17th Career Day Draws Students from Tri-State Area

What did Ingrid Bernstein, Director of Creative and Strategy at iDeutsch, say to nearly 400 students from New Jersey and environs colleges about the world of advertising, marketing and communications on Ad Club’s 17th Career Day event held at Montclair State University October 27?

“We are an integrated agency,” she said, “people who work together. We create business solutions, not advertising solutions, and we give our clients a full range of ideas and strategies that answers the questions where does the money go and what does it do.” She called it “communications architecture.”

What is a Brand to iDeutsch?
She says a brand is a set of shared values, a concept we call brandtailing.

Strolling down the models’ runway, Alan Snitow described the repositioning of Mitchum, a sluggish performing male antiperspirant. “We look at the values crucial to the target audience. Human is spoken here,” he admits, “not navel gazing. We needed to write for real people — people speaking to people where conversation leads to engagement.”

To solve the problem, “we used metrics that matter. How do you measure this? How do you define what you want your success to be — like the 30-minute delivery time for Domino’s Pizza? Mitchum,” he said, “was uncool, with sales plummeting for an audience that ranged from 18-49. We did ethnographic research,” the anthropology major told the college seniors.

“We went to guys’ homes. Sat with them, learned about them, talked to their wives, friends, kids and neighbors. We had to create a change in self-perception. These guys knew they were husbands and dads, but we discovered they had never outgrown being guys.

“We needed to indulge the inner guy — get in touch with him. The pitch — we understand you.”

Zany Heads
Among the zany headlines: If you know the inside fly rule, then you’re a Mitchum Man. If you know the rules of urinal spacing, you’re a Mitchum Man. If ménage à trois is the only French you know, then you’re a Mitchum Man. Added to the ads were a world beard and moustache contest and a catalog that listed items Mitchum Men need, especially including a (green) Karate belt. The strategy worked.

Teen-Focused chicklets
Other campaigns were a rebranding of Chicklets to 12- to 19-year-olds. It too was successful and got kids to think chicklets are cool. This campaign used the same approach — get inside the adolescents’ souls, “miserable kids seeking a new sensation and the answer to the age old question ‘who am I?’”

Breakout Sessions Best Ever
Overheard at several Ad Club member water coolers was the same refrain. “The breakout sessions were the best yet,” with students spilling out into the hallways, asking the right questions, seriously interested in the experts seated before them. Each 45-minute session included Agency Management, Marketing, Internet, Public Relations, Media, plus Creative and Production. Experts from agencies throughout the state sat on the six panels.

Sandra Podesta
Sandra Podesta, author with Andrea Paxton of 201 Killer Cover Letters, mesmerized the packed Student Center Ballroom with her wit and insights in how to get responses from job inquires.

She said the cover letter is 80% of the package, the resume only 20%. “Send ten letters a day, follow up and remember that even if you get nine negative responses and one yes, you’re ahead of the game.”

Fashion Show With Student Models
Students modeled business fashions from Annie Sez and Men’s Wearhouse, while a Job Fair and portfolio and resumé review followed the formal portion of the event.

Chair of the annual Career Day is Anna D’Elia of Block Advertising.
MSU coordinator is Dr. Ralph DiPietro. Student president of the MSU Marketing Association is Dalandra Barton.

return to December 2005 Adtalk