Mid-Semester Blues

Good day, marketing blog readers! I have a special suprise for this post. For those of you who have never had the priveledge of following me via blog before, I shall now explain. First, a disclaimer: as cynical as I come across, I'd like to remind everyone that I love my life and nearly everything about it. Yet there comes a time in every college student's career where (s)he is tempted to throw over furniture in King-Kong-like fashion, rip up homework, and throw flaming textbooks out the window. Whether it's caused by school, work, or lack of sleep, we've all been there. I like to call it "spring-break-come-quickly-itis." And as fun and theraputic as the above rant would be, it would also be very expensive and annoying to clean up. Therefore, I have developed a new solution I like to call blog vomit. It is the point in my blog in which I hyperbolically describe all those little annoying things that make up mid-semester-blues. Please enjoy: Annual Blog Vomit - Episode #1.

#1) There's always one kid in my class who suddenly thinks of three million questions to ask the professor right before class is dismissed. They're usually personal questions, irrelevent, and previously addressed in the lecture.

#2) My "waterproof" mascara drips mercilessly down my face whenever I cry/sweat/get wet, but then finally lives up to its name when I try to scrub the darn stuff off before I go to bed.

#3) Every time I get on the treadmill for a run, my feet start to itch in my shoes. Every single bloody time. Figure that out.

#4) When I wake up in the morning, I like to take a 5-10 minute snooze. Usually, I turn off the first alarm and then pull my arms up over my eyes to block out any stray rays of light. When I'm "locked in" to position, I fall back asleep, and lose all feeling in my arms. After the second alarm goes off, it takes all the momentum I've got to swing my hand over the "dismiss" button and wait for the paralysis to wear off. This is usually a long, painful process, followed by a sudden surging pulse in my wrists and a needle-prickling sensation all the way down to my fingers. Good morning, indeed.

#5) Being a self-labeled "courteous driver," I typically allow merging cars in front of me when in gridlock. I have no problem doing this when the courtesy is reciprocated in what many call "the wave." It's a simple motion: a flick of the wrist directed to the following car through the rear window. But there's a good 30% of the driving population who neglect to use "the wave" when extended this act of gentility. To the "non-wavers:" I will find you. And I will not let you in.

Well, there you have it. 5 things that only contribute to the stress-inducing time that is midterm. Yet I'm still alive, and have reason to enjoy every single day despite minor setbacks.

Facebook's IPO

   About 2 weeks ago Facebook filed for a $5 billion IPO, which could end up being the biggest IPO in history. Currently, the company is traded privately. The number of private investors that have interest in Facebook are in the thousands. Private traders estimate Facebook to be worth $103 billion. The IPO will create more capital and opportunities for the public to invest in.

   The company is set to go public sometime in May of this year. After the company begins its stock offering, Mark Zuckerberg (Founder and CEO) will have an individual worth of around $24 billion. This goes to show that online social media has become a giant in the markets and has great importance in our society today.

***This is a make-up blog for 2/24 since we were away.

An Evening Spent Talking with Truckers

That's right, my pal Shane and I spent some time this evening pretending to be truck drivers cruising up or down interstate 294. I must say, it was quite a good time, filled with adventure, conning, and some pretty good quotes(some of which cannot be shared in this blog).

We grabbed a CB and went cruising around in the subdivisions next to interstate 294 trying to pick up chatter, but without any luck. Our next move led us to Cicero Ave., where we hoped to see and hear semi traffic, but again without any luck. So we found ourselves making loops around and near interstate 294, hoping to pick up some chatter. And wouldnt you know it,  just when we were about to give up and go home, we picked up some chatter; some trucks heading to Wisconsin were discussing the weather.

As soon as we heard the talk of snow over the CB, we pulled into a hotel parking lot so as to not lose a signal. And thats when we came accross the greatest spot ever for talking on a CB; We parked perpendicular to the interstate, within a stones through of passing traffic.

As a bonus, there was no sound barrier blocking our view, so we were able to read which company each truck belonged to, which gave us an ice breaker or conversation starter, which went like this: "hey Fed-Ex, you got your radio on?" or "hey Yellow, where you headin?" Other trucks we talked to were from Coca-Cola, Con-Way, Walmart, Target...

We found that by talking in a deep and southern accent, we got a higher response rate, I suppose because that tricked the real truckers into believing we were actually one of the gang. But anyways, it was quite fun and entertaining. And now for my favorite conversation of the night (we just listened to this one)... "I'm lookin for two big black girls, two big black girls. breaker breaker breaker..." to which another trucker responded, "someone needs to give him two big black eyes, so he'll shut up"  

Why I am satisfied with my education at Trinity

Now that I am about half way through my last semester of college, I have been looking back at all of the classes, experiences, and moments that have occurred throughout my college career.  It has been a great time of growth for me, as it is for most college students. Upon reflecting on all of the different classes I have taken at different schools, it seemed to me that Trinity has succeeded in preparing me for the workplace more than any other schools that I have attended have.

Over my four years of college I have actually attended four different school, even though I will have been at Trinity for a total of three and a half semesters.  I have taken classes at Monmouth College, Moraine Valley Community College, Governors State, and of course Trinity Christian College. Of all of these colleges though, Trinity seems to have the upper hand on giving students the hands on experience that makes applying the principles that we have been learning to real life experiences so much easier.

Currently, aside from the courses I am enrolled in at Trinity, I am also taking a marketing management class at Governors State. After being in this class for a few weeks, our professor has not used any other teaching styles besides reading from our book. Since this is the only professor that I have taken a class for at this school, I cannot judge the whole institution. However, through out all of my courses that I have taken at Trinity, I have never been taught in such a low involvement way. That is why I say that I am fully satisfied with the education that Trinity is selling. It is thought provoking and gets the students involved in the way that promotes a fun learning experience.

