for less.”

Now, on the surface of things, you may ask yourself, what in that description warrants such a doomsday title to this blog entry?  Well, hold on a sec, first let’s look at the good that it brings.  For starters, everything previously mentioned – books, newspapers, magazines, and blogs on-demand and at your fingertips.  You can carry an entire library in your bag, purse, or briefcase.  Not to mention, it has 3G Wireless, text-to-speech (in other words, it reads to you), and supports PDF.  Beneath the surface, there’s the Eco-Friendly benefits, as well.  The first thing that comes to mind, while simple, is it saves trees.  No more paper, no more chopping down trees, right?  Environment - 1, End of the World – 0 in that regard.  It also decreases pollution caused by the production of books, magazines, and newspapers, and eliminates the damage done to the environment throughout the distribution channels, mainly the carbon footprint left by shipping.  All in all it sounds like a pretty great product…but wait…

There has to be something wrong with it.  Well, let’s start with the hefty price tag.  The original Kindle 2.0 can be had for $359, with the Kindle DX being available for pre-order at $489.  But in the end, the price is only a barrier to entry for those that can’t afford it…like interns or college students.  So say you can afford it, is that the only drawback? No, for starters, when a date comes over, you can’t leave random copies of classic novels and famous treatises lying around to impress them if they’re all on your Kindle.  You could also lose it and there goes your library in one fell swoop.  However, most importantly, what about the demise of the publishing industry as we know it? If everything becomes digital, then what’s the point of actual newspapers, books, or magazines?  If more and more people are simply downloading their reading material, then the printed word will cease to exist because 1) advertisers don’t want to advertise in a medium that doesn’t reach anyone, 2) there’s no point in printing them if no one is buying them.

For some of us, that’s just not something we want to see.  What about curling up with nice, big hardcover novel on a cold winter’s night?  Or bending the hell out of a paperback on the train home from work?  What about spreading the Sunday newspaper out in front of you at the kitchen table while sipping a cup of hot coffee?  Or rolling up last week’s edition of Entertainment Weekly or the Economist to kill a pesky fly (or shoo it out the window for you bug activists)?  Heck, some people will even miss the ink stains that begin on your fingers and somehow end up on your face, furniture, and clothes when reading the New York Times.  The point being, that innovation often spells the demise of something in favor of another.  Horse-n-buggy? Automobile.  VCR? DVD.  Knowing stuff? Google.

In the end, though, it’s all up to the Invisible Hand…of the Almighty?  No, of Adam Smith.  In other words, it’s up to all of you.  If enough consumers want it, then the Kindle will thrive.  If everyone wants it, then the Kindle and other products like it will replace our ink and paper past.  However, hopefully the Kindle becomes what it should be, a way to get people to read again and read more.  Not a replacement for books or newspapers, but a bridge between nothing and something…a complement to one’s library and subscriptions as a convenient way to read while traveling or commuting or a way get a book right away rather than having to drive to the bookstore or wait days for your Amazon order to arrive.

For someone who considers themselves a traditionalist, your humble blogger here sees the Kindle as a hopeful good-natured cousin to the printed word that will peacefully coexist and grow the world of literature rather than destroy it.  Always a fan of new gadgets, as long I can have my cake (the traditional book, magazine, and newspaper) and eat it too (the Kindle), I won’t complain.  And finally, a note to Amazon: If you would like to send the Eco-Friendly Interns a Kindle or two to test for ourselves, this blog entry can easily be edited to remove any and all elements deemed to cast the Kindle in a negative light.  Thank you.