The End of an Era

By the time I post this I’ll probably be at London Heathrow, preparing to leave England. I left Southampton on Saturday, made my way to the Holiday Inn at Heathrow and enjoyed not having to rush to the gate and board my plane. The staff here has been wonderful and even gave me a free drink voucher because my room needed 5 more minutes to be ready. Not going to complain about that!

But what’s really going through my head is this emotional tug of war battle. On the one hand, I am overly excited to head back to the US. I have never appreciated what we have more than after living here and learning about what my friends from other countries have. In the least cliche way possible, I am very proud to be an American. I’m also over the moon excited to see my family and friends…and dog. It’s been almost 9 months since I was last home, and a whole year since I started this journey, and I’m looking forward to reuniting with those who supported my decision to pursue a master’s degree.

On the other hand, my heart is breaking. This past year has been one of the most amazing years of my life. Full stop. Period. I have met some of the most interesting, courageous, caring people that will always hold a special place in my heart. They have taught me so many things, both in and out of the classroom and library settings! I can not imagine that this past year would have been as impactful as it was had those people not been a part of it.

While I try to figure out if I’m really happy or not about leaving, I’ve reflected a bit on myself. This year has brought many firsts into my life, including:
-Living in a foreign country for an entire year
-Traveling alone, to places where I don’t speak the language, eating alone, and making myself talk to others in the hostels
-Opening my mind to the world
-Giving football (soccer) a chance, and actually enjoying it
-Not being afraid to put myself out there and live a little

It has also taught me many things, such as:
-Understanding how hard English is for those who do not to speak it as their first language
-Stereotypes are just that – stereotypes. You have to give people a chance no matter who they are or where they come from

And these are just some of the initials things I thought of over my wine and pizza last night. As the days pass, I find a job and move on with my life, I know this past year will play a huge role into my personal and professional development.

So, to my new friends, I love you and miss you already. To my friends and family in the USA, see you all very, very soon!

Time to start blogging again!

It has been far too long since my last post, and since then, so much has happened:

1. I finished my second and final semester of my postgraduate programme:  After Easter break, I turned in a total of 10 different assignments, which was more intense that I had originally anticipated.  Some were individual, others group and all took an excessive amount of effort to finish.  I could calculate approximately how many words I wrote, but I might frighten you.  Second semester turned out to be a bit better than the first, but there were still roadblocks along the way.  If you’re reading this, and considering coming to England to study from another country, just know that the teaching style here will probably be different than what you’re used to.  I’ve spent more hours teaching myself this year than I could have imagined.  While this is not entirely a bad thing, I wasn’t prepared for this, making the entire years a complete learning curve.  But, I did learn a great deal over the past 8 months.  I wouldn’t say I’m an expert in any one subject, but I do have a better understanding about a wide variety of digital marketing areas.

2. I started my dissertation: Just when I thought my days were going to be a little easier…bam!  My proposal was approved, I received a supervisor and was off and rolling.  I’m really enjoying my topic so far and have been told it could really add some new knowledge to the marketing industry.  Who knows, maybe it will! More on my dissertation later, but don’t want to get ahead of myself.  Here’s a little hint…it’s all about hashtags!

3. I spent 17 days traveling around Ireland, England and Scotland:  After handing in my last assignment, I had a few days to relax before catching a 6:50am flight from Southampton to Dublin to meet my parents.  While they had some issues (cancelled flight out of Chicago and unfriendly employees of an airline that will not be named), I made it to one of my favourite cities without any issues.  This trip was a great experience for the three of us, though I think my parents were pretty tuckered out by the time they returned how.  Admittedly, I was too! More posts and pictures to come on this trip in the coming days.

I have no excuses anymore to not blog regularly.  In fact, blogging will probably help me clear my brain of my dissertation research and everything else that is going on.  Be on the lookout for posts about  the rest of my trip to Germany, most recent travels and any other new and exciting adventures I have from now on.

First Football (Soccer) Match

If you didn’t know this about me, I love sports. All sports.  I love watching them, playing them, you name it and I’ll try it.  In my family, if you don’t like sports, well, good luck!  Just filled out my March Madness bracket the other day and like most, it’s already in the toilet.

I grew up a dancer (ballet, tap, jazz, pointe, hip hop, modern, you get the picture) but dabbled with sports in between.  Had my time playing softball – not for me.  I really liked baseball but once I was at a certain level I was asked to leave because I was a “liability”/they were afraid I was going to get hurt by the pitching machine.  In high school I played golf, and still play whenever I can.  When I lived in Arizona, being able to play golf had its bonuses as you can play all year long!

