by nico102698

The new Avengers: Endgame trailer shows almost nothing, and that’s great

Avengers: Endgame is one of the most secretive blockbusters ever, with little to no information about the project known. Marvel is trying to be very careful about any details of the project being leaked, even though the movie is just about one month from release. 

  • Image Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios

The film has had one of the most interesting marketing campaigns of a movie in recent memory; while superhero movie trailers have been criticized for showing too much of their movie, Avengers: Endgame has shown almost nothing. At first, we only found out about the title of the movie 3 months ago with the first trailer, and most of the footage shown has been shown in other trailers. We have also only had 2 posters, the first showing nothing but the Avengers logo and the new one showing all the avengers looking heroic with Thanos in the background. Directors Joe and Anthony Russo have cited that they will only use the first 15 minutes of the movie as material to use for marketing. 

  • Image Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios

The movie has had two trailers and a super bowl spot which is incredibly sparse for a high budget movie of this caliber. The newest trailer, which was released on March 14th, starts with a recap of the previous marvel movies for about a minute and then shows a minute of new footage including the Avengers in new white suits and Captain Marvel interacting with the Avengers. 

This movie is the culmination of 21 movies over the span of 11 years. The Marvel Cinematic Universe, or MCU, has been wildly successful, being the highest grossing franchise of all time with over 18 billion dollars grossed at the box office. 

  • Image Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios

The previous movie, Avengers: Infinity War was about the mad titan Thanos trying to accumulate all the infinity stones, which are 6 gems with unique powers, in his gauntlet. The film shockingly concluded with the villain defeating the Avengers and wiping out half the population of all living creatures in the universe.

Avengers: Endgameopens on April 26 

by Julia

The College Admissions Scandal Proves Online Image is Everything

How quickly influencers can lose their advertising

Photo Credit: USA Today

Nothing has shown the dangers of influencers and false advertising quite like influencer Olivia Jade Giannulli. The news of numerous rich celebrities has come out about parents paying for their children to attend prestigious universities without the required academic qualifications. Many of the parents have already been charged for this blatant fraud including actress Lori Loughlin, mother of Olivia Jade, becoming a wake-up call for influencers everywhere just how important the content they present is.

Prior to the scandal being exposed, Olivia Jade would present her “brand” on her YouTube channel as a fun college girl and even admits to only wanting to experience USC for the games and parties over the actual school work in her video below titled “basically all the tea you need to know about me (boys, college, youtubers).” It’s a wonder how the world didn’t put the pieces together based on how she branded herself online. Now, the appropriate reactions have come forth and according to Ad Age author Angela Doland, “ In the comments of a sponsored Instagram post about Giannulli getting her college dorm supplies from an Amazon service for students, someone wrote, ‘Hoping your sponsors dump you ASAP.” Since then the advertising backlash has taken off, her biggest partner, Sephora, dropped her “Olivia Jade x Sephora” makeup collection most recently, which will be a big dent in her current and future relationships with brands.

This just goes to show how fragile the common job of an influencer nowadays truly is. Branding yourself online is opening companies and audiences into your life and when your credibility becomes lost, so does all your income that relies on it.

-Julia

For more info go to Angela Doland’s article, “An Influencer Gets Caught Up in the College Admissions Scandal: Wednesday Wake-Up Call,” Ad Age, (March 13th, 2019).

Link: https://adage.com/article/news/news/316960/

by agosser

Will Travel Agencies Become Popular Again?

Adventure travel is a type of tourism where travelers engage in outdoor recreation with the help of adventure tour operators. This form of travel involves any kind of recreation that takes place outside, according to an adventure travel activity database, Go Adventure Outdoors. Jeri Clausing, of Travel Weekly, gives insight about the adventure travel booking process in her article “Study Shows Potential for Agents to Sell More Adventure Travel.”

pexels-photo-372098

A survey of adventure tour operators was taken through the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) in 2018. With the help of the Travel Leaders Companion Survey Digest, results indicated that while travel agencies have a business relationship with 87% of operators, the agencies only book fewer than 30% of adventure travel for clients.

