Styled Spirit

From the beginning, I realized that I wanted to utilize my love of writing in whatever career path I chose. When I landed in marketing, copywriting became a possible path, and my internship at BD&E really helped me to dive right in. This semester, my marketing communications course, led by VT's resident advertising guru, Donna Wertalik, was tasked with creating an integrated campaign for Belk. I loved having the opportunity to create every step of a campaign and I was even able to put my copywriting skills to work. 

After getting to know the Belk brand by exploring the store and hosting an event, we decided to emphasize collegiate colors to tell a story. With the help of the local Belk store and my generous friends BM, PD and MJ, we had a photo shoot to launch the Styled Spirit campaign. It was a joy to photograph my great friends in Lane Stadium and to see our ideas come to life. Our hard work paid off with a third place finish in the collegiate competition.

We strategically chose maroon and orange merchandise to appeal to Virgnia Tech students. This shot was used as an example of how Belk could showcase merchandise on Pinterest.

Print Campaign:

Under the Green Umbrella

At the beginning of the semester, I made a game time decision to add another marketing elective. I enrolled in Donna Wertalik's Social Media Marketing class on the last possible day to add courses and have been a social media junkie ever since. My world is now filled with brands, social analytics, tastemakers and emerging platforms.

 Part of the course involves teaming up with a local business to execute a social media marketing strategy. My group was paired with Under the Green Umbrella (UTGU) and we got to work bringing the brand to life in the social sphere. Under the mantra "Let the Love Grow," Under the Green Umbrella sells wholesome, natural and unique foods at local area farmer's markets. From cranberry pumpkin muffins, to sweet tart pumpkin apple cider, to poblano pepper pesto, UTGU's  founder, Tracie, is always dreaming up new treats. Aside from her kitchen prowess, her brand is centered around her buy-local lifestyle and her two young boys.

Throughout the project we redesigned her website and crafted content to emphasize her family and lifestyle. I served as the team's resident blogger, writer and twitter-enthusiast, and had a blast working with Tracie and her family.

Here is an except from the blog - see the full post here.