Social Media Learnings

After learning for a semester in social media class in New York University, there are several things I would like to share about what I’ve learned.

In the class, we learned how to manage several social media accounts. We learned how to effectively write on social media sites to optimize the social media contents and maximize marketing. We learned how to create social media editorial content calendar, which is useful when you are managing several social media platforms at the same time.

We learned how to conduct customer research and build a customer avatar in order to understand the audience, which made me feel avatars were really important for a campaign, and reminds me of several avatars I’ve seen before, such as the past Olympic avatars. When we were creating our avatars in class, we were also practicing the best ways to promote our campaign. For example, we consider using Live Twits and Facebook Live function to attract more attention.

We also learn how to assess crisis on social media and we wrote a blog on one crisis happened on social media and how it was managed. The crisis I wrote about was Pepsi’s misused of Black Lives Matter. Not only did we learn about the theories, but we also practice it in class and we wrote a statement for the crisis, which was my first time writing a statement for a company.

We learned to read social media data and analytics using both native and third party analytic tools, such as Hashtracking, and Goggle Analytics. We practiced it by analyzing the social media data of different social media platforms and try to figure out the best way to tell the data when doing a social media analysis report to the employee.

We also learned the importance of visual assets in social media, and we learned to create visual components for different social media platforms. We also practiced it in our NYU Film Festival campaign.

This was also my first time writing blogs, and we kept practicing during the semester. Through writing these blogs, I felt like I was putting what I’ve learned in class in my writing and I’m telling what I know to other people. For example, I wrote a blog about MAC lipstick color comparison and another blog about Stuart Weitzman boots, when receiving people’s comments and likes, I felt like my blogs were helpful to some people, which made me feel achievable.

Social media crisis – Pepsi doesn’t understand that Black Lives Matter

Pepsi posted an advertisement showed Kendall Jenner leaving a photo shoot walking to a police and handled the officer a can of Pepsi to prompt cheers. After the video went out, it triggered people’s memories of the Black Lives Matter Movement and people started to compare this video with the image showing the Black Lives Matter protester Leshia Evans “facing police waring riot gear during a demonstration over the fatal shooting of a black man by police”. (Daily Mail, 6 April 2017)

In less than 24 hours, Pepsi pulled the ad from the internet. “Pepsi was trying to project a global message of unity, peace and understanding. Clearly, we missed the mark and we apologize,” the company said in a statement on Wednesday. In the statement, Pepsi also stated that they didn’t intend to avoid the mistakes and they were ceasing the campaign and will prevent further mistakes. Also, they apologize for making trouble for Kendall Jenner. Pepsi had previously defended the commercial in a statement, claiming the ad was global and it reflected people from all around the world coming together in the spirit of harmony, which is an important message to convey through this campaign. Pepsi responded that “Pepsi believe in the legacy of Dr. King & meant absolutely no disrespect to him& others who fight for justice”. The company also said the ad “features multiple lives, stories and emotional connections that show passion, joy, unbound and uninhibited moments.” It was designed to authentically reflect people living nowadays and what their lives look like now and it described Jenner as someone who “exemplifies owning ‘Live for Now’ moments.”

Through this ad, Pepsi has indeed succeeded in bringing people together and now people from all different walks of life are coming together to rip the commercial in Twitter. However, Pepsi seemed to miss a lot of reputation and a backdrop of protest against police brutality. Users on social media called for an immediate boycott against Pepsi and accused the company of undermining the Black Lives Matter movement. Even Pepsi’s response was quick and they apologized and immediately removed the ad, customers’ still having doubt on Pepsi’s sincerity because this ad almost feel like the brand did it to get people talking as it went everywhere. Besides apologizing and removing the ad immediately, the company may also make another ad to show their respect of the Black Lives Matter movement. In addition to making the statement, the company may also hold a press conference and the spokesperson should announce in front of the public to apologize for the mistake.

The crisis could have been prevented by doing more sufficient preparations. For example, Pepsi could neutralize the issue before it become crisis to prevent costly damage to client business. To be specific, in order to prepare enough to prevent the issue hit critical mass, Pepsi could have used early warning system to identify emerging threats, such as imminent research to have a prediction of how the public will response after releasing the advertisement on social media platform. Before releasing the ad, the company could also plan for how they will assess the risk and respond.