While 30% is not promising, the future for travel agencies could get brighter. According to ATTA’s regional director for North America, Russell Walters, “There is clearly a demand from adventure tour operators to work with specialist travel advisors. The findings in the report demonstrate areas where operators and travel agents can work together…”

For this to happen, though, the system cannot operate as it currently is. Firstly, travel agents need to learn the ins and outs of the adventure travel industry. Clausing writes that travel agents currently lack specialization within this field. A greater understanding of adventure travel would incentivize adventure tour operators to further their business with agencies.

Even more, survey participants indicated that travel agencies’ commission rates should be lowered if agents do not have experience with adventure travel. Clausing writes, “…operators also suggested that the traditional commission model is unfair when an advisor simply makes a referral and the tour operator does everything else.”

In other words, the biggest takeaway of this article is that hope for travel agencies is not lost. They have the potential to form successful partnerships with adventure tour operators, but this can only happen if agencies are more open to learning from the operators. If travel agents don’t consider lowering their costs and collaborating more with the operators, their usage could remain at its current rate of 30% of bookings.

To read the whole article, check out Jeri Clausing’s “Study Shows Potential for Agents to Sell More Adventure Travel” Travel Weekly, (Mar 14, 2019). https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Tour-Operators/Study-shows-potential-for-agents-to-sell-more-adventure-travel

To learn more about the adventure travel industry, visit https://www.goadventureoutdoors.com/blog/what-is-an-adventure-tour-guide-75

by Kea

It’s the Content, Fool, the Content

We are heading into the last quarter of the semester. While it went by really fast, there is still more work to be done. In fact, it seems that most of the work has been saved to the end.

At least that is what one of my students said. I assured him that we do not plan things this way; It’s just that we are at the more advanced work. I don’t think he believed me.

In any case, we are steamrolling towards one of the final projects of the course: content marketing campaigns. For this assignment, students have to pick a local business here in Gainesville and develop a content marketing strategy for that business. This business should be a local outfit, and it can be a for-profit or non-profit business.

The main things students are going to learn during this project is how to shape content that tells the story of a company and sells the product the company produces.

Content marketing is changing to accommodate the times, and if it feels like we are in some strange public relations time warp all the time, that’s because we are. One thing that social media has made very clear is that narratives are important and not just product narratives. Brand narratives matter and consumers are demanding more and more that these narratives be shaped by some ideology.

The Nike and Colin Kaepernick campaign is a perfect example:

Today, we live in what I like to call a “narrative economy,” one where who a company is or how a company identifies matters just as much as the products they sell. Maybe it is a sign of the times, but companies are increasingly being asked to publicize their values. Companies are no longer allowed to paint themselves as neutral actors. People are demanding that companies have some social relevance, some social good, in order to be accepted.

I am not sure how long this trend will last or whether it is even right to make these demands on companies (that would make an interesting debate). I am sure that content marketing, specifically the kind that involves careful storytelling, is critical to company success right now.

We will talk more about content marketing in the coming days, and I will certainly post more on it. For this week, though, get ready for some trade journal posts from the students.

I have to say: I am very proud of them. These trade journals/press releases are getting better and better every time. Here are some great reads you should check out this weekend:

Vegan Beauty is All the Buzz: A look into the vegan cosmetic industry. Is it a fad, or is it here to stay?
Social Media and Eating Habits: An interesting and slightly terrifying look at the ways social media influences eating habits.
Economic, Racial, and Gender Inequality: A series of press releases that touch on the college admissions scandal involving the wealthy, the corporate diversity rates, and the sexual harassment of female lawyers by their clients.

Good stuff. They have chosen some great content here because, as the title says, it’s all about the content.

-KRW

by cassidymizell1

“Influencing” our diets: how social media personalities are impacting children’s eating habits

Via Foodtalk

There may be a new reason (amongst hundreds of others) to keep your children off social media.

Doctoral student Anna Coates conducted research at the University of Liverpool and discovered that social media influencers can ‘influence’ children’s eating habits.

