Last week we had some visitors at the agency – the University of Arkansas Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) chapter. We gave the group a look into agency life, walking them through our different roles and how everyone works together to get things done. These up-and-coming PR and marketing professionals then got the chance to talk openly about the job search process with our very own Mike Sells. Below we’ve broken down some of Mike’s best advice for students entering the job market:
“You spend four years preparing for your career. You can spend two to four hours preparing for an interview.”
In other words, do your research. When you go to an interview it is usually pretty obvious whether or not you’re prepared to be there. Researching general industry trends is good, but you should also look at the specific agency and their clients and competitors. Prepare questions regarding their past projects and how they operate.
“You can’t train smart.”
In case you’d forgotten, your GPA does matter. While the number is important, balance and honesty also play a role. Don’t make excuses, but if you were working two jobs the semester you failed math don’t be afraid to say so.
“What are you doing to show me that you are the best?”
If you interview for a position in an agency, it helps to show that you truly want the position you are there for. Read books about account services, pursue internships in graphic design or volunteer your services at school as a copywriter. You should be able to show that you are developing your skills and are passionate about what you want to do.
We enjoyed the visit from a bright young bunch – one which we look forward to seeing big things from in the future.
Friday, November 12, 2010
Monday, November 1, 2010
NEDA Some More Awards?
Carlton-Bates was recognized last week at the Channel Marketing Awards sponsored by the National Electronic Distributors Association (NEDA). CBC took home three awards, two that we proudly created.
Carlton-Bates was a Platinum winner in the Web Promotion category for their Honeywell Limitless® Landing Page. Honeywell’s Limitless® switches offer a wireless solution that lets switches be installed anywhere they’re needed. We used a specific landing page to target the message specifically to those who had responded to our overall Honeywell Limitless® campaign.
Speaking of the Honeywell Limitless® campaign, Carlton-Bates earned a Gold in the Integrated Marketing category. Through the landing page, an eblast and banner ads, we created a campaign to increase awareness of the product. The results among prospects were impressive, with the eblast being opened by almost 1,500 people, 11% of which went on to click-thru to the site
Carlton-Bates also won a Gold for The Current, their employee newsletter. It is the main vehicle used to deliver information to the CBC team and keep all employees informed about what is going on at CBC. This newsletter is created internally at Carlton-Bates and mailed directly to the homes of CBC employees and their families.
Congratulations to both Carlton-Bates and our team.
Carlton-Bates was a Platinum winner in the Web Promotion category for their Honeywell Limitless® Landing Page. Honeywell’s Limitless® switches offer a wireless solution that lets switches be installed anywhere they’re needed. We used a specific landing page to target the message specifically to those who had responded to our overall Honeywell Limitless® campaign.
Speaking of the Honeywell Limitless® campaign, Carlton-Bates earned a Gold in the Integrated Marketing category. Through the landing page, an eblast and banner ads, we created a campaign to increase awareness of the product. The results among prospects were impressive, with the eblast being opened by almost 1,500 people, 11% of which went on to click-thru to the site
Carlton-Bates also won a Gold for The Current, their employee newsletter. It is the main vehicle used to deliver information to the CBC team and keep all employees informed about what is going on at CBC. This newsletter is created internally at Carlton-Bates and mailed directly to the homes of CBC employees and their families.
Congratulations to both Carlton-Bates and our team.
Monday, October 25, 2010
Place Your Bats
For most offices, this week means an onslaught of unnaturally colored baked goods and fun-size candy bars amid a few sparkly orange and black decorations. If your dress code is lax enough, you might even see a few distasteful, though pop culturally relevant, costumes. But here at the Sells Agency, our Halloween celebrations have been put on hold. This Monday there were no tricks, no treats – only TERROR!
It was a dreary, humid Monday morning as Sells Agency employees began to trickle into the building. Gaea Miller, director of finance and usual early bird, arrived first on the scene, expecting nothing out of the ordinary as the elevator doors opened to the second floor. Thoughts of the upcoming pay period were erased from her mind as a new image was seared into it. There it was, outside the window, hanging upside-down in wait.
“Well at first when I saw the big round belly and the beady eyes, I thought it was another politician coming after my vote, and that was the scariest part,” said Miller. “I left the lights off and ran back to my office where I distracted myself by making up random amounts for when I call in this week's payroll.”
Media director Greg Harrison was the next to arrive. Having a demonstrated record of level-headedness in times of skunk-flavored jelly bean dispensation and rodent windshield wiper duct infiltration, his demure reaction surprised no one.
