WRITING SAMPLES
Samples of my work, both professional and academic, can be found here. All samples are excerpts from longer works unless otherwise stated. Happy reading!
Polestar: Media Overview
The following excerpt is an overview of the current media efforts by the company Polestar and was conducted for further research purposes.
Through analyzing multiple parts of the company, an integration analysis was performed to evaluate how well Polestar is integrating each media platform as a whole, and whether or not each media platform presents a cohesive marketing strategy. As a result of this, strengths, weaknesses, and recommendations were proposed in order to curate Polestar’s marketing communications to be as strong as possible going forward. Recommendations were made primarily based on Polestar’s social media and website content. IV. Marketing Communications Advertising: Online As the world continues to get information from the internet, Polestar curating their content so that it’s accessible to all will continue to grow in importance. Polestar’s online presence will continue to work in spreading the word about the brand. The Polestar online presence conveys a professional image of the brand that highlights its best features and allows consumers a deeper look into what Polestar is as a company. Other (Influencer Marketing) - One of Polestar’s largest weaknesses right now feels like people simply don’t know what the brand is, specifically younger people. Nowadays, younger people are extremely active online and are extremely impressionable by means of influencer marketing. Car content is increasingly popular on platforms like Tik Tok and Instagram and could be utilized for Polestar to spread the word to a younger and wider audience. Television - Last year, Polestar ran an ad during the Superbowl that earned high praise for its “straight to it” messaging. Consumers everywhere were pleased with the ad due straightforward messaging that was presented, and it even gained traction after the Superbowl was over. This ad conveyed a level of trust between consumers and the brand, and in a sense alluded to the fact that Polestar is a trustworthy company in today’s ever-changing society. Should Polestar choose to continue with this messaging and brand attitude, I feel as though they would continue to grow as a brand. Social Media - YouTube The Polestar YouTube is a great channel that can help consumers with understanding more of the brand and what it stands for. Additionally, consumers today are more entertained by video content than long bits of reading information, so their YouTube channel is a great tactic utilized by Polestar to get information in a quick, concise manner. Here, consumers can learn all about each individual model in depth but still learn in a way that’s entertaining and engaging. Instagram - Polestar’s Instagram account maintains a sleek, professional look. Here, consumers can find more pictures, information, and links to other platforms by Instagram. However, the Instagram content is redundant to content of other platforms as well as the brand website. In this scenario, Polestar could benefit by utilizing user-generated content to change things up a bit. Facebook - The Polestar Facebook sports a similar look to the other social media platforms. Despite this, their Facebook page has the lowest number of followers out of the three social media platforms analyzed (560k). The content on Facebook is similar as seen on the other various platforms. One tactic that is used on Facebook and is not similar across other platforms is that companies have the ability to link directly within a post. Polestar uses this tactic and frequently links to their website and articles within their curated content. Brand website The Polestar website is made up of extensive information that potential consumers can browse in the process of contemplating their purchase. Consumers are able to find all and any information they might need. With that being said, the website almost has too much information. There is an overload of information to where Polestar risks overwhelming consumers with information. Additionally, the Polestar website uses a format in which consumers are able to expand tabs for more information as desired. So, while there is a lot of information, consumers also have the option to minimize said information as needed. With all of this being said, in a society where the average human attention span is shorter than ever (citation), Polestar runs the risk of deterring consumers with an overload of information. In order to make the website the most effective, it is recommended that Polestar condense their content down to the most relevant and pertinent information. Recommendations Polestar fails to answer the question of why they are the superior choice for an electric vehicle. With the number of electric vehicles growing in the market, Polestar must do a better job of vocalizing to consumers why they’re the best electric vehicle on the market. Additionally, the website has what almost feels like too much information, and a lack of organization. Many of the website tabs appeared redundant, with sections like ‘media’ and news’, but then showing similar content. Polestar may also benefit from utilizing user-generated content, or teaming up in partnerships with people who would like to test-drive the car or experience what Polestar has to offer. Overall, the largest recommendation going forward would be to condense information in a way that is more visually appealing, and that presents the highlights in a condensed manner.
A Hero's Journey Through Education
The following excerpt is a submission to a prompt that invited a response that discusses a pivotal point in life using a story-telling archetype.