In terms of watching sports, I’ll watch anything.  I like:

Baseball (Go Cubs!)

American Football (Go Pack Go!)

Hockey (Let’s Go Hawks!)

Now Football (or as we silly Americans call it, Soccer) is a sport I didn’t grow up with.  Sure, I went to a few matches in high school and played it in gym class, but it isn’t as popular in the states as it is everywhere else in the world.  So, living in the UK and trying to take in as much culture as possible, I experienced my first football match on 15^th March 2014 – a Barclays Premier League match between Southampton and Norwich.

We arrived at St. Mary’s Stadium on a surprisingly pleasant and sunny Saturday to a sea of red.  It’s nice to see people supporting the Saints through jerseys, t-shirts, scarves and beyond.

We purchased out tickets through the University of Southampton and were seated in one of the corners.  A little worried about these seats, I was happily proven wrong.  The stadium holds a little over 30,000 people so there isn’t a bad seat in the house!  We were early enough to grab a pie, cider and watch warm-ups.

With 20 minutes before the match, more than half the seats were emqpty.  But, as I soon learned, the seats fill up about 5 minutes before the whistle blows.  We contributed this to the fact that you can’t bring alcohols past the concession stands, so everyone drinks before finding their seats.

 

 

 

When the match stated, the atmosphere changed dramatically.  It was a bit hard to understand the chants and cheers of the fans but there was one I did recognize – “When the Saints go Marching In”.  Having gone to a Catholic school for part of my life, and our mascot being the I.C. Saints, this was a familiar tune.  So, I joined in as best as I could.

Southampton beat Norwich that sunny Saturday, 4-2.   Not bad for my first, but definitely not last, Football match!

TFM&A 2014

Last week, I was up and on the coach before sunrise, heading to London for TFM&A 2014.  The Technology for Marketing and Advertising conference is an annual event for professionals in the marketing and advertising industry.  It provides presentations about new and upcoming technologies and innovations, information on products and services and networking opportunities.

Why did I go?  An excellent question!  My main reason for attending was to learn more about the digital marketing industry from a real-life perspective.  While I did work in advertising, it was only for a quick 2 years and I am far from a digital expert.  Also, being back in the classroom only provides a theoretical view of how to understand analytics or design a digital strategy.  The professionals at TFM&A not only understand what has been, they are also the ones predicting what will come in terms of social media trends, the evolution of brands and the next “big thing” in technology.  So, I wanted to surround myself with these people and pick their brains for information.

What did I learn?  More than I can put into one blog post, that’s for sure!  But let me summarise some of they key takeaways I discovered:

1. Social media has changed our lives:  Whether it is Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or any of the others out there, you can’t ignore them.  Social media outlets aren’t just for posting pictures and keeping in touch with long-lost  high school friends anymore.  They have changed the ways in which consumers consume media and how the media generates and provides information to their consumers.  I attended a keynote given by Anthony Simon, Head of Digital Communications, Prime Minister’s Office & Cabinet Office, who told us how the Prime Minister uses Facebook to provide people with emotional content, such as updates on the current UK Flooding.  A few years back, this information would have most likely been disclosed in a press release but thanks to the evolution of social media, the day of the press release may be coming to an end.  You may not have seen it coming, but how we communicate has, and will continue to, change.

2. Master’s degrees aren’t what they used to be: At one point during the “Panel debate: The future of marketing – have Gen X and Gen Y got what it takes?” keynotes, I started to have second thoughts about pursuing my master’s degree.  One of the Gen X panel members make a comment about how he could care less if a future employee had some “fancy MBA” or other degree.  You can probably imagine my face changing from a smile to one that showed pure horror.  Fortunately, other people on the panel weighed in on the topic and said sometimes it matters, sometimes it doesn’t.  But, HR departments still see it as an impressive accomplishment, which can help candidates land an interview.  They also said that a master’s degree is more about the experiences one took to achieve it.  Those experiences are what a future employer wants to hear about in an interview and those experiences are what will set up apart from the rest.

