Oh Oprah

Thank you so very much for having your event ON Michigan Ave. I appreciate your thoughtfulness of those who work exactly where you choose to have your event. Especially all day. 

When I went into work today, I had to walk a few extra blocks in heals because of the crowds. They worsened later. I could not get out of my building much during the day because of the people and gates. After work, there were so many people that we could not even get out though the main doors. I had to walk through the back dock of the building and down under Michigan Ave. in order to just get out of the building. 

Above is a photo taken shortly after work ended. It was taken in a window at my work. This is the reason I could not leave work through the main doors.

Lastly, I would just like to state that Oprah is a brand. She is not all powerful and wonderful, she has built a brand of herself and her show. Since people see this "brand" of niceness, charity, and loving attitude, they assume that she is the brand. Companies pay lots of money and get their products on the show for advertising purposes. So when she gives out prizes to people in need... she is really just given those and enhancing her brand by the things she is paid to ''hand out''

In Oprah's book club, do you think she actually reads tons of books and chooses a handful to be in her book club? No.. again, advertisers. 

Interesting scheme, but please see it for what it is worth. 

Agree? Disagree? Please comment.

Physically Fit

Here is a great way to test your knowledge on being physically fit! Remember that being fit does not mean you have to workout for hours and hours every day, you just have to monitor your daily intake, exercise, and take care of your health. 

It is very important to be healthy because it cuts down on health risks and prolongs your life. Plus, it feels good! 

How much do you know about being physically fit?

Michelle Roberts, 21 and a Chicago resident, comments, "I used to have backaches, joint pain, and exhaustion all the time. I increased my workout by burning as many calories as I possibly could and now I feel great!" 

Michelle said that she cut out the calories by: 

-not eating when she wasn't hungry (between meals),

-keeping busy (not sitting on the couch with a bag of potato chips),

-taking the stairs or choosing to walk longer distances,

-adding some easy workouts in when she had free time (crunches/push-ups during a commercial break or between tasks),

These activities are simple to do and do not take a lot of work. The more fit a person is, the better they feel about themselves and the happier they are without pain and exhaustion.

Isn't it time you evaluated how much you know about being fit? Take the quiz above to see!

How do you stay active during the day? Questions/comments? Tell me in the comment box below!

Pictures taken from public domain and can be reproduced.

For the Love of the Game...

What do hot dogs, beer, uniforms, and yelling like an idiot have in common? BASEBALL SEASON! Yep, that's right, it's back! Whatever your favorite team is, if you are a baseball fan, you know what I am talking about. 

Baseball games are the one place where you can: 

-drink beer during the day, 

-eat as much as you want,

-wear the same clothes as everyone else and not feel embarrassed,

-argue with someone who is not wearing the same clothes,

-yell, scream, and cheer in public

-be part of a giant social group,

With that being said, anyone reading this knows what I am talking about. The feel of a baseball game is very enjoyable because it provides an escape from reality. The heat of the sun, the smell of hot dogs and peanuts, and a sea of fans all bring the essence of a baseball game.

Don't forget the the most important part: the team! Most of the fans at the stadium have a love for the team and a hope that this year will be the year where they will win the World Series. Especially if you are a Cubs fan. It has been 100 years since the Cubs have won, so Cubs fans know how hard the upset is when things do not exactly work out... 100 times in a row.

The Cubs start this season by playing in Houston. They don't have the home opener until April 13th. Take a look at their schedule if going to a game interests you! Just a warning, Wrigleyville will be pretty crazy on game days!

If you can't purchase tickets, you can still grab a Cubs feel by going to one of the local establishments around Wrigley field. There are many places that broadcast the games and then are flooded with fans after the game ends. 

If you are with family, friends, colleagues, or cheering solo, going to a baseball game will be fun.

Check out this slideshow of fun times at Wrigley Field.

 

Who's excited? Comment below!

All Slide photos taken from Jessica Levin by exclusive permission. MLB photo's used from MLB.com and are public domain.

Boutique Advertising

A Step Forward in Advertising

A new trend in today’s society is boutique advertising. Boutique advertising firms are small independent advertising firms that have a specific focus in their work. They have many different campaigns all targeted at a specific type of person. Clients are turning more and more to specifically focused firms so they can hit their target.

For example, larger firms have a hard time understanding the millennial generation (ages 18-30) because they are a new market of people who are starting to buy things on their own instead of what mom and dad had given them in the past.