Airbnb-We Are Here

Airbnb’s becoming my first choice of living while traveling in most recent years. I could still remember my feelings before the first time I tried it, I was little bit doubt about the security and credibility. However, after trying it for a few times, I gradually feel that it’s more authentic and much cheaper than hotels, which should be the feelings most Airbnb users have.

Airbnb is an online marketplace enables people to lease or rent short-term lodging including vacation rentals, apartment rentals, etc. and is becoming one of top choices for travels to choose for an authentic experience in over 34,000 cities and 190 countries.

The unique booking platform launched a brand new app back in November that allowed people to take part in experiences that were hosted by real people in the local community. In an effort to amplify how trips will make travel magical again, Airbnb ran the campaign to completely immerse travelers into the communities around the world. To celebrate the launch of Experiences as part of the launch of trips, Airbnb invited people around the world to participate Live via a 24-hour Facebook Live feed named We Are Here. The We Are Here campaign took people to Airbnb Hosted Experiences around the world via six unique films around six different cities to promote the brand’s new trips feature. Each Film was created Live on Facebook to help the viewer feel like they were right there exploring the videographer.

The campaign triggered a 22-point lift in ad recall and a 7-point lift in brand favorability. The We Are Here campaign had more than 6 million participants took part from all over the world in the first 24 hours alone. The campaign actually encouraged Inferred Participation as a new engagement method. There were people from thirteen countries around the world adding to the conversation on the Live videos, which proves that the Trips feature had global appeal. The campaign also earned the company over 6.2 million views of the 6 live streams around the world, with Miami, Paris and Tokyo being the top viewed. Miami alone earned over 2M views.

Although we live in a digital and more connected world, we are more divided than ever. We Are Here recapture the lost human connection of traveling that once made taking a trip magical. The campaign brought to life many ways of personal connection with hosts and other travelers, which enables a magical trip.

Stuart Weitzman Boots Comparison

Autumn is almost there in New York City, what are your plans for this coming fall? some of you guys may be going through the transition from summer to fall outfits. One of the must-have items is no doubt a pair of boots. Stuart Weitzman is a brand that has been very famous these years because of its most popular boots. Among those series, Highland and Lowland are my favorite ones.

In terms of material, both boots appear to be exactly the same, which are made of Stuart Weitzman’s signature lycra-backed stretchy suede, lined in a satiny material. Both boots have laces at back opening, so the boots fit well for both narrow carves and thighs and curvier legs.

In terms of look, the most important difference is Highland has a 3.5” heel. Besides that, the Highland looks smaller and more dainty relatively to Lowland. In terms of color, both boots have colors vary from dark to light. Black is the most popular choice for people, because they think black would be easiest to match with other colors of their clothes. People also tend to think black color would make their legs look thinner. My favorite color is “Londra”, which is a medium gray color with little bit of Taupe brown.

In terms of comfort, Highland is more useful for going out and dressier occasions, and Lowland is more used for walking around. I could walk around the city in Lowland for a whole day without feel tired at all.

In terms of size, when I was trying on those boots in the store, I realized both styles run half size big compared to other brands. I usually wear size 7 for other brands, but for Stuart Weitzman, 6.5 size fits me well.

There are many ways to wear the over the knee boots. For me, I just love wearing a random sweater and skirt with the boots. Here are some other examples of people wearing Stuart Weitzman boots. Here we go!

1.This suede boot is perfect in portraying this schoolgirl chic.

2. This camel and gray over the knee boots look is pretty gorgeous and perfect. Mini skirt and over the knee boots are perfect match.

3. Moto jacket and over the knee boots also matches well with each other.

4. Under the wrap coat is another perfect match for over the knee boots.

5. Boots can be styled amazing with sweater and a-line mini skirt as well.

Visit Stuart Weitzman and get YOUR boots for this perfect fall!

NYU Film Festival Feature Film -Star Trek

The 2017 New York University Film Festival is coming soon on this coming December 6th. The board of the NYU Film Academy has confirmed that one of the feature films this year will be the Star Trek Beyond, the latest one of the Star Trek Series.

Star Trek Beyond is an incredibly satisfying deep-dive into five decades of Star Trek lore. The film quite literally soars beyond expectations, giving fans a taste of modern-day, adrenaline-fueled, wintertime fun mixed with the thick layers associated with Sci-Fi’s most cerebral franchise. The film displays Star Trek’s longevity across decades from complex character motivations and reveals to a strong continuity, the exploration and discovery at the core of the franchise’s best episodes.