3. Passion outweighs everything:  You can be good, heck, even great at something, but if you don’t have passion for it, you might as well pack your bags.  Passion and curiosity are the key driving forces to becoming a successful marketer.  Without them, you’ll probably be out of a job.  The marketing and advertising industries are progressing before our eyes every day and you need to be ready and willing to evolve with them.  You might not know what the changes are, but that’s OK.  As long as your curiosity drives you to get out of bed every day to do something you’re passionate about, you’re going to make it.

These are just some of the many insights I gained at TFM&A 2014.  I could go on and on about statistics and data I picked up, but in the digital world, that information is probably already out of date.  However, the above takeaways are ideas I can put in my marketing toolkit and use in the coming months as I look for a job, and in my future marketing/advertising career.

Dreaming of a Beach Day

Having been in England since the end of September, 2013, I’ve noticed a trend in the weather.  Most days, it looks something like this:

If you couldn’t tell, I was definitely inside drying off when this picture was taken.  Cold, rainy, windy and miserable.  These are just a few of the words I’d use to describe the past few months.  I spent the last 6 years in the desert state of Arizona, so this much rain is completely out of my comfort zone!

So, when I’m feel “meh”, I think back to a few weekends ago when I went to California.  We spent the day hiking the beach, eating delicious food and celebrating my sister-in-law’s birthday.

We started the day off on Zuma Beach, just a hop, skip and a drive over the mountains from my aunt and uncle’s house.  It was cloudy and a bit cool when we started but nothing compared to the weather I had come from.

 

After a quick 2 mile walk/hike, we arrived at Paradise Cove, a cute little joint tucked away on the beach in Malibu.  Now, when in America, eat like an American!  While I should have gone for some eggs, I splurged on some apple pie pancakes and a mimosa.

And what’s a birthday breakfast without an enormous cake to feed everyone?!  I think she was a bit surprised, but Happy Birthday Lindsay!

After breakfast, the sun came out and we started our journey back up the beach.

 

So if you’re experiencing the winter blues in rainy England, snowy Chicago or wherever else has crummy weather, I hope there is a sunny day in your near future.

 

California Baby Shower

As the wind howls and the rain pours day after day here in England, I am reminded of a weekend that seems like an eternity ago…even though I just returned Tuesday!  Somehow, I had the privilege of flying to California on February 6 for a weekend of celebrations.  The first: a baby shower.

As much as we could, we tried to keep my attendance a secret for my beautiful, pregnant cousin, Laura.  Unfortunately, when she picked me up at the airport, she was only a little surprised, but I think happy to see me.  The two of us and two of my other cousins, Katie and Susie, left LAX and headed for Agoura Hills.  With more family arriving through the day and Friday, it was the perfect mini-reunion.

Friday was preparation day.  We chopped, sliced and assembled food for Saturday’s party while laughing, joking and catching up on one another’s lives.  After that, mani/pedis and Mexican food were in order to relax and keep chatting.  If you have the chance to meet my family, you’ll quickly learn that we’re talkers, so when we’re together, we always have a lot of catching up to do!

Then, came Saturday, where the entire house was awake and in the kitchen by 7:30am.  Grant it, coffee came first for most of us, but we were rolling bright and early.  Without knowing the sex of the baby, and knowing my cousin’s forever love for dinosaurs, my Aunt Deb and cousin Katie decided on a dino-themed shower.  Orange and green filled the house along with dinosaur books, toys and decorations.

Though we had hoped for a sunnier day, it didn’t rain, allowing us to be outside.  Tables were setup and decorated – we even made the napkins look like tiny diapers (adorable is you ask me!).

To go with the orange theme, we made an orange punch which contained: 2 litres Sprite, 2 litres Ginger Ale, 1 Sparkling Cider and a frozen container of orange juice.  Delicious!  Add a little white wine and presto – Mason Jar Spritzers.

Once the guests started to arrive we put out the appetisers: cheese platter, antipasti skewers, mini spinach artichoke dip cups and tiddly winks (or, pigs in the blankets) that looked like swaddled babies.

Then came the games: guess the price of the baby items, Baby Pictionary, and “My Water Broke!”, a game where you freeze mini plastic babies in ice cubes, put one ice cube in each guests’ glass and the first person whose ice cube melts completely yells, “My Water Broke!”.

Lunch was served between the games and consisted of lettuce salads, sandwiches and a fruit salad.

Next, and my favourite part, dessert!  Tiered platters were served to each table with mini French Silk Pies, Petite Bundt’s and “Dirt” in a Jar.

Finally, it was time to open presents.  They sure do make some interesting things for kids these days.  From organic diapers and wipes to the “poop closet” and enough Packers/49ers gear to go around, this little bundle of joy will be well taken care of.