1. The Ordinary World - Changes In this story, I get to be the Hero. When choosing an event to apply to my life, there was not a more impactful event that came to mind than the journey of my education. Being the hero in my own narrative, this story will highlight my journey through education, as well as my battle with depression, anxiety, and insecurity that came with it. This story takes place in the timeline of 2004 to today, and while I could physically see no monsters or demons, there never seemed to be a shortage of them around me when it came to the topic of my education. In the ordinary world, the hero exists before the present story begins (Bronzite, n.d., para. 5). At five years old, I’d argue that the average person has barely gained full consciousness and is still largely oblivious to the world around them. My childhood was pretty cool. I grew up on a big farm in the South, with ponies, acreage, and dogs, all of which were nothing short of a dream to a kid so young. Despite all of these things and living in what seemed to be a fantasy land at the time, my life would receive an interruption that would change the trajectory of my life forever. I was five years old when my older sister died. Prior to this, I was a normal kid: I had after school activities and had lunch with the other Kindergarten kids. I wore dresses to school, had play dates with girls in my classes, and wore bows and clips in my hair for school pictures. All of these things would quickly come to a screeching halt as a result of my sister’s tragic death, and my parent’s crippling depression that would soon follow. It became a burden for my mother to drop me off at school every day. My parent’s, with losing one child, felt like they were losing time with another between the hours of 8 a.m., and 3 p.m. What was my ordinary world would quickly transform into something completely different, as I was pulled out of school in the first grade, to be homeschooled by my mother. 2. Call to Adventure - Introduction To Homeschool “The Hero’s adventure begins when he receives a call to action. It ultimately disrupts the comfort of the Hero’s Ordinary Works and presents a challenge or quest that must be undertaken,” (Bronzite, n.d., para. 6). While being pulled out of school may seem the opposite of a Call To Adventure, being pulled out of school changed the trajectory of my life. It was by being homeschooled that I was able to be a normal kid: I wasn’t in school for eight hours a day, I was being a kid. I got to hang out with my mom and travel with my parents. My life was enriched with new experiences that I wouldn’t have gained otherwise. In an effort to keep my social skills intact, my mother enrolled me and encouraged me to attend activities and courses that allowed me to interact with other kids my age: choir, art classes, and Sunday school groups. In the stories that do follow The Hero’s Journey, within the Call To Adventure, a quest is presented that must be undertaken in order for the Hero to fulfill their journey (Bronzite, n.d., para. 6). Though being homeschooled provided unique opportunities in my early adolescence, it also resulted in large gaps in my education that would later show themselves in my performance at school. I can distinctly remember running away from the kitchen table when my mother would lay out my math homework for me to complete. When your parent is your teacher and principal, it becomes very easy to get out of things. My mother, still struggling with the loss of a child, found it difficult to enforce consequences of my actions, and as a result of my own choices to often “skip” school, I suffered academically. In this applied version of the Call To Adventure, the disruption aspect is most crucial, as being pulled out of school serves as the disruption to my education (Bronzite, n.d., para. 6). Without being pulled out of school, my education would have continued as normal. 3.Refusal of the Call - Introduction To Public School “Although the Hero may be eager to accept the quest, at this stage he will have fears that need overcoming. The problem he faces may seem too much to handle and the comfort of home far more attractive than the perilous road ahead,” (Bronzite, n.d., para. 7). At some point in my life, hanging out with my mom every day became a little bit boring. As I neared the age of 12, I slowly started to become infatuated with things that any 12 year old girl would be: boys, makeup, and social status. I was in the sixth grade when I decided I wanted to end my five year homeschool stint and give public school a crack. I felt eager to plunge feet first into what would be a new world for me. Keep in mind, I hadn’t been in a traditional school setting since Kindergarten (and one week of first grade), so the thought of being able to go to a “real school” seemed all too exciting. However, with all things exciting, come reservations. I felt nervous to go to my new school. I’d always struggled with social anxiety as a child, partially from never being around many kids my age. The thought of going somewhere new, where I knew no one, was enough to send me into a crippling state of anxiety, and to this day, is one of the first times I can distinctly pinpoint when I started to become an anxious child. As the first day of the seventh grade approached, fears of if I’d get lost on my first day and who I’d sit with at lunch seemed never ending. I found myself in a constant state of worry and fear, despite being so young. I was so scared for my first day of school, that I can still remember exactly what outfit I wore, even twelve years later: it was a pink and purple Aeropostale graphic t-shirt, with khaki shorts, and pink Converse. Though in my gut I knew that going back to public school was the best option, I couldn’t help but feel petrified of the unknown.
USING INSTAGRAM REELS FOR YOUR SMALL BUSINESS
Company newsletter sample in which I discussed the early benefits of using Instagram Reels.