The visual effects in Star Trek Beyond simply set a new standard for Star Trek films. Double Negative has created a new world in the Yorktown space station that rivals anything ever seen on screen. The expansive environment is designed to take advantage of every bit of living space inside an artificial gravity sphere in the middle of space. The concept is grand, and the visuals are a match, which is a fantastic achievement. The filmmakers have superbly made the Yorktown station more than just a shiny, pretty object to look at, and have made the station home of the family.

With J.J Abrams, the director of the first two Star Trek movies, stepping down from directing, the directorial duties for Star Trek Beyond are placed in the hands of Justin Lin. Lin is most famous for directing several entries in the Fast and the Furious movie franchise, and he has plenty of skeptics about directing the third Star Trek installment. With the joining of Lin, the Star Trek Beyond becomes the most eye-catching chapter among all.

There will also be a Q&A interaction session after the projection of the Star Trek. The NYU Film Academy has invited two core members of the crews in making the film as guest speakers: Stephan F. Windon and Zoe Saldana. Stephan F. Windon is one of the best-known cinematographers in the movie industry. Besides Star Trek Beyond, he has also worked with the Fate of the Furious and been collaborating with Justin Lin for many times. All his works are timeless masterpieces.

In the Star Trek, Zoe Saldana, an excellent actress as well as a dancer, plays a dutiful communication’s officer, Nyota Uhura. The role of Nyota spends the majority of the flick trapped inside a drab prison camp, which is part of one of the highpoints of the film where shows the ‘ruptured’ Spock-Uhura relationship. Zoe conveys a sense of certainty that anchors the character and the cast. Her fine acting skill has been fully manifested through the Star Trek Beyond and affirmed the successfulness of the film.

Both Zoe and Stephan will join the immersive interaction after the projection. They will tell the filming stories behind the scene and answer anything you are curious about the movie. If this event sounds great enough to you, please check our social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter) for more details. What is more, for NYU students and employees RSVP as soon as possible at http://nyufilmfestival.com/detail/2017 for the seats of Star Trek at Lincoln Center, and the first 500 to register will be FREE! Please get ready and “Set Phasers To Stun!”

M.A.C. Product Collection

M.A.C. collaborated 10 global beauty influencers for a unique launch this year. Some people may ask why. Just like it always does, M.A.C. represents a new fashion direction and the brand always seems to have something new up its sleeve. Not only is the beauty giant teaming up with some of the most popular bloggers and makeup artists in the world, but they’ll be creating their own M.A.C. lipstick for this giant campaign.

Compared to its 2011 campaign of tapping nine internet wunderkinds to launch a limited-edition Blogger’s Obsession collection, this time, M.A.C. is taking it one step further by collecting talent across the globe, including the boy beauty blogger Gabriel Zamora, vlogger Lar Lar Lee, blogger and author Fleur De Force, and 7 other most popular bloggers over the world.

A new collection of lipsticks just came out this summer. As one of the most leading cosmetic company in the world, what are the most popular lipsticks in various M.A.C. production lines?

Red Color:

When it comes to red color, the most impression one would be Russian Red for me. This lipstick is matte texture, and it’s a great all-purpose blue based red that looks good on all skin tones. It also makes your teeth look whiter than usual.

Ruby Woo is also matte texture, and it is a bright red color that will get you attention. It’s recently popularized by Rihanna as well.

Chili is a natural warmer based red color that is not so in your face. It looks better on desi skin tones though and it’s a perfect ‘retro’ red. It’s also matte texture.

Pink:

The first pink color comes to my mind is Please Me. It’s a pretty pink but isn’t too bright. It’s matte texture.

Mehr mimics the color of healthy gums, and it makes it a perfect pink.

Organges:

Ravishing is a perfect glossy peach shade that’s not too orange. This is the pretty peach color that everyone’s always looking for.

Lady Danger is a very sexy orange color.

What about the other popular M.A.C. products?

The NO.1 popular product is the M.A.C. 109 small contour brush. This product is one of the favorite brushes of every M.A.C. makeup artist. This brush is most used for foundation. ‘Flawless coverage’ is the most common comment for this brush.

NO.2 is the M.A.C. microfine refinisher. It makes people’s skin baby soft while sloughing off dead skin and clogged pores. However, it might be a little bit painful when you are using  it for the first time.

