Guest Blogger Considers OCMC

Hey – I am a guest blogger on the OCMC blog and thinking about applying to an OCMC team!

In my first semester at college I kept hearing faculty members and students talking about the ‘OCMC’ but only in passing. I personally thought it had to do with some sort of student debate rather than with marketing.

The day someone explained it to me was when I walked into my marketing class 20 minutes early for a test. I was invited in rather than wait in the hall. The anxiety for the test was written all over my face and I needed to think about something else for at least five minutes. The teacher and I started talking about the marketing program and why I choose it. It all had to do with my work history which started 11 years ago in sales and management. The teacher told me about the OCMC and the more he explained, the more excited I became because of the competitive edge it had to it.

The portion that I was thrilled about was retailing. When I was younger I always said that I would never work retail, it just wasn’t something I would EVER consider. I should have bit my tongue because that’s what I accidently fell into as a career. Retail taught me so much; how to manage a C volume to an AAAA+ volume store, how to create relationships with customers, and how to manage and coach a successful team. I took pride, but it took over 8 months for me to realize my strength with people. In the beginning I would never say hello to anyone as they entered the store because fear took over. As months passed and my confidence grew, I never let anyone come into my store unless they were greeted. I took this into consideration when enrolling into marketing, it was new and again fear took over. But as tests and projects were completed, I realized I had found my new passion.

So when the teacher told me about this competition with all the colleges, I was excited but at the same time hesitant - the fear was talking over once again. I began to Google-search the event to see what would come up and I was so excited to see the fun of Quiz Bowl and the interviews of people who had participated in the presentations. Everyone was extremely excited and only had something positive to say. They confirmed what I thought from the beginning - this is a onetime deal for me and if I passed it up then I would only regret it. The fear of trying and failing is what tends to push a lot of people away. So I told myself, ‘Hey, at least you tried,’ and who knows where this may take me.

I hear participating in the event can help build your skills and resume - sometimes students participating in the individual events have ended up with a job. This is a perfect way to start down the road to a successful career in marketing. The training would help sharpen my skills so the question here is, “If you don’t try, then how will you ever know?” So I suggest to everyone who is considering the OCMC, to go out and try it - what is there to lose except to build on the strengths that you already possess?

M.C.

Google Helps Find Families With “Person Finder”

As a student with a passion for marketing, from time to time I will be blogging about newsworthy marketing topics - this week with Japan top of mind, I look to this topic and the marketing giant Google's involvement in the relief effort.

In an age where the world is run by technology- we still remain vulnerable to the conflicts and tragedies that damage our society.  This is why as marketers we must remember we are people and in times of hardship we must remain responsible for the well-being of our international society.  In these times of misfortune our true industry leaders have the opportunity to demonstrate their social responsibility and talent in innovation.  Google a leader in both technology and innovation is at the forefront of these movements launching support resources like “Google Person Finder” in times of crisis.  This is a prime example of how a successful organization can use its competencies to make a difference through its non-profit sector.  From time-to-time we will take the opportunity to profile various organizations and their use of new and interesting marketing approaches!  If you haven’t seen it yet- check it out @ http://www.google.com/crisisresponse/japanquake2011.html#personfinder.

On the day of March 11, 2011- A part of my history changed when Japan fell victim to a colossal tsunami, the result of a record-breaking 9.0-magnitude earthquake off the North-East coast.  The devastation has been catastrophic as just over a week later the anxiety continues as thousands are missing and the death toll rises.  Fortunately any “known” family of mine living in the Tokyo region have survived and are doing well- but there are still many who remain curious and are concerned for their families. 

Google Person Finder originated after the earthquake crisis in Haiti and was launched just 2 hours after the disaster in Japan.  The user-friendly application gives both individuals and NGO’s (non-governmental organizations) the option to search for someone or provide information on them.  The application is using advancements in digital communications to create an effective tool that is available in multiple languages.  The Person Finder software was developed after the Haiti crisis 2010 and took roughly 12 hours to create- the same technology has since been used for tragedies in Christchurch, Chile and now Japan.  As Google is a leader in the search engine market- they have placed a convenient link on the Google site under “Resources” that directs you to the page. 

The online person finder works with shelters on the ground across the nation to help spread the information on its site.  Google receives photographs of written letters via email from shelters showing thousands of people that are being housed as space is filling up.  Those who are interested can see detailed lists @ https://picasaweb.google.com/tohoku.anpi and see the many families that are homeless, hungry and need help.  I encourage everyone to do their part to make a difference- please stay up to date with our Facebook Page and see how you can get involved!

Have You Voted Yet?

For those who have not heard about Enterprise Holdings’ (Enterprise Rent-A-Car) new Facebook campaign, take the time to check out their page at Enterprise-Rent-A-Car and vote on a cause that’s meaningful to you. So what does this have to do with OCMC? Well, Enterprise Holdings is an annual key OCMC sponsor, volunteering to judge the event, and providing financial support. This year they’ve added an extra layer with their “Giving Back” campaign, a Facebook contest that supports employee suggested community programs. It asks you to choose which causes they should support with your vote – the top four causes on their site will receive funds! Hey, I keep going back to vote for OCMC – you should too!

Marie Mabbayad, Training & Development Specialist for Enterprise Holdings, nominated OCMC as one of the community causes Enterprise Holdings will rally behind. She loves that OCMC trains students to have real business skills that are edgy and current - skills that they look for in employees. 

 

It’s great to see organizations supporting this event and its enthusiastic participants! So navigate to the Enterprise Rent-A-Car Facebook page and vote for OCMC. We certainly need your votes to make it into the top four and win $2,500 for the OCMC event. So hop online at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Enterprise-Rent-A-Car/ and make your vote count.... Keep in mind, there are no restrictions - so keep on voting!!  

“Giving back” is just one part of “The Enterprise Way” campaign. It also features ads that focus on almost 50 employees talking about their commitment to quality. Its authenticity really works and is sure to boost morale amongst employees. Check out their behind-the-scenes Bloopers and outtakes' YouTube video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GrSpXr6174U.

Thanks Marie and Enterprise Holdings for supporting OCMC!