A new year means a clean slate, and for many people, this means making a list of New Year’s resolutions. For some, this might mean going to the gym, eating healthier, or practicing an overall healthier lifestyle. For others this might mean taking the first step into your business venture: whether that’s growing your business or starting it from scratch. Living in the year of 2022 means living in a society where technology is constantly evolving, and with this the way we promote products and businesses continues to change over time. A relatively new and popular way to promote and grow businesses is by using the Instagram Reel feature. Similar to the popular app Tik Tok, Reels is an Instagram feature that allows users to create video content that can then be shared with your followers or anyone else who uses the app. Instagram allows creators to choose from an array of audios and effects to edit videos with. Following this, users are given the opportunity to share their newly created Reel to the Instagram community, where the Reel is given the chance to make it onto the newsfeeds of people outside your inner social media-circle. So how can creating a 15-second video help grow a small business? The Instagram Reel algorithm is specifically favorable to those looking to increase their engagement on the platform. When you publish a Reel, you are automatically filtered into a feed of other Reels within the Instagram platform. Here, users can scroll and interact with specific Reels that fit to their liking: this means that your chances of gaining the attention of a new audience is significantly increased. Growth by Instagram Reels is also organic growth, so this means less money spent on advertising and working to grow your account. Reels is commonly used by small businesses looking to showcase their product. This can mean anything from showcasing the functionality of the product, what goes into creating it, and other behind the scenes footage that their audience might not see without using Reels. Reels allows businesses and users to add a different perspective that gives an inside look as to why their business is worth buying from or investing in. Many food truck owners commonly use Reels on their page to show the behind the scenes of making and selling their food, as well as showing off the inside of the truck. Overall, Reels allows followers and users to gain a new perspective to the ins and outs of your small business. Studies have shown that Reels are the most successful when users are creating with high quality video resolution, as well as using trending audios from the app. Using trending audios increases the chances of your Reel being shown to more people and showing up on increased numbers of newsfeeds. As a result, this can increase engagement on the individual profile and promote overall growth of the page. Overall, trends are always evolving and changing. As businesses owners, it’s always important to make sure that we are optimizing our presence online as much as we can, which includes staying on top of trends and working to our fullest potential and optimizing our online presence. Reels is an easy to use, effective and inexpensive tool to grow your business. Be sure to tag us in your first reel!
Gatorade: LGBTQ+ Variety Pride Pack Campaign Proposal
The following excerpt is a proposal for Gatorade to revitalize their previous LGBTQ+ pro efforts. In an effort to solidify Gatorade's brand image as LGBTQ+ friendly, the Variety Pride Pack campaign would aid in Gatorade's Corporate Social Responsibility efforts, as well as assist in driving sales.
Strategic Challenge - Across the world, companies frequently choose to embrace the politics of LGBTQ+ issues, making their support known through seasonal campaigns, merchandise, and marketing efforts. In the past, Gatorade has spoken openly about their support for the community by creating ads featuring openly gay athletes (Yates, 2015), as well as openly sharing resources for athletes that are a part of the community (Gatorade Performance, n.d.). Despite all of these things and being a company that has openly supported the community, Gatorade has made little effort of following these efforts since the release of U.S. Women’s Soccer’s Abby Wambach’s tear jerking 2015 ad about striving for equality in sports and just ‘playing the game’. The commercial, loved and supported by many, was an ode to her being an openly gay athlete in professional sports. In order to solidify Gatorade’s stance most effectively, a product launch and marketing campaign is recommended. While this campaign and launch would serve as an extension of Gatorade’s previous efforts toward the LGTBQ+ community, it would also be something completely new on Gatorade’s part. Research suggests that companies who choose to be proactive in promoting themselves as LGBTQ+ friendly can reap from a myriad of benefits, such as a more diverse, engaged, and productive workforce, improved customer and employee relationships, and a solidified reputation as a socially responsible brand (Fatmy et al., 2023). In addition to improving customer and employee relationships, research also suggests that the LGTBQ+ community is extremely loyal and is likely to advocate for a brand that resonates with them (Twitter, 2020). 