Brilliant Branding: What is a Brand?

Like a yearbook embodies a period of life for a school, a brand embodies the life of a business. Each + every one upholds a look + feel as distinctive as a yearbook photo – even the ones you hated the most (my three years of braces perpetuated merciless picture days).

A “brand” isn't just synonymous for a company, product or service; a brand encompasses the identity of those things. It personifies them. It gives them a face. Branding allows us to differentiate between the goofy, carefree personality of Google and the sleek, sophisticated personality of Apple.

All brands accomplish the same goals:

• Representing the values of the company
• Influencing consumer perception of the company
• Sustaining a relationship with consumers

In essence, branding controls how people feel about a company. All advertising, customer service, package design, hiring decisions + web design cater to branding.

4 Musts for Any Advertising Major

Mad Men personality Don Draper once said, "If you don't like what's being said, change the conversation." Therein lies the hallmark of the wonderful world of advertising: Influencing consumer conversation -- whether interpersonal or intrapersonal -- with the distinctive voice of a brand's campaigns.

Though in actuality the industry exists as much more "lax" than luxe, advertising fosters a creative, fun and fast-paced learning environment for those lucky enough to land positions within it.

I chose to study advertising because the shoe fit; my knowledge of journalism and graphic design combined with my passion for digital media and psychology led me to the advertising field like a beaming, neon arrow.

1. FIND YOUR NICHE

Advertising is characterized by four pillars: Account services, account planning, media planning and creative (which includes art and copywriting). Account services focus on client relationships, account and media planning research consumer behavior and the creative team crafts advertisement wording and design.

2. LEARN NEW MEDIA SKILLS

Advertising targets emerging platforms like social media as its new primary form of exposure. Adopting knowledge of SEO, coding, and even blogging will benefit you threefold when it comes time for that interview. This list of the most in-demand digital marketing skills explains how you can start developing those mentioned plus more right now.

3. PAY ATTENTION TO ADS

While most people can't escape them quick enough, it's your job to keep an eye out. Whether on TV, in magazines or online, paying attention to advertisements will clue you in on the do's and don'ts of great campaigns.

4. BE COMMITTED

Not trait persuades more than passion.You can't teach a person to love an industry, but you can teach them the skillsets associated with it. Embrace your interest in your advertising niche and use it to inspire others -- amateurs and experts.

What's the next step for you in your pursuit of an advertising degree?

Leave a comment below or reach out to The LC Studio on Twitter.

How to Make the Very Best of a Communications Degree

Congratulations, young Padawan, on your interest in pursuing communications! I jump for joy at the expansion of the population of young professional communicators. We aren't like everyone else. It's okay; We can say that. It's our little secret. Bask in the egotism for a second, because the bad news is next.

Unlike other students, the plight of the communication major entails both classroom conscientiousness and real world experience. In the end, the worth of your communication degree equates to more than just the number of tests you aced or spirals you filled. Don't let those be all you can show for years of hard work. Follow these tips to ensure you make the very best of your time, money and degree.

My Biggest Blogging Pet Peeves

My experience in journalism, graphic design and communications mold me as probably pickier than most when it comes to upkeeping a blog. I take pride in the quality of my posts as well as their presentation, and I take special care to craft great social media marketing strategies due to my studies of advertising.    I retain a mental collection of post ideas, graphic inspiration and blogging role models that sometimes taints itself with small annoyances within the blogging world. My strongest blogging pet peeves range from carbon copy cover images to weak title wording. For the pure intent of bettering blogs and the gutsy guys and gals who produce them, I share these seven sins below:  

Understanding Vectors and Bitmaps

  It doesn't take a Picasso to recognize the power of great graphic design, but it may sometimes seem it takes an Einstein to learn how to create it. Design programs feel daunting, and most web how-to's leave you with more questions than answers. Skip the jumbled design jargon and read on for the blogger-friendly explanation of the 2D graphics king and queen.