Impact of Tech on Brand Marketing

http://www.brandingstrategyinsider.com/2011/11/the-impact-of-technology-on-brand-marketing.html

I read this article discussing the use of technology in Marketing and how once one part of your business goes into a technological state; such as customer service, consumers expect it from other aspects as well.

As said in the article "The digital revolution is changing how people conceptualize the possibilities available to them in their lives." Consumers know what technology can do in business and how it expands their empowerment through: speed, productivity and support. This means that once on part of the business offers technology to help customers it will be expected in all areas.

Unlikely Triumph in the NBA.

After brainstorming this weeks topic for quite a while, I finally decided to write about the up and coming New York Knicks' star, Jeremy Lin. Lin's recent triumph to the top of the NBA has created a phenomenon accross the U.S. as well as China, known as Linsainity.  However, things weren't always this linsanely good for Jeremy Lin as he was often overlooked. Lin has gone from the rookie no one in the NBA wanted, and has now risen to the top of the rookie class and the entire NBA. Being overlooked as the UNDERDOG allowed him to execute his talent and open a bridge to be the elite athlete he is today. In contrast to being an elite athlete, he  is spiritually grateful and giving explicit glory to his maker.On the other hand, decided to talk about Linsanity, due to Lin demand in China and U.S. as many entrepreneurs and businesses are taking advantage of his name and cashing in. Better yet, Lin himself has file to trademark "Linsanity" to put his signature form on consumer products/gear to better market himself. His marketing magic continues to draw consumers pockets. According to the article, Lin's chinese trademark, Risheng is producing much of his merchandise and providing thriving business to tie-up opportunities. He's Lin-incredible, total package and an unlikely triumph.

http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tgc/2012/02/13/the-basketball-star-no-one-wanted-jeremy-lins-unlikely-triumph/?comments#comments (God of the small, who are great)

http://www.cnn.com/2012/02/24/world/asia/nba-lin-florcruz-marketing/index.html (Marketing mavens are lusting to brand Lin)

Steroids in College Sports

The random blog I decided to write about was on steroids and how it effects younger children. It basically talks about what the drug does to kids and what benefits are included. It even goes into even more shocking details explaining how parents even give their kids permission to use it to achieve success.

I decided to write about this blog for several reasons. I personally know athletes who've done steroids and athletes who've done steroids and got caught in the process. The most intriguing thing about this issue is the athletes who I know got caught weren't punished. It seems like the NCAA or whose ever  in charge of doesn't really seem to care about fixing this serious problem. I feel when an athlete is given the opportunity to walk after testing positive for steroids, it just open doors for many other athletes to do the same.

http://redrentalsmexico.com/2012/02/24/usage-of-steroid-drugs-in-sports-activities-and-ways-in-which-it-has-an-effect-on-young-people/

Why J.R. Smith is more important to the Knicks than Jeremy Lin

Jeremy Lin is much less important to the knicks than JR Smith is because while Lin is on his high horse having good games against bad teams and bad games against good teams, Jr Smith is providing solid numbers and energy off the bench that help boost the Knicks second unit. Everyone is all over Jeremy Lin's 'game' that they are over looking some key pick ups from free agency. Anyone can do what Lin is doing if they had the chance because when Tony Douglas started he had great numbers and Baron Davis, their current back up PG has the skills to do what Lin is doing, if not do better. In the Knicks system, any PG would succeed, while Jr Smith is doing what he does best, and that is help strengthen and add depth to an injury depleted roster. Steve Novak is also being seriously over shadowed by this Linsanity bull honky. I could go on and on about how Lin isn't as good as everyone thinks he is and how he is just becoming the Tim Tebow of the NBA, but I will hold back for the sake of length of this blog. LeBron James and the Heat showed us what Lin is truly like against contender teams and people should be able to move on now. Linsanity is just got burned.

Purple Cow

When I get some downtime and I'm browsing the web every now and then I check out a TED discussion to get some intellectual stimulation when school isn't enough. Today I decided to specifically look for TED discussions focused on marketing. After doing a Google search I came across a blog that offered 13 must see videos on marketing. I perused the selection and decided to view one, just one because these videos tend to be lengthy and my attention span isn't that long. The video I watched discussed standing out and it spoke about how companies are able to sell products. For instance, he spoke about when sliced bread was first produced it didn't sell for 15 years. Not until Wonderbread did sliced bread become what it is today. There was something about Wonderbread that made sliced bread worth making a remark about, Wonderbread made it remarkable. The speaker emphasized that standing out wasn't just central to the business world but in life in general. Whether you are trying to market online, get a job, or get a date something has to make you stand out. Something has to make you the purple cow. You have to know what people want, you have to be able to design, you have to take risk, and you have to be better than very good. In my opinion it shows the significance marketing has on a daily basis. Here's the link of the 13 must see videos on marketing http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/8175/13-Must-Watch-Marketing-TED-Presentations.aspx

walmart

i always shop at wal-mart for the sole reason that they advertise that they have the lowest prices around.  when i went there today to pick up some groceries i was looking and comparing some prices and the question came to my head: "when they say lowest prices, do they mean that every single item in their store is the lowest price or do they mean that the average of all the products is sold the cheapest.  I was wondering this because wal mart has their own brand called Great Value or GV.  they always put the GV next to the brand name product.  If they are counting the GV products at the lowest price then i think that is false advertising because that is their own brand competing against other brands instead of them selling well known brands for cheaper.  If anyone has some insight on this topic please comment.