64% of those surveyed noted that they are more likely to buy from LGBTQ+ friendly brands, while 76% of those surveyed said they are likely to continue supporting a brand in the future that resonates with them (Twitter, 2020). An additional study out of Finland concluded that companies who choose to promote gender and racial diversity are more likely to perform better financially than companies that do not (Cox, 2021). Despite high approval ratings, high profitability, and higher stock market valuations, research also warns against the slippery slope that is taking a social stance; noting that despite the possible advantages, companies that choose to take a social stance on such issues may experience issues if the stance taken is not aligned with the values of the key stakeholders within the company (Cox, 2021). With solidifying Gatorade’s social stance on LGBTQ+ politics, there is a present risk of boycotting, backlash, and a potential decline in sales. An example of this is the previous campaign launched by Bud Light, in which transgender influencer, Dylan Mulvaney promoted the brand. This campaign was launched in an effort to attempt to change Bud Light’s traditional image, and make the brand more inclusive (Holpuch, 2023). Bud Light faced extreme criticism over the campaign, with many celebrities choosing to speak out against the campaign, and many internet residents taking to their individual platforms to express their dislike for Bud Light’s choice to partner with Ms. Mulvaney (Holpuch, 2023). Gatorade also runs the risk of facing backlash for launching a campaign during Pride Month, as many companies before Gatorade have experienced harsh feedback in what appeared to be attempting to profit off of the LGBTQ+ community (Rascoe & Sherburn, 2023). In order to work to combat this backlash, after its launch in June 2024, Gatorade’s Variety Pride Pack will be marketed to be sold all year round. This then legitimizes Gatorade’s cause and assists in LGBTQ+ pro efforts becoming a part of Gatorade’s permanent identity, rather than a seasonal identity. As far as competition goes, Gatorade dominates the sports drink industry (Xu, 2011). The brand has created a product that stands apart when compared to other selections in the drink market. Gatorade’s marketing mix of product strategy, pricing, promotional mix, and distribution strategy all help it to stand apart in the sports drink industry (Xu, 2011). Gatorade also currently holds a 72.1% market share in the U.S. sports drink category, and in 2020 sales in the United States reached 6.29 billion (Gitnux, 2023). With such a large share in the United States sports drink market, a new product is sure to bring buzz, hype, and positive light surrounding Gatorade. Upon research, search results show that Gatorade’s biggest competitors are: Red Bull, Schweppes, Tropicana, and Cocoa Cola. Red Bull has repeatedly made efforts to openly support the LGBTQ+ community through their partnership with Racing Pride, working to raise awareness about the LGBTQ+ community and promote a partner and allyship within the Red Bull Team (Oracle Red Bull Racing, 2023). In order to effectively compete with companies like Red Bull, Gatorade must match, or out-do, LGBTQ+ friendly efforts and fully solidify their social stance. Objectives - The primary objectives of the campaign are to successfully launch a new product, the Variety Pride Pack, and change the perception of Gatorade into a known, LGBTQ+ friendly brand. These objectives were made on the basis of research that suggests being firm on a social stance can greatly benefit a brand’s internal success, as well as its reputation as a corporate citizen (Fatmy et al., 2023). Changing beliefs around Gatorade as a brand does not mean we wish to alter the image entirely, but rather solidify previous efforts that Gatorade has made towards being an LGBTQ+ friendly brand. The reasoning behind this is both for the benefits that LGBTQ+ friendly brands can experience, but to also tie up loose ends that Gatorade has left behind as a result of their previous LGBTQ+ efforts that resulted in minimal follow-up after. Upon research, when searching and questioning whether or not companies like Red Bull are LGBTQ+ friendly, search engine results flooded with a myriad of web results that all point to the answer yes. However, with Gatorade, upon searching whether or not the company is LGTBQ+ friendly, results are mixed, with most of them answering yes, but with limited information as to why or how that might have come to be. The Variety Pride Pack will result in solidifying Gatorade as an LGBTQ+ friendly brand and company and allow for it to be perceived as such. Additionally, the objectives of the Gatorade Variety Pride Pack will be to successfully launch the product and see a 5 to 10 percent increase of sales by the end of Q3, which will occur four months after launch. We would also like to reach more LGBTQ+ community members and athletes, and successfully launch to where Gatorade becomes their drink of choice. The Big Idea - In order to solidify these efforts, the Gatorade “Variety Pride Pack” is the product proposed for a new, fresh campaign, and product launch. This would be a release of a new variety Gatorade pack, made up of currently existing Gatorade flavors. This new variety pack would include all colors of the rainbow and would be marketed in the months of May and June and released in June (Pride Month) to be sold all year. The Gatorade Variety Pride Pack would be marketed with various methods of mixed marketing, including social media marketing, print and billboard advertising, product placement, as well as guerilla marketing methods. In the past, Gatorade has made effort to solidify its stance on LGBTQ+ matters, but since then, has made little effort to follow-up on their initial stance. As