Big Head Blog

Times they are a changing.  The economy is in the pooper and unemployment rates are rising faster than the price of gas.   People are desperate to get a job.  We hear all these stories about executives that were making $200,000 a year, now taking orders at Burger King.  And how hundreds of applicants turned out for a janitorial job.  With this demand comes a new way of approaching the job search.

Introducing Job Seeking 2.0.  We have all heard about the Web 2.0 generation, characterized by information sharing and user collaboration.  An abundance of social networking sites have popped up due to this new age of web development.   So why not use that same concept for job seeking?

The first genius to come up with this concept was Queensland Tourism.  They took viral advertising to a whole new level with this campaign.  In case you are hiding in a closet and have not heard about what they did, then let me fill you in.  Queensland offered one lucky individual the opportunity to have the “Best Job In the World”.  And quite literally, it was the best job in the world.  It paid almost $100,000 to essentially vacation for six months and they even put you up in some ‘off the chart’ vacation home.  Who could resist?  Of course, thousands and thousands of applicants sent in their 1-minute submission video for the chance of a lifetime.  To see the winner, visit Islandreefjob.com

Do you see the genius!?  Not only did they find the perfect applicant (even though the job isn’t your typical job and will probably not exist after the 6-month contract), but they put the Great Barrier reef on the “map”.  It became an overnight sensation with news coverage, thousands of applicants, millions of views and links galore all over the web.  By the end of the campaign, you would have live in a cave not to know about Queensland Australia Tourism and the Great Barrier Reef.  Not to mention the fact that thousands will follow the winner to see his adventures.  See… genius.  As a fellow marketer, I bow down to you.

And of course, with their success, you knew the ‘bandwagon’ train would be in route for a swift departure.  The first was Murphy-Goode Winery. They are offering a 6-month contract for someone to share the Murphy-Goode name and the beauty of Sonoma Valley with the world.  To view some of the applications, you can visit www.areallygoodejob.com .  I must admit, it sounded like the perfect job to me.  6-months of drinking fantastic wine and living in Sonoma Valley.  So