ps i ALWAYS buy GV over the other brands...it's so much cheaper

I should be the GM of the Chicago Bears

Today, in our freestyle blog, I would like to talk about something that is near and dear to my heart. It is something that has revolutionized watching sports as we know it, and if it wasn't for the internet, it wouldn't be possible. It is called FANTASY SPORTS. The ability to compete for either money or pride by drafting athletes has definitely has changed the way that I know view sports. The crazy thing is, there are Fantasy Leagues for almost every sport imaginable. It allows you to take the job of a GM, scout, and coach for a team that you create. It allows to you to cheer for individuals that may not even be on your favorite team. The power is in your hands. With that being said, I should probably connect this back to our class somehow. With several people competing in Fantasy Sports on the internet, it opens up the door for several marketing opportunities. I've seen fantasy drafts being sponsored and as always, there are those ads on the websites. The leagues are set up so that people can compete from literally almost anywhere. I know that when you gave the assignment to write a freestyle blog you weren't expecting to have one written about fantasy sports, but its something, whether you think its rational or not, that is a prominent in America today. It is something that people plan for and around. Its amazing.

Jake out.

Did anyone else hear about Google tracking peoples' browsing histories?

Last week I was reading the Wall Street Journal and I came across this article:  Google's iPhone Tracking


The first paragraph of the article states that "Google Inc. and other advertising companies have been bypassing the privacy settings of millions of people using Apple Inc.'s Web browser on their iPhones and computers—tracking the Web-browsing habits of people who intended for that kind of monitoring to be blocked."


The article goes on to talk about how Google uses this information to provide it to advertising companies—just what we're talking about in class.


Safari is set by default to not allow users' browsing histories to be sent to Google—however, Google was still collecting this information from people who didn't know any better—people whose devices were set up to not transmit that information to Google.


After WSJ initially reported this story, several senators and government regulators have gotten involved with it.  I'm sure this story will be around for a while, proving once again that nothing is private on the internet.

Entering the Workforce

For all of you out there who might be searching for jobs or internships, such as myself, I figured I would create a brief list of advice that has been given to me or that I have already given to others. This information will hopefully give you a solid foundation to begin your job search.

1. Find a Mentor - The best thing you can do to get yourself started on the job search is to find a mentor or someone who has been through the hiring process before to give you advice. It is extremely beneficial to have a professor, a friend, a family member, or someone else there to help keep you on task and make sure you're doing the right things when looking for a job.
   
2. Do Your Homework - You need to make sure you do all the proper research to understand exactly which types of jobs you are looking for and then also to have a substantial knowledge of the companies and positions you are applying for. This way you will have a better idea of what you are getting yourself into and will be more prepared if you are presented with the opportunity to interview for the position(s).
3. Sell Yourself - In order to even be considered for a position you need to differentiate yourself from the crowd and make your resume appealing. Be personal and grab the attention of those offering the available positions. Don't get so caught up in the formalities that you forget to give a reasonable description of yourself and your goals. You don't want to be just another resume on the pile, because some companies receive hundreds, even thousands of resumes at a time.
4. Proofread - You always want to proofread your resume and cover letter at least once and also have someone else proofread them and go over them with you. In the business world, typographical errors shouldn't really be occurring and you want to start off on the right foot by proving that you can at least type a document without simple errors.
5. Use your Resources - The internet has become a very powerful tool these days, especially when it comes to the job search. Tools such as www.careerbuilder.com and www.indeed.com can be extremely helpful in terms of helping you find available positions in the field you are looking at going into or even in the geographical area of your preference. Also, ask family members and other contacts you may have to keep an eye out for any positions they know of that might be what you're looking for. You won't regret it.
6. Apply, Apply, Apply - Once you have an understanding of what type of positions you are specifically looking at applying for, make sure you meet application deadlines and apply as much as possible. The business world can be a difficult place to get into these days and it is only to your benefit to give yourself as many opportunities as possible to get in, as long as you are striving to apply to positions of interest to you.
7. Practice Interviewing - You are only hurting yourself if you go into an interview being unprepared or not having any experience with interviews before this. Make sure that you practice interviewing with someone you trust and remember that it is always better to be over prepared than under prepared.
8. DRESS PROFESSIONALLY - This is one of the simplest things you can do to aid your job search when talking to those in the business world, applying for positions, or interviewing.
   

In order to truly be effective in your job search, it would significantly help to implement all of the advice listed above if you haven't already. I sincerely hope that this post is beneficial to anyone who might read this or who might be in the job search now or in the near future.

Chicago Auto Show

For this weeks topic I decide to talk about the Chicago Auto show. I attended the Chicago auto show last Saturday as I usually to every year and I really enjoyed it. This year though something caught me by surprise and changed my outlook on a certain company. I was at this company's section of the room looking at some of there cars and a lady asked me if I wanted to test drive one to see what it was like. I said sure so I walked to this are and this lady said which one of these cars would you like to drive so I picked one and I was on my way. The company that I am talking about is Kia and the car I drove was an opitma turbo. The optima was really nice inside and had a sporty look to it. This test drive actually made me almost want to purchase this car. I thought this was a really smart way to advertise because my opinions about Kia as I stated earlier were terrible. I thought they made a cheap, bad looking, crappy car and this test drive changed most of that. Megan and my mom went as well and they said it really changed their opinions as well. I think more company's at the auto show should do this because it might change people 's perspectives on their brands. Another cool thing about the auto show this year was a different way you could receive information about certain cars this year. For some of the company's like Ford for example you could get information about a car right your email by someone walking around with an ipad. They just asked if you had any questions and if you wanted anymore information and if you did they could send that information right to your email address.      

