Empire State of Mind

Let's be honest...Where else you want to spend an all-expenses paid weekend?


I was thinking the same thing. L'oreal flew me out to NYC to interview for an summer internship in their luxury product division. It was amazing! I hadn't been to New York since I was like 12 years old, and we only stayed one night. I think it might be one of the only places that actually gets bigger rather than smaller the older you get.


There were about 75 students from all across the country that came for the weekend. They pampered us pretty much the whole time. This is right after we had dinner in Grand Central Station. There were students from all across the nation, places like NYU, Duke, Harvard, Howard, Northwester, and dozens more. It was awesome to hang out with kids from different places like that and see how their experiences are different than mine. While BYU is technically a fairly diverse campus in terms of where people come from, lets be honest...it lacks completely in the diverse category. I even got to explain our church's beliefs to some of the others at dinner one night and basically taught a first lesson.


The first night there, we went through some orientation meetings and got to know some of the head honchos of our divisions. And the best part was the cocktail party they held on the opening night. I had never been to anything like that before, so I was definitely a little out of place. But the whole night was designed to let us ask questions to people who worked there and get some interesting feedback. After that was all over, we had some extra time, so we met some of the other kids, one of which was from NYC, and he showed us around. Rockafeller Plaza, Times Square, and everything inbetween. It was awesome.


They put us in teams depending on the specific product division we were interested in for our Saturday events. I was a part of the Georgio Armani team. The whole day was dedicated to different case studies and basically planning a rough outline for an entire marketing campaign. They gave us very limited time for each case, so it was a lot of pressure. For each session, there were different employees there to observe and judge us. It was even more pressure for that. And then after that we would try and pitch our ideas to them in a logical, yet concise manner. It was an interesting element to be thrown into a team with people you have never even met before and be forced to collaborate with them. Think about taking a bunch of kids who have been leaders most of their lives, throwing them together in a room, with potential bosses looming over, and then watch them sort it out. It was quite the dynamic.


Part of our day was to go out and do some store visits. They wanted us to see first hand how their products reach the consumer and get some insights for our campaigns. This was pretty cool because we got to walk around the city and see everything. I think the biggest disadvantage was that our whole case was for a new women's fragrance for Maybelline. Needless to say, I was a rookie in this area. At first it was a challenge. But I think it actually worked out well because I made sure that everything we did was for the right reasons, because I had no preconceived notions about anything.

That night after all was said and done, we went to the ESPN zone in Times Square and watched the Jazz beat the Nuggets. Take that DENVER.

The next day was the big kahuna. It was our interview day. I was excited for this cause I think I could do better one on one than in a group. And it went really well. I felt good about it. And it felt like it went really fast, which seems like that would be a good thing, right? Well they are supposed to let us know in the next 2 weeks. So keep your fingers crossed til then...

Cause Let's be honest...Who wouldn't want an internship with a huge international company in the city that is basically the center of the universe?

To buy or not to buy

Let's be honest...

...you should own things that you love. And I LOVE the Utah Jazz! Now obviously it would be ridiculous to suggest that I should own the Jazz, so let's just settle for season tickets. I have always said that I will one day own season tickets. I always thought I would just have to wait until I was older and had something more of an expendable income. But things have changed recently, let me explain why:

I bought a pair of tickets on KSL the other day because I am taking a girl to the game against the Blazers next week for her birthday. They are on the front row of the upper bowl, which are pretty good seats. Individually, tickets of that range go for about $50 a piece. I paid the guy the $30 a piece for them. But if you by season tickets in that area, they go for $25. So the guy actually made a profit on those seats. And of course, that got me to thinking. Why couldn't I buy season tickets at a discounted price, and simply resell most of them at a profit. That way, I could still go to at least 10 games or so and try and make enough off of the other tickets to cover the cost of those. I don't think I would even try to make money off of this deal, but I would be happy if even just came out even from the whole thing. The benefit comes from having great season tickets to watch my favorite team. When they play big name teams like Lebron and the Cavs or Kobe and the Lakers, I could easily sell them for more. Not to mention the bonus I could make from playoff games.

No one goes to a sporting events by themselves though. Which means I would go in on this whole deal with at least one other person, maybe 3. I wouldn't get to go to as many games that way, but at least the financial risk wouldn't be as great if I did. I have the tendency of wanting to jump the gun on crazy financial decisions like this, so I really think I should sleep on it before I decide for sure one way or the other. Luckily, I have half of the current NBA season to think about it too, so that should give me more than enough nights of sleeping on it to decide.

We could get into the whole "wants and needs" argument and what is really essential for me, but let's be honest...I really do NEED this.

Is this why privacy wasn't included in the Bill of Rights?

The purpose of this blog is not as much to inform as it is more of a general inquiry.

We are all in agreement that social media has changed a lot of things in the world. But I can't seem to figure out how. It seems like before Myspace and Facebook first hit the internet, everyone wanted their privacy. Everyone seemed a little timid to give out any information on the internet.

So what changed? Rather than keeping to themselves, people now send updates via twitter every few hours to let the entire world know what happens to them. Most the time the stuff doesn't even matter anyways. People post pictures and videos from every aspect of their lives. And nearly anyone can look at these things. Sure, they have blocks and security features, but there are always flaws in the system.

Is this uniting society? Or drawing us apart? While we all meet at the same place, none of us are physically there. Maybe it is simply because the benefits finally outweigh the risks.

Any thoughts?

