Vitamin IMC: The Essential Nutrient for Healthy Marketers

By Daniel HindinIf there wasn’t already enough motivation for marketers to hop on the IMC bandwagon, the explosion of social media over the last several years has brought IMC to the forefront of the marketing conversation once again. I was recently interviewed for an article...

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By Megan O'MalleyA new ad creation interface from Visible World is breathing new life into the good ol’ 30-second spot. Not only can clients use the resource to create ads from a selection of scenes and content in a matter of seconds, they can also instantly...

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By Ashley Graves and Anne Mahoney Tweet. Blog. Build an online personal brand. Most professionals seeking work in the digital media landscape have often heard that advice. As many things are, it’s often easier said than done. What should I tweet or blog about? How...

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Vitamin IMC is pleased to announce our first panel event on Monday, May 17th at 3 p.m. featuring a number of distinguished speakers and topics to fuel your job search! The goal of this panel is to give you insight on how to utilize social media networks...

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A Conversation with David Dreyer of TBWA\CHIAT\DAY In January, Vitamin IMC ran a post about Pepsi’s decision to spend millions on a program called the Pepsi Refresh Project instead of investing in its traditional Super Bowl advertising spots. Little did we know that the concept was developed...

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By Ashley GravesDraftFCB CMO Michael Fassnact said in his Ad Age editorial, "The Death of Consumer Segmentation," earlier this month that the traditional way of segmenting customers is most likely dying, or at least becoming less useful. Segmentation is still important to the analysis of huge...

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By Susan MonahanIt’s the perfect Saturday afternoon, and you’ve stopped to pick up some beer on your way to a barbecue. There in the store, you decide you’ll show up with something different, fresh and cool. But what to choose? MillerCoors hopes you’ll grab Colorado Native,...

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By Pooja RanganathanA few days ago, Avinash Kaushik and David Hughes published a post on Customer Lifetime Value. David was kind enough to provide a downloadable Excel template to get readers started on their own LTV analysis. The post and the worksheet provided a perfect opportunity for us...

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By Anne MahoneyWalmart’s pricing strategy of everyday low, low, sometimes unbelievably low prices has earned it high points in customer loyalty, according to a new survey. But does this loyalty translate into true affection, or will the retailer lose its golden product retrievers to a new master once...

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By Lavanya Ashokkumar Think global, act local. The “glocal” approach to marketing is an effective way for brands to stay focused on the consumer in worldwide markets. KitKat, one of the world’s best-selling chocolate brands, launched several varieties of its famous crème-filled...

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By Megan O'MalleyThe front row seats at New York Fashion Week this year weren’t filled with the usual suspects. A new generation of style bloggers and influential social media gurus are gaining access to the coveted front row as the world of fashion marketing is going digital. Just...

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By Susan MonahanWhether they’re Farmville addicts or Guitar Heroes, marketers of all kinds can reach game lovers with the right interactive element. Within a hit-based industry that continues to consolidate, what opportunities lie ahead for marketers to work with games? As part of Medill IMC’s Professional...

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By Johnny SchroepferFoursquare is one of the best iPhone applications to date. The idea is simple: check-in on your mobile device at various restaurants, clubs or stores to receive points, unlock badges and even become “mayor” of the venue. Foursquare also encourages competition amongst your friends to see who...

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By Mike WithamAmerican Apparel is no stranger to leveraging sex in advertising. Their latest contest titled “Best bottom in the World” gave another example of how the brand is managing to build its identity by pushing the envelope. In the contest, American Apparel invited women and...

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By Johnny SchroepferLast summer I came across an iPhone 3GS application called Layar, the first mobile augmented reality application. While the actual development of the app was still in beta testing, the concept was impressive and the potential possibilities it offered brands was interesting. Augmented reality (AR)...

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By Pooja RanganathanIMC ’01 alum Becca Martin was on campus at Medill last week to give a presentation about the marketing communications functions at McDonald’s. As the senior communications manager, Becca handles projects with McDonald’s’ internal communications initiative. This is a massive enterprise as the company has nearly...

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By Daniel HindinWhat is IMC and how is it different than traditional marketing? We Medill IMCers get this question a lot. Part of what sets our graduate program apart is the diversity of knowledge we develop. By the time I graduate this December, I expect to...

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By Brad MildWe can all think back to a time when our parents would sit down with a Sunday paper, pull out the coupon insert and begin to snip out one promotion at a time. Then, they would place the clips of paper into a little envelope and...

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By Anne MahoneyIf you’ve ever marketed yourself online in the romance department, you likely have painstakingly analyzed every part of your profile. Is the photo attractive? Do I say the right things about myself? How should I word my first email to another enticing product in the dating...

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By Alejandra LeonRetail therapy is a common getaway after a hectic day at work. And while many consumers love the experience of shopping, time is limited. There are only so many minutes to go to a store, find items you like and perhaps wait for a dressing room...

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By Brandi HeinzNo marketing communications professional looks forward to the day they must navigate a company crisis. Toyota’s recent floor mat and sticky pedal safety recalls are the most recent examples of balancing damage control with open communications. The safety recalls and Toyota’s subsequent responses open the potential...

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Today marks the first birthday of Vitamin IMC. What started as a two-person endeavor to bring Medill IMC program topics to the blogosphere is now a 20+ operation run entirely by enthusiastic students. In honor of our one-year mark, we’d like to share a bit of our history with you.The...

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By Andrea BendaWith obesity rates at all-time high and a lingering recession, there’s a consumer need to watch waistlines and wallets. Wonder Bread is here to help with its interactive application, the Sandwich Wonder-izer. The application allows consumers to get creative with their brown-bag lunches while watching...

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By Nathan Kraft Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock, you’ve likely heard the tidal wave of hype surrounding Apple’s iPad mobile device.Fitting somewhere on the mobile device spectrum between a smartphone and a netbook, the iPad features a 10-inch touch screen, WiFi capability (3G optional), a...

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By Jill Xiaojun NiThe popularity of Avatar has been a major topic of discussion, both online and off, for the past six weeks. With long lines at the box office and endless tweets and comments on social networking sites, James Cameron’s epic story about justice, war and love...

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