Freestyle blog

For my "anything goes" entry I would like to examine how small restaurants in downtown Chicago stay competitive in the industry and how they are able to connect with patrons who live in suburbs (me). The restaurant in question is Aloha Eats, a hole in the wall, short order restaurant on North Clark Street. I have always been curious as to how they differentiate themselves with the other hundred eateries down North Clark. One thing I have realized is how they are aware of growing trends. One is utilizing the popularity of apps and smart phones. They are registered with an app that allows restaurant goers to collect points for different rewards like free hawaiian soda to a free meal. This gives an incentive for people to become regulars. For those who have to hop on the orange line, get off on State and Lake, get on the cramped, smelly red line, get off at Fullerton and walk two blocks just to get there, requires a different approach. By being on Facebook, Aloha Eats becomes closer to the suburbs than ever. They post pictures and updates daily to entice their followers to take the long voyage. They are also on Twitter and post quick promotional updates like: "first 10 customers to throw up the shaka gets 15% off." By doing these little things they are always relevant to their patrons and thus they survive the competitive world of restaurants.

Brand Strategy Insider

Before this class started I Loved to do research on how a brand differentiates itself from other competitors in the industry and make the most out of the attributes they chose in their marketing. The website I would usually look at is Brand Strategy Insider.

Brand Strategy Insider is a blog focused on all areas of marketing, including advertising. The article I chose to comment on was http://www.brandingstrategyinsider.com/2012/02/brand-positioning-elements-defined.html.

The article talked about how most consumers only remembered a few attributes and how to use attributes and keep the marketing the same through all channels of communication.

A Belated Post About an Online Marketing Blog

Unfortunately my last post didn't save, so I'm retyping this one.  The blog that I looked at was http://marketing-expert.blogspot.com/.  This insightful, yet simple blog offers us, as students searching for more information about the world of online marketing, great tips and ideas.


Two of the most relevant topics that I noticed connected with our class dealt with Search Engine Optimization and Social Media.  The SEO article talked about the importance of even small businesses to conduct SEO, and the blogger offered Google's AdWords Keyword tool as one of the easiest options.


It was interesting to note that the blog's contributor, Michael Fleischner, has more than 15 years of experience in the world of online marketing.  He's appeared on ABC News, the Today Show, and Bloomberg radio to talk about the vastness of online marketing—I would definitely say that he's a credible source.

Blogs About Online Marketing

Earlier today I found this website, http://www.convinceandconvert.com/. I was searching for a reasonable blog about online marketing and this seemed to be one of the better resources that I was able to find that I hadn't seen used on Trinity's blog already. This particular blog about online marketing presented many good articles about online marketing and seemed to focus particularly on Social Media avenues in the field of online marketing. I still haven't delved much into the realm of blogs myself but I am realizing that they are becoming a very popular resource and depending on the article they can contain invaluable information. I hope that this blog provides some suitable articles of information for anyone who might be interested in taking a look at it.

Marketing Blogs

After searching through several online post, I came across one in which I thought would be perfect for our class session on Wednesday and Friday. Reading this blog, I couldn't stop thinking about our guess speaker and when he talked about people taking online surveys which leads to unknown companies knowing things about us.  And class on Friday when we talked about cookies.

This article talks about how people online think they have privacy but really don't. With all the new trends of technology its easier to find out more about people just by the sites they visit. This site also gives as a warning to people who buy stuff online using their credit cards.  Basically is discusses how sites uses your charge card to know where you shop, what you buy and what your debt is like.

Reading this blog makes me think twice about buying things online. Whenever I make a purchase via the web, I'm more cautious of how I do it and where I'm doing it.

Marketing Blogs

http://www.toprankblog.com/ is a superb website as far as marketing blogs are concerned. They profile a variety of topics and people that are pertinent to marketing, advertising, and economics. There are also plenty of special interest blogs that are still relevant but fun. There are also posts that contain tips and advice.

The San Jose Group Blog

The Sanjose Group has marketed for companies such as American Family Insurance, Harley Davidson, and the Chicago White Sox, helping client brands embrace the converging consumer landscape in which minority groups have become a majority market.

The Sanjose Group Blog focuses on Latino trends, however it is not exclusive. It also covers various online marketing topics as well as other unrelated hispanic topics ranging from celebrations to not for profits.


http://blog.thesanjosegroup.com/

Gettin' Bloggy Wit It

I found this blog by searching "Marketing Blog" on Google and with their awe-inspiring algorithm they gave me this little nugget. Jim has really good insight on many things in the marketing world, and also talks about some of the things we cover in class. He might have a twitter, and he might be my #follow of the week. There are so many different ways to attack marketing, and there are even more ways to attack those different ways. He just one man doing his part informing the world of this great topic.

http://jimsmarketingblog.com/

Jake out.

P.S. Happy Birthday to the greatest person to ever play in the #NBA. MICHAEL JORDAN!!!!!

On top of the marketing trends blog

While searching for online marketing blogs, I  came across this blog, which labels the current trends of  online marketing; specifically in social media. The blog places an emphasis on technology, explaining that the internet is moving just as fast as we can blink. I enjoyed reading about QR codes being the latest buzz phrase when meetings take place. On the other hand, the illustrations of pictures in the blog made the blog interesting to read.



http://mashable.com/2012/01/18/marketing-lifelong-learning/

Marketing Blog

I looked at a few marketing blogs and I came across this blog that has ad campaigns from various countries. Some are print ads and some are video ads. I don't know if it's just my interest in anything I find creative but I found myself looking at the blog for at least a hour. I even posted a picture and video from the blog to my Facebook. That may say something about my nerd like fascination with things like this but I also think it says it's a good blog. A few of the items on the blog are inapproriate since there are foreign campaigns. They're a bit risque. I found it interesting to see different print ads and videos for different products and from different countries. People are also able to rate the ad campaigns. Under each ad there's a description. This description includes who made the ad and the aim of it. It really doesn't give tips like other blogs, but it allows those interested in marketing to see different creative pieces and acts as a form of online marketing because instead of buying a magazine or watching tv these ads can be viewed online even if the ad isn't from the US. Here's the link http://www.ibelieveinadv.com/

Straight North Blog

http://www.straightnorth.com/blog/

This blog is a great blog to teach people interested in marketing. Straight North is a company that deals with all types of clients by trying to increase their success through transforming their online marketing plan. The company deals with everything from email marketing to SEO to PPC advertising. Check this blog out! Its got great information.