Advertising firms try to market to a specific generation, but if they do not understand what appeals to this generation, they probably will not be successful in selling their products. That is why new boutique advertising firms exist and are growing. They market directly to a specific generation and know how to catch their eye with their ads. Different agencies have different audiences and they are considered experts at this specific group. More companies are turning to these smaller boutique firms because they are:

-Cheaper

-They work faster

-Focused on one market

-More creative

-Use new technology to appeal to markets

From Big to Little: Corporations to Boutiques

The big advertising agencies like DDB, Leo Burnett, and DraftFCB, have the necessities to create great campaigns but the boutiques have a better understanding of one market. These big agencies have many different teams that work on many different projects at once in the company. In comparison, a boutique advertising firm would be like one team at an agency. Each team is made up of between 10-20 people. Some boutiques have more knowledge on the creative side and others on the markets the ads are aimed toward.

This trend is new and there are no statistics available just yet but Julie Markison, 2

3 who just graduated college and wants to work in advertising media says, “Right now boutiques are on the rise and gaining more popularity. I would think that in a few years they will be more prominent in the field.”

New Technology

The creative boutiques are skilled in creating websites that are interactive and that draw in a consumer. They have the technology and the creativity to create interesting web designs with cool new technology that make objects move or zoom in and out. Whatever you click on, it moves through all the pictures and text like you are in the website. These interactive websites are fun to use and focus on a specific target audience that is accustomed to using this technology.

 

Financial benefits

The clients of advertising agencies can spend less money by hiring a boutique agency and the boutiques make more money than working at a large firm. Think about it this way, the millions of dollars advertising agencies receive go to the whole company which pays each employees’ salaries and the company itself for expense accounts, buildings, bonuses for the executives, etc.

 

Boutique advertising agencies do not expect the same payment. They typically charge less for the same quality of work if not better and that money is split between a team of 10-20 people. The employees make more money here and the client does not have to pay as much.

 

A Note from an Expert

A person must think creatively and have the abilities to take on a lot of work in a short period of time. Advertising expert Justin Alvarez works for an advertising agency and also started his own boutique agency focused on the millennial niche.

 

He says, “It takes a lot of skill to accomplish more than one project at a time. Many people do not realize this and suffer the consequences of bombarding themselves with too much work. Boutique agencies are thriving in this economy because they are so focused and do not require the huge budgets larger firms do. Right now there are many boutique agencies, and I believe we will see many more in the future.”

 

Boutique Example: Mango Advertising

Alvarez told me about his boutique advertising agency that he started just a few months ago called Mango Advertising. Mango was an idea of his that he created accidentally. “I just had several great ideas and I figured, why not put them on paper and show some people. A few weeks later, I had a portfolio with roughly 25 ads. I showed them to some of my advertising professors and they were blown away.  Many of them recognized my talent and quickly asked me to come to their office hours daily to help me excel in this field.”

 

Mango advertising is a direct marketing boutique agency that focuses on marketing and advertising services. In a few weeks he has planned a graduation bar crawl through Wrigleyville and has used social media and networking to get the word out.

 

Mango Advertising Logo provided by Justin Alvarez and gives full permission of its use in this blog only.

Students Working Together

In my four years at Loyola University Chicago, I have taken many classes. Most all professors use Blackboard which is an interactive website focused on organizing all material for students to access. I have found that one of the most powerful tools available on the site is the emailing abilities between students and professors. Here are some great ways to use this tool:

-Find out what you missed in class

-Clarify any questions you may have on the material

-Clarify or inquire about assignments

-Get notes

-Create a study group

I was once in a situation where I missed class because I was sick and when I was going to complete the assignment due the next class, I found that I had a lot of questions on what the format of the assignment was. I could not do the assignment without information from another student who did not miss the class. My problem was that my friend in the class could not send me the information because she did not have access to a computer at the time. I started freaking out and was worried that I would not be able to complete the assignment and my grade would then be lowered. Here is how I used blackboard for help:

-I sent an email to the entire class asking about the assign

ment

-Several students responded telling me what to do

-Some students gave me more specific formatting details

-Thus, assignment complete!

This tool is very helpful and has given many people the information they need. Isn't that what college is all about--Training people for real world jobs? Here students are working as a team to create collective success on assignments. Sounds to me like a team in the work place.

