Working for a media company, I know all about obsolete technology, nevertheless, newspapers are on the same downward spiral into the abyss.

I'm sure we all understand why? Those little devices we have in our pockets seem to be our main source for news and all other information. Long are the days of picking up that ink filled paper and reading through ads because cellphones are more comfortable in our hands. But perhaps a resurgence in the printing world could happen if the information changes. I can remember countless times I picked up an article and the headline was a national story. Why would pay a dollar to read an article already being national covered? I think newspapers should understand that local news is a niche that should be emphasized.  

Freedom of Speech.

Kanye West steals the mic from Taylor Swift at the MTV Music Awards.

Topic 1

"Imma let you finish but...."

Most people remember Kanye's infamous rant at the MTV music awards. And although I might get some heat for this, I actually enjoy both Kanye's music and his super egotistical personality.

But when does freedom of speech go too far? In Kanye's mind, there's literally no restriction on freedom to speak, act or rant.

Despite my fandom towards Yeezy, I do think the night he stole Taylor Swift's spotlight was a little too far. However, pushing aside ethics and morality, can you really fault Mr. West? The old saying goes "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say it at all." Well..technically Kanye didn't say anything bad about Taylor, he just had a lot of good things to say about Beyonce. So I'd give him a pass.

After watching the Remix Manifesto video, one thing that I found interesting was how Walt Disney took images/drawings from prior centuries and remade his own versions catered to young audiences.

In the film, Walt Disney is referred to as a "mash up" artist and I think his re-creative thought process is actually similar to my own. As a musician/artist (click link for my bio http://aucourantmedia.blogspot.com/2015/06/author-introduction.html)  I've admired artistry from musicians before me, in all sorts of different genres. Some of the production I do musically is in fact, sampling or recreating songs from the past. I know...legal issues right? However, the music that my group and I create that stems from another artist is not monetized in any sense, it's like watching people on Youtube cover their favorite artist or band. No harm, no foul right? Besides, I look at remixing another persons work shows admiration and respect towards that artist, which is a good thing.

Which brings me back to my first point, Kanye West is notorious for sampling artists such as Ray Charles, Daft Punk, Shaka Kahn, the list goes on.

I think in today's modern world, remixing art from prior artists whether it be music or visuals has become more popular and widely accepted in our cultures. One thing I really enjoyed about the documentary was the comparison and contrast of art from the 21st century to centuries prior.

Topic 2

Wikileaks is a very interesting topic, in my opinion I believe it is a good thing, however, only if the information being provided is credible, truthful and is not intended as a tool for propaganda. For example, in the TED interview with Wikileaks creator Julian Assange, his ability to leak information about the Kenyan government created political leverage and reshaped their election.

The current state of freedom of speech in America has been a major issue, especially since the advent of the internet. However, access to information or expression is the main agent for this epidemic. There a countless times I jump onto Facebook or Twitter and see events such as the Baltimore riots or the Eric Gardner case, stir up controversy by some average Joe ranting about societal issues.

Sensitivity!!

I'm sure you've seen a top comment on a Facebook post something along the lines of "What happened to freedom of speech?" Sensitivity, that's what happened! And although I agree that some people can say ignorant things, the fact of the matter is, freedom of speech is not what it use to be...because of the accessibility people have to information.

Just yesterday, ESPN's Radio, Colin Cowherd was fired due to his remarks on Major League Baseball. He stated that "Managing baseball isn't hard because 1/3 of the league are Dominicans" alluding to his point that people from the Dominican Republic were uneducated and easy to control. Sounds like freedom of speech...but when you're in a position or platform where your voice is easily broadcasted to millions of viewers, I think it's best to keep those thoughts to yourself, if you want to keep your job.

As the internet and social media begin to evolve, I feel as though it is almost impossible to regulate freedom of speech. Yeah...ok you might be able to flag or block an idiot from a forum but whose to say he/she won't just make another account and continue to troll? But back to my point Julian Assange said in his interview that access to information is human right, which is very true. I think all information regarding government activity should be available to the public because We The People have a right to know.

Fun questions!!

• Should we start teaching internet etiquette in public schools?
• Knowing how powerful the internet can be, how do think our founders of this country would rewrite the constitution? 

Blog Outline 

Describe:

On July 16^th at 8:00pm, I watched CNBC’s reality TV show, “The Profit” hosted by Marcus Lemonis. This particular episode involved Mr. Lemonis helping a customized drum company SJC Drums with their manufacturing and margin problems.  The main characters Mike and Scott are brothers and equity stakeholders.  The plot of the episode – a wealthy entrepreneur, Marcus Lemonis, comes into the struggling business headquarters and analyzes the business’s model. After a bad breakup between the brothers, Marcus helps Scott reemerge into the business and invests $400,000 into the company. After months of intensive repair, SJC Drums learns how to manufacture their products quicker and scale their business to make it profitable.  

           

After doing some research on The Profit, I actually found a couple articles raving about the show. Ken McCarthy, a television blogger wrote:

 “But good news…this show is the real deal.

 Why?