Online Marketing Blogger

I thought this blog was pretty interesting actually cause it had new and fresh ways to engage with your customers. People that had commented on this blog seemed pretty pleased with it as well.
Here is the site I got the blog from:
http://www.toprankblog.com/2012/02/better-content-marketing-for-improved-social-engagement/

a good marketing blog

http://www.wordstream.com/blog

i liked this one because it wasnt so professional.  A lot of them try to be so professional that they are hard to read or not interesting enough to read.  this blog has people talk about real topics that are relateable.  most postings are short and easy readers too which is why i like it

Marketing Blog

Here's an interesting site written by a compilation of authors who provide suggestions for small businesses in the fields of advertising, internet tools, and debate about the effectiveness of different sites. Follow the link below to "Marketing Zeus."

http://marketingzeus.com/?gclid=CKbDzZu2pK4CFQQBQAod9TtEQA

Marketing Blog

This blog seemed to know what they were talking about and on top of their game.. http://www.toprankblog.com/

I liked how it looked and all the information that they talked about. They had some question and answer type segments and alt of other random information about the blog and the online marketing community. If I had to choose one blog to read and learn from, I'd for sure have to choose this one. The videos also seemed to be very helpful as an aid of all the information that was talked about in each article. Just an overall professional presence to this blog.

Read an interesting article. Check it out http://www.builtinchicago.org/profiles/blogs/infograph-who-works-for-a-startup.

Another cool website to check out is http://www.brandingstrategyinsider.com/

Search my school

Google: Like most everyone said google was the best search that I used. The first option brought me straight to the schools homepage. It also had links to other pages on the site which is something I like and it mapped out where the school was in the margins

Bing: Basically the same as google but the first three links had to deal with my school and google only had 1. However bing mapped a school of similar title in manhattan new york and not manhattan montana.

Yahoo: Had five suggestions and my school was the 5th link... overall yahoo sucks

Search Engines

Sheboygan County Christian High School.Google search first brings up the official website, as well as map. It is followed by a not for profit website, a website dealing with athletics, and Wikipedia.
Yahoo search first brings up the schools' official website. Followed by wikipedia and a private school review site.
Bing search first brings up the school's official website, followed by wikipedia and a private school review site, like yahoo. Next is the sheboygan press.

High school internet search comparison

While searching for my high school St. Rita high school located in Chicago, I found several differences and similarities while using Google, Bing and Yahoo.

Each search engine first choice came out the same, each brought up the schools main website, with categories  broken down below. Bing and Yahoo second results both were Wikipedia pages, with Google second result being St Rita's Facebook page and third being Wikipedia.  Both Bing and Yahoo first pages brought up pictures of St Rita, but Google didn't.  All three of the websites majority of results were about St.Rita athletics

At the end of each page, each showed related searches of St.Rita. But Google and Bing had the most options to choose from. For the most part, each website showed similar results,

Google, Bing, and Yahoo! on CCHS

After searching for Chicago Christian High School in Google, Bing, and Yahoo, i found some similarities and differences.

google-first hit was google maps and there shows a map to the right but no sponsered ads.  the next hit was an article about one of the students, katie vree, that attends there and her life story about hom a virus attacted her.  it was on the school page but its not the homepage. the 3rd hit was the actual home page.  the 4th hit was the athletics page and the 5th hit was a private school review page were reviews were made on different private schools in the area.

bing-the first hit brought me to the home page for all three schools. the two midle schools and the high school.  from there i could navigate to the home page.  the second hit was the article for katie vree again that was on the school website.  the third hit was the private school review page again like google search.  the fourth lead to timothy christian school on wikipedia so not relavant at all. and the 5th lead to clubs and activities page of CCHS website.  out of the top 5 none lead to the high school home page.  they had some sponsered results on the right.


yahoo-the first hit was a yahoo map that located the school and other schools that were christian schools.  the second hit was the home page for all three schools again.  the third page was the katie vree article.  the fourth hit was the private school review page and the fifth was timothy christian school on wikipedia again.  So this was very similar to Bing with its search results and not having the actual homepage in the top 5.  there were also some sponsered results on the right side.

summary-i like google the best because it actually has the homepage link in the search.  bing and yahoo lead to timothy christian on wikipedia and so thats not relavant at all.  other than the home page and timothy christian issue the searches are very similar especially with the article about katie vree.

Search Engines Results and my High School

I attended Covenant Christian High School in DeMotte, Indiana. I searched my high school's name with DeMotte written after it in the search box on various search engines. The three search engines I tested were Google, Yahoo!, and Bing. Below are the results comparisons.

Google:

When I searched my high school, the first result on the page was my high school's home page (www.cchrhs.org) along with a Google maps picture of the school for directions. There were clustered links beneath the school's webpage but there were no sponsored ads on this page at all. The second result on the page was an education website (http://www.education.com/schoolfinder/us/indiana/demotte/covenant-christian-high-school/) that reviews various high school and provides users with information and reviews about the high school. The Third result on the page was actually my high schools Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Covenant-Christian-High-School/114750721913797).