I have also related this to student organizations. Student organizations offer executive positions where responsibilities are given to each member. It is up to them to have committees and communicate efficiently with the whole organization. In my sorority, I have had many executive positions which have made me do the following:

-Create and plan events

-Do PR work

-Prepare for meetings

-Hold a committee

-Have all my work submitted on time and fully completed

-Converse with others on the planning and cooperation of positions

-Etc.

All of these help to train students for work life. When students work together in class or outside of class, they are learning how to communicate with each other and that helps for later when they start working.

All pictures taken by and property of Jessica Levin. Above: Students having a committee meeting. Below: Student event planned by Jessica Levin.

Do you have an example of this or have some thoughts? Comment below or email me at LevinJessica6@gmail.com.

Can the internet help you get a job?

In this weak economy, job are hard to come by. Many people are using different ways of communication to create a new way to get a job. The internet has helped many to find jobs just by searching on the web.

Companies like monster.com, theladders.com, and linkedin.com offer a database of jobs and job requirements. The first two mentioned are places to send your resume and find contact information. Linkedin.com offers you a place to create a professional profile and have your resume available. You can apply for jobs through their site.

These sites have reinvented the way people go to find jobs. Instead of leaving the house in search of work, a person can do this from home at any hour.

The growth of the internet over the past decade has reinvented the way people do all activities. It is very interesting to see that everything is made simpler through the expansion of the internet.

So many companies have expanded their growth by putting their products on the internet. It is amazing to see what this useful tool of communication will allow us to do in the future.

Exclusive Look at J Moreno's Artwork

Do you like this work? This artist is a talented college student who has always been interested in art. He has made many incredible paintings, some of which can be seen in this slide show down here! Check it out!

A Week in J Moreno's Artistic Mind

What do you think about these paintings? Comment below or respond to the poll question!

Economic Struggle

The economy is currently in a really bad state. Less jobs are available, people being let go from there jobs, and consumers stop buying products. The government keeps saying that things will get better, but when?

Many people are saying that they cannot retire when they want and they may be working for the rest of their lives. Others say that they need to hold several jobs so that they can support their family. Many are writing stories and submitting them to news stations as a way to get their story out. Here you can find many iReports of people in danger from this economy. In this time, it is important to recover and do anything necessary for growth of the economy.

I am worried because pretty soon I will be graduating and going to work, but with less jobs available and people being let go from many companies, who is going to hire?

One great factor is that I live in Chicago and there are great opportunities available here as well as graduating with a degree from Loyola.

Life elsewhere?

According to CNN.com and in association with NASA, there is evidence that there could be many Earth-like planets in the universe. It also says that they could be much bigger than ours and there is a possibility that there could be life inhabiting the planets. That is not to say that there are humans walking around in cities and animals like our own, it could be anything depending on the atmosphere and environment. Here is the link.

I have always thought it was selfish to believe that we are the only living thing in the entire universe. There are endless possibilities of what can exist in the vast universe. I think it would be interesting to study this and document the first stages of a planet and life. We have old history written down and painted in caves, but to actually teach a community how to move forward would be like creating a time machine into the past.

If life does exist in a different planet, I would find it very interesting to study the effect of communication in a different place and how they communicate.

Communication here on Earth is a extremely interesting topic and I believe that studying another planet would be like studying a different culture.

Good Music

In case you have music on your mind, here is a great idea for some good listening: Dave Matthews.

Dave Matthews Band has hundreds of songs written by the band. They tour each summer and have special guests come and play with the band. One of my favorites is Tim Reynolds because he adds a strange twist with his guitar making the song sound incredibly unique.

After each tour, DMB produces live cds of selected venues. I know you may be thinking that cd's with the same songs can get old, but with Dave, the answer is no. He strives to make each version different and never play the same song in the same way. This makes listening to Dave more of an art form.

Here is one of his songs acoustic with Tim Renyolds: Two Step.

Enjoy!

J Moreno

Perhaps the most interesting and fascinating artwork I have found is from the artist J. Moreno. This 26-year-old Loyola University Graduate has created many amazing pieces.

He uses abstract designs in full vibrant colors. Each painting tells a remarkable story. My favorite is his Self Portrait [#1] because it not only depicts his emotions, but it is also a unique interpretation of his thoughts.

Viewing this artwork from a computer does not do it justice, if you saw the paintings in person, you could stare for hours at the beauty and magnificence of his work.

From his website, J. Moreno says, "True artwork is meant to move you, forcing you to seek understanding and personal meaning."

Most of his artwork is part of his private collection, but each piece is on his website, J Moreno.

With such talent, I am very excited to see the paintings he will create in the future.