 Because, lo and behold, it’s not about celebrities. It’s not a dramatized corporate press release. It’s not CEO worship. It’s about a guy who goes into businesses, figures out how they work, and rolls up his sleeves and makes them more profitable.

What a concept! I don’t know why it took so long for something like this to hit the tube, but better late than never and I’m grateful for it.”

Realityblurred.com said:

“It’s a good fit for those who want entertainment, too, because the show, while it offers a lot of information about what makes effective businesses, is really compelling. Most of that is because you just don’t know how it’s going to end, because each story wraps up differently.”

Advertisements during the shows airtime varied. Some of the spots had local advertisements such as MOR “furniture for less” in Salem and another ad selling tickets for Portland Timber games. However, most of the commercials were just shows partnered by CNBC’s network such as Shark Tank, Texas Investors, etc. These repeated throughout the scheduled programming.

Analyze:

Due to the format of the show, there really isn’t a consistent attitude or style and locations of filming is determined by where each business is located. However, different episodes involving different businesses might attract a certain audience more so than others. For example, this episode regarding SJC Drums might attract the musical audience. But overall, I think the show in general, attracts anybody with an entrepreneurial spirit.

Despite the unique format of the show, there are both similarities and differences in comparison to other reality TV shows. I think the main similarity would be the production of the show. Filming and dialogue seem to have the typical reality entertainment approach, in each episode, including the one I viewed, had an antagonist and a hero. In the SJC Drums episode, Chris and his brother Scott are polar opposites; Chris being the stubborn co-owner, while Scott being the hero to save their business from closing. The difference I think would be the role that Marcus Lemonis plays in the series. As a mediator to struggling businesses, Lemonis’s tasks change the dynamic of the series in each episode. For example, some episodes Lemonis is hardly featured in it (even though it’s his show) because he’s simply an investor as opposed to other episodes were he’s fully engaged with the employees and the business’s rebuilding plans. Another thing I would say that is similar to other shows are the commercial breaks, almost every time there is a climatic event or exchange it cuts straight to commercial…a classic television technique to keep the viewer engaged and interested.

Evaluate:

As a fan of the show, I wouldn’t necessarily say there are any weaknesses because there aren’t any repetitive episodes. Every single business that Lemonis approaches has its own unique setting, which then, influences the dialogue of each episode. In contrast, I think one of the many strengths of the show is Lemonis himself. His honest and uncut manner makes the show very engaging. Furthermore, the show’s purpose of helping struggling businesses reflects real life issues. Unlike the Survivor, American Idol, Dancing with the Stars, etc. people aren’t getting voted off, there are no Hollywood actors or scripts, just hardworking people looking for alternatives to help either grow or maintain their business.

One author from Wallstreetoasis.com weighed in on his thoughts about the highly rated CNBC show, “Product, Process, and People. These are Marcus’ magical 3 P’s of analyzing and fixing a business. Some might say this is business 101 but I think there is a lot to learn from this mentality.”

            Again, unlike other reality shows, The Profit actually holds some value for real life situations, especially in business.

Engage:

I would say I watch The Profit about 2 to 3 times a week depending on my schedule. I’ve actually have gotten my fiancé interested in the show. As far as social media, I do not follow the shows Facebook or Twitter page, however, after looking at their social platforms, their pages seem up to date with all their episodes and advertisements. One thing I did like was that in some of their post, they take memorable quotes from certain episodes and use them as inspiration for their fan base.

Conclusion: 

After analyzing The Profit, it seemed pretty evident that the purpose of the show is to help inform, inspire and motivate people about their businesses. Even the ads during the scheduled programming were related to some type of business planning. Overall, the shows ability to help or entertain their targeted audience is what I found most significant. As a person who likes to consider himself an entrepreneur, The Profit has very useful tips and guidance for soon-to-be business owners.

Work Cited:

http://kenmccarthy.com/blog/the-new-entrepreneurs-show-on-cnbc-with-marcus-lemonis-the-profit

http://www.realityblurred.com/realitytv/2013/08/the-profit-marcus-lemonis-interview-review/

http://www.wallstreetoasis.com/blog/my-review-of-the-profitA

Targeted Advertising

JackThreads is an upcoming fashion company that has transcended to top in urban wear.  Their constant activity on social media platforms has been a main part of their rapid growth of customer loyalty and brand awareness. Currently, their Twitter page has 92,000 followers while their Facebook page has an impressive 777,000 likes. JackThreads constantly updates their social media with sales and offers affordable to both men and women. Their team and marketers are quick to catch early trends in the fashion world, making them a go to source for online shopping.

Their demographic for sales are both men and women from the ages of 15-30  - particularly college kids - who have a passion in urban fashion.  Targeting an audience of consumers  - already high strung on the latest trends - has proven to effective and successful do their business.

In Jeff Jarvis’s book “What Would Google Do” he explains that most companies need to see the “value in free.” I think in the case of JackThreads, they have implemented a marketing scheme comprehensive to Jarvis’s assessment. Their company does a great job in offering promotional codes that allow the customer to earn “Thread” points and potentially receive free clothing from their online store.