The fourth result on the Google search was actually a site that allows anyone to purchase and design their own Covenant Christian High School apparel (http://www.mylocker.net/indiana/demotte/covenant-christian-high-school-demotte/).

Yahoo!:

When I searched my high school on Yahoo!, the first result was my high school's homepage along with a Yahoo! map next to it giving directions. Surprisingly, the second result on the page was also my high school's homepage but it didn't have a map alongside it. The third result was a website that reviews and provides information and statistics on private schools (http://www.privateschoolreview.com/school_ov/school_id/9979). The fourth website was actually the same education website that showed up in the initial Google results providing information about my high school (http://www.education.com/schoolfinder/us/indiana/demotte/covenant-christian-high-school/). There were still no sponsored ads that I found in this search

Bing:

When I search Bing for my high school, the first website result was my high school's homepage with a Bing map next to it for directions. The second and third websites were the same two education and private school review websites from my Google and Yahoo! results that provided information and reviews about my high school. The fourth website that came up was a website giving the sporting events information and scores from another Covenant Christian High School (http://highschoolsports.pennlive.com/game/score/1180578/). There were no sponsored ads that resulted from this search.

I was surprised to see some of the results from these search engines, but for the most part the searches were fairly accurate. In particular, Google and Yahoo! seemed to have better and more accurate results than Bing. It was definitely an interesting test and I am curious to try other searches and see how the results compare.

search results for: illiana christian high school

I attended Illiana Christian High School, in Lansing Illinois.  Using Google, Yahoo!, and Bing, I was able to compare how different search engines found results for my alma mater.

Google
The first thing that I noticed about Google was that there was no sponsored results for my search.  To the right of the search results was a google map of the street location where you could get directions. 

The first result was for illianachristian.org, Illiana's website.  I was not surprised by this.  The next result was for a trulia.com website that provides statistical information on Illiana.  Followed by those two was a Wikipedia article.  Finally, in fourth place was a link to the site, www.ichs.pvt.k12.il.us/.  This site actually wasn't functional.


Yahoo!
Yahoo!'s search was pretty similar to Google's.  The first result was the school's official website, along with a Yahoo! map alongside the link.

Yahoo!'s search provided some sponsored results--and none of them were for Illiana Christian High School.  One was for a nearby public high school, another was for Christian high school online reviews, and the last one was for Trinity Christian College!  Well, it was actually a degreeguide.com ad, but Trinity Christian College was the title of the ad.  I was surprised when I saw this, but my high school is relatively close to Trinity and many people from Illiana continue with their education at Trinity.


Bing
Bing's search was very similar to Yahoo!'s.  The first link was Illiana's official website, along with a Bing map and an option for directions.  Followed by the Illiana website was a privateschoolreview.com listing for Illiana.  Next was a Wikipedia article.

The sponsored results were again very similar to Yahoo!'s, except this time the Trinity ad was the very first sponsored ad that showed up.

Google Bing and Yahoo

Google: The was very surprised but what I saw when i typed in my high school which is Chicago Christian High School. The first page that came up was schools website. The second website was the same website but it loaded on a certain page within the website.The third page was the website to our athletics which is separate from the schools website. The fourth website was called yourseason.com which was an article about some of our sports teams and their scores. The site is actually affiliated with the Sun Times. The fifth website is a private schools review website that just talks about our school system. These was also a map on the side. The reason I was surprised in the beginning like I said is because my school is pretty small but the tip five websites was information about it.

Bing: The first website just like Google was my high schools home page. The second website was also the same the website again just loading at a different page within the schools site. The third website that came up was the private schools website from before explaining what our school system is about. The fourth website that came up was wikipedia but for Timothy Christian High School which actually was one of our rival schools there located in Elmhurst. The fifth website that came up was another page off our schools website talking about our schools clubs and activities. Bing also had a map as well.

Yahoo: The first website that came up was four different Christian schools in this area. The second website that came up was the my schools website. The third website that came up was another page within the schools website. The fourth website that came up was a private schools website that explains our school system. The fifth website that came was wikipedia and it was for Timothy High school.

All of these search engines gave me pretty similar results but Google had the most relevant websites.

High School Search

Thomas Kelly High School

Google: When searching my high school on Google the first link to appear was its official website. Followed by a well develop map with all its nearby streets. The second link was a Wikipedia site, providing brief information about the school. Third unnecessary link to appear was a Youtube link video, title Class of 2010. A Facebook link was the next link titled Thomas Kelly High School BAND! Quite surprised my High School for facebook wasnt on the top order.

Bing: Bing on the other hand, was quite similar, in having the school's official website. Followed by the Wikipedia page, with the same content as Google. The third link showed a smaller version of the map to determine its location. However, the only difference was its fourth and fifth link. The Fourth link was Ihigh, which provided information not relevant with my high school. The fifth link was alumniclass.

Yahoo: The first link alike the other two search engines provided the school's official website. Followed by a small map  attached to the link. Second link was my school'd main website again providing more tabs: Student, Teacher, Clubs, Courses, and Athletics. The third link was Wikipedia with same content information. However, the fourth and fifth link were similar to Bing in illustrating Ihigh site and alumni class. Yet, Myspace was also present on the page of links.

Search for Holland Christian High School

The search engines are listed in order of my personal preference.

Google: I listed Google as my favorite search engine, because first of all it showed me the high school webpage as the first website on google. Next in line, I was given an address with a map off to the side. Overall the search pages layout is much more user friendly. On the left side you have a choice to search images, maps, videos, news and more areas; but only if you chose.

Yahoo: I put yahoo as my second favorite, not because of the information that was pulled up about Holland Christian but the layout of the search page is the best. Above the search it gives you options to look at videos, images and news. Whereas on Bing it is slightly hidden.

