STEPHANIE'S BLOG

Years ago, I was standing on the subway platform patiently waiting for my train to arrive. A train pulls up to the platform but it wasn't the one I needed. Good thing too because dozens of people rushed into the train car and packed it to maximum capacity -- I mean, noone else could possibly fit on that car unless they wanted to be squished and inhaling another passenger's armpits for the next ten minutes. Anyway, I spotted a thirty-something-year-old female wearing a business suit and those high heels with the really pointy toes get her heel toe caught in between the subway doors. I stared at her in awe like, "omg.. what if the train starts to move.. she'd probably be dragged down the platform." A thirty-something-year-old man steps up behind her and grabs the doors and pries them open just enough for her to remove her toe. I stared at them like, "Love story, love story! He just saved her life!" But instead, the woman said a flustered "Thank you" and the man kept walking. Oh well, a hopeless romantic can dream.

I have a weird anxiety about train tracks. I hate driving over them, standing next to them, thinking about them, writing this post about them, everything! But here on Long Island, the train is sometimes the most convenient way to get around. Especially living so close to NYC, the train and the subway are modes of transportation I use quite often. So I suck it up and wait on the platform, a foot away from tons and tons of metal and electricity screeching and thrashing down the tracks at 50 miles per hour. Yikes!

Two days ago, a 58-year-old man was pushed on the subway tracks in New York and was killed by an oncoming train. The man tried to climb his way back onto the platform, but he really didn't have much of a chance with that course of action because the train was coming too fast for him to pull himself up. Knowing me and my weak arms, I would never be able to pull myself up onto the platform if I fell into the tracks. 

So what are my other options then? Laying down in the middle of the tracks hoping that there's enough clearance for the train to pass right over you? What about holding your breath, sucking in your stomach, wishing you hadn't had Shake Shack for lunch, and trying to flush your body against the wall beneath the platform edge? Hmm. Those don't sound like reliable options to me and I'd probably be in too much of a panic to even think of anything to do except stand there in shock thinking about how my worst nightmare has come true.

Last year, a subway conductor started a IAmA on Reddit to answer questions about his profession. His answers have since been deleted (MTA's idea?) but he did  provide replies that solved a lot of Redditors' questions. The one I was most interested in particular was, "What to do if you fall in the tracks?" The conductor answered:

The best thing you can do is run as far down the platform as you can (in the opposite direction from where the train enters the station) and wave your arms frantically to get the train operator and passenger's attention. Believe me, the passengers WILL be doing the exact same thing, as nobody wants to see you get run over and their train get delayed. If you can get to the far end of the platform, it gives the train more room to stop, and there is a ladder at the end of each platform where you can climb back up — do NOT try to climb up from where you are. So many people have been killed trying to jump back up rather than getting away from the entrance end of the station.

Do NOT trust the pits between the tracks —- they are often right next to the third rail which can be just as dangerous (and note that the wooden planks are not designed to hold a human's weight - they are there to protect the energized rail from drips and weather) and the train operator is less likely to see you if you're in there. And don't duck under the train, because most stations do not have enough clearance for the average human.And do NOT jump down onto the tracks to try to save someone else. The best thing you can do is run on the platform towards the tunnel where the train enters so you can get the operator's attention sooner. Waving your arms over the tracks will tell the operator to stop immediately.

Alcohol is a large and influential part of American culture. I know because I work at the liquor store and I see the hoards of people that frequent the store and buy bottles upon bottles of wine and liquor everyday. Not only that, but the bar culture for young adults is huge and almost seen as a "normal" part of weekend life.

I recently read an article analyzing the refusal of alcohol as a social taboo. As if saying no to a drink offer makes you strange and, God forbid, different from "everyone" else. At 21, we think we are past the age of peer pressure and "everyone is doing it" but it has only just begun because, culturally, getting drunk when it finally becomes legal to you is the social norm and deciding what bar to go to or what drink to order once you're there is the only thing that should be on your mind on Friday evenings. Hmm.

Society's view of abstention from alcohol as being abnormal tends to alienate people who choose not to drink.  

A non-drinker states, "The worst part about not drinking is having to tell people you don't drink." 

The article brought up very interesting points and posed the question: "why is it so wrong for someone not to want to drink?"