stated, Gatorade’s Variety Pride Pack, launching in June 2024, will consist all of pre-existing flavors. Variety packs are also extremely common in Gatorade’s lists of products, selling on the shelves of distributers alongside single Gatorade drinks, as well as single flavor pack (Amazon.com, n.d.). The variety pack would be nothing new for Gatorade drinkers. As of today, Gatorade manufactures and distributes a multitude of different variety packs, ranging from the Frost Variety Pack, Classic Variety Pack, Original Frost Variety Pack, Fierce Variety Pack, and more. The Variety Pride Pack would simply be added along the list of variety packs that Gatorade already manufactures, sells, and distributes. Gatorade’s Variety Packs are extremely popular as well, with their Amazon reviews all averaging a 5-Star rating with anywhere from 1,000 reviews to 37,000 reviews (Appendix A, Image 1 & 2). Currently, upon research, Gatorade’s currently sold Variety Packs only sell up to four flavors per pack sold. The Variety Pride Pack would include six popular flavors all sold together. To honor Pride Month and the LGBTQ+ community, the Variety Pride Pack would be made up of each color that derives from the LGTBQ+ Rainbow Pride Flag. It is to be noted that in 2023, there are more than 20 different versions of what is considered the proper Pride Flag, but for the purpose of this campaign, the original 6-color Pride Flag, and most well-known, is the flag our campaign will be modeled after (Volvo, 2022). As an ode to the original 6-color flag, the Variety Pride Pack will include six flavors: red, orange, yellow, green, indigo, and violet. Or better known to Gatorade lovers as: Fruit Punch, Orange, Lemon-Lime, Tropical Cooler, Cool Blue, and Grape (Appendix A, Image 3). The great thing about this is, these flavors already exist, and will require no further action from Gatorade to manufacture completely new flavors for the purpose of this campaign. In fact, some of the included Gatorade flavors are far from new, with flavors like Orange having been around since 1969, close to the beginning of Gatorade itself (Harry, 2015). The Variety Pride Pack will merely require Gatorade to manufacture these colors to be sold together as one pack, and the necessary marketing efforts will follow. The Variety Pride Pack will feature three of each of the six flavors included, and sold as a 24 pack, with each bottle containing 12 ounces (Appendix A, Image 4). The target and primary audience to Gatorade’s Variety Pride Pack will be LGBTQ+ athletes and community members. This is due to the fact that by solidifying Gatorade as an LGBTQ+ friendly brand, we are looking to garner the support of LGBTQ+ athletes and community members, as research suggests that they are extremely supportive of LGBTQ+ friendly brands. Not only is it important to solidify Gatorade’s stance on LGTBQ+ issues to improve their reputation as a corporate citizen (Fatmy, 2023), it’s important to do so for the financial aspect as well. Recent research on the minority group noted that LGBTQ+ annual spending is estimated at 3.7 trillion in the United States alone (Baron, 2022). Additional research suggests that 85% of surveyed LGTBQ+ Americans feel that corporations should support LGTBQ+ equality and legitimize their brand involvement (Baron, 2022). In releasing the Variety Pride Pack, Gatorade seeks to legitimize their brand involvement, and target LGTBQ+ identifying community members. The secondary audience will consist of more current Gatorade drinkers. We want to ensure that the people who currently support Gatorade, continue to support Gatorade through the release of the new Gatorade Variety Pride Pack. This secondary audience will be less narrowly tailored, focusing on various ages, sexual identities, and genders, whereas in the primary audience, Gatorade seeks to target specifically LGTBQ+ athletes and community members. We want to ensure that Gatorade is able to gain support, without losing it in another area. An additional secondary audience to consider are the people who drink Gatorade despite athletic ability, as Gatorade is not only consumed by athletes. It is important to keep in mind that anyone can drink, purchase, and enjoy Gatorade, and that should not be lost in translation when carrying out marketing efforts for the Variety Pride Pack. In an effort to legitimize Gatorade’s efforts, it is recommended that Gatorade donate a percentage of funds made on the Gatorade Variety Pride Pack to LGTBQ+ organizations. In doing so, Gatorade has a chance to give back to the communities that its monetizing from, and also looking to gain support from at the same time. Without donating to the communities that Gatorade will claim to support, there may be potential for more backlash, and there may be more room for consumers to make the claim that Gatorade is only branding itself as LGBTQ+ friendly to profit off of Pride Month and LGBTQ+ consumers. In actively supporting LGBTQ+ organizations, Gatorade is working to help said communities, while also actively working to prevent any backlash or speculation of ill intent. Luckily, there are many LGTBQ+ organizations that Gatorade could donate to, including The Trevor Project, which provides crisis intervention, SAGE, which works to improve the lives of older LGBTQ+ members, and the LGTBQ+ Freedom Fund, which provides legal assistance (Holdefehr & Millbrand, 2023). It is to be noted that donations are not limited to these specific organizations, and Gatorade is encouraged to donate where they may seem fit to their mission.