Recruitment Advertisements

Hello everyone, it is time yet again from more discussion on media related topics. Unfortunately, the semester is coming to a close and I will have to allocate my time to other necessary areas that I am involved in, so this could be the last Morning Brew Media post for quite some time. However, this is not set in stone as a permanent reallocation of time, and I may be able to have a few posts here and there, but that is still to be determined. That being said, I am going to send this final post off with a bang! Without further adieu, let us get started!

The topic of the day is recruitment advertising. This type of advertising, as have many other forms, has come a very long way since the days of strictly newspapers. Instead of opening the newspaper and heading on over to the classified section, people today are able to go to a number of different websites to browse local job listings. Some of these sites include careerbuilder.com, indeed.com, and monster.com, just to name a few. These sites have become extremely popular, and it is no surprise why. The ability to electronically browse, contact, and apply has made the online job market place a booming place to be.

Now, let us examine the first recruitment advertisement that I have selected to further examine in today's post, which is located above. This advertisement comes from Sentry Insurance. This advertisement is presented very professionally with a visually pleasing color scheme. the colors are also inline with the company colors which ads an added level of professionalism. Everything about the job is spelled out clearly in the advertisement and the information ranges from what you'll do to who you will need to contact, and even a little snip-it of that company's background information. The advertisement is not cluttered with unneeded information or pictures and overall, I feel that Sentry has done a great job at attracting their potential employees in. The feeling that I get from this personally is one of a high-class working environment.

The second advertisement that I chose to examine today comes from UPS. This advertisement has more imagery going on in it than the on fro Sentry Insurance did. I feel that the imagery is not too distracting and that it fits very well with what the company does. The background portrays, in my mind, city lights and vehicle lights with a long exposure. Seeing that UPS is a shipping company, this idea fits well. Information is displayed in a very navigable way and everything needed to learn about and apply for the position is clearly listed on the page. This ad and the one from Sentry Insurance both have similar intimation categories, making them both fall under my "well presented" category in my mind. The fact that the UPS one has more color and imagery makes this ad more appealing to me personally, yet some might feel the opposite. Never the less, both of the advertisements are top notch and if companies are out there wondering how to effectively format a recruitment advertisement, the can hop on any of the three sites listed in the second paragraph and sift through until they find ones similar to these. These advertisements are perfect examples of what to do when trying to attract new employees.

Well folks, that is all that I have for you today. Stay tuned to find out what the next topic will be when you enjoy your Morning Brew!

Direct Mail Advertising

Well, the time has come. It is time to talk about everyone's favorite type of advertising around, direct mail advertising. Cluttered mail boxes, filled to the gills with ads that most of the time go straight to the trash, can still be a very effective way to reach the masses. One of everyone's favorite companies to hear from for on a daily basis is Charter. I have Charter for my internet service solely, so, this mean that I get bombarded with ads telling me to bundle! Reinforcing the fact that they have services that may be what I am looking for is one thing that Charter takes to the next level. They constantly send used mail, emails, and even give us phone calls trying to get our household to bundle so that we can save, even though we would be spending more money, interesting to say the least if you ask me. This ad has all of the information that I would need if I were trying to upgrade, however, it is not what I would call an attention grabbing advertisement. It is fairly plain overall, minus the colors around the top right corner. As an art enthusiast, it takes a lot more than just a small splash of color to get me entertained with an advertisement. Due to the size of the advertisement, and the number that they send out, the color and amount of eye-popping can be limited due to these reasons. However, from an informational stand point, this ad is jam packed! Along with the typical Charter advertisements, this advertisement to the left was also slipped in my mail box. It is one for housing possibilities that are near campus and I received it because of being a student in the area. With the semester coming to a close soon, housing options are springing up. The ad is in black and white, which makes it cheaper for production, but, to me it also make it less desirable to look at. I enjoy seeing colorful, intriguing ads, not dull ones. I need something to catch my attention right away, otherwise it will just get lost in the mix with all of the advertisements that I am exposed to on a daily basis. The black and white aspect makes it feel less inviting than other ads of similar taste. The apartments are kind of blurry in these pictures and without the color of the apartments, I wonder how one might accurately find them based on these visuals given on the ad. The bullet list next to the pictures is a great way to inform people of the crucial information of what they have to offer with these apartments. All of these bullets are common questions people may have, and to answer them clearly up front as soon as the viewer grabs the ad is a key point that they nailed!

