COMM 506 Internet Usage Among Different Generations

     This week, we were asked to comment on the findings of the Pew Research Institute in regards to internet usage among Millennials, Gen X'ers, the Boomer generation, and older. The full report can be found here.
    The only piece of information that surprised me was the fact that searching for health information is the third most popular online activity for all adults over the age of 18. For older adults, it would not surprise me; I just did not realize that so many younger people were using the internet to research health problems, so much so that it is the third most popular activity.
     Other than this, I was honestly not surprised about any of the other data in the report. It showed that younger generations, such as Teens and Millennials, are more likely to be online wirelessly, use social networking more than anything else, and get almost all their news from online. Older generations, such as the Boomers and the Silent Generation, do not use the internet that much, and when they do, it is for informational purposes such as government websites or health information.

COMM 506 The Engine 2 Diet

     The other night we attended a lecture at school about a complete plant-based diet, called the Engine 2 Diet. The creator of the diet, Rip Esselstyn, was the first presenter. He talked about how the diet has affected him, his coworkers, and people that he's helped with it. He was energetic, and definitely fully believed in the diet. Next, his father, Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, a physician, came on, and gave a lecture about the health benefits of the diet. He gave some good research and data about how the diet can reverse heart disease and lead to better overall health. Lastly, Rip's mother, Ann Esselstyn, showed what food and drinks you could buy, recipes for the diet, and where to find complete plant based foods.
     I liked a few things about this presentation. First, Rip was a fantastic speaker. He got the crowd engaged in what he was talking about, asked questions, and was humorous. He presented good examples of his diet working, and did not say anything about meat being "evil" or murder or anything along those lines. His father was also interesting, though a little boring. As a person with a heart defect, I was very interested in how the diet can help with heart health.
     One thing I did not like about the presentation was that none of the presenters talked about changing their lifestyle. They all talked about how good the diet is for their health, Rip showed examples of people whose health improved and they lost weight, and Dr. Caldwell showed evidence of reduced heart disease...but none of them talked about exercise, giving up bad habits, or other lifestyle changes that could have an impact on their health. Even if the diet is successful without lifestyle changed, it would have been a good thing to mention so that people don't have the expectation that they will lose a lot of weight by just changing to a plant-based diet. Another thing that bothered me was when Ann was talking about the different foods that we should eat and recipes we should use. The lecture was given at a university, and the crowd was a mix of the general public and students. She started talking about foods that could only be purchased online or in specialty food stores, and most students cannot afford to shop like that. I wish they had geared the food presentation more towards students; showing them cheap, healthy alternatives that they could buy at local supermarkets, and quick, easy recipes for the student on-the-go.

COMM 506 "Bad" Commercials

The following are commercials that are "bad." They are not bad in the sense that they are poorly made commercials; they just do not sell their product or service in a smart or appealing way.

The first time I saw this commercial, I thought it was a part of the show I was watching. I could not believe that they would say something as cold as "It's not for women." I definitely got a good laugh out of it, but once I started to think about it, I realized that this is a terrible way to sell this product. Maybe they were thinking that if they said it's not for women, more women will want to buy it? I don't know. Regardless, I think there are more people out there, both men and women, who see this as sexist and plain stupid. Now these people will tell their friends and relatives about this dumb commercial and the product that it is for, and they will most likely not want or buy it. The commercial is definitely geared towards men, and it is pretty silly; it has the macho guy with the gun, beating up bad guys and whatnot...but when that last line is spoken, the entire commercial just seems stupid and too over-the-top.

These commercials do not bring about good will for the ASPCA. These commercials are downright depressing. They show images of mistreated animals with a sad song played over it, meant to tug at the viewer's heartstrings and donate money to their cause. Having adopted three dogs from shelters, I know how run down animals can look there, and there is no reason to show it on a commercial to try to get donations. Show the animals having fun and running around. Talk about how easy it is to adopt from a local animal shelter. But please, don't interrupt my Simpson's episode with a sad song and equally as sad animals.

Lastly, the commercials for the Department of Homeland Security's "If You See Something, Say Something" do not help their cause, in my opinion. These commercials breed fair and paranoia in people that travel using public transportation, and telling them to call if they see something suspicious could lead to an outbreak of worried, angry passengers. These commercials say that if a person sees something suspicious, they should tell someone; who's to say what makes something "suspicious"? Altogether, I think these commercials harm public transportation.

COMM 508 Ben & Jerry's Press Release

Ben & Jerry’s Homemade, Inc.

30 Community Drive, Burlington, VT 05403

Kellie McLaughlin & Max McLenna

802-846-1500

facebook.com/benjerry

twitter.com/benandjerrys

February 15^th, 2012 18:00

BEN & JERRY’S TO INTRODUCE NEW FLAVOR – “OCCU-PIE MALT ST.”

Burlington, VT – Have you been watching the news lately? Have you been seeing all those people camping out in tents, protesting for something…but not sure exactly what? Well, wonder no longer! Ben & Jerry’s is pleased to announce a new flavor to its always-growing selection. “Occu-Pie Malt St.” is a new flavor, consisting of graham cracker ice cream, blueberry and cherry swirls, and chocolate malted milk balls!

            Ben & Jerry’s CEO, Jostein Solhein, said, “This flavor was created to represent the American people and their struggle to achieve to achieve the American dream.” This flavor, inspired by the Occupy movements all across the United States of America, is meant to be a delicious reminder of what is trying to be accomplished.

