One advertising lesson that I will never forget

Back in my final year in college as a Communication Arts student, I encountered the toughest yet the best academic experience of my life. Under Professor Gil Velez, we were tasked to create an Integrated Marketing Communications plan for one brand within a week.

I always thought that we will never be able to learn through this method of one full campaign in one week because the time was too short and we aren’t experienced advertisers. But I was wrong. At the end of the semester, I realized that it was indeed the best and the most effective way to teach us the course.

We had 8 three-unit subjects that semester and it was our final year in college so needless to say, we had enough stress even without the weekly accounts. However, me and my classmates can’t do anything about it but to post our rants online and blame the Professor, little did we know we are about to learn something far more than we have expected.

Days went by fast, we started meeting in groups, squeezing all the creative juices out of our heads in order to a least be able to pitch a decent campaign proposal in class. We had to pull everything together in just seven days: surveys, research, creative executions and the creative six pack.

Fast forward to the present time, I say I had learned one valuable IMC lesson that for me would never be out of season, a lesson that is so simple yet timeless: The consistency of an IMC plan must be the top most priority.

Communication platforms evolve, technology never stops advancing, people’s behavior changes, lifestyles differ but if a campaign’s big idea and execution are consistent with its objectives then it can never be so bad. All kinds of plans  if not carefully drafted are doomed to fail sooner or later.

Everytime we pitch a proposal, our professor would often focus on the cohesion and consistency of our campaign. This might be because he knows we are beginners and that we try to incorporate all our ideas in one campaign  that we tend to make a chaotic mix of unachievable plans. Because of those comments and sometimes reprimands, me and my group have learned the valuable lesson of keeping the campaign’s big idea as simple, direct yet rock-solid and penetrating.

The power of a campaign is its ability to make an impression, communicate a message and make it last long enough in the minds of the public. It has to achieve the desired end which is purchase and repeat of purchase and then brand loyalty. This could only be possible if the marketing plan maintains its simple yet striking seamless execution of efforts whether in above, through or below the line ads.

Bottom line is, a marketing plan is created to be organized, directed and to make sure objectives are fulfilled. Now the secret to achieving the goals are creative executions that are faithful to the big idea, and big ideas that are committed to the wishes and demands of the brief.

I am just about to begin my journey to the real world of advertising and communications, I may not know much but I have more than enough willingness to learn. So with all my learned lessons from that semester and that whole college experience, I say this business is more than just persuasion and creativity, it’s a craft – it’s an art. 

Advertising as an Art

As a young Communication Arts graduate, I refuse to believe what some people say about advertising: that it is creative deception, that it is dishonest and dirty. I say advertising is an art, just like painting, music and theatre. It is the art of making a brand stand out, the art of creativity, cleverness and wit mixed with perseverance and determination. It is the art of letting people know that there’s this product or service that could fulfill their needs and wants and it’s worth every penny they’d pay. It is the art of providing options and working hard to perfect it and make it stand out not just for the sake of the task stated on the brief but most importantly to accomplish the very point of why advertising exists – to help the community or the general public be fulfilled with their wants and needs. 

Henry Ford once said, "If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses." This just proves that people really don’t know what they want. However, in my opinion, it is not the job of advertisers or marketers to tell them what they want and directly point it out to them  because that would be bossy. All we can do is provide them with options and try to persuade them why our product or service gives the best value for their money - because that is the beauty of advertising: you get to compete, you get to fight for your brand, you get to rise above. The challenge is not just to be good but to be the best, to keep creativity flowing, to always find a way to be unique, to differentiate.

Just like all the known arts, advertising is a craft to be perfected. With sincere passion and dedication, one might actually get to see it more than just an industry or profit-centered activity but as an art that shapes the community, affects the people and creates history. Since the time of Henry Ford or even beyond, advertising played an important role in gratifying the needs of the consumers as well as in aiding businessmen and corporations. In the present time people should already learn and value the significance of advertising in our lives because if not, it might continue to be a neglected, unappreciated, misunderstood and misused by some. 

Why Sarah G. is irreplaceable

SARAH G: IRREPLACEABLE (Photo belongs tohttp://www.myxph.com)

The Philippines has been generously blessed with extremely talented individuals especially in the field of music. Among thousands of world class performers, one of them stands out. Sarah Asher  Tua Geronimo is the name. She is fondly referred to as the “Popstar Princess”.  Sarah is a 24-year old singer and actress who first gained fame since she championed in the singing contest “Star for a Night” in 2003. Since her win, Sarah has been enjoying the warmest support of her fans in the Philippines and internationally.

All other information that you’d want to know about her can be found online such as her concert tour schedule, her early struggling years as an artist, her movies, albums and stuff. I’m not gonna tell you about her love life or her latest endorsement – nothing gossipy. What I’m going to tell you is what she makes her fans feel, why she’s so loved, why she is and will always be irreplaceable. Now I know I sound like a real die-hard fan but I honestly am and at the end of this article, you’d stop wondering why.

Sarah has been known as a very modest girl, discreet, always proper, polite, cheerful and humble – the perfect description of a “dalagang Filipina”. But all of these fades away the moment she steps on the stage or when the director yells “action”. When she performs, she transforms. All the traces of discreetness and modesty vanishes. She becomes the fearless performer. She becomes her character. She emanates pure talent and professionalism. Goosebumps and hearts beating faster cannot be avoided.

