Flavory Avery

Crafting a social media campaign for my company Spiral Space Dance Studio has had its ups and downs. On one hand, the project is simple because of how passionate I am about it, but on the other hand, that passion can be a double-edged sword that makes me hyper critical of my ideas. The more significant and personal an assignment is, the more pressure there is to design it as best as possible. Something I have been enjoying during this process is delving into the bigger picture of why I’m doing this in the first place. Determining the true purpose of the campaign and developing a main overarching objective is a very important step. Then, breaking that down into measurable goals, which can be further segmented into specific tasks. As simple and straightforward as this process sounds, it actually requires a lot of insightful planning. Putting passion into words is the struggle, but in the end, it will hopefully resonate with others and benefit the company. So far, I know that the main thi...

The article "The Pepsi Refresh Project: A Thirst for Change" discusses PepsiCo's ambitious social media-driven campaign that aimed to foster positive change in local communities. Launched in 2010, the Pepsi Refresh Project was a departure from traditional advertising strategies, as it diverted millions of dollars from Super Bowl ads to fund community-driven initiatives. The project allowed individuals, non-profits, and organizations to submit their ideas for projects that would make a positive impact on society. These ideas were then open to public voting, and the ones with the most votes received funding from PepsiCo.  The initiative received widespread attention and participation, with a significant number of projects receiving financial support. However, it also faced criticism and skepticism, as some questioned the motives behind the campaign, suggesting it was merely a clever marketing ploy of an unhealthy beverage company trying to improve its brand image. The compa...

Similar to a delicious meal, social media content is way easier to consume than produce. Careful what you eat though! Most of the personal time I spend on the internet is passive because of the sheer volume of things to explore and ways to entertain myself. Being a creator however has always been extremely intimidating, especially after having consumed so much content throughout the course of my life that I have developed a certain expectation or bias. Don't get me wrong, I still maintain a presence online, but it always feels forced. One of the biggest struggles for me as a young lady that grew up with the boom of internet culture is with my identity, and how I am perceived online. I try really hard to separate my ego and self-esteem from actual reality versus fake virtual reality, but it is extremely difficult as an artist who uses the platforms as portfolios to build credibility with greater audiences. Not to mention popular culture thrives on social media, so one can quickly fe...

Authors Andreas Kaplan and Michael Haenlein provide fascinating insights into the modern phenomenon most young people with a cellphone wish would happen to them in their article "Two hearts in three-quarter time: How to waltz the social media/viral marketing dance." It begins with an explanation of a tried and true strategy: Word of Mouth marketing. Essentially this is telling people you know about products you've used, who may go on to heed your suggestion and tell others. Information, especially hot goss, can spread fast through the grapevine. An interesting point that is brought up about WoM is that it "is not a purely altruistic behavior: it offers advantages to the sender, as well as the receiver. For senders, WoM is an opportunity to help others and to improve their self-confidence in doing so. For receivers, it reduces decision-making time as well as risk." This means that people often receive a significant amount of value from hearing opinions of those i...

Like many other people my age, I spend a lot of time online browsing social media. In fact, its a daily, habitual occurrence that has become so normalize and routine that I hardly think about it. This year, according to Wong, "an estimated 4.9 billion people use social media across the world," and of those, "the average person spends about 145 minutes on social media every day (2023)." Needless to say, social media is a pretty big part of most people's lives for better or for worse. Often times both. To me, it is mindless entertainment. Keyword is mindless. It has unfortunately a become a place where my brain seeks serotonin from a quick laugh, or the occasional notification if I bother to post anything. Yes it is a place, located outside of reality but easily accessible in your pocket. A virtual reality if you will, but truth is, it's a timesuck vortex of fakeness. Sorry not sorry for the bitterness, I grew up with this technology and feel like I have seen ...

From my ultimate dream wedding, to classic pinup hairstyles, I have created a Pinterest board for many of my random various interests and inspirations. The app/website is a visual wonderland and treasure trove of unique, high-quality content. You can get lost in rabbit-holes endlessly scrolling entertaining pictures. Of all the social media apps I personally use, I'd have to say I enjoy my Pinterest feed the most because of how pleasurable it is. The pictures are curated based on things I like, such as tattoos, burlesque, art, etc. There is no one complaining or horrible news headlines. It's a positive online space that many use as an escape from reality, a leisurely way to pass the time, or as a place to organize projects and dreams.  Little did I know before this assignment that beyond the consumer experience, Pinterest is also a great platform for businesses and creators! According to Driver, companies can market their products or services in a visually compelling way throug...

"Back in my day..." says the relatively young 26 year old student, "Instagram used to be all about pictures!" Jokes aside, there is truth to that statement. When I was in high school, the platform was still new and full of potential. Back then, sharing felt more spontaneous and authentic because there wasn't the pressure of becoming a popular influencer, staying on top of the ever-changing algorithm, or being hit with ads every other post on the timeline. A lot has changed since then. People are spending a lot more time online. Decker states that, "Instagram sees over one billion active monthly users and 500 million daily Instagram Stories. It is the second most accessed network behind Facebook, and users browse for an average of 53 minutes per day (2022)."  With that much daily traffic to the site, it's no wonder advertisers want in on the action. The platform provides the perfect space to directly reach specific audiences and target them with per...