Bing: I chose Bing as my least favorite. Although I love their creative design on their homepage more than Google or Yahoo; when it comes down to searching and search layout, I dislike the format. The font is hard to read, I would rather see image, news and video options on the left side of the page; rather than related searches. The thing I most like is that I can see if my Facebook friends liked the search option. This makes me feel like I can respect someones Facebook like, that I know.

https://www.google.com/#sclient=psy-ab&hl=en&source=hp&q=holland%20christian%20high%20school&pbx=1&oq=holland%20christian%20&aq=1&aqi=g4&aql=&gs_sm=11&gs_upl=1254l6095l0l8757l26l13l5l8l9l0l162l1200l9.4l26l0&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_cp.,cf.osb&fp=cd966fbc5ee5cb60&biw=1366&bih=783&pf=p&pdl=300

http://www.bing.com/search?q=holland+christian+high+school&go=&qs=AS&form=QBLH&pq=holland%2520christai&sc=5-16&sp=2&sk=AS1

http://search.yahoo.com/search;_ylt=Alim8RtfZYazi9ro9ZjAlf6bvZx4?fr=yfp-t-701-s&toggle=1&cop=mss&ei=UTF-8&p=holland%20christian%20high%20school

Find Me @ https://plus.google.com/u/0/114370781795877130351/posts

Search for SHS

When I searched Streamwood High School:

Google à The first five websites were: my high school’s main site, my high school’s athletic site, a Google review page of my school, my hometown’s page on the high school, and my high school on Wikipedia. Over on the side of the searches was a Google map of my schools location and at the bottom of the first page was a video search for “Streamwood High School”.

Bing à The first five websites were: my high school’s home page, my high school on Wikipedia, then a clickable map and address of my school with links next to and above it, a site for my high school’s alumni (streamwoodhighschool.net), and a U-46 school district directory link for the high school. There was also an advertisement on the right of the search to reconnect and view pictures of Streamwood High School alumni.

Yahoo à The first five websites were: my high school’s home page, my high school on Wikipedia, a site for my high school’s alumni (streamwoodhighschool.net), a U-46 school district directory link for the high school, and Streamwood High School reviews and maps at local.yahoo.com. A map and address of my school with links and reviews next to it, was above the search links. Also, there was an advertisement on the right of the search to reconnect and view pictures of Streamwood High School alumni.

***There were some similarities in the sites and maps on each of these search engines, but many of the sites were in a different order or further down the page than the top five.

High School Search Results

Calvin Christian High School

Google:: When I googled my high school the first link to pop up was the main website for the school. Under that link though, are a bunch of cluster links with links to the high school page, the elementary page, athletics, academics and so on. under that the next site was the maxpreps site which holds most of the stats of baseball football and basketball teams of the school. Under that was a Yelp page of the school kinda saying what it was all about and talking about the school overall.

Bing:: for Bing the first site was the same in the fact that it went to the main website of the school for the first link of the search. the second link was the high school page and a link to that. a difference i found is that Bing didnt do the cluster links like google did. Under that was another review about the school on another school review website talking about Calvin Christian as a whole and comparing them to other high schools in the area.

Yahoo:: For Yahoo, the results were exactly the same as Bing besides the colors of the two sites. same links with the same follow links and everything. I could write out what I saw exactly, but saying *see Bing results* seems to be a more efficient way of saying it.

** all three searches came with a map of where the school is located and a number you can call to get in contact with the school. That is my search of Calvin Christian High School on Google, Bing and Yahoo

Search Engine Results for My High School

My high school is called Hillcrest High School. Did a google search first and what came up bhsd228 page which is the district that Hillcrest is in along with 3 other high schools. The second link to come up was a wikipedia page that reads what Hillcrest High School is exactly. The 3rd link was one for greatschools.org where Hillcrest received a stellar mediocre rating. Well maybe it's not very stellar but it's definitely mediocre. Next I researched Bing. Wikipedia topped the list this time followed by greatschools.org. Localschooldirectory.org was third. It shows statistics for schools like the number of students per grade which seemed to be incorrect. I found the fourth site to be interesting. It's a site where you can get Hillcrest High School apparel and they have past alumni on their. I search Yahoo.com and they had the same top 4 results. They actually have the same results exactly for the 1st page. Only on Google does a map appear along with news.

What is up #BuffaloGroveHighSchool? Home of the mighty #BISON!!!

Googled it- The first thing that comes up is the site of the #MightyBison. There is a map off to the side of the link and under it is a cluster of links leading to the pages for Athletics, the Calender, Staff Directory, and Daily Announcements. The second link that was listed was the link to the Wikipedia page for #DASBISON. It was filled very good and accurate information, and although I didn't have my own highlighted section or was even mentioned, I know they still miss me there. The third link is for a high school that is also located near Buffalo Grove. Its called Adlai E. Stevenson High School, and they were our bitter rivals. Fun Fact: @Sky21King's son went there and I played him in baseball.

Binged it- The top two links on the page were the same. The cluster of links under the first one had just about the same options, but there were a few more. (Point for #Bing?) The third link was were the main difference was. When I searched for #BuffaloGroveHighSchool, I wasn't looking for the rival school; I wanted some more quality information on my sweet #almamater. There was a page listed for the alumni of this great institution which I did not know even existed. I'm kind of interested to see which of my #PIC's from high school have registered.

I #digress...

Yahooed (?) it- The top two results were for the same home page of the High School. I'm not quite sure why it is set up that way. (Mutual point for #Google and #Bing?) #fixyouralgorithm The other results turned out pretty much the same as the other two, but as I scrolled down further I noticed a link to site that was about #BGIdol. Which was an activity where students and teachers sang their hearts out.