Though I’m already missing the warm, California sun, I couldn’t be more grateful to have had the opportunity to go back to the US for this event.  Can’t wait for this little lovely to be born.  Congratulations Laura and Chandler!

A Saturday in Salisbury

Another day, another adventure.  Last Saturday, I ventured a bit north to Salisbury.  Officially a city in 1220, Salisbury has so much history to offer visitors.

Two of my course mates, Shaddy and Bianca, and I set off early Saturday morning for the train station.  After a quick stop in Eastleigh to change trains, we headed through the countryside towards Salisbury.  With the more-than-average rain we’ve been having, the fields and forests contained lush, green life.

Unfortunately, with rain in the forecast for later that day, we knew we’d be lucky to just stay dry under the cold, gray clouds.   As we left the Salisbury train station, we found a few different rivers running through the city.  There are actually 5 rivers come together, or, the confluence (word of the day!) of 5 rivers.

Where there’s a river, there’s a path, which is usually prettier than the main streets.  So we followed and, just like Winchester, the high waters rushed by us.

With a few twists and turns, we came across the Salisbury Cathedral, the main reason for our visit.  Completed in 1258, the Salisbury Cathedral is one of the largest cathedrals in the UK and also an impressive example of early English architecture.

From a distance, the grandness of the cathedral was overwhelming.  Taking a closer look, the amount of detail on the exterior was extraordinary with statues lining the walls.

Walking in, we were blown away by the openness of the cathedral.  We explored the tombs of past bishops and other dignitaries as well as ancient devices such as a working clock dating back to 1386.   Another impressive item was the organ, stretching around the cathedral.

The longer we were in the cathedral, the more the sun started to break through the clouds outside.  To our advantage, we were able to experience the beauty of the stained glass windows from within.

We noticed a sign that said the Queen of England visited Salisbury Cathedral during her Diamond Jubilee in 2012.  This was picture worthy, of course, because I didn’t know the next time I’d be at a place where the Queen had recently been!

Walking out of the cathedral was joyous as we were welcomed by blue skies and sunshine.  Though there were absolutely zero warmth from that big ball of fire in the sky, I’ll take sunshine over clouds any day!   The sunshine gave us a whole different perspective of the cathedral’s exterior, making it even more magnificent than when we first arrived.

From the cathedral, we took a walk around the city.  Since it was Saturday, there was a large open market in the main square, which included produce, meats and cheese, freshly made donuts, clothes and shoes and everything else in-between.

After a bite at a delicious Italian restaurant, we noticed the weather was taking a turn for the worst – dark clouds rolled in and the temperature dropped.  So, we headed back to the train station to make our way back to Southampton.

In 2010, I visited Salisbury on a tour to Stonehenge.  The only site we saw during this tour was the cathedral so it was nice to see a little more of the city.  Though small, Salisbury still had a unique charm to it.

Off to the Isle of Wight

With a week of break ahead of us, a group of my classmates and I decided to take advantage of another sunny day and head to the Isle of Wight.

The Isle of Wight is England’s largest island (which is funny since England is an island itself but, I digress). Queen Victoria chose the Isle of Wight as her summer retreat and would spend periods of time at the Osborne House.  The Beatles even included this island in their song, “When I’m Sixty-Four”.   Also, since it is an island, you can’t forget about its boat making history and dinosaur fossils.  For a small island, it has a lot to offer.

Unfortunately, Mondays in January are not the time to visit the Isle of Wight since most of the museums and shops were closed.  Nevertheless, we took the quick 25-minute ferry ride from Southampton to the city of East Cowes.

Once off the ferry, we started exploring the town.  As most of the shops were closed, we stayed close to the shoreline.

We ran into a few quick rain showers but it eventually cleared up and the rest of the day consisted of sunshine and steady temperatures.

From East Cowes we grabbed the 1 bus and headed to the main city on the island – Newport.  Here, we found the action – people out and about working, shopping and going about their day-to-day business.  I must say I was quite surprised to see so many people.  On a map, the island looks pretty small.  But, in reality, looks can be deceiving!

After wondering the streets and finding a beautiful church, we settled on some pizza and pasta before grabbing the 7 bus and heading to Alum Bay on the far west side of the island.

