Clifton Jackson Resume

Almost everyday when I walk home from work, I cut through the Wrigley Building passage, past the Trump Tower across Wabash, down the steps to Hubbard, and turn right on State Street. While pacing down State, I pass the Jewel at the intersection of Ohio Street. For the past four or five months I have noticed a homeless man who sits in front of this intersection. I don’t always leave work at the same time everyday, so I don’t see him everyday, but I assume he camps out there on a daily basis. While we did have a mild winter, it’s still not much consolation when you have to sit outside with just a blanket for hours on end. As is standard for the homeless, he has a change cup. But he also has something else that I’ve never seen in my almost five years living in Chicago: Resumes.

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Recently, while working with a client, my team was asked to brainstorm some concepts for an upcoming promotion for the brand’s loyalty program. Naturally, we asked the client for rough ideas, marketing objectives, goals, success measures, etc…

We received none of the above. They didn’t really know what they wanted to do, outside of the fact that they wanted us to create an “exciting game”.

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As a self-proclaimed wordsmith, I would like to take this time to stop and look at the adjectives arbitrarily being thrown around by brands in an effort to attract customers. As trends point that there is a shift in consumer preference towards more (relatively) luxurious items at wallet-friendly prices, it is only natural for marketers to respond to this demand in one of two ways:

1)      Release new products that are significantly higher end than its competitors’, and its own previous versions, and find a way to justify the price increase.

2)      Release virtually the same product as before, with slight improvements, but slap a new moniker on it so it goes from also-ran attractive, to Kardashian-like sexy.

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This QR Code was used for Macy's Backstage Pass promotion. Were scans higher in locations with better cellular reception? Photo courtesy of qranywhere.blogspot.com

As QR codes continue to gain popularity, it is important to remember that functionality should be at the focal point when making a decision on whether or not to include them as part of your campaign. Brands can decide to include QR codes on in-store signage but need to take into account location when doing so. Continue reading →

There is really only one way I can say this: If you are a college student, get on Twitter!

It’s downright stupid to not be on the second largest social network in the world, and especially so if you are on the road to an undergraduate degree. Continue reading →

Google+ has been a hot topic in the Twitterverse and other social media scenes recently, with many people having hopped on board already. Most people seem to enjoy it and think it will be the best thing since Facebook, and it very well may revolutionize social networking. Conversely, social networks come and go, and Google+ could flop just like its predecessor—Google Buzz.

Here are three reasons why Google+ will fail: Continue reading →

I read an article in Adweek by @Mike_Chapman earlier this month about a recent poll conducted by the news magazine on the impact of celebrity product endorsements. The results were somewhat surprising to many ad honchos: Consumers don’t seem to care if Michael Jordan, Tom Brady, or Jennifer Aniston have their name attached to what they buy.

Through years of complaining that athletes and celebrities are grossly overpaid for the work they do, are we as consumers finally legitimately surrendering our star worship? Take a look at the table (taken from the Adweek article) of the survey results below:

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With graduation right around the corner, I thought it would be appropriate to use this blog as a space to give my thanks to the university I have been a part of the last four years.

I came to DePaul in 2007 for three reasons: 1. It had a great business program and is located in the heart of commerce in downtown Chicago, 2. It was close to home (I am from Wheaton, IL), and 3. I didn’t get into University of Illinois’ business school.

So first off, thank you U of I for denying me admission into your school. I have been a Fighting Illini fan since about 5th grade and always thought I would end up there. As I progressed through high school I realized U of I may ultimately not be the best choice for me, and was swooned by DePaul when I made a campus visit. When the colleges started sending out acceptance letters in Fall/Winter of 2006, I was pretty set on DePaul. Still, had I gotten into U of I, I may have actually gone there. These last four years would have been quite different if that were the case. Continue reading →

Preface: I’ve been slacking on the blog recently. My apologies. Hopefully you’ll enjoy this return post. But don’t call it a comeback! Shout out to one of my professors, Dr. Zafar Iqbal, for teaching me the concept of the value curve in the first place. Thanks, Zaf!

I would like to note that some of the videos that there are links to in this article are not for the weak of heart. If you don’t like realistic-looking violence, don’t watch. #BlogginOut

More blood.

More violence.

More shocking finishing moves.

Mortal Kombat is back, and although it was released only 15 days ago to date, it is safe to say that this version is the best installment of the long-running series. The franchise that sparked a nationwide debate about animated violence in 1992, with Tipper Gore as the lead opponent, and, as a result, was the reason for the creation of the ESRB rating system, nearly performed a self-fatality in the last decade after churning out a handful of run-of-the mill products. But, just as signature character Scorpion does, Mortal Kombat rose from the dead and is once again making diehard fans and curious spectators “Get over here!” to play the newest game. Continue reading →