What if @the_Real_MartinLuther were here?

I have a feeling that if Martin Luther were alive today, his 95 theses wouldn't have been posted on the door of a church cathedral, but more likely a status update. I wonder if I would follow @the_Real_MartinLuther or not?

Why did he post them on the doors of a church? Because that is where everyone would see it. I don't think doing the same thing today would have an equal effect (unless you wanted to reach BYU religion students, because then the JSB might be just as good). Where is everyone else? On the internet, of course. What does it take to inspire the masses nowadays? How about a YouTube video that goes viral, or a twitter account with thousands of followers? These are the thought leaders of our day. They are the ones that drive us to act.

So it would make sense then for marketers to congregate there. "There" of course being a metaphorical term spreading the globe. I think the most effective part of this new social media type is the operational costs. Marketing and advertising can now be done for next to nothing. Hire someone that knows his social media stuff, and set him loose.

I saw this in action from the people who work as publicists and marketers for certain players of the Utah Jazz. Deron Williams and Kyle Korver recently hosted a charity dodge ball event called the "Dodge Barrage" in Salt Lake City.

How did they spread the word? It all started with this video on YouTube. They both tweeted about it and had blogs posted on their individual websites. Once the buzz started and they got enough hits on their sites, the TV news stations came calling--some at the national level. Within a few days, every opening for the charity dodgeball tournament was filled. The only way to get a team after that was to sponsor the event as a company, which many ended up doing. And just like that, publicity followed. This was only for charity, think of what a company could do with a continued effort.

I hate to make a comparison, but I think @D_Will_8_4real might have more followers than @the_Real_MartinLuther had people who actually saw the Theses posted on the door.

300 Million user may not be enough

I'm sure many have now all heard about the recent milestones for Facebook, one of the head honchos in social media. 300 million users--Impressive! Especially how they reported 250 million only a few short months ago. Not to mention that they are now finally beginning to turn a profit. But is that enough? Is all really well in Wonderland? Or does it appear as a duck in a pond, calmly sitting on the surface while its legs kick in a frenzy beneath the water to keep it afloat. Now I'm not suggesting that the downfall of Facebook is upon us, or anything close to that really. But there was an interesting article in a recent issue of the New York Times concerning some changes taking place. Apparently Twitter has made some interesting changes to the entire dynamic that is social media, and Facebook hasn't let them go unnoticed. In fact, they have even made several changes to more closely resemble their mini-blog counterpart. New York Times Article A few people, on behalf of Facebook, have downplayed the changes, suggesting that the changes simply came as a result of following trends and demands of users. But if you ask me, they're scared. Looks like the small peasant uprising is beginning to make a stir in the King's court. Twitter is the new fad. Joining Facebook has become a thing of the past. Everybody who is anybody in this world is already a user. But many people with Twitter accounts can be considered cutting edge. Just listen to what people are saying around you, and you'll notice the puzzling inquiries, "So you're on Twitter? What is it exactly?" It sparks a buzz. It creates headlines. And Facebook doesn't like the attention going elsewhere. Maybe Facebook got in over their heads. Maybe they created too many options. No matter how you look at it, Twitter is simple, and Facebook is jealous that people somehow keep buying into it. So they mimic the competitor and copy their success. After all, anything you can do, I can do better, right?. Well, let's see. Because when all is said and done, the users will decide. Their success is ultimately in the hands of the consumer. And when videos like this start popping up on the internet, you might look to make a few changes as well. So do you blame them? I'll admit I am just as much a Facebook user as the next person. I'm just glad I'm not the one calling the shots.

Back in the 801

That's when I realized...

...I wasn't living in paradise anymore. Reality had struck. I was back in the real world. Well, I was in Provo, however you want to interpret. No more swim suits and flips flops. Beard had to go; Hair lasted not much longer. Here's how it all happened.
For my few current readers, you all should remember that our darling sister tied the knot and became Mrs. JJ Anderson not too long ago. I arrived back in the states with not an extra minute to spare in time for the wedding. I'm not sure my family expected to pick up a homeless looking man at the airport. They soon found out that Grizzly Adams-- did indeed have a beard. The free-spirit that had overcome me while being gone left me slowly in part in the form of small, surprisingly red, hairs in the bathroom.

And so life went on. I moved home and packed up bags for the journey down south. PROVO! I was holding on to the little dream I had left on my head. School started on Monday, and I kept it going. With the help of two twisties and an oversized hat, you would never have known that my hair was anything but honor-code appropriate. I unfortunately found a job on campus and got hired. They were quite ready to inform me that hats would not be allowed on the job. And so the dream died. And it was Fantastic Sam's that killed it.
I was a new man. But my feelings about most of BYU's standards didn't change. I 'm not sure what it is about this place, but it just tends to make me angry. Or at least the administration does. I'm pretty sure my hair looked more respectable than many of the other "honor-code abiding" students. Not all, but at least a few. Here is a picture of the glory days (last week).One day i won't be in school, and nobody will tell me how to wear my hair. Until then, I will just keep my mouth shut and act like I'm supposed to. I guess no one told them that long hair inspires creativity. I mean, think about all those famous, popular people. My road to stardom has just hit a few speedbumps and a minor detour.

Dedication

This is the start of a second revolution. The blogging for 2009-2010 will officially begin from here on out. No more cop-outs on my part. I'm dedicating myself...

I know exactly what Jake is thinking right now.

Just Stay Tuned