“Really it just looked like a potato with wings hanging on the window,” said Harrison. “I have a friend who says they aren’t dangerous, so I wasn’t worried.”
In the agency-wide traffic meeting, an announcement was made alerting everyone to the imminent danger lurking in the lobby. The minute the meeting ended, copywriter Lauren Carrigan could be hearing yelling, “he’s so cuuuuuute!” as she fumbled to snap a picture with her phone. She was quickly distracted with a large, tedious document to proof before she could bring up the topic of adoption.
Though the threat was removed by mid-afternoon, this image was captured from security footage.
It was a dreary, humid Monday morning as Sells Agency employees began to trickle into the building. Gaea Miller, director of finance and usual early bird, arrived first on the scene, expecting nothing out of the ordinary as the elevator doors opened to the second floor. Thoughts of the upcoming pay period were erased from her mind as a new image was seared into it. There it was, outside the window, hanging upside-down in wait.
“Well at first when I saw the big round belly and the beady eyes, I thought it was another politician coming after my vote, and that was the scariest part,” said Miller. “I left the lights off and ran back to my office where I distracted myself by making up random amounts for when I call in this week's payroll.”
Media director Greg Harrison was the next to arrive. Having a demonstrated record of level-headedness in times of skunk-flavored jelly bean dispensation and rodent windshield wiper duct infiltration, his demure reaction surprised no one.
“Really it just looked like a potato with wings hanging on the window,” said Harrison. “I have a friend who says they aren’t dangerous, so I wasn’t worried.”
In the agency-wide traffic meeting, an announcement was made alerting everyone to the imminent danger lurking in the lobby. The minute the meeting ended, copywriter Lauren Carrigan could be hearing yelling, “he’s so cuuuuuute!” as she fumbled to snap a picture with her phone. She was quickly distracted with a large, tedious document to proof before she could bring up the topic of adoption.
Though the threat was removed by mid-afternoon, this image was captured from security footage.
Friday, September 24, 2010
A Bridge to the 19th Century
If you happened to hear cracks of gunfire and booming cannons in the central Arkansas area earlier this month, there’s no need to be alarmed. A full-scale Civil War re-enactment of the Battle of Reed’s Bridge took place on September 11 and 12 in Jacksonville.
On August 27, 1863, Union soldiers clashed with Confederates as they marched toward Little Rock. Today, nearly two years of restoration work have helped make it look as it would have at that time. Recent updates include a new information stand, two Civil War era cannons and a walking trail. The largest addition is a small 19th century homestead, consisting of a barn, family cabin and a kitchen cabin and garden. The Reed’s Bridge battlefield is on the National Register of Historic Places and is considered the best-preserved Civil War site in Arkansas.
Visitors were able to explore the camp and battlefield and learn from re-enactors what it was like to live as a Civil War solider. Demonstrations of military drills and musket training were given, and examples of everyday life, such as cooking and crafts, were provided throughout the weekend.
This year’s battle was a great success and the event received some notable media coverage in Little Rock. The event was featured on both KTHV’s “Amazed by Arkansas” and on KARK Channel 4. Two stories on Reed’s Bridge also ran in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. The Reed’s Bridge Battlefield is located on Highway 161 South in Jacksonville. It is open and free to the public to visit, so if you missed the battle this year, be sure to check it out soon!
On August 27, 1863, Union soldiers clashed with Confederates as they marched toward Little Rock. Today, nearly two years of restoration work have helped make it look as it would have at that time. Recent updates include a new information stand, two Civil War era cannons and a walking trail. The largest addition is a small 19th century homestead, consisting of a barn, family cabin and a kitchen cabin and garden. The Reed’s Bridge battlefield is on the National Register of Historic Places and is considered the best-preserved Civil War site in Arkansas.
Visitors were able to explore the camp and battlefield and learn from re-enactors what it was like to live as a Civil War solider. Demonstrations of military drills and musket training were given, and examples of everyday life, such as cooking and crafts, were provided throughout the weekend.
This year’s battle was a great success and the event received some notable media coverage in Little Rock. The event was featured on both KTHV’s “Amazed by Arkansas” and on KARK Channel 4. Two stories on Reed’s Bridge also ran in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. The Reed’s Bridge Battlefield is located on Highway 161 South in Jacksonville. It is open and free to the public to visit, so if you missed the battle this year, be sure to check it out soon!
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
See Fayetteville in Stop-Motion
We just completed a new TV spot for Fayetteville and it involves some pretty eye-popping special effects. Using a stop-motion effect and computer-generated background, the focus is on a woman ready to get away. Through the magic of hand-drawn construction paper illustrations, live action and still photography, she takes a journey through Fayetteville. By the end, she experiences cycling, water skiing, dancing and pretty much everything else you can do in the city.