The third piece that I received as a direct mail advertisement came from the United States Postal Service. This ad is geared towards the holiday season that is upon us. With the holiday season come the act of gift giving, and with gift giving comes gift shipping as well. The highlight the seasonal change with the snowflakes placed around the as as well as the bold message. The use of color in this ad makes it one with a more inviting feel that caught my attention when I took it out of my mail box. Of the three ads that I have selected, I found this one to be the best one in an overall stand point. The use of color, imagery, and text all flow together so well, and it is simple and to the point. I think that this ad was sent to as many people as possible in the area because there is no real target audience. Anyone is able to send items in the mail, and there is no telling exactly who will or will not be shipping gifts this holiday season. By having this advertisement sent to everyone in the area, USPS is able to heighten the awareness of this shipping capabilities to a large potential market. The ad serves as a reminder that USPS is a reliable way to accomplish shipping needs this year. Most people know that USPS is an outlet for shipping, but they my not know the specifics, and by reminding people that they are ready for this holiday season, they are able to boost their brand image in the minds of customers. This wraps up the direct mail advertisements that I have received this week, I hope you enjoyed viewing them as much as I did!

TV and Radio Advertising

Television Ads:

Not having cable made it more difficult to accomplish the first portion of this blog post. However, due to the fact that I live in Wisconsin, I will not miss a Green Bay Packer game. I typically go over to my friends house to view the games because he has a great set up for viewing the games. The set up is complete with a 60-inch flat-screen television, surround sound, and an extremely comfortable, over-sized couch. Packer games are usually the only times that I really tune into television programming, which is not a bad thing in my opinion. As I was watching the game this passed weekend, there were a great deal of ads that passed through my viewing. I typically tune out ads that are irrelevant to my interests, unless they are comical. There were two ads in particular that stuck out as I was watching the game. One ad was for Nike and the other was for Miller Lite. The new Nike Lebron James Ad was a great ad in my opinion as it kept my attention due to the energetic feel. It almost made me feel like I wanted to get up off the comfortable, over-sized couch and join in the caravan. Key word being almost, because honestly, who would want to leave such a comfortable seat? This ad was very much in line with the target market tuned into the channel. It is pretty wise to say that people viewing a sports game would be interested in Nike's products. I did not really see a of advertising during the game versus before or after the game. All of the ads seemed to be relevant to the market of who would be viewing that channel at that time period.

The second ad that I found memorable was that Miller Lite ad with Ken Jeong. This may have been memorable just based on the fact that Ken Jeong is someone that I find to be a very hilarious and entertaining individual. The ad definitely fits the target market that would be viewing the game for a few reasons. One main reason is that most sports fans do enjoy drinking beer as they watch their favorite sports team compete. In addition to fans enjoying the consumption of beer during sports games, Packers fans know full well that Miller is a huge sponsor for the Packers and many fans love having their Miller time! Also, ads such as this grab viewers attention because of the celebrity factory. When people view an ad with a character that they enjoy seeing in movies, they tend to remember the ad more. This as has the celebrity factor as well as the comical factor. Ken Jeong is a perfect person to play the role of a guy who one-ups his friends because of the sheer hilarity that he brings to the table.

