WhipperSnaPR

Update: The inverview went really well last week, but I didn’t make it into the actual article, which can be read here. It is actually very well written with a great sense of “humour.” Oh well… there’s always next time. Anyone else want to chat about Zipcar?
I’ve often thought that I am Zipcar’s biggest word of mouth marketer. I love their service and I will tell anybody and everybody about it! I talk about zipcar nonstop! I’ve even blogged about it.

Well, that blogpost has come in handy! A reporter for the Toronto Star has found me and wants to chat! How exciting and how lucky for zipcar! They should give me free stuff. I want a t-shirt!

Feeling political today? Want to do your part to ensure the high integrity of the moral fiber of our nation? Then, get out there and vote! Every vote counts and so does every poll and election Today… a ValleyWag Popularity Contest, Tomorrow…. homecoming queen and then… the world!

Well… maybe not, but you should still vote for my friend and fellow ex-Lewiser, Julia French. Now, the relationship manager at Socialtext, Julia is a fine example of the all american dream girl Now go Vote!

Here’s some things to do if you’re feeling bored (These are also all parts of campaigns I’m working on… how convenient). Let me know if you find something you particularly like or dislike!

Free game for your cell phone

Featuring the characters from the movie, The Ant Bully, the game is a classic whack-a-mole game, but instead of moles, you’ve got to smack down the slugs, bugs, and other enemies, and call off the exterminator. Whack them all, and progress through all 10 levels of increasing difficulty.

Play detective and “crack the case”

A murder mystery game allows you to play the part of lead detective. Collect evidence, interview key witnesses, and perform autopsies. This one is my personal favorite!

A battle of the bands taken in the most literal sense:

The Warped Masacre Game, part of Fuse TV’s promotion for the Warped Tour, is a parody of Mortal Combat and pits the lead singers from bands on the tour against each other in over-the-top action

I spent some time today searching for news stories about last night’s shooting on Columbia St. and didn’t find a single story!

All I found was this blog post highlighted on Universal Hub. Aside from learning that I have nothing to fear because whoever was behind the gun last night was probably a sissy anyway, my search was fruitless. I guess today was too far from a slow news day to cover the goings on in Area 4.

Oh well… it was pretty scary, and even a little exciting, for a small town Illinois transplant.

I’m writing this for my mother in hopes that she will read this and then pay for me to move into a nicer apartment. At approximately 12:15 am, four gun shots were fired directly outside my apartment building. Sadly, this was the second time in less than a month. Aparently, the park that played such a large role in my initial decision to live here has recently fallen under the “ownership” of a local gang. Police presence has been pretty high for the last week, but I guess that wasn’t enough.

Right now, there are two cop cars parked in the street in front of my building, Columbia St., and two cops are walking around shining flashlights on the sidewalk and bushes across the street. At first I thought maybe they were looking for the shooter, but now I think they are just looking for evidence. I haven’t seen any ambulances yet, so I don’t know if anyone was hurt. More to come later, I’m sure. (for more info, see Josh’s blog as well)
I always lovingly referred to this building as the crack house, but now I’m really regretting that I signed the lease for this place for the next year. It is really too bad, too. I love Central Square; it has great local bars and restaurants and a homey, campus feel to it. I hope this is not the start of a new trend for the neighborhood.

I am one of those rare people freaks that actually enjoys the ads just as much (and sometimes more) than the actualy programming on TV. Recently, this one really caught my eye.
The first is for the new State Farm Insurance “Now What” campaign. It is an attention-getter prompting viewers to visit the new website built for renter\’s insurance and auto insurance. I really wish I could find a clip of the commercials. They\’re classic! This campaign has a few \”viral\” qualities as well. I love the interactive website… I spent at least 10 minutes exploring the many scenarios and they didn\’t exactly sell me on renters insurance… but they got me thinking, which is a good start.

Also, while watching a Red Sox game at Tavern in the Square recently, I noticed the value of audio in TV advertising. The sound on the TV at the bar was muted, and some commercials were still 100% effective, while others were complete flops. This was never a topic of discussion in my advertising classes (which weren’t too advanced or sports related, so I may have just missed out), but I would think this should be a major consideration for ad developers and media buyers.

If I was developing or producing an ad, I would want to know when and where this was planned to air so I could build/design/produce accordingly. If I were purchasing time for the ad I would want to know what kind of ad it was so I could place it in the most appropriate time slot. Audio capabilities and background/environmental noise should definitly be considered when making these desisions, especially if you plan on tying your ad to any major sporting event, which is so often viewed in a loud and distracting drinking establishment. I was surprised at how much advertisers relied on audio for ads that were meant to air during a baseball broadcast.

With one cross-country road trip and one full month of work (and therefore, one paycheck) behind me, I’m finally falling into a new routine.

It is definitely not as draining or stressful as my old schedule… but just as time consuming. And still, I have not bought into my own blogging as yoga philosophy. I must make blogging a habit!

As an update, the roadtrip was so much fun! It was great meeting Josh’s mom in New Mexico, escaping speed traps in Kansas and surviving torential rains in Cleaveland! I especially loved being able to spend some time with my mom and friends in Illinois.

The weekend on Cape Cod was equally exciting. I was able to catch up with my friend Dave who lives in Georgia and spent the last 3 months in Africa and I was able to get some quality kayaking time in!

Now that life is getting back to “normal.” I am settling into a nice routine at work. I LOVE my job! It is so fun The best part is that this job is by far harder than my last job. It requires more responsibility, commitment and serious thought; yet, it is more fun, less stressful and all around more enjoyable! This was a great move for me career-wise and a perfect example of why you must trust your gut. When your work plays such a large role in defining who you are, you must be sure your job is an accurate reflection of who you are and what you want to be.