From our estimation, it should have taken about an hour from Newport to Alum Bay.  Unfortunately, this didn’t happen.  At one point, the bus driver came over the intercom to say our bus wasn’t working properly and she’d have to shut it off.  A few minutes later she had it going again and we proceed…but only for a few more minutes.  Like any island, there are very few main roads and when one is under construction, all are affected.  We sat at a standstill for a good 20 minutes waiting for our turn to pass.  Thankfully, we found ways to entertain ourselves.

After a few more detours, we finally reached Alum Bay but only to be told that the bus we were getting off of was the last bus on the night.  Not what you want to hear when it’s getting dark and the next town with bus services is at least a 20 minute walk up the road.  As a group, we decided to take our chances and raced to The Needles to catch a glimpse of the final moments of the sunset.

After the sun set, we were trying to come up with a plan for getting back to the ferry.  Out of nowhere, we noticed a bus coming towards us.  Guess there was one more bus after all!  I raced towards it to make sure he saw us and didn’t leave without us.  Pause for a moment – I hate running, so for me to run for anything is a big deal!  Thankfully, we made the bus and were able to grab a ferry back to Southampton.

Another great day trip!  Though many of the attractions were closed, we still had a great day.  Can’t wait to go back in the spring or summer and experience more of the Isle of Wight!

Walking Through Winchester

My first semester of grad school has come to a close and I couldn’t be more relieved!  A full report on the semester will come soon but for now, let’s focus on Sunday’s adventure – a trip to Winchester, England.

The former capital city of England, Winchester is only a quick 20 minutes train ride from Southampton.  With exams behind us, and a week of relaxing to look forward to, some of my friends and I decided to take advantage of the sunny day and head to this enchanting town. 

 

Our first stop was to be The Great Hall to check out King Arthurs’ Round Table but unfortunately, it was closed.  And remains closed until the middle of February 2014.  If you’re reading this and plan to visit Winchester in the next few weeks, I highly recommend you reconsider. 

Fortunately, this little setback didn’t keep us down for long.  We made our way down the main street on the search of some breakfast.  Coming into the  downtown area, I felt like I’d just walked into Diagon Alley!  For all you non-Harry Potter nerds out there, Diagon Alley is where the witches and wizards of Hogwarts go to shop for their books, owls and other necessary school supplies. 

 

The houses were old and slanted with moss growing out of every nook and cranny.  Each house was different from the next, making it hard to decide on a favourite.

Moving forward, we came across a statue of King Alfred the Great.  After a little research, I discovered he was the king from 849-899, defended his kingdom against the Viking and when he died, was the only English monarchto be accorded the epithet “the Great.”  In short, a pretty important person.

 Past King Alfred the Great is the River Itchen.  Due to the massive amounts of rain we’ve had, the river roared and took over part of the walking path.  Nevertheless, we walked on, enchanted by the sounds of the river and marveling at the houses that lined it. 

As we made our way towards the Winchester Cathedral, we walked under an ancient wall and came across the cutest little bookstore.  Though it being closed on Sundays, passer-byers could still leave money for any of the books outside it.

 At last, we came upon the main attraction – the Winchester Cathedral.  Built in 1079, it is one the largest cathedrals in England.  As we walked in, we were greeted by the angelic voices from the Sunday choir as mass came to an end.

 

Walking through the cathedral, we came across burial sites for English Bishops as well as the final resting place of Jane Austen. 

Walking up to the alter was an experience in itself.  The wall behind the alter consisted of stone carvings of Jesus and other biblical icons.  The details throughout the cathedral were extraordinary and quite impressive.    

Leaving the Cathedral, we walked back to the main street where people had emerged from their homes to enjoy this sunny Sunday – a rare occasion in England during January!  While I was a bit disappointed about The Great Hall being closed, it just means I’ll have to take another quick train ride to Winchester sometime soon.

An American/British/Faroese Thanksgiving

Well, another Thanksgiving has come and gone, but it will be one I’ll always remember.

As we sat at lunch on 28 November before a 4 hour lecture, one of my friends asked me, “will this be your first Thanksgiving without family?” At that point, I truly realised how far away I was from my family. Boom, just like that, total shut down. Let’s just say sitting through that lecture was not a pleasant experience.

Fortunately, I had something to look forward to after class. Thanks to the hospitality of some amazing friends, we feasted like…Americans! There was turkey, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole and the best homemade gravy I’ve ever had.

Great food, Call of Duty, and some amazing friends made this year’s Thanksgiving in England a memorable one.