I mean, maybe they're tired of hangovers, or doing foolish things in a drunken stupor, or they're trying to cut back on spending. Maybe they see the harming effects of alcohol on the liver and kidneys and want to maintain their health. Maybe they just don't like it and don't want to drink. Either way, staying away from liquor and "drinking responsibly" shouldn't be seen as taboo, but instead as a homage to moderation and self-control.

The drinking culture in America (and in most countries around the world) is HUGE and there are thousands of varieties of wine, beer, and spirits across the world. Some people even go so far as to make homemade concoctions. Alcohol is clearly not going anywhere and Americans know that the failed attempt made at prohibition in the 1920's only worsened the consequences of alcohol abuse.

There is no dependable way to curb drinking in American culture and the best thing that the government can do is put disclaimers on alcohol products, such as the Surgeon General's warning on drinking during pregnancy. Even without government regulations, it is clear that alcohol companies recognize that a situation where there is excessive drinking can quickly turn into something dangerous. To manage issues that may be detrimental to its business, many alcohol companies are including their own disclaimer, the well-known phrase "Please Drink Responsibly."  

More recently, alcohol brands are getting creative with their slogans such as Ciroc's "Celebrate Life Responsibly" and Captain Morgan's "Drink Responsibly--Captain's Orders."  Other creative slogans include Jameson Whiskey's "Taste Responsibly, Absolut's "Enjoy With Absolut Responsibility," Grey Goose's "Sip Responsibly," Bacardi's "Party Together Responsibly," and Jose Cuervo's "Please Fiesta Responsibly."

The United States government does not require alcohol companies to include the slogan on their advertisements, so why does it seem like every company does so anyway? 

The most interesting report I've come across is from AlcoholJustice.org which criticizes the "drink responsibly" slogan as a twist by alcohol companies to market its products. The Alcohol Justice Organization theorizes that the slogan is used as a public relations tactic to "enhance corporate images... strengthen brand preference, deflect blame, and diminish support for external regulation."

They believe that "companies use 'drink responsibly' messages to essentially excuse the pro-drinking, pro-brand themes of the alcohol ads" and that the slogans "function solely to promote, grow loyalty to and build credibility for alcohol brands."

Another study on social aspects and drinking concludes that the marketing of beverage alcohol products is "not just about recruiting new drinkers, but also about promoting a public discourse in which alcohol is 'normalized' as part of everyday life." 

Including creative disclaimers on alcohol products and advertising is definitely a smart idea that alcohol companies can do to deflect blame for negative impacts of alcohol consumption. As a field that I am particularly interested in, public relations plays a very influential role in shaping society's views and, if a brand includes some kind of variety of the "please drink responsibly" trend, the brand is on course to maintaining a more positive reputation. It seems potentially harmful to be the only liquor brand that is not advertising responsible drinking so brands are quickly jumping on the bandwagon. Not only that, but liquor companies are definitely fearing a similar kind of moral and health regulation that now surrounds the tobacco industry. It is important for a product that does more harm than good to continually work towards building and maintaining a positive reputation.

Maybe it's time for liquor brands to take it a step further than just including a three word disclaimer in the fine print of their advertisements. One company that is serious about taking it a step further is Absolut. The vodka brand encourages consumers to "Recognize the Moment" because "it's not enough to slap a label on the bottle that says drink responsibly." Despite their campaign being a bit poorly done, (Look at these videos! They're interviewing people at a loud party, and some of them seem a tad bit drunk already!) good for them for trying to stay ahead of the game.

It's more than halfway through November, the leaves on the trees are falling, the air is getting more and more crisp and cold, the pumpkin spice latte trend will soon be over and replaced with eggnog and gingerbread, the men will soon shave their beards and moustaches --- wait, what? Yep, that's what I meant. The end of November also means the end of Movember, the annual month-long event involving the growing of moustaches during the month of November to raise awareness of prostate cancer and other male cancer and associated charities. 

I finally received my "Surprise Apparel" from ModCloth. The dress made its way through Hurricane Sandy on time and without damage to the package one bit. Remember, I paid $15 for the item with $4 shipping? Well, I received a dress retailing at about $80 USD (which is a pretty good deal!)  The original link to the dress on the ModCloth website can be found here but it is no longer available to ModCloth shoppers.  If you want to buy the dress, you need to look elsewhere -- ASOS is also selling the dress and I'm sure there are other online shops out there that have it too. 

