McDonald, K, Week 3

Hey everyone and welcome back to my blog! This week has been one to remember! It was full of experiential learning trips to some very exciting places like New York City, Buffalo, and others. Through these trips we were able to see what we have learned in class in different industries and organizations around the state of New York. Learning in the classroom in one thing, but being able to see it in action and learn from these businesses is a real treat.

Our first trip of the week was down to New York City for a full day of learning. We stopped in Brooklyn first at an ad agency called Big Spaceship. It was clear that they are a very creative agency just from their name! Here we were able to see what kinds of disciples agencies cover and how they work within their company. Big Spaceship has an open floor plan where they work together in teams so they can bounce ideas off each other. Some of their clients are Google and Samsung, and they work on market intelligence, social media, and design. I really enjoyed learning from this agency and seeing their style of work. After we left, we stopped by NBC Studios to get a tour. It was incredibly interesting to see behind the scenes of one of the biggest TV channels in the nation. The media industry is one of our focuses in this class, and during this stop we were able to learn about it in a very unique way.

Photo Taken by Kyra McDonald

Photo Taken by Kyra McDonald

Our second experiential learning trip was up to Rochester and Buffalo. In Rochester we stopped at another ad agency, this one called Tipping Point Communications. We heard from the president, Barbara P., as well as from Todd C. who works with social media. Both of the presenters shared their knowledge and expertise and made sure to talk to us about what we wanted to learn about which was very nice of them. After the meeting with them, we drove over to the KeyBank Center in Buffalo. This part of the trip really interested me as the KeyBank Center is home to the Buffalo Sabers NHL team. We learned about how the center markets not only the hockey team, but also other events like UFC fights and concerts. Although we weren't able to see the locker room, it was still a memorable tour and learning experience.

Photo Taken by Alison Wolfe

Photo Taken by Kyra McDonald

Photo Taken by Kyra McDonald

Our final trip of the week was up to Watkins Glen International where we continued the sports marketing learning. Here we learned about how they attract consumers and market a unique sport like NASCAR. Hearing about their revenue streams and marketing techniques was interesting because it differs slightly from other sports. For one, they bring in the most revenue from renting out the track, not selling tickets. Other than learning about racing marketing, seeing the facilities up at Watkins Glen was very fascinating because I had never been there before. 

Photo Taken by Alison Wolfe

Overall, this third week of classes was one for the books! It was full of fun and informing experiences, all of which I will remember for a very long time. I am excited to learn more about the local marketing efforts this upcoming week as we visit Community Broadcasters, WETM-TV, and Tioga Downs Casino. Be sure to check back next week to get the full scoop on those fun adventures. Ciao for now!