The experiment involved showing children images from YouTube videos. There were three groups: one group was shown images with YouTubers holding non-food objects, another group was shown YouTubers eating healthy snacks, and the last shown YouTubers eating unhealthy snacks. The children could then pick between healthy and unhealthy snacks for themselves.

When allowed to pick, there was no difference in what foods the “healthy snack” group picked versus the control group, but the “unhealthy snack” group consumed over 30% more calories compared to the other two groups, or 90 calories.

According to Dr. Natalie Muth, “”It only takes an extra 70 calories a day for a child of normal weight to become overweight,” so these numbers add up quickly.

So, while influencers may not be able to sell you weight loss teas and hair vitamins, they can influence your children to make unhealthy eating choices.

Via Food & Wine Magazine

You can check out Patti Neighmond’s article for more on this phenomenon.

For more in food news, check The Salt by NPR.

by gabrielaharmon

Economic, Racial & Gender Inequality

How to Get in to College: Rich People Edition

Photo: Gordon Caplan leaves Federal Court in Manhattan. NY Daily News.

Co-chairman of AM Law 50 law firm Willkie Farr & Gallagher, Gordon Caplan, was just released on a $500,000 bond. Along with approximately 50 defendants, Caplan was arrested for participating in a conspiracy that allowed cheating on college entrance exams. The conspiracy was led by William Singer, who founded a college preparatory business called the Edge College & Career Network. Recorded during a wiretap, Singer explained to Caplan that his business helps the wealthiest families in the U.S. get their kids into school by having the proctor of the standardized test answer the questions for the students. Cornell alum, Gordon Caplan wired $75,000 in two separate amounts to Key Worldwide. The elaborate FBI sting recorded detailed conversations during wiretaps describing the scheme run by Singer involving Caplan, other executives and businessmen, actresses and sports coaches. 

Picture-Perfect Diversity

Despite small increases in the past three years, representation of black associates is just below pre-recession level at 4.66%, the number of black partners has barely increased since the recession at 1.83% and minority women remain the most dramatically underrepresented group at partnership level. These figures were found by The National Association for Law Placement and published in their 2018 report on diversity. In many cases, firms are recruiting a small number of people from underrepresented groups to appear on firm brochures in order to create an illusion of diversity instead of creating an environment that supports and encourages equal treatment and opportunity.

Letting Sexual Harassment Slide

Photo: Shutterstock.

In addition to lack of representation, female lawyers are also facing sexual harassment from clients. In 2018, the International Bar Association found that nearly one in five instances of sexual harassment were committed by clients, and hardly any firms have policies in place to address this issue. With the automation of some legal work and an increase in alternative legal service providers, the competition for clients is higher than ever. Firms are, therefore, reluctant to put policies in place that may scare clients away. In addition, many female lawyers do not report clients for sexual harassment due to fear of being forced off cases and losing career-advancing opportunities.

Takeaways

Within the legal community, economic, racial and gender inequality remains a prevalent issue. In order to work toward change, there must be an open conversation about the issues currently faced and an effort toward finding solutions that works. In the case of corrupt, wealthy executives and clients who have been reported for sexual harassment, blame must be placed and justice must be found in appropriate punishment. In the case of racial inequality in the workplace, rather than placing blame on law schools for not accepting many black students, firms need to increase the demand for black lawyers.

“Change does not come easy. The struggle toward achieving the goal of diversity and inclusion in the legal community is a process, but one that we all must be invested in.”

–Henry E. Ibe, “Is Being Black a Problem at Law Firms?”

by graceubben

Vegan Beauty Is All the Buzz. But Is This Just A Fad?

Veganism has grown in popularity over the last several years as more and more people are choosing to give up meat, dairy, eggs, and other animal products. Some are making the change for health reasons, some for environmental reasons, and others for ethical reasons. This trend is not only happening in the food industry, but it has also begun to spark change in the beauty industry.