Come and join the M.A.C. family by visiting the M.A.C. website and explore more potentials to be a beauty.

Ethical issues in social media

I’m going to talk about ethical issues in both advertising and news reporting.

Along with social media’s fast development recently, advertisements’ developing at the same pace as well. Companies have realized the importance of advertising and have been investing more and more in advertisement. On the one hand, advertisements help the companies to be more profitable. On the other hand, I acknowledged many contemporary ethical issues in the advertising industry; such as the strong tendency to objectify females and the increasing sexualized implications. For example, Businesses create the ideal image of beauty to stimulate customers’ purchasing desire. Women’s bodies were used to sell everything from shampoo to chain saws, and are often dismembered into parts—breasts, legs, buttocks.

In terms of news reporting, there are some sensitive topics, such as sexual assault issues. When reporting these kind of stories, reporters need to be careful about the information they would include in the news, or they will cause hurt to the victims.

There are several problems may will be resulted from these considerations. The first ethical issue would be the conflict of the truth and privacy. To be specific, how we should value the hurt of the reputation and the truth would be a difficult choice. For example, the reporter should consider if she or he should publish the issue with the victim’s name on it, and if there would be further effects for the victim if so. If the victim doesn’t want to publish the name in the news, is it ethical if the reporter still reports it?

During the process of making decisions, journalists may need to outline the values inherent in the decision. If truth values more than anything else, then privacy might be given up in favor of it.

Some relevant philosophical principles could be helpful when it’s hard for reporters to make decisions. Aristotle’s “golden mean” says that virtue lies between extremes. The extreme choices made by the editor and victim will lead to some effects for sure, we can’t know for sure how many of the hurts come from the publication. But Aristotle’s golden mean might counsel a middle ground that balances printing every detail against printing no story at all. According to Aristotle, the virtue does not lie at a single point on a line and is not the same for every individual. In fact, virtue is a range of behaviors various individually in order to avoid undesirable extremes. Utilitarianism by John Stuart Mill and Jeremy Bentham says that no one person’s happiness is more important than anyone else’, and greatest good is for greatest number. When we apply this into journalism, journalists have the responsibility to make investigative report and telling the truth. The drawback of using the theory of utilitarianism is that there might be short-term benefits and unintended consequences.

Although telling the truth is not the only goal of being a journalism and we should benefit the greatest number of people and should take responsibility of the community, journalists should still try the best to protect the privacy of the victims when necessary to minimum the hurt caused by the publication.

My affinity to social media

This is my very first blog and my name’s Sophie, a graduate student studying in NYU now. My affinity to social media can be traced back to my undergraduate study in Indiana Bloomington. #NYUSocialMedia#

My undergraduate major was journalism so I ever had some classes related to social media. For a class of Social Media in Newsroom, we are required to run several social media accounts, such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for a whole semester. So I learned the basic function of each platform. In addition, our team did social media analysis for newsrooms, and used social media analytic tool, such as follower wonk, to analyze the demographics, posts, engagement peak times, and competitor comparisons for Indiana’s biggest newspaper, IndyStar. I found it was really useful of doing analyses of social media to make improvement on those platforms. At the same time, I became more interested in the principles of operating social media, the policies behind them, and how the change of policies can have an effect on the development of social media.

For another class of news posting, I made a documentary story of a violist from Jacob School of Music videotaping his daily life as a violist, practicing, rehearsal, and performing. I still remember the days when I have to bring all the heavy photography equipment in the cold winter, but the feeling of achievement worth all the hard work when I finished the story. My professor put my documentary story on our class blog after I finished up.

I also threw myself into the real world in order to enhance myself comprehensively. In March 2016, I started to intern in the Business News team at CCTV-America. Through this invaluable experience, I learned about key roles and functions in the television newsroom. I gained a deeper understanding of the broadcasting industry from various perspectives and mastered work methods in a unique international multi-cultural work place. From this internship, I have gained a basic understanding of how newsrooms run on a daily basis. What’s more, I have also caught a glimpse of the political propaganda at CCTV-America. I found out that there were policies that determine what should be on and what shouldn’t. I was really confused by how the policies work and what should be the best policies in terms of television broadcasting.

In terms of daily life, social media is closely related actually. I use Wechat, Facebook, and Instagram almost everyday to talk and share my life with my friend. For me, social media is really good way to know what’s going on around. For organizations and corporations, social media is a useful tool for them to better off in various ways.