My thoughts on the surprise apparel are mixed.  At first, I wasn't too excited about my surprise just because I didn't think the dress was my style. However, the dress has a removable bow and, without the bow, it fits me more comfortably. Also, I used the Clothing Swap group on Facebook to see if I can exchange with someone else and get a dress that I liked better, but I didn't end up finding anyone I was willing to swap with.  The Facebook group is "okay" but a lot of the other swappers were trying to trade in old and cheap clothing that would be better off donated to the needy. For example, people were looking to trade in wrinkled t-shirts and worn in shoes. For an $80 dress? I think not. 

Anyway, I'm thinking of keeping the dress now. It seemed to be highly coveted by a lot of the swappers in the Facebook group and it made me realize the dress' value. Also, I thought of ways to make the dress more of my style -- like pairing it with colorful tights or a slouchy cardigan. For less than $20, I think it's worth it to keep it around, even if it's not my most favorite item I own. Will I participate in the ModCloth Surprise Apparel promotion again? Probably not. But that's not a definite, if I ever have some extra money to spend then I might not mind giving it another shot.

BevMax Of Franklin Square To Hold Coat And Warm Clothing Drive For Those Affected By Hurricane Sandy

November 6, 2012 -- Franklin Square, NY -- Due to the devastation caused by super storm Sandy this past week, many homes along or near the south shore of Long Island have been flooded, destroyed, or left without power. Temperatures are dropping below thirty degrees and people are struggling to keep warm without electricity. Worse yet, many people have lost completely their homes and belongings, including clothing that will protect them from the cold weather. BevMax (Plaza) Liquors of Franklin Square, NY is reaching out to victims of Hurricane Sandy by collecting coats, hats, gloves, scarves, and warm clothing such as sweatshirts and sweatpants.

All donations are being collected in the store, located at 740 Franklin Ave, Franklin Square, NY 11010. From there, the donations are being sent to a local church which will distribute the clothing directly to hurricane victims in need. As of now, BevMax has received dozens of warm clothing and coats but our efforts have not yet ceased. We are especially looking for warm clothes for babies and toddlers as well as baby supplies such as diapers and wipes. If you have anything to donate, please do not hesitate to come to the store and drop it off. Donating warm clothing is the least we can do to help and even one coat, or one pair of gloves, or one hat can make a world of difference to somebody left out in the cold from the hurricane.

About Hurricane Sandy

This just in! Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream has released a new LIMITED EDITION flavor and they aren't telling us where to get it! The flavor is Cannoli and it consists of "mascarpone ice cream with fudge covered cannoli pastry shell chunks and a mascarphone swirl!" Wow! This stuff sounds delicious and, according to the number of Facebook "likes" the announcement for the release has received, I'm not the only one who thinks so. In fact, over 17,000 people's mouths have watered over the idea of tasting this limited flavor.

So what's the deal with this flavor? Why aren't they telling us where to get it? Is this a publicity stunt or is Ben & Jerry just playing around with us? Apparently, Ben & Jerry claim that they need to enlist the help of ice cream lovers nationwide to scour their local supermarkets and report on whether or not they can find the flavor. Talk about a Willy Wonka golden ticket moment! The only exception, there is no golden ticket. Welcome to the social media era because all you get is a hashtag (surprise!) and, I guess, the satisfaction of knowing that you're the first person to find and report the flavor. If you find the flavor, tweet the location with #FindCannoli or, if you're not particular to Twitter, you can use this map to report where you found it instead. 

Halloween is quickly approaching and I've been noticing tons of companies launching new marketing campaigns related to the yearly holiday. One promotion that caught my eye is Chipotle's "Boorito 2012" which is an annual fundraiser that benefits the Chipotle Cultivate Foundation. The foundation is dedicated to creating a more sustainable and healthful food supply as well as raising awareness concerning food issues. So how do you participate? Just go to Chipotle after 4pm on Halloween and receive a $2.00 burrito, bowl, salad, or an order of tacos. The proceeds (up to $1 million) will benefit the foundation.