A night out at the German Bar

Let me tell you, being a postgrad is not all fun and games.  But, when times get stressful, my friends and I are learning that we need to step away from the computers, close the books, and have a little fun.  On Thursdays, we have lecture from 2:00pm – 6:00pm.  This, my friends, is a very long time to try and pay attention to one lecturer.

Usually after this lecture we head to The Stag’s Head, our campus pub, for pizza, beer, and table football (foosball).  Last Thursday, we decided to branch out and head to the city centre.

With the holidays approaching, Southampton is slowly changing into a winter wonderland.  At the city centre, the food stalls have been converted into Bavarian-themed huts and they’ve placed a German Bar smack dab in the middle of everything.  With our brains feeling like mush after class, we decided to check it out.

Now, for a German Bar, in England, we expected some of the workers to be, well, German.  Low and behold, they were English.  But, the beer was cold, the mulled wine was hot, and the sausages were delicious!

With reports, essays and presentations looming over our heads, it’s hard to take a few minutes, or hours, for ourselves.  But, thanks to the holiday spirit, we took a timeout from university life and had a memorable evening.

Creative DigiFest

Yesterday I attended the Creative DigiFest at the De Vere Grand Harbour Hotel in Southampton, England.  The morning consisted of business pitches given to a panel of 5 “Dragons”.  There were some very innovative ideas and the video gives snippets from each pitch.

As a DigiChamp, I took videos and tweeted throughout the event.  Check-out my Twtitter profile, @AmandaBobel, to see more tweets and pictures from the event or click here: https://twitter.com/AmandaBobel.  Make sure to start following me so we can explore and experience the digital marketing world together!

 

Crafting is the Best Medicine for Stress Relief

Homesickness.  If you’ve ever lived away from home, you know exactly what this is.  If you haven’t, it isn’t fun.  I knew there would be a day that I’d start to miss home but it’s not something you mark on the calendar and prepare for in advance.  It hits you when you’re most vulnerable.  For me, that day was Monday.  Middle of the semester, one course ending, another course starting, due dates looming over my head…the elements of a perfect storm.  Alas, meltdown.  Thanks Mom and Dad for answering my Skype call so late at night!

I needed something to get my mind off school for an afternoon so my friends Liv, Foteini, and I decided we needed a little craft therapy.  And, what perfect timing, as the holidays are quickly approaching.

On Wednesday we set out to some craft shops, the pound store, and the 99P store for some affordable materials and headed to Liv’s house.  Prior to our arrival, Liv put out Christmas candies and had her iPad ready with festive music.  We listened to Christmas tunes in English, Swedish, Faroese, Danish, and maybe a few others, I can’t be quite certain.   She even made us a delicious, homemade dinner to end the evening.  Best hostess ever!  Many thanks to the Justinussen home for your hospitality.

 

In the end, we only finished a few crafts but had some much needed girl talk.  One of the crafts we made were snowflakes out of popsicle sticks which you can find here: http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/originals/9c/31/56/9c31568348fd88258e439f6362f73963.jpg.  We also made yarn bowls – http://www.saifou.com/entry/20670.html -, but they were still drying when we left so I’m really hoping they turned out.

We’ll just have to see next Wednesday night when we have Crafting Night Part 2.

The University of Southampton’s Web Science Institute

Yesterday, The University of Southampton launched the Web Science Institute.  With only one other WSI in England, this is a very exciting time for the University and Web Science programme.   The Institute will study the web and the impacts it has on economics, politics, technology, and society.

(An introduction from Vice-Chancellor, Professor Don Nutbeam)

In an interview with BBC News, Professor Dame Wendy Hall, one of the WSI founders, said, “There is a ‘perfect storm’ brewing which combines open data, open education and open research, so this is a very exciting time to be launching the Web Science Institute.”  For the full article, check out: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-24898583

In addition to the WSI launch, the University’s first MOOC went live yesterday.  This Massive Open Online Course focuses on the origins and evolution of the web.  As of yesterday, thousands have signed up for the course from all over the world.  For more information on the Web Science MOOC, and future University of Southampton MOOCs, visit the Future Learn website: https://www.futurelearn.com/partners/university-of-southampton.

(Dr. Lisa Harris speaking about the Digital Economy)

Fellow DigiChamp Merel van Dijke and I were invited to the launch to conduct interviews with key members of the WSI as well as other University of Southampton Web Science staff members.  Working with Simon Morice and David Willox, we set-up video equipment, took pictures, and were prepped with questions.  When it came time to conduct the interviews, I was a bit intimidated.  Here I was, an international MSc student, ready to interview some of the most influential people in the Web Science world.