In the latest edition of The New York Times, fashion writer and editor, Andrea Cheng, writes about vegan beauty, what it means, and how this will affect the future of the beauty industry. There are several disturbing traces of animal found in everyday skincare and makeup products, including cow urine, cow and pig bones, sheep organs, and even whale vomit. Nobody thinks about the fact that they are smearing these animal parts onto their face when they put moisturizer on before bed, but many people just don’t realize that vegan options exist.


“This demand for all things vegan has made industries take notice, especially beauty.”

But what exactly does vegan beauty mean? According to Cheng, it means that a product is free of any animal ingredients. However, this is not to be confused being with “cruelty-free,” which just means that a product has not been tested on animals. As this becomes more popular, it will be crucial that brands do a better job of labeling to make it easier to differentiate vegan beauty products from non-vegan ones. We have seen this with vegan food products as the vegan diet has grown in popularity.

Cheng suggests that consumers start carefully reading labels and looking for natural ingredients. It’s helpful to do some research to see what brands and products are out there. She urges consumers to know how to assess the ingredients and question what they are buying. Plus, vegan beauty brands have exploded. There are many convenient and inexpensive options on the market. You can find vegan beauty products at the drugstore for a very affordable price, including the brands Pacifica and Derma E for skincare and Wet n Wild and e.l.f. for makeup.

According to Cheng, consumer demand has been the driving force behind this sudden growth in the vegan beauty industry. Consumers, specifically Millennial’s and Gen Z’s are fighting for big companies to make changes regarding the ethical and environmental impacts of their products. These consumers only want to support companies that align with their values. This has forced big companies to change their ways, empowering consumers to continue pushing for change.

For more on this, check out, Andrea Cheng’s “Taking Animals Out Of The Makeup Aisle,” The New York Time (Feb. 26, 2019): D4

by drey3113

The Next Generation of Sports Media Consumption

Imagine the world of virtual reality colliding with the world of sports. Real-time VR streaming fused with sportscasting to create a new world in sports media. The possibilities are endless. This is what Patrick Kulp at Adweek discovered after researching Fox’s collaboration with AT&T.

Fox decided to take a break from covering the current presidency to invest in its sports media stock. Their sports department teamed up with AT&T, Intel and Ericsson to bring the viewers of the U.S. Tennis Open Championship a more efficient and in-depth experience. By using 5G wireless services the possibilities for streaming and quality production skyrocketed while cutting costs at the same time. This raised questions on what else 5G could do for media production and consumption. The Sacramento Kings took this as an opportunity to collaborate with Verizon to create the first 360 virtual reality stream of a basketball game. While this may not help the team play any better it certainly provides fans with a new immersive experience. “Immersive media experiences are going to be one of the things that are unique on 5G,” said Jaunt CEO Mitzi Reaugh.” This step forward in sports media technology opens up many doors in the consumption of sports media allowing fans from all parts of the country to be able to experience their favorite team as if they were there. It is quite interesting where the current state of 5G is. There aren’t many 5G devices on the market, and most if not all providers are jumping at the opportunity to install 5G capabilities into a variety of venues. The future of sports media is now.

With native advertising and ad technology evolving with the times it seems like 5G is the next step for advertising as a whole. Advertising must always adapt to its ever-changing markets which is how native advertising has started to come to the forefront of most companies’ creative groups. Being able to utilize this new form of production and streaming may become an integral part in both sports media and advertising. While virtual reality might not be everyone’s cup of tea due to the issue of potential motion sickness and the technology being brand new, 5G in itself is the perfect stepping stone to bring advertising into a new world of audiences. Generation Z is one of the most tech savvy generations due to being born in an era of iPads and smartphones being commonplace in most households. To reach and relate to this new generation, sports media is making a conscious effort to evolve with the times and provide new and exciting ways to experience sports. Will this pay off as far as the numbers go? Only time will tell but it surely is a good sign to see the industry not shy away from new technology. There is a lot to learn about the usage of 5G though as it is a relatively new method of wireless connection and wireless services have had a history of problems as far as connection stability and reliability. 5G may surpass these obstacles though and can give fans what they want. Better sports coverage and better advertising.

