Archive for the ‘BT Life’ Category

How to Work, Travel, and Stay Sane

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October 28th, 2013

Between travel arrangements, gathering up every possible file you may need, packing your luggage, and actually getting there, a business trip can be a huge undertaking. Once there, you have to immediately organize yourself in preparation for client meetings, event check-ins, and whatever else is needed. It can be overwhelming trying to balance being out of town, keeping up with your regular work, and trying to add a bit of fun. With some simple preparation, you can keep your stress levels at a minimum and maximize your time with the following tips:

Take a few minutes to list anything and everything you might need on your trip. Think of any documents that might need to be printed and any files needed for your trip. Be prepared for anything that may come up while being out of office. If you are worried about misplacing any important documents, consider making copies and keeping the originals safe back in your office.

While packing, organize your outfits based on all possible situations. You should be prepared to dress to the occasion, whether it is a formal client meeting or a casual dinner. Otherwise, you may have to go on a shopping trip or two.

Double check you have all the essentials, especially any chargers. Often, you have to stay connected to the office while away and a dead electronic doesn’t help with that. Consider keeping extra cords in your travel bags to always have a spare in hand.

By following the tips above, you can avoid a few travel stresses and focus on having an efficient, and yes even fun, work trip.

 



BT Team Highlight: Kirsten Cowles, Event Coordinator

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October 8th, 2013

Kirsten brings a unique perspective on experiential marketing with an extensive background in event marketing as a Brand Ambassador and Event Manager for over three years. She has represented a variety of Fortune 500 companies including Amazon, Microsoft, Porsche, eBay, Toyota, and Verizon Wireless. Kirsten utilizes her past promotion experience as she manages multi-state mobile tours for Jack in the Box.

How have your experiences as a Brand Ambassador and Event Manager prepared you for managing national accounts at Beyond Traditional?

Rarely do people working on the agency side of an experiential campaign have the experience of directly interacting with consumers at an event. My past involvement executing activations exposed me to various types of campaigns and the different elements incorporated into each. I have seen how technology can be integrated and what levels of consumer interaction are needed to reach campaign objectives. When looking to source Brand Ambassadors or staff for my clients’ campaigns, I understand the sourcing process and know what qualifications are needed to make an event successful.

Does your team ever come to you for advice on how to manage promotional staffing?

Absolutely! I can give an opinion from the “other side” on how something might be received by consumers at the activation based on what I have seen work amazingly and also fail. At times, I help my co-workers see how a situation might appear from the view of a Brand Ambassador or Tour Manager so they understand a situation better. Communication between you and your event team is crucial, especially when constructing event plans that are sent to them.

What is one experience you can take away from being a Brand Ambassador and apply it to your position now?

Dealing directly with consumers has allowed me to really analyze a campaign strategy from start to finish. You have to always consider the consumer standpoint when creating a campaign otherwise you may fall short of your ROI objectives if the consumer doesn’t feel compelled to participate. For example, I have worked activations that asked consumers for information that they were not comfortable providing and turned them off from learning anything else about the brand. I have taken this experience and applied it to how we promote sign ups for Jack’s Secret Society as part of the Jack Munchie Mobile tour.

What is different on the agency side of event marketing?

I used to wonder why an agency would make the decisions that they did and now I understand. I had no idea how many elements go into a single decision – client approvals, budgeting, maintaining certain image. I have really loved being able to broaden my scope of understanding experiential from all angles.

 



Friday the 13th Superstitions

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September 13th, 2013

 

Paraskevidekatriaphobics and triskaidekaphobes everywhere are curled up in a ball, waiting for today to be over. The number thirteen has historically had a bad rep for being unlucky—buildings won’t have an official 13th floor, cities won’t have a 13th St. or Ave., past events that coincidently had the number thirteen associated with it. Friday the 13th causes many people to carefully move about their day, being mindful of any superstitions or good luck charms.

What sort of good juju habits do members of the BT team believe in?

Sam B.: “The number 3. That’s all.”

Kirsten: “I’m superstitious about walking underneath ladders, white lighters, black cats, and crows. Seriously, keep that all far way from me.”

Nicole: “I can never remember which shoulder you should throw salt over after spilling it, so I do both just in case. I also always pick up a penny for good luck, only if it’s heads though. Otherwise, have to turn it over for the next person.”

Melissa: “I have to light my creativity candle any time I need to sort out some sort of problem.”