But, once we started rolling, my nerves settled and I started to enjoy the experience. Some of the people we interviewed were:

• Vice–Chancellor, Professor Don Nutbeam
• Professor, Dame Wendy Hall
• Professor, Sir Nigel Shadbolt

They were all very nice and extremely knowledgeable, making for smooth, informative interviews.

(Interviewing Professor, Sir Nigel Shadbolt)

With the world of Web Science evolving right before our eyes, this event has made me extremely excited and curious about the knowledge and technologies that will come about in the approaching years.

Preparing for the Future

When I graduated from Arizona State University, I went to work for Moses.  Though we had Ten Commandments, they unfortunately weren’t written on stone tablets.  Moses Anshell is an Arizona based advertising agency with a national reputation for remarkable work that you can check out at www.mosesanshell.com.

I was fortunate to be hired on as a Junior Media Buyer/Planner after only a few short weeks as a Media/Strategy intern. The thing I loved most about working at Moses was how close the team was. I feel I was given more opportunities there than I would have been at a larger agency. Did I know exactly what I was doing during the first few months?  No.  But, I was fortunate to have the support and guidance from some amazing Seniors/Directors/VPs to help make sure I was successful.  Don’t get me wrong, I have a LONG way to go when it comes to learning about media planning and buying.  However, I am confident that the skills I learned at Moses will benefit me in my future and I am eternally grateful to all the people that have helped me so far.

With two years of work experience under my belt and (fingers crossed!) a MSc Digital Marketing degree from the University of Southampton, how do I go about finding a job?  What tools are out there to better prepare me for the job market?  After speaking with Neil’s Recruitment (http://www.neilsrecruitment.co.uk/), I’ve learned some key ways on how to make myself stand out from the crowd and prepare for a future in digital marketing.

One of the most essential recruitment tools today is LinkedIn.  This site allows members to create a personal profile highlighting your work experience, educational background, and current skills.  LinkedIn also lets you interact with past employers and co-workers as well as connect with new and potential companies.  Many companies post job listings on LinkedIn thereby making it easy to search for relevant positions.  In my quest for a job after graduation, I need to start using LinkedIn to its fullest potential.  There are many groups specifically for digital media/marketing that I must interact with.  This will benefit me when I am close to graduation and seeking a full-time position.

Blogging is an extremely important tool for marketers. With my personal blog, I am able to create my own digital footprint and give readers an insightful look into my personal, academic, and professional life.  But personal blogging is only the half of it.  Reading and interacting with others through blogs can help foster relationships that would not have been otherwise possible.

Connecting and interacting with companies on LinkedIn and continuing to blog are two activities I plan to use to prepare myself for a digital marketing career.  However I am not limiting myself to these two activities.  There are numerous opportunities out there that I cannot wait to explore and take advantage of that will help with my success.

Forming Friendships

During my master’s programme, I have the opportunity to work on a variety of group projects with people from all over the world.  One of these groups is for my Communications and Media Management course.  Let me introduce you to my group members!

First on the far left is Sunnie. She is from China and plays the Guzheng, which is a Chinese plucked zither.  Next is Natalie who is from Hong Kong.  Natalie likes to play tennis and basketball and is currently studying the art of Kung Fu.  Bonnie is on the far right and is from Taiwan.  She is a member of the University of Southampton Table Tennis Team.  

These are the three lovely ladies who I work with on a variety of in-class and out-of-class projects.  But, we don’t just work on our course work when we’re together.  We’re girls, plain and simple.  Though we come from different backgrounds and countries, we still talk about shoes and boys and everything else in between.  They’re introducing me to Chinese food restaurants and Oolong Tea and I’m helping them with their English (hopefully!).

Though we were put together to work on course projects, we’ve formed a friendship that I  hope last for a long, long time!

The Importance of Social Networks

In our Marketing in the 21^st Century course, we were asked to use our social networks and post messages encouraging our followers to check out the MOOC.  What’s that?  A MOOC is a Massive Open Online Course.  The University of Southampton’s first MOOC focuses on, “Web Science: How the Web is Changing the World” (Future Learn, 2013).  For more information of the MOOC, click here (sotonscomms, 2013):

 After posting, we were then asked to record the reactions we received from our social networks.  Now, having 974 Facebook friends and 143 Twitter followers, I thought it would be easy to get people to like/share/favourite/retweet the link.