@JakeDCopeland out. #followback

Search Engines and my High school

Hinsdale Central High School

Google- the first thing to pop up is the official website of the high school directly below it are links to different content within the website. After that is the district website because there are two Hinsdale high schools. The third is the wikipedia entry for Hinsdale Central. Next link is to the Facebook page of the school followed by a links to foundations set up by the school and the various band programs of the school. There is also a link to a news article that placed HC among the best high schools in IL.

Bing- the first link is to the school website but not followed by the links to various content within the website. Second is a map showing where HC is located. Followed by the Wikipedia entry. Then the next two links are reviews of the school. Then a local school directory. Then a link to a different school with the same name in NY.

Yahoo- The first few links are to Hinsdale Centrals close to the Palos Heights area. The school website comes in second. It is followed by the Wikipedia entry that comes in 3rd. Then a Yahoo news results that has a few news related links beneath it. It is followed by a link for athletic and sporting news happening at HC. Towards the end of the page there is a review from Education.com. A profile on Schooldigger, a local directory and then the same link to the HC in NY. The last link is a review from Greatschools.org

Comparing Search Engines

I searched my alma mater, Kalamazoo Christian High School, using the following search engines. This is what I found...

GOOGLE: I found my school right away. There was a direct link to the school system's official website - ksca.org - as the first pulled up result. Beneath this link were sublinks directing me each individual school within the system (elementary school, high school, etc.) and a pages to the school board and information about the school's history. The second listed link was the school's Wikipedia page, followed by a link to MLive - the SW Michigan site filled with box scores, newspaper articles, and forums about high school sports. The next link led me to classmates.com, a site where one can search for old classmates from high school and college. The fifth link was a youtube video for a lipdub my high school created a year ago.

BING: Bing also found my school without much trouble. Again, the first listed sight was ksca.org - the official website of Kalamazoo Christian Schools. The next link was privateschoolreview.com, where my school was critiqued in terms of education quality, participation, staff, environment, sports, and mission. This was an interesting site that wasn't listed on the first page of Google. Wikipedia's page was pulled up third, followed by a list of maps that directed viewers to the location of all three schools in the system. The fourth link, however, misfired. Instead of pulling up Kalamazoo CHRISTIAN High School, it brought me to the official website of Kalamazoo HERTIAGE ACADEMY High School. Bummer. The fifth listed site was the MLive page with a description of last night's basketball game between KCHS and Hackett, our rivals.

YAHOO: Yahoo's results page was structured a little differently than Google and Yahoo. First, the engine pulled up a list of Christian schools near Kalamazoo, MI. There were over 318 hits. Not really what I was looking for, but never fear - not far behind was kcsa.org. The privateschoolreview site was directly behind the official website, similiar to the format of Bing. MLive came in fourth, but then came that nasty Heritage Academy link. Google was the only engine not to pull it up before the other related sites. Finally, Yahoo also pulled up a link for a high school directory. I suppose that was it's way of saying "we hope we found what you're looking for, but if not, here's another search engine geared toward schools." I guess I can appreciate that.

Favorite Superbowl ad

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R55e-uHQna0

Doritos Super Bowl Ad

Here is the link:

              http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCdnFMp6s84

Favorite Super Bowl Adds

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4GZfvXx9Js

I am a big fan of the E-Trade commercials. I think everyone who watches these commercials gets a huge laugh.

This week in class

This week in class the most important thing I learned was, while creating a website it is essential to provide an easy to use home page that engages the audience, while supplying the
information the viewer is looking for in an organized manner.
I have spent a lot of time on Leo Burnett's webpage bc it is fascinating, easy to use, clean and an experience like any other website. This is an experience that will not only make viewers interested, but spend more time on your webpage.

my FAV ad from a superbowl

This is about a guy who house sits for his friends.
Everything goes wrong for him, but he is able to make everything better with the power of dorritos, even the healing of dead grandpa

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCdnFMp6s84

My Favorite Superbowl Ad

Get it Get it

http://www.superbowl-commercials.org/2873.html

Jake out.

I chose this ad from the 2003 Superbowl. It's a Budweiser ad with a bunch of Clydesdales and a Zebra trying to make the correct football call using instant replay.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFz1I6xTao8

Favorite Super Bowl Commercial

I know that comedy usually reigns supreme when it comes to Super Bowl commercials but my favorite commercial is not one of those. My favorite Super Bowl commercial is the one Chrysler put out last year. The commercial has a way of inspiring you and creating a new found patriotism. It shows that even though Detroit is collapsing and the economy is crumbling the American spirit takes over and saves Chrysler from an expected end. It also shows that something beautiful can still be made in a time that isn't so much. It also gives me the feeling that Chrysler is dedicated to Detroit and its people and to the American citizens as a whole. Overall I think that this is one of the best Super Bowl commercials of all time. It makes me believe in the American automaker again. AMERICA!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKL254Y_jtc 

Favorite Super Bowl Commercial - When Pugs Attack!

My favorite commercial during the Super Bowl is called Pug Attack. It has a good clean sense of humor and has a great "awe" factor. This commercial also displays the product very well and shows that everybody (even dogs) wants this product. In my mind this is a good way to display a product, while having a small story-like atmosphere added to it. Watch the commercial by clicking on the link. Pug Attack Commercial

Super Bowl Ad

My favorite Super Bowl ad has got to be the Chrysler Imported from Detroit ad. The reason being because, it went against the typical SB ad format. From the endless beer ads to potato chip ads even to the movie trailers, it seems like the angle is entertainment. Beer ads are funny, movie trailers are loud and flashy. Then to the beat of Eminem's "Lose Yourself." Chrysler reintroduces themselves after a long lay-off. Stating that there ready to reclaim prominance. Brilliant.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKL254Y_jtc