Production included a very long day for Terry Gilchrist, who spent about 10 hours lying on a green screen contorting herself into various poses. The wizards at Rizon Films made all the magic happen and Laura Kuykendall served as both broadcast producer and art director. Watch it for yourself. Better yet, watch it several times to see what you missed the first time.
Production included a very long day for Terry Gilchrist, who spent about 10 hours lying on a green screen contorting herself into various poses. The wizards at Rizon Films made all the magic happen and Laura Kuykendall served as both broadcast producer and art director. Watch it for yourself. Better yet, watch it several times to see what you missed the first time.
Friday, August 27, 2010
All Aboard the Welcome Wagon
The Sells Agency has recently welcomed several new faces to our rapidly expanding team. As we told you in our last post, one of our summer interns will be making her time with us permanent. Sarah Kurrus, a very bright and talented recent graduate of Vanderbilt University, has taken on a new position as Public Relations Account Coordinator and will assist our clients with their diverse PR needs.
Because the additional help over the summer was such a relief, we realized that it’s time to open our doors to even more staff. Two new associates – Suzanne Hill, who joins our media department, and Kati Wessinger, an in-house freelance artist – are quickly settling in.
Suzanne is a recent graduate of the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville and has just completed a summer internship at another local agency. She will be a key part in the media planning and buying process. As a journalism major, Suzanne was very involved in campus leadership through the advertising club, student ambassadors and other organizations. She also has experience in leading large groups of spirited high school students as a head instructor for Universal Cheerleaders Association. We could always use the help corralling some of the more spirited characters around this office.
Kati will assist the art directors for the next few months, helping them tackle an increasingly busy workload. She, too, is a recent graduate from the U of A and is multi-talented in that not only does she excel at her agency projects, but she moonlights as a very talented baker, cake decorator and blogger. We promise, that the latter skill set had no influence on our decision to bring her on board, but those cupcakes she made last week were delicious!
Needless to say, we’re thrilled to have such an exceptional group of new employees. And we have a feeling we’ll be welcoming more soon.
Because the additional help over the summer was such a relief, we realized that it’s time to open our doors to even more staff. Two new associates – Suzanne Hill, who joins our media department, and Kati Wessinger, an in-house freelance artist – are quickly settling in.
Suzanne is a recent graduate of the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville and has just completed a summer internship at another local agency. She will be a key part in the media planning and buying process. As a journalism major, Suzanne was very involved in campus leadership through the advertising club, student ambassadors and other organizations. She also has experience in leading large groups of spirited high school students as a head instructor for Universal Cheerleaders Association. We could always use the help corralling some of the more spirited characters around this office.
Kati will assist the art directors for the next few months, helping them tackle an increasingly busy workload. She, too, is a recent graduate from the U of A and is multi-talented in that not only does she excel at her agency projects, but she moonlights as a very talented baker, cake decorator and blogger. We promise, that the latter skill set had no influence on our decision to bring her on board, but those cupcakes she made last week were delicious!
Needless to say, we’re thrilled to have such an exceptional group of new employees. And we have a feeling we’ll be welcoming more soon.
Friday, August 13, 2010
A send-off for our interns
It is with both a sad heart and a sense of pride that we say 'good-bye' to our summer interns. While we're not happy to see the Class of 2010 leave, we are also very proud of what they have accomplished this summer.
They've broadened their knowledge of the advertising industry, not only seeing first-hand how an ad agency works, but also touring vendors. From television production to printers, Lauren has coordinated trips that exposed them to the many facets of our industry. If we have only proven to them that life is not exactly 'Mad Men' then we have done our jobs.
The interns have been involved with campaigns for almost all of our clients, but their primary project has been for Safe Places. This non-profit organization has been mentioned in an earlier blog entry and we'll show you the fruits of their labor in a week or two, but we've seen a peek at what they've done…and it's impressive.
Thanks to Robert Haynes and John Cater. They'll be returning to their schools (UCA and UALR, respectively) for their final semester before graduating. We hope to see them here at the Sells Agency sometime in the future. Sarah Kurrus, however, won't be leaving us. She is now working for us, full-time, as a Public Relations Account Coordinator. Congratulations to Sarah on proving herself this summer and showing us how foolish we'd be to let her get away.
To celebrate their last day, we'll be chowing down on pizza at lunch. That's one thing we know they've learned – we at the Sells Agency like to eat. Almost as much as we've liked having the interns here for the summer!
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