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Friday, August 29, 2008

Understanding the Work Behind a Brand Manager or Planner

One of the major concerns around brand managing or planning is the complexity of it all. Or at least that many people shy away from it because of the readable difficulty. However, we may have the solution by explaining how it works, some of the daily routines, the payscale, and of course anything else we can find to make things easier on you. Below you will find information pertaining to all these aspects and hopefully make you feel more comfortable about this industry.

What Is Brand Managing

Without overwhelming you with big fancy words and guidelines, this is a way to market specific products building value overtime. Just think of it like building a reputation in an industry and making a name for yourself or whatever business endeavor your involved in either offline or online. Once you have your brand in place, then it's time to move to the next level and make sure it stays yours and not someone elses.

Proven Methods to Make a Brand Name

In order to come up with what you want, it starts with a brainstorming process. Coming up with a name is a lot more difficult then most people imagine, but there are methods and techniques a person can use to get ahead of the game. For instance, you want to come up with a something that is easy to pronounce, easy to remember, and easy to recognize. If at all possible your brand name should be one word.

Why? Well, think about it for a minute. It doesn't matter if you are building an online business or an offline business all the great companies have one name. Great examples for online ones are Google, Yahoo, MySpace, Facebook, or even ESPN. Okay, MySpace is two words, but they are joined together into one. The point is these are all easy to remember, pronounce, and of course recognize everywhere.

Car manufacturers are another prime example of how single brand names can be beneficial. Ford, Honda, Acura, Toyota, and many others have kept single names on the forefront for decades. Coincidence? No. There is a secret behind the madness, which is why all major companies in various industries dawn a one name title. Sports shoes like Reebok, Nike, and Adidas to colognes and perfumes.

Challenges to Overcome

One of the biggest challenges to overcome is always thinking short-term. Many brand names come out with products that will only have a shelf-life for a certain amount of time. However, we suggest spending the extra time to find something that is going to last for generations. If you need some examples we have plenty. Games like Monopoly, Scrabble, and various others similar have stood the tests of time and continue to produce revenue annually. Something to think about anyways.

Another issue that could come to pass is the vast amount of objectives you'll run into everyday. The best way to deal with these is to put yourself in the shoes of consumers and think about all the questions they will ask. This is especially important on a corporate level due to the questions that will arise from the powers-to-be. Definitely one of the most difficult aspects to being a brand manager.

Knowing Everyone's Job

This is the most frustrating part of being a brand manager. Not only will you have to integrate your own skills into planning, you will also have to know the strategies of everyone above you. How more complex can job get then trying to innovate in your own section, but still have to adhere to everyone else's. So the more knowledge you have about a particular area the better.

The Overall Analogy

When it comes down to it, the major competent is whether or not you are up to the challenge. As a brand manager you can expect to have highly stressful days, especially if you are taking on various projects to a specific job at the same time. Fortunately though, we know it can be done and a person can become very successful. In fact making yourself a great analyzer to trends, plus going over activities and strategies could easily garner six figure incomes. The only thing you have to do is decide whether or not this type of industry is for you.

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Tuesday, August 19, 2008

How to Become an Art Director

If your goal is to become an art director it is important to consider many things. You should have an educational background in art and create a good work experience in the fields also. There are many different fields of art you might consider and many things you will need to do.

If you want to become an Art Director you must begin by thinking as a Director. There are several fields of art you want to think about. These fields include marketing, Internet, theater, film, and television. You should become versed in all of these fields the best that you can. As a director you will be in charge of all of the different fields. You may have a specialty but you will need to know each of these fields very well. You will be in charge of all of these different fields and the people who are managing them. It will be your responsibility to ensure everything is running properly for each department.

You should have a specialty as an Art Director. Specialties can include things like art design, photography, stage craft, graphic design, website design, and more. The most important thing about a specialty is that you will get your foot in the door to a business or a school. You should have one thing that you do best and that you focus on. Even though you are versed in all of these subjects you should be almost an expert at one of these specialties.

When your goal is to become an Art Director you need to be working on your specialty all of the time. You should try and find work in your specialty to become a professional at it. This specialty cannot be a hobby that you do while your employment is in another field. You might make no money at all and be very poor for a long time but eventually it will pay off. It is important to build the work experience in the field of your specialty. As you build the work experience you need to be networking with as many people you possibly can in the same field. This will help you meet people who need your services. This will help you generate revenue and build a name for yourself. Networking is the best thing you can do because people will refer work to you and you will build up a good set of references too.