Radio Ads: 

Similarly to television advertising, radio advertising is not something that I am usually tuned into. This is because I prefer my own music and tend to either have my iPod plugged in or I am streaming music that I like. The only time that I really hear radio advertising is the select times at work when we listen to the news station based out of Milwaukee, 620 WTMJ, otherwise we are streaming music at work from internet radio sites. This passed week at work I made an effort to hear what was being advertised on 620, and there were a few ads that I found relevant. Most of the ads were for businesses in the Milwaukee community which do not have any relevance to me based on where I live, but I evaluated them as if I were from that area. Ads that I heard ranged from NuMale Medical ads to restaurant ads for the local eatery called the Mine Shaft. Advertising for restaurants is a fairly common ad that I feel you would hear when listening to radio. But, the NuMale Medical ads kind of caught me off guard. Usually I do not hear advertising for men's sexual health and performance on the radio, but, for a radio station that is geared towards older listeners, I was not totally surprised that they were advertising on the station multiple times a day.

More ads included ones for businesses who provide services to other businesses, like air compression systems and plumbing and heating had. People listening during the day are most likely at work, like I was, and advertising their business on the radio allows people working in shops to hear what companies are providing what services. With the amount of times the ads were played, it is not hard to believe that if people come into a rough spot with plumbing that the first company they think of would be the company advertising many times during their work day. I felt that all of the ads that were being broadcast were relevant to the stations listeners. If they were not, I don't think that the companies would have chosen to advertise on that station.

Blu Cig Magazine Ad Review

This advertisement for the Blu electronic cigarette is one the is sure to leave a mark on the mind of the viewers. the overall composition of the ad is great and the elderly lady being the focal point, doing something that is not very lady like, is a huge attention grabber. I think that the ad is meant to attract cigarette smokers who are ready for something new, stylish, and smoke free. People who are ready to kick the bucket with conventional cigarette smoking altogether. By using print media to advertise this message, viewers are able to read and understand the full message of the ad. Having an ad like this on television could be deemed very controversial, and, it might not have the same effectiveness as it does in print. The snapshot of the lady resonates in my mind as I think about the Blu electronic cigarette. This may also be the case for many of the other ad viewers. The objectives of the ad shown are to get people to switch to electronic cigarettes, which are safer and healthier. If or when people switch, Blu Cig want to be the first that comes to mind. Blu Cig wants to be the brand that helps you beat the smoking ban. This ad was published in a Sport Illustrated magazine. I feel that they chose this publication to get people who are sports enthusiasts that smoke, to become aware of a better alternative to smoking cigarettes. Because this product is vapor and not harmful smoke, smoking a Blu Cig is not as taxing on someone who is physically active. People that are addicted to nicotine are going to smoke, why not give them a safer, cleaner way to do it?

Social Media Advertising

One of the first Facebook fan pages that I decided to take a look at was Gatorade. Gatorade has many ways of engaging with their fans on their page. Some of these ways include things such as giveaways, contests, and sometimes it is even as simple as inspirational photos, like the one depicted on the right. These photos that drive their fans to become active and stay motivated are used daily on their page and they usually are associated with a hashtag that allows them to reference the promotional campaign going on at the time. The hashtag for the most current advertising campaign is #winfromwithin. These pictures generate a great deal of buzz on their site through their fans. Fans comment on the ones that they feel are most compelling and ones that they feel drive them the most. This constant flow of picture keeps Gatorade active in their fans newsfeeds and their brand stays at the forefront of potential customers minds.

Nike follows suit in the game of adding a constant flow of pictures to keep their fans actively engaged with their fan page on Facebook. There is a wide range of pictures that flow throughout the page among the regular flow of status updates, contests, and giveaways. Breaking away from the the new craze of hashtags, Nike simply relies on their slogan to propel their pictures and call their viewers to action. Fans comment on their photos and the company listens to what is said, and sometime, they will comment to keep the active flow of communication so that users see that they are being heard by the company. The picture on the left really has a great call to action for the viewer and it is followed up by their very memorable slogan that most everybody in the world today knows. They might even be able to get away with just placing the Swoosh at the end because their logo is that strong.