            “Ben & Jerry’s is proud to present Occu-Pie Malt St. in hopes that it will bring about recognition to the Occupy Wall Street movement,” said Solhein. This delicious, inspiring flavor is set to hit shelves late February 2012.

            - 30 - 

COMM 506 "Good" Commercials

     When I say "good" commercials what I mean is commercials that appeal to me personally, and have a lasting effect. These are commercials that I remember, and while I may not go out right away and buy it, there is definitely the chance that it could wind up buying it sometime if wanted.

First we have the various Simpson's Butterfinger commercials. These ran for a long time, from 1989 to only a couple of years ago. As a die hard Simpson's fan, I'm pretty much hooked on whatever media in which they are displayed, and these commercials are no exception. All of these commercials are funny to the average person, and even funnier to a Simpson's fan. It has a memorable catchphrase - "Nobody better lay a finger on my Butterfinger" - and makes the viewer want a Butterfinger for them self and no one else.

This is an Old Spice commercial from about 5 years ago. It is Bruce Campbell playing piano and singing "Hungry Like The Wolf" while attractive women get closer and closer to him. It is funny to see an icon like Campbell singing "Hungry Like The Wolf" - a hair metal song - to a jazzy, mellower tempo. THe point is if you wear Old Spice, you will become classier and attract women.

This was a commercial that aired after the Superbowl this year. It is for the restaurant chain Chipotle. It is a simple message: go back to the start. They are talking about the meat that goes into their food; instead of using animals that have been raised in crowded barns and fed hormones and other types of chemicals. The commercial shows a farmer realizing that he should go back to the way it used to be, and changing everything around. It is set to Willie Nelson covering Coldplay's "The Scientist," which works really well, because the message of the song is "going back to the start." This commercial stuck with me because of the simplicity of it.

This is an interesting commercial. It is for Google Chrome, and it showcases The Johnny Cash Project. This commercial stuck with me for a few reasons. First of all, I really like Johnny Cash, and I thought it was cool seeing him recognized on a wide scale and hearing his song in a commercial. Secondly, the song. It's about how nothing can hold his body down, which is true of Cash; he is timeless and will never be forgotten. Also, the commercial showcases the versatility of Google Chrome.

Lastly, I chose this ad because whenever I think about using a GPS now, I hear "Mayhem" telling me to go the other way. These Allstate commercials are funny, and a little over-the-top, but not so outlandish that they could never happen to a regular person. I think they make an impact with people who see them, and if someone had been in a similar accident, they could relate even more and think about switching to their insurance.

COMM 508 Newsletter Example

     The above picture is a screengrab of the first page of a newsletter that goes out to commuter students at Western Connecticut State University. I think it is a good example of a newsletter for a number of reasons. First of all, it looks inviting: it is separated into two columns, has a nice blue and gold color scheme (the school's colors), and has pictures. As one begins to read, one notices that the article is written in bullet points, which I think people like to road because they are quick, concise, and to the point. On the left hand side, there are links that are able to be navigated to, straight from the newsletter, which is convenient. There is also a table of contents, so if someone wants to read a specific atricle, they know exactly what page to jump to.
     Throughout the rest of the newsletter there are some items that stand out to me. The use of a lot of pictures is a good idea; it keeps the reader interested and makes the newsletter more attractive. There is a section of the paper with more useful links that students may not be able to find easily. This will help people think of the newsletter when they are looking for something important.
     As far as incorporating some of these ideas into my own newsletter go, the first thing I would want to use is the bulleted style of the article. I think this is a smart way to get your article to a reader; you can fit a lot of information in, and since they are quick blurbs, the reader will not get bored with the article and move on. The use of pictures is always a good idea, and I plan to use them to make my newsletter look appealing to the viewer. Lastly, if my newsletter was going to be electronic, I would definitely make use of a section with important links, and make sure they could all be navigated to. Even if the newsletter was not electronic, I might include that section. Not only will this assist students while they are looking at the newsletter, but if they ever need that link again, and cannot find it, they will come back to the newsletter and remember that it is a helpful tool.


The rest of the newsletter can be found HERE

COMM 506: Honne vs. Tatemae

     Honne and tatemae are two important parts of a person's self-concept. Honne refers to a person's true feelings and desires. These feelings and desires are often hidden because they may not conform to the rest of society, and may be seen as odd or wrong. Tatemae refers to the opinions and behaviors a person displays in public. It is their front, their facade. It is what's expected by society and by those around him or her. It may or may not reflect their honne.
     The ideals of honne and tatemae are important in the field of public relations. It is important for advertisers, marketers, and people trying to get a message out to figure out which part of a person they are trying to influence: their honne, tatemae, or both. If someone is trying to influence a person's honne, they may try to use a message that will appeal to their core values and emotions, eliciting a deep response and making the person follow the message. Hopefully, the person will tell people close to them about the message, eliciting a response from them. If someone is trying to influence a persons tatamae, they will appeal to what society thinks is "in" at the moment, eliciting a response that will hopefully get people to agree with the message because everyone else will, or so they hope. If they are trying to appeal to both, they may go after emotions or core values in a wide sense, appealing to certain emotions that they think everyone will react to, instead of just targeting a certain response.