            Since working for a media company, I have found that understanding the value of free can be a benefit to your company or business. Most of what we do at our company (filming, photographs, social media auditing) comes with a subscription base fee, however, shooting promotional (free) content has allowed us to develop a relationship with potential customer prior to contracting.

            As an avid television watcher, I stumbled across two advertisements, one really great one, and one not so great. Dove’s #SpeakBeautiful Ad, displayed white bars of soap lined up as dominoes, these bars used tweets regarding low self-esteem. They ended their ad showing a blue bar of soap crashing into all the negative bars with a tweet reading “I am beautiful” there masterful ad ended with a slogan “It takes one positive tweet to start a trend”

In contrast, Jose Cuervo’s “1800” ad was very bland, there was no dialogue whatsoever and it seemed as though they tried to sell their alcohol beverage by ethos instead of quality of product. Famous actor, Ray Liotta, walks into a bar, a bartender pulls out a “less sophisticated” tequila. Liotta stares down the bartender as if he’s done something wrong. The bartender then pulls out the 1800 alcoholic beverage and pours it; Ray Liotta looks at the bartender then laughs. The ad ends with a slogan “Enough said.”

Analyzing both commercials, the Dove ad is targeting women from 13-60 years of age. This evidence is provided by a subtitle saying “ Hundreds of thousands women suffer from low self esteem.” The 1800 ad however, targets an audience of 21+ (It’s an alcoholic beverage)

The persuasive techniques in both ads seem very effective, however, the Dove commercial (stereotypes) was more successful because they used a relevant social platform (Twitter) to captivate their audience. In contrast, (Famous person testimonial) the 1800’s spokesman, Ray Liotta, is an older actor, who is not that relevant to the younger alcohol consumers.

Again, after reviewing both ads and analyzing their marketing tactics, the Dove #SpeakBeautiful ad stood out to me, simply because, their approach to integrate Twitter into their message was more effective and relevant.

Follow the leader

 Photo cred: @JoshHealy

The majority of people I know hate Twitter. They say "I have no followers, so it's boring" or "Why do I want to read a tweet about what someone ate this afternoon?" If you ask me, Twitter is an amazing social platform that allows information to be shared quicker than almost any other media outlet. 

Since their initial launch in 2007, I have been an avid user almost on a daily basis. With over 20,000 followers on my Twitter account, learning how to filter out all the extra information has been a challenge to say the least. Luckily, I've learned some helpful tools to help manipulate Twitter's algorithm and receive information only catered to my liking. Some of the accounts I like to follow are +WORLDSTARHIPHOP +HOT 97 and +Best Vines. For me, they're very current with the music industry, which is something I like to view when on Twitter. 

Clay Shirky's video "How social media can make history" is a compelling narrative. His assessment that social platforms such as Twitter and Facebook has shaped the landscape of media and news is very interesting and in my opinion, I'd strongly agree.

 In the 21st century, Social media has made a huge impact on politics in America. For example, the Baltimore riots back in April of earlier this year created a mass amount feedback from the American people, the riots created a lot of racial tension amongst our citizens involving black oppression and social injustice. 

During this time, there were many interesting tweets circulating around the Twitter world. One tweet that stood out to me was by celebrity and social activist @KillerMikeGTO he tweeted, "Repression breeds rebellion. U wanna stop riots? Stop poverty. Systematic racism. Stop police." Although the author of the tweet received plenty of backlash from the conservative party, his tweet was essentially an example of Clay Shirky's idea that anybody on a social media platform can voice their opinion on any social issue. This is something that wasn't available back in the 20th century....Yes, we are making history!!

One concept that really stood out for me from Jeff Jarvis's book "What Would Google Do" was the chapter New Economy: Small Is The New Big. This chapter and concept was very relatable to me because I work for a media company that helps small businesses grow. Our motive at my company Next Level Media is to inform small "mom and pop" businesses the importance of social media in the business world and help create content necessary for advertising.

 A long time ago, big businesses could out pay and out market the small business owners, now any company in today's world - small or big - can reach thousands, if not million of potential customers from social platforms. 

Just last week I contracted with a birthing center, their company used Google Ads to market their business, however, despite paying $300 a month on weekly advertising, their site and business did not see exponential growth. I am currently working on a business plan to update their content and audit their Facebook and Instagram traffic. My goal is to hopefully gain brand awareness in the maternal community through commercial advertising. In essence, Jarvis's concept that small business can compete with the big businesses with social media tools is very true. 

Internet arguments: "Anyone can say anything on the internet".......and your point is? 

Jeff Jarvis's response to the aforementioned argument is very accurate. The internet exercises our first amendment rights to the fullest. Just like I mentioned earlier in this blog, the Baltimore riots created a massive debate regarding social injustice and black oppression. Whether you chose to empathize with the rioters or disagree with their actions, many of us looked to Facebook or Twitter to express our feelings towards the event. 

Looking at each assessments from both Shirky and Jarvis, it is clear to me to see the comparisons  that the internet has revolutionized the ability for each and every individual to express themselves whether it be in a personal or business manner.