Low and behold, it wasn’t.  Two of the four Facebook likes I received were from coursemates, while the other two were from one of my housemate and my aunt in Arizona.  I had a little more luck on Twitter – one retweet from a coursemate, two retweets from a fellow DigiChamp, and one retweet from someone outside my network, @LeanneF.  But, these still weren’t the results I had hoped for.

This assignment made me wonder how companies today are beginning to combine their traditional marketing goals with their social networks to market their products and services. Or, if they aren’t using their social networks, will they ever?  From my experience, there are still companies out there who have separate marketing/advertising budgets for their traditional and digital media components.  Yes, traditional media will always be important, but it’s the integration of traditional media, digital media, and social networks that’s key to a successful campaign. The companies that HAVE integrated their social networks into their marketing plans are changing the marketing world as we know it.

One of those companies is the American coffee and donut chain, Dunkin Donuts.  Their newest campaign took real customer’s tweets with the hashtag #MyDunkin and created a campaign around them.  Instead of collecting research to create commercials, they used the actual experiences, which helps customers feel a greater connection to the brand.  Click here to hear about Meg’s #MyDunkin experience (dunkindonuts, 2013):

By using their social network, Dunkin Donuts engaged their current customers to potentially talk about and share the video with potential customers.  Yes, they’ve paid to make the commercial and for the airtime, but word of mouth marketing and video sharing is, for all intended purposes, priceless.  DunkinDonuts not only helps their customers feel part of the brand, but they also receive free advertising.

DunkinDonuts is just one of many companies who have integrated their social network into their marketing plan.  In the coming years, we’ll see more and more companies do the same as social networks, and whatever the next new digital tool is, become even more important to a brand’s survival.

2013 ODI Summit

NEWSFLASH: On Tuesday, 29 October 2013, I had the honour of meeting the man who invented the World Wide Web.  Don’t believe me?  Well, thanks to Nader, we have picture proof.

This is Sir Tim Berners-Lee, the man who created http://www.  He’s also the President & Founder of the Open Data Institute.  Sir Berners-Lee and Sir Nigel Shadbolt founded ODI in order to raise awareness about open data and encourage more people to share and use open data.

Now, you’re probably asking yourself, as I did, “what is open data?”  It’s actually just that – data that is free for anyone to use, reuse, and redistribute.  I’m still wrapping my head around the idea but I believe it means there is data out there that people can use for free.  However, people either aren’t using it or don’t know it’s out there to use.

At the 2013 ODI Summit, held in London, I learned there is still a bit of a controversy regarding open data.  There are many organisations and government entities that already have data available for public use.  But, there is still a great deal of information that is locked up and unavailable.  I’d start to give examples but the list is endless.

As a novice on this subject, my above explanation of open data may have just confused you more.  For more information on the Open Data Institute and their goals, check out their webpage: http://theodi.org/.

The 2013 ODI Summit was my first UK conference and one I won’t ever forget.  There were speakers and representatives from all over the United Kingdom, the United States, and many other countries.  I had to opportunity to listen to speeches government officials and not-for-profit organisations as well as network with these individuals and other businessmen and women from all over the world.

A huge thanks goes out to Dr. Lisa Harris, the University of Southampton WebScience Doctoral Training Centre, and the University of Southampton Management School!  I am truly grateful to have had the opportunity to attend this event and will use the knowledge I obtained during my postgraduate studies.

The Adventures of Mandy and Tina – London Style

One of my oldest friends Christina came to the UK this past weekend as we met up in London. Oh London, what an amazing city! We had a great time together exploring the city, drinking cider, and making new memories.

This video is a bit longer than the others have been but I promise it’s worth watching the entire thing.

Stonehenge and Bath

On 19 October 2013, I explored Stonehenge and Bath with some friends.  Stonehenge was interesting but the real highlight was Bath. This picturesque English town is one to see and I think the video helps depict just that.

But, I think my favourite part of the trip was how international we were as a group.  I had the pleasure of spending the day with two girls from Greece, one from Brazil, one from Lebanon, and a guy from Georgia – the country, not the state.  Yes, I’m here to study digital marketing, but I’m also here to learn about other cultures and hopefully form relationships with people from around the world.

This past weekend was amazing and I can’t wait to visit Bath again in the near future.