Miley Cyrus. Woof.

She's just being Miley......

Artists are always trying to reinvent themselves in order to stay relevant. We've seen Madonna do it, Britney Spears, and now Miley. Miley took some direction from her predecessors and then took the whole concept of reinvention to an all new level. In fact, I wouldn't even give her the credit of labeling her behavior as a strategic marketing plan. All I see is a pathetic, low-life, wannabe, being a huge floosie. Miley Cyrus put a name to the face of the saying "money can't buy you class".

                            

Let's talk about Miley's VMA performance. She performed her some "We Can't Stop," with Robin Thicke's "Blurred Lines". Now I will admit I really liked Miley's song. I think it is a really catchy tune with decent vocals. Unfortunately, any ounce of actual talent was overshadowed by a ridiculous "dance" routine that most considered repulsive. 

In the past Madonna, Britney, and Gaga have all shocked people by wearing barely there clothing, kissing people of the same sex, etc. Each artist seemed to find a way to find a happy medium between talent and shock value. Miley, not so much.

            

Where's the Mini-Bar?

This semester I have been interning at Crowley Webb & Associates, an advertising agency in Buffalo, NY. I am working mainly in Media/Buying with the occasional stints in account management, social media, creative, and writing. I chose to intern at Crowley Webb based on their reputation as an effective advertising agency and the positive atmosphere they provide for their employees.

Now I'm not going to lie, I was a little disappointed I did not see Don Draper and a mini-bar in the office on my first day. To make up for this there was a ping pong table, a wall full of awards, and lots of genuine smiles plastered on everyone's faces. It didn't take long for me to realize I was in the right place.

                 

Within my first week at CW, I learned the cycle in which the agency runs in order to make an ad campaign for their clients. Account management maintains the relationship with the client and learns their needs. Once account management obtains this information they send it over to Media/Buying. This is where a media campaign plan is created. The plan is based off research of the target audience/key publics, client budget, and client vision. Once the media plan is constructed it is sent over to the creative department. 

This is where the ads come to life. Creative is constantly in touch with account management to ensure the client is happy, and with Media/Buying to make sure their vision agrees with their budget. Another intricate part of the cycle is the Traffic Controller. This person works to make sure the entire project is on track with the campaign deadlines. 

Learning how an agency works is relevant to our classwork because it plays such a prominent role in the media. Ads are everywhere. It's important to know who the people are behind them.