What an inspiring day Tuesday has proven to be. I feel I've been suffering a bit from post christmas syndrome and the January blues, but today after attending a talk by Sir John Hegarty, I'm feeling rather more optimistic! With a great, packed out studio, with thumping music and spotlights, sir john made a great entrance!
I'm three months from graduating and the scary reality of finding my first job in the industry will soon smack me right in face. Its a bit worrying. The first year out of Uni will be a hard enough slog as it is, but, and it seems an overly used excuse now, but the credit crunch might make the journey harder. But with johns wise words Im feeling a little more enthusiastic.
Here's a few bits i particularly liked:
THE POWER OF ADVERTISING- the power of advertising comes from getting a complex problem and reducing it down. Find that core message. Simplicity is often obvious to others but the hardest thing to achieve.
THE POWER OF IDEAS- advertisers with have the power to "change the world"- a pretty power job!
He gave a nice quote " the most valuable real estate in the world is a corner is someone's mind". In that case i reckon advertising is probably the richest career ever!
THE POWER OF STRATEGY- Inspire them to come to the right place.
THE POWER OF FAME- Its about not who buys the product but targeting everyone that knows about the product. You can never really define a "target audience"
THE POWER OF TRUTH- " this is the most powerful strategic tool you can use"
THE POWER OF IRREVERENCE- a great ad can challenge peoples views and the status Quo
THE POWER OF PRODUCT DEMONSRATION- "make the product the hero"
After his presentation a few questions were fired at him. One in particular sparked this response, which i thought was a fantastic interpretation of the advertising process. This in particular applies to men. Sir John compared the industry as the closest thing men can get to child birth. He continued to back this claim up by saying that firstly it is a struggle to produce an idea, then when it is born you have to neuter the idea and watch it develop and grow to how you envisioned! However many women who have actually given birth, at this point in the presentation, may in fact of thrown 5000 dagger eyes at him.
He also talked of how he thinks many creative careers have a life span of about 10 years- *gulp* His view on this was that he believed that many creative do not keep an open and enquiring mind, which leads to them fizzling away. Much like any artist or musician have the same career span if they don't develop or change with the times. Only those that do keep this state of mind succeed to further years in the industry. I wonder how true this is!?
Well on with the portfolio and DANAD. We have a few placement interviews lined up in London in February.
I will leave you with Sir John himself talking about digital advertising in his famous suit! Of which i can claim to have seen now!
2 comments:
Isn't he amazing? He came to UCLan to speak to us as 3rd years way back when, and left us all feeling inspired. Just the way he talks makes it sound so simple, and makes you more determined to put what he says into practice. If only he'd been our tutor for the whole 3 years, I think more of us would've come out with higher degrees!
Good luck for the final stretch of your course. Best advice I can give you based on my class last year is time management! Your tutors are probably saying this all the time, but it can so easily be your un-doing if you don't plan and then stick to it.
Speaking as someone struggling to get a job in an agency, the recession is certainly making it a lot more difficult. Just remember that a price can never be put on great ideas, and regardless of budgets, if you can do something amazing and unique, you will be taken on eventually, it's just a matter of sticking with it!
Hope it all goes well for you!
Hey Em,
How are things going - did you ever hear anything from Iris in the end?
Things are all pretty hectic i'm guessing!
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