When you want to be an Art Director you should begin to build a portfolio of your efforts and your best work. If you have work that you don't think is so great you should still include it because someone else may find it fantastic. Include everything in your portfolio and be sure that it is not all the same but unique in their own sense.

When you begin the process of looking for work as an Art Director you should put a list together of the names of people in the industry you know that you can ask for a job. These people should be well established and doing well. Think about the places you aspire to work and if you see yourself working there in the future. You should call these people and ask them for an interview. You can put together a resume but you can also call them and talk on the phone. This is more personal, especially if you already know them. You can bypass the resume process and just talk to them.

It is important to be clear to the people you are interviewing with that your goal is to be the Art Director. Before you go to your interview you might want to practice with a friend answering questions about art and why you are the right candidate for the position. You might not fully be qualified for an Art Director position but you have put the idea in the interviewer's mind that the Director position is where you want to be. This means that they could place you in a position that would eventually advance to the Director.

When you attend the interviews for the Art Director or a step down position you need to be as honest as possible. Don't be afraid to ask questions. You should ask as many questions as possible. Do not walk away wondering anything. Remember to be clear that your ultimate goal is to be the Art Director. Although, you might be interviewing for a photographer position they will know your interest.

The most important thing to remember when you want to be an Art Director is that you are looking for the right place to work. Although you have an interview there is no reason to be nervous. You need to find the job that is right for you. Be sure you want to work for the company you are interviewing with and if you think you would like the people you would be working with. It is very important to take your time in deciding which company is the right choice for you.

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Friday, August 15, 2008

Facts about Being an On Air Announcer

Whether you're keeping commuters entertained as a personable voice on the radio or you are calling the shots on a television program, being an on air announcer can give you a chance to reach a wide audience and to do something that can be a lot of fun. However, before you decide that this is a job to pursue you may need to do a little legwork and find out all of the facts. You might just find that being the voice of the media isn't quite what you'd hoped. On the other hand, you might also discover it's the perfect career for you.

What to Expect in the Job

Being an on air announcer isn't going to involve just reading off cue cards. Although you may be expected to read some pre-written material, that's not all your job is going to entail. Depending on the specific position you are offered, you may need to do research and write your own material. That means you might want to work on more than just your verbal communication skills.

You're also going to need to be ready to make off-the-cuff and ad-lib commentary on a regular basis. Most on air announcers don't know what's coming next so they can't always prepare in advance with a funny line or a colorful turn of the phrase. These are things you have to be ready to shoot out without any preparation.

On the bright side, you're also going to have a better chance of working in your community. If you’re on a local station, for example, you will probably become a celebrity in your area after working for a little while.

However, you also need to be prepared for the real demands of working in the media. Although there are some high points, you're going to end up working irregular hours. You may end up being hired for the early shift that will require you to be up and working before dawn. When you start out, you'll probably be the one assigned to weekend and holiday shifts.

And don't forget the pressure of the deadlines. If you're given an assignment to do on-air, it had better be ready or you're going to be the one who ends up embarrassed.

The Career's Pay & Future

The good news is that these announcers do end up earning a pretty decent living. Most average around $40,000 a year. However, if you are involved as a news analyst you could earn as much as $70,000 per year. These salaries would put you right at or above the median income levels in the United States. That’s not bad for a fun job.

Now, we have to talk about the bad news. According to the United States Department of Labor, the need for on air announcers is going to decrease between 2006 and 2016. The main reason is technology and mergers. When local stations were opened and operated locally, on air personalities were hired from within the community and that meant jobs were available all over the country. Today, many local stations are owned by media conglomerates that create the shows and programs and distribute them to all of the stations in order to cut down on the necessary staff and to save money.

As a result, the competition for announcer positions is going to be fierce even if you're lucky enough to find some openings at the local level. If none are available, you may need to relocate to a larger market in order to get your foot in the door.

Preparing for a Career as an Announcer

Experience is going to be crucial if you want to land one of these coveted spots. However, you won't be able to get experience until you've done some actually media work. One of the best ways to get this experience is by pursuing a degree in communications or broadcast journalism. Make sure the college you choose has a radio or television station that you can work at while completing your degree.

Before you finish school, be sure to pick up an internship. These programs give you hands-on training in the area you want to pursue so they are extremely valuable. Plus, you can use the experience to make connections which could help you land a job.

Having a great voice is also going to be useful. If you're not born with great speaking ability, practice will improve the situation. Consider working with a voice coach or a speech teacher to improve your delivery and to make sure that your announcing voice will impress hiring managers.

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