With the way Sarah speaks in ordinary interviews and talk shows you’d see nothing of the fierce performer you watch on TV. The next time you see her sing and dance and she does it like hell you can’t help but wonder where she hides all that power and intensity inside her. It’s like she is a different person in real life and she becomes someone else on the spotlight. She blows you away with an incredible performance and you’re left with no choice but admit to yourself she’s damn good.

With the strict competition in the show business nowadays, singing alone or dancing alone won’t get you to places. With the demand of quality entertainment, seeing and dancing and acting and hosting altogether and being exceptionally good in all these could be your ticket to stardom. Sarah happens to be all these and more. Hence, the fame and the love she enjoys for almost 10 years now.

Sarah is not like other actresses who poses for sexy magazine covers and billboards. You won’t see her in long kissing scenes in any movie or soap opera but somehow you find her sexy and appealing. She dominates the dance floor with her killer moves, she captures the hearts of the audience when she sings any song, she’s dressed in stunning costumes and gowns and somehow regardless if you’re a girl or a boy or in between, a part of you falls in love.

She might not be half as famous as Katy Perry or Taylor Swift or Selena Gomez, but she’s a total performer that when given more opportunities, could really dominate the hit charts and could be the face of worldwide concert tours around the world. She’s not too sexy, she’s not too beautiful, but she’s an all-out artist, the kind that doesn’t save some energy for tomorrow, she performs with love and gratitude and that’s what she’s loved for.

More than just the biggest suburban mall in the North East

Nex is a mall in Nort East Singapore located at the center of Serangoon which was first opened to the public in 2010

NEX MALL, SINGAPORE SHOPPING DESTINATION Photo belongs to: alvinology.com

Nex mall, aside from being the biggest in the North East, has differentiated itself from the rest through the exemplary convenience and outstanding service it offers. Nex mall provides its customers with the luxury to spend their time with things in life that matter more by making everything easier, faster, nearer and better. With over 350 tenants of different brands of different sections, you can find and do all that you need in one stop – from restaurants, grocery stores, apparel, gadgets, appliances, cosmetics to library, theatres,  parks, banks,  bus interchange, taxi bay and even the Serangoon MRT Interchange plus its 24-hour operating outlets such as Fair Price and McDonalds.

Since Nex mall first welcomed the public on 2010 it has not only become a place where people buy stuff or eat or kill time. It has become a place where people of all walks of life find satisfaction and make happy memories. Young teens who had a tough day at school would go to Nex Mall and spend some hours just chatting, connecting with each other while munching some French fries and burger – a few burps and laughter make these memories priceless. Sweethearts after a few busy days in their jobs would  share a fancy dinner or a good movie – a kiss and a hug seals this unforgettable date. On weekends, families would unite after a long week’s busy schedule – an exchange of stories, some lovely giggles at the park or storytelling in the library or some shopping with the kids would somehow vanish the feeling of longing.

That big mall on the suburbs continues to serve its customers with its endless efforts to improve their facilities, customer assistance and advertisements in order to provide them with more convenience over the coming years. For almost 3 years Nex mall has already been a part of the lives of the students, employees and residents in the area and each of them has a story to tell not just about the shops but how it makes everyday lighter and better. 

Why Simple Line experience is a must-try

Simple Line is a popular milk tea store in Manila, Philippines which started in 2008. Its chain of stalls are mostly located near universities and colleges. The brand boasts of their affordable pricing yet quality fresh-brewed teas served everyday.

This is me and my favorite SimpleLine drink (Black Tapioca sometimes Cofee Konjac)

The whole Simple Line experience starts in a thought – a decision. When in the midst of all the chaos and rush you’re reminded of one way to just beat down the stress and be relaxed, you look forward to that one quick break when you can run away and give yourself a reward – something refreshing, something simple.

You’re right down the street and just when you’re several steps away you smell that invigorating aroma and you can’t wait to get your drink. You stare at the menu, and take your pick. Some days you feel adventurous and you try something new like Honey Green Tea or a Rose Black Tea. But some days you want to feel safe and secure and certain that you go for your usual drink which is Tapioca Milk Tea or Caramel Milk Tea.

You finally got your drink. You can’t wait to reach your office or home or class room  that  while you’re walking you grab the straw and stab the plastic cover and then savor your first few sips – it’s a classic feeling. The moment’s so perfect, nothing so bad can ruin it. That bursting taste of deliciousness trapped in your mouth is too addicting that you’d want to gargle it but you realize it’s not hygienic so you swallow and take another sip instead. You feel those squishy tapioca and jelly, your teeth are playing with them and you can tell they’re both having a good time so again, you swallow and take more sips. It all happens so fast and so slow at the same time, you notice that you only have a few gulps left. You savor your last moments with your favorite drink and you promise yourself you’re definitely gonna get one again tomorrow or maybe later. With satisfaction written all over your face you go on for the rest of the day energized, feeling better, detoxified - literally and figuratively at that.

You see, Simple Line does not just sell a certain amount of liquid with some bits of tiny, slimy and squishy objects mixed. It offers an experience, a memory, a habit that makes you feel good and even better without any hint of guilt – unlike most pleasures that this world could give.

If you haven’t tried it  yet, I do have a good new s for you. You may think that the next big thing that could happen to you is still light years away but baby, no. The first time that you would ever taste a Simple Line drink is one experience that you cannot have twice –it is the peak. And I tell you, you have that memory to make, it’s still waiting for you out there, it has not happened yet. It’s something to look forward to. 

To my fellow Simple Line addicts, we've found a healthy vice, let’s not stop until our bladders are tired because while they keep our pees all together, a Simple Line drink sure helps us keep our cool and energy throughout the day.