But that's not all! There is a costume contest! According to the contest rules all you have to do is take a picture of yourself wearing your Halloween costume inside or in front of a Chipotle restaurant and submit it to chipotle.com/boorito by November 2nd. The Grand Prize winner will receive $2,500; 5 runner ups will receive $1,000; and 20 "runner-runner" ups will receive a burrito party for ten at the Chipotle of their choice. Judging will be by public vote until 50 finalists are chosen. The finalist entries will be judges by a panel of Sponsor-selected judges under the following criteria: Best Depiction of Halloween (40%), Originality/Creativity (40%), and Votes Received (20%). Winners will be chosen on November 12, 2012.

I just came across this really fun promotion that ModCloth is doing: "Stylish Surprise Apparel!" According to their website, for just $15 (plus $4 shipping) you get a  mystery item retailing from $29.99 to $249.99. All you have to do is select your size, add the secret item to your shopping bag, then check out. I was intrigued by this offer because, no matter what, you are going to get a discount on an item and ModCloth has some pretty cute fashion items.  However, if you don't get an item that you particularly like, you can't return it because it's FINAL SALE ONLY. 

Apparently, this isn't the first time that ModCloth has run this promotion. According to my research on Facebook, some women have received great items like summer shirts, beautiful dresses, adorable skirts, warm coats, and cashmere sweaters. On the other hand, some women received items that they didn't particularly enjoy. Supposedly, there is a group on Facebook where you can post your surprise and trade with other disappointed girls who didn't like their surprises either -- I can't seem to find the link to the group but several people have mentioned that there is one (SEE EDIT BELOW).

Well, here goes -- I just ordered my surprise item so we'll see in "4-9 business days" what it is !!!

Last weekend I met up with some friends from college and we traveled into New York City to see a haunted house and go to a few bars and catch up. The haunted house was in SoHo so we had to take the subway there from Penn Station. I bought a Metrocard from Penn Station and, to my surprise, the card wasn't the same ol' yellow card I get every time I buy a Metrocard.  I looked closer and noticed that it was actually an advertisement for Gap and its new store on 34th & Broadway.  Not only that, BUT the card comes with a 20% store discount for the any Gap store! 

As a recent graduate in a down economy finding a full-time job in my field has been difficult.  To pass the time and to earn money during my job search I took up a part-time position at a local liquor retailer in my town.  Believe it or not, working at the liquor store has taught me a lot about PR, marketing, and advertising.  For example, we receive all kinds of promotional material from big liquor and wine brands that we put on display around the store.  This week, we have a new display (which I call the "Gothic Pinnacle Dominatrix Banner") hanging right above the doorway. Standing at the register and having to stare at this poster all day got me to thinking about Pinnacle's motives in their campaign. For the U.S. at least, Pinnacle's claim to fame is its "whipped" vodka which is a pretty good tasting vodka with a whipped cream flavor.  Mixing this vodka with ginger ale gives you a cream soda flavor and mixing it with orange juice gives you creamsicle.  But really Pinnacle?  The girl on this banner looks extremely uncomfortable (and kind of scary) as she straddles the vodka bottle and the tagline "Whip It Good" has nothing to do with the product.  

Type: Classroom Project for COMM4930W - Public Relations Writing

Task: Create a media kit using one of the three ideas given by my professor or come up with a company on your own.

Type: Classroom Project for COMM4800 - Communication Processes in Advertising

Task: Develop an advertising and marketing campaign to introduce Arcade44's launch of their video blog website.

Overview: Given the task to develop a campaign for Arcade44's new website, a group of four and I delved into this project by doing extensive research on Arcade44's target audience and offerings. We discovered the target audience to be young urban students, often notoriously dubbed as "hipsters." Through our research we found out that the target audience is intrigued by all things artistic, musical, and fashionable in each and every unique way. As a group, we worked together to create a campaign focused around culture and what the word symbolizes to each individual within the target market.

Type: Classroom Project for COMM4800 - Communication Processes in Advertising

Task: Develop a mock advertising and marketing campaign for Motorola's XOOM tablet

Overview: Given the task to develop a campaign for the new Motorola XOOM, a group of four and I began brainstorming ideas and concepts based on research done to determine Motorola's company background, target audience, competition, and more. We worked together to create a campaign which included several marketing elements such as a creative brief, a SWOT analysis, a campaign timeline, a communications mix, and a competitive analysis. Our research and team dynamic allowed for the creation of print advertisements, an online commercial, a college campus tour with an accompanying website, and a unique presentation/pitch using a powerpoint slideshow.