Where To Go From Here!

It seems like just last week I was writing my first blog post at Axiom, and now I am writing a wrap-up blog. Man, how time flies when you're having fun, right? The other night I was updating my resume to include Axiom and created a list of all the projects I have done here. After creating that list it hit me that Axiom kept me real busy! And you know what the best part is? That I had real projects that mattered, even as an intern.

I have been doing informational interviews for 4 years now, all of which were with people in the marketing industry. When I first gained my interest in marketing my goal was to work in the marketing industry -- very broad. The agency side of the field always intrigued me, and to be honest, that is partly due to watching the movie What Women Want many times. I made it my goal to learn what real agency life is through informational interviews and go from there. Once I had met with people from a couple agencies (Axiom being one of them), I set a new goal to work for one.

I am so lucky to have achieved this goal here at Axiom! Every intern worries that they will be given dinky projects along with orders to get coffee. And while I do make a mean cup of coffee, I did much more. The work I did here not only helped clients, but it also helped me figure out that I love agency life! From competitive analyses and reports to presentations and events, every day is full of different and new tasks.

As summer is coming to and end and the first day of classes grows closer, I can't wait to enter my senior year with all the great experiences I gained here. Reading textbooks and other publications in class teaches some, but actually doing the work is how I learn best. I have a sense that applying Axiom's projects to class material will take learning to a whole new level!

Video Post: Axiom @ BlogHer '11

Shelly and Andrea are back in the full swing of things here in the office after attending the BlogHer '11 conference. Andrea wrote a great post (click here to read!) giving all of us readers a snip-it of who goes to BlogHer. In their Axiom @ video they give us an up-close and personal look at what went on at the conference.

Wordless Wednesday: A Short History of Social Media

The Answers Social Media Infographics Provide (And The Questions They Raise)

Social media has obviously revolutionized the way brands connect with consumers. And with the hundreds of thousands of ways that marketers have planted themselves in our digital lives, sometimes it's nice to step back and admire the magnitude of social media marketing.

This infographic on Mashable examines some of the larger examples of effective campaigns based on YouTube, Twitter, Facebook and location-based services like Foursquare. There are plenty of numbers on the infographic, but here's a quick sampling:

• 12 million YouTube views for the "Will It Blend?" iPad video over 4 months
• 86.5 million impressions for Coca-Cola's promoted trending topic in June 2010
• 11% consumers say they would buy something offered only to Facebook fans.
• 184,000 people participated in a 3-month Buffalo Wild Wings SCVNGR campaign

Of course, stats like this stir mixed emotions from people like me who work on the marketing/PR side of social media. On one hand, these numbers prove the impact social media marketing can have, as well as the sheer potential that exists online.

However, looking only at social media marketing's biggest successes (or failures for that matter) tend to skew the perception of brands looking to get into social media.

A company who only sees these grandiose examples of pages with thousands of fans or videos may come to expect that incredibly high level of success as normal. And when a campaign falls short of those lofty expectations, they may not see the value in social media even if the campaign was objectively successful.

The problem, however, can be solved by clearly defining the client's expectations before the campaign is agreed to. This should also include discussing the client's idea of success and, if need be, an honest assessment of what the client should expect from their social media efforts.

Rumors of Amazon's Tablet: A Student's Perspective

It seems as though you can't go a day without hearing about how great tablets are. There are commercials galore, not to mention all the personal testimonies from owners of tablets. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining, I'm just stating a fact. Tablets deserve all the hype they get because they are just that great. We have two iPads here in the office and it is always a treat when you get a chance to use one!

As a college student these moments can be bittersweet, however, because I know it will be a very long time until an iPad fits into my budget. Tuition, books, and rent tend to take over. Not that it isn't tempting to try and swing such a big purchase, trying to validate buying an iPad with the fact that my laptop is on its last leg.

With these thoughts running through my mind, I was excited when I read rumors of Amazon releasing a tablet that directly competes with the iPad, but at half the cost! Along with the tablet, Amazon is also creating an app for students that will allow students to buy and sell books, electronics, and other helpful things. The app includes a barcode scanner, making it simple to find exactly the correct product you're looking to buy or sell.

After my initial excitement cleared I thought about such a purchase more rationally. Would I really need a tablet instead of another laptop? Is a tablet going to fill all of my computer needs? Will it be fast enough and as easy to navigate? These are just some of the questions that come to my mind. Yes, it is prettier, smaller, lighter, and easier to bring to the library. But does it fill my needs as a student? That is debatable.

I am a Communication major and Economics minor. Most of my assignments are writing papers. I can type quickly on a keyboard, but when it comes to a touchscreen keyboard typing is slow. Obviously I could find a keyboard that I could connect to the tablet, but that negates the easy portability that draws me to the product in the first place.

There is no need to come to a decision yet. Amazon's tablet release is still only rumors. For now I'll just be crossing my fingers that my laptop makes it through my senior year. As for Amazon's app, that would be incredibly useful right now as I am ordering my books for the semester. The app would take a lot of the guess work and searching out of the book-buying process. I think the rumored tablet has the potential to attract many students, but their new app is most appealing.