While October brought Halloween and pumpkin-flavored treats, it also brought new leadership opportunities for one of our employees and new campaigns in our industry.
Martiners Go Beyond the Workplace
One of our graphic designers, Kat Flaherty, accepted a volunteer Communications Director position for the Central PA chapter of the American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA). I had the opportunity to discuss the position, her expectations, and learn more about the organization.
Q: What is AIGA?
A: The American Institute of Graphic Arts [AIGA] is a nation-wide professional association for design. Founded in 1914, it and has grown to 75 chapters across the United States. AIGA fosters community and leadership among designers and design enthusiasts with student groups, a yearly design conference (It’s in Pittsburgh in 2020!), initiatives like ‘Design for Good’, ‘Women Lead’, and ‘Diversity & Inclusion.’ While AIGA does have a national board located in New York City, each chapter also has its own board members that help their local design community thrive.
Q: What region are you a member of?
A: I am a current member of AIGA Central PA since 2016 – which covers mostly Harrisburg and Lancaster, but also York and other surrounding areas. I’m also formerly a member of AIGA Louisville and the AIGA University of Louisville student group since 2012.
Q: What types of topics and activities do you participate in during meetings?
A: Our monthly board meetings (consisting of the executive board members, directors, and chairs) are typical of what you would think; we discuss what we’re working on, what programming is coming up, things we can improve on, and how we can help each other out. During our yearly board retreats, we discuss incoming or outgoing leadership, recruiting for open positions, and what kind of programming we can plan for in the future – all based from past feedback and a yearly survey that’s sent out to the community.
The rest of AIGA is made up of casual networking events like Pens & Pints or Coffee & Critique. The difference is where and when we’re meeting and whether we’re drawing funny pictures or getting feedback on current work. Our local chapter hosts a barrage of other activities like studio tours, workshops from local and infamous designers, a movie night, and event inspirational talks. We try to bring in at least one big-name speaker or workshop every year. My favorite so far was hearing Ron Burrage, the former Sr. Director of Global Design at The Hershey Company, talk about reviving and putting the love back in the Kisses Brand – it also happened to take place during Hershey Park in the Dark.
Q: What are some of your key responsibilities as the Communications Director?
A: My main responsibilities will be updating the AIGA Central PA website and social media with timely information. I’m the funnel [along with my Chairs and volunteers] disseminating information not only about what the Central PA chapter is up to, but also important or interesting things that national or other chapters might be doing. Other responsibilities include attending events, especially ones that I’m helping to facilitate and be a listening ear or a voice for the design community in Central PA.
Q: What do you hope to achieve while in the position?
A: This is a big leadership step for me. I took on this position to better my confidence in leadership and understanding of web and social media. For the chapter itself, my initial goals are small. My first goal is to increase attendance for our remaining events for the year and boost overall engagement.
From Lite to Dark
Miller Lite is another brand jumping on social media issues but creating (no) buzz on their accounts. For two weeks, the Miller Lite brand will advertise “going dark” by being inactive and will reward users who unfollow the account with free beer (in a special, limited edition black can) while encourage Miller Time. To receive the free beer, users must text a screenshot of proof.
“Miller Time” – defined as a time when friends get together and drink beer.
A representative of Miller Lite added, “As a brand, Miller Lite has always been about bringing people together, so we felt it was time to make a strong statement about the lack of real connections people have today.” Though it is risky for a brand to ask their following to unfollow, Miller Lite is starting an important conversation that will help them stand out among other beers.
I could use some Miller Time myself.
Geofencing 101
At MC, we encourage the use of geofencing, a location-based marketing tool that allows advertisers to send ads and other messages to a smartphone, tablet, or desktop within a specific geographic area. Commonly used geofencing ads consist of display ads or push notifications. Geofencing gives us opportunities to strategically place ads in areas that will perform better and allow for more visibility for our clients. When using geofencing, businesses have the option to narrow down what zip codes or radius receives an ad. Doing this condenses who the target audience is, going as far as demographics (ex: Athletes 18-30). These virtual boundaries allow us to be more strategic and creative when campaigning ads to their intended target audience.
Several companies have used geofencing or similar methods to engage audiences. Snapchat created geofilters, a filter option that shows up on a Snap when a user is in a specific location. Because the concept had a high feedback rating, Snapchat now allows businesses, colleges, venues, and more to create their own geofilter. But geofencing goes beyond social media platforms, as it is used for smart appliances, human resources, and even security.
If you are interested in advertising with geofencing, click here.
Sources: Monarch Beverage, Trigger Digital
