Pinterest and Pins and Boards, Oh my!

One of my personal favorite social media sites is Pinterest. I have always been more of a visual learner; looking at pictures and writing things down has always made more sense to me. Pinterest appeals to this need because, after all, my favorite part of Facebook and Twitter are the pictures that other people post. With Pinterest, I am able to scroll through the "Pins" that the people I follow post and the "Pins" of the entire Pinterest community. I choose to follow other Pinterest users that have similar interests to me, so I want to look at their "Pins". Looking at these "Pins" gives me ideas that I can utilize in my real life, may it be for an outfit, a new recipe, a home design idea, or some sort of craft. Pinterest allows even the most uncreative person to feel creative. It can be addictive, and I could spend hours on this site. It acts like a virtual scrapbook for all of my favorite images. Each user's "Pins" are categorized into Boards. Boards can be as general or as specific as you want, and there is no limit to how many you can have. One of my boards is a "Style" Board, and I have used it to pick out my fall wardrobe, even though it is only July. Pinterest is also great if you are busy or on a budget. Pinners post a lot of workouts, quick and healthy recipes, and budget ideas. As a college student, I am always finding new money saving ideas on Pinterest. Unfortunately, whatever budgeting tricks I find stop applying after I've pinned a few outfit ideas.

I'll admit, Pinterest does appeal more to the female demographic, but it can also be useful to implement into your own business marketing plan. It can be a great place to showcase your own work without feeling intrusive to your audience. You get to interact with your audience by re-pinning from them, and they can re-pin from you. Also, all of your new "Pins" will show up on their home page, so will see your pins with little to no effort. One idea is to show "behind-the-scenes" at your business. Let your audience feel like they are a part of your community. This looks genuine, and customers feel a connection to you. Another good idea is to have a board dedicated to related topics. Show your follows, other topics, or products that they might be interested in. For example, if you are a pool retailer, have a board for pools toys or outdoor furniture.

Pinterest is invite-only, but they accept everyone. I suggest you check it out, regardless of what you plan to do with it. You just might learn something new.



By: Lauren Menichella

Yeah, Well, You Know, That's Just Your Opinion, Man

Recently, Oreo has made public their support for gay marriage with a Facebook post and photo of a rainbow stuffed Oreo cookie. The image and post got a huge response from Oreo followers, but not all of it was positive. While some people praised Oreo and Kraft Foods for coming forth and supporting same-sex marriage, others have stated their displeasure in Oreos views, even saying that they will never purchase Oreos again. Oreo isn’t the first company, or the last, I am sure, to make public their standing on same-sex marriage.

JC Penny came under attack back in May for running an ad that featured a lesbian couple with their kids. The attack was lead by the group One Million Moms, an online group dedicated to cleaning up “harmful media” that they feel is having a negative effect on children. OMM didn’t seem to faze JC Penny however, who recently ran a Father's Day campaign featuring a gay sex couple with their two kids.

Other companies such as KY Products and Gap have featured gay couples in their ads as well. Even the Green Lantern, a DC Comics super hero, has been re-released as a gay man. Is all this public support for gay rights good for business? Is that even the point?

During the months leading up to the vote on Amendment One in North Carolina, all of the big NC based firms, like Duke Energy or Bank of America, stayed silent about their views on the issue. It appears this was a good decision. Replacements Limited, a company based in Greensboro made large donations to the same-sex marriage cause, sold shirts in their stores, and sponsored a billboard on an interstate near their headquarters.

The result? Many orders were dropped, and the company received many negative emails, letters, and phone calls. It appears that in North Carolina the issue of same-sex marriage is still a topic that will earn you as many enemies as friends. It may be better to keep out of controversial topics, at least when it comes to increasing the bottom line in North Carolina.

If a company is willing to take losses for standing up for what they believe in, I guess more power to them. What I am more interested in is:

First, is the reaction people would have if Oreo (or some other brand) came out and supported that same sex marriage should remain illegal.

The second is how much a company can lose in supporting a controversial topic.

I am willing to guess that a person is more likely to stop purchasing Oreos because they do not like what Oreo stands for than one is to start purchasing them for the same reason. Those who strongly disagree with the brands views may decide to find a new type of cookie or perhaps start buying the knock off brand. I am certainly not going to start buying Oreos now because Oreos and I share similar views one marriage.

What is your take on a brand showing support for a controversial topic? Should companies make vocal their opinions, or is it better for business if they stay quiet? What would be the response be if Oreo had come out and stated that they didn’t support Gay marriage?

*The opinions of this article do not reflect those of the company, either way.*

Commercial Art

By Embra King

Call me crazy, but I love commercials.

I love them between shows, on billboards and in magazines. When I was young, I used to go over to my friends' houses and spend hours looking through their magazines, no matter what the subject. Sure I would read the articles sometimes, but mostly I was admiring their layouts and ads that filled up most of their thin pages. When I go to the movies, I always make sure I get to the theater early, as to avoid missing the previews. If it wasn’t for those wonderfully crafted teasers before every show, I could hardly justify spending the twelve-dollar ticket price.

No, you didn’t read any of that wrong, I enjoy something that most Americans seem to openly grumble about. I just think it is because we are looking at things all wrong.

Advertising, when done well, is a wonderful art form that folds creative design, language, and economics into this beautiful, multi-layered piece of work. Companies and organizations of all sizes hire artists and writers to create powerful messages and a visual presence for their cause or product. Advertisers create beauty where there would only be grey. Ad agency’s are taking problems and solving them with art.

Not only do I find commercials and advertising to be an ongoing work of art, but I also enjoy them for chopping up TV shows. To me, most shows need commercials. A killer slowly opens the door to find the hero asleep and helpless in bed when suddenly, a commercial break. We are left on the edge of our seats. We cry, “No not now!” Our bodies tense up in anticipation for what lies at the end of the commercial block. Sure, if you have seen the commercials a hundred times before this time might be better spent using the restroom or grabbing a bowl of ice cream, but for me there is something special about seeing what others created in the spaces that companies have created for them.

Imagine a world without advertising, commercials, or branding. Sure, it is awesome to get out into nature and be surrounded by nothing but mountains and trees, but I can’t imagine a world in which cities aren’t filled with commercials, filled art. I think we all should take a closer look at the next commercial you see and just reflect on how many artists, writers, and salesmen it took to create the piece.

Check out the documentary Art & Copy to get a glimpse into the crazy world of advertising. It can be found on Netflix.