Under Armour also follows along with the two previous examples given above with how they engage their viewers. Pictures are always a great way to draw in the attention of their fans. This generates buzz about the newest picture or the newest product revealed on their page. Under Armour does go a little further than the others with their pictures. They do have their hashtag to reference the new marketing campaign, but, they also have pictures, such as the one on the right, that bring the new seasonal change, ad a picture that shows that products that fit the new season, and have the ad serve as a gateway to their online store. This picture takes the fan to the fall/winter wear section of their Web site in hopes that they need to stock up for the seasonal change. This is a great way to get their viewers from the page to the actual store.

Here are two of the sites that I felt X-Scream could use as areas of advertising for their magazine. The first one that I chose is CCS, which is an action sports store. Their Web address is http://shop.ccs.com/. The second on that I chose was another actions sports website, with more of a focus on the board sports. The Web site is The-House Boardshop and their Web address is http://www.the-house.com/. I feel that both of these sites are very applicable for X-Scream to advertise on because they both are in the same area of sporting entertainment. The people who will be searching through these sites will have interest in action sports which is exactly what X-Scream needs for their magazine. Many of the viewers also do subscribe to magazines to keep up on what is happening in the world of action sports. It is more likely that they will receive more hits on their ad being on a site where people actually have interest in what is being advertised on the banner ad. If I were to design a banner ad for X-Scream, I would use a professional athlete in the action sports world as the focus. I would have a shot of them in the middle of a battle cry, which would show a great deal of emotion to draw in the viewers. Next, I would add in a phrase, such as, "Go ahead, Scream!" or something along the lines of a call to action, followed by X-Scream magazine. I feel that having an ad where you can almost feel the emotion pouring out of it is crucial to grabbing attention of viewers. This banner ad would take them to the site homepage, and from there they have the option to subscribe, but, it is not force upon them right from the get go. The choice to browse is key so that they do not feel pressured into subscribing to the magazine.

Ad Reviews

                                           
Here is an example of an ad that I found to be decently effective in a way, but there is a problem that I do have with it. This product is exclusively marketing itself to women by way of the text. If they wanted to make their product more widely sold and have a higher revenue stream coming into the business, they might not have wanted to exclude the male portion of the market. They could have used a secretive phrase suggesting that this is a woman's best kept secret or something along the lines of that. That tactic would not be demeaning to men and they would still have a possible market opening. However, I do understand that the product package makes it very evident that this is marketed to women. I would definitely stick with the provocative headline with this ad though, it does seem to work well with the product in my mind.

                                                         
It is very easy to see why the art director would choose this main focus of this ad to be the iPhone itself, when you are marketing a new technological piece, such as a phone, why not let the product do the talking.
People want to see what it is exactly that they will be purchasing, even though you cannot demonstrate the new features that occur inside the phone, people want to get the visual attachment between the new product and themselves.

                                                   
For this ad I find it very effective to have the Realtor portrayed in such a way. This message is clearly stated, and the visual provides solid backup to reinforce the message of the ad. By having the playful idea of a house for a head truly makes the viewer realize that their house could be resting right on the shoulders of a very committed individual, or so they say.

                                              
Nike always does a great job with their advertising, and this ad is no exception. The fact that they chose someone who is not a famous athlete makes a common bond between the average Joe and the brand, showing that greatness is not defined by the magnitude of your athletic ability, but for your drive to be athletic. The ad is short, sweet, and to the point with a solid message backed by nothing more than the iconic Nike Swoosh.

Mornin' folks, today is yet another spectacular day to drink some coffee and surf the web for new media ideas. However, today is an extra special day in the world of Internet media. The reason that I say this is because today is the first day of my blog being up and running! From now on, Morning Brew Media will be bringing you the best discussions out there today, covering everything and anything media related. I cannot think of a better way to start the day than with a good ol' cup of hot bean water and some new, interesting information that is very relevant in the world today.  My passion for media goes way beyond what I had ever imagined, and hopefully Morning Brew Media will spark a fire for some weary media enthusiasts enough to want to carry on their own blogs. Here's to a new chapter friends!