For more information, take a look at Kulp’s  article Next-Gen Sports Viewing in Adweek New York volume 60 issue 4.

by hannahjdavidson

Walmart’s Builds the Future of Retail with In-House Incubator and Virtual Reality Experience

Dreamworks and Walmart team up to promote How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World in Virtual Reality.

The retail company will use emerging technologies to create immersive experiences.

Leading tech companies such as Google, Facebook, and Samsung have been promoting experiences like Virtual Reality for years, however, could the retail giant Walmart be the driving force to help the technology become more established and mainstream?

In the latest addition of Adweek, digital marketing analyst and author, Marty Swant, writes about how Walmart’s debut of Spatial&, a newly developed in-house incubator in his article, “How Walmart’s In-House Incubator Is Imagining Virtual Reality for Retail.” Using emerging technologies, the company’s incubator will feature engaging experiences such as virtual reality and augmented reality.

According to Stan, “During an onstage interview at the Brandweek: Challenger Brands event earlier this month, Katie Finnegan, CEO of Spatial&, said Walmart created the incubator to begin planning for what retail could or should be in five or 10 years.” Experts believe that Walmart is better positioned to bring knowledge of this technology to the average consumer due to the retail giant’s immense exposure.

Walmart’s development of VR programs has long term goals. Founders of Spatial& aim to better understand how the technology will coincide with the future of merchandising.

The VR technology will serve to simplify the shopping experience. Last year, Walmart experimented with the software to help consumers purchase tent equipment that is difficult to visualize. Shoppers were able to use the VR experience within their own homes to envision what walking around in the tent would look like.

For the release of Spatial&, the company partnered with Dreamworks to advertise the new film How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World. A tractor filled with VR and sensory equipment will travel to over a dozen Walmart locations so viewers can interact with characters from the movie. The experience will end in a VR you aisle and gift shop featuring toys based on the film.

For more information, review Stan’s “How Walmart’s In-House Incubator Is Imagining Virtual Reality for Retail.” Swant, Marty. “How Walmart’s In-House Incubator Is Imagining Virtual Reality for Retail.” – Adweek, Adweek, 28 Feb. 2019, http://www.adweek.com/digital/how-walmarts-in-house-incubator-is-imagining-virtual-reality-for-retail/.

by Oriana

Millennials: Generation Rehabilitation

Via the-pool

Historically, therapy has been a taboo subject, which required careful consideration and something to be “wrong” with the person. It seemed like people should only go if they felt like they had some sort of mental illness. Now, therapy seems like a first option for millennials.  They treat it more like an act of self-care than a chore. Society has set such high expectations for millennials, and it causes them immense stress when they can’t meet them. With the creation of therapy apps and online services such as TalkSpace and MyTherapist, millennials find it easier than ever to get the help they need.

The number of students seeking mental-health help increased from 2011 to 2016 at five times the rate of new students starting college, according to a 2017 report from the Center for Collegiate Mental Health at Penn State University. The stigma which was originally connected to psychotherapy has significantly decreased in the new generation of patients who are looking for treatment. Rather than being embarrassed about receiving mental health help, millennials are embracing it and are even able to casually talk about it with their peers. They are not worried about how many more sessions they will need, but instead are just happy to be able to talk to someone.

This is a complex situation, and the effects of this new approach to therapy have yet to be seen. On the negative side, apps may lead patients to think of therapy as a “quick-fix” rather than a long-term solution. If patients do pursue long-term therapy, it may also lead to dependency. Millennials also have different expectations of therapy, and they want someone to tell them what to do rather than someone to talk to. On the other hand, therapy is a coping mechanism that leans toward positive change. The stigma has been reversed and now patients are proud to be taking care of their mental health and seeking help.

For more on this, visit Peggy Drexler’s essay “Millennials Are the Therapy Generation”, Wall Street Journal, (March 1, 2019). https://www.wsj.com/articles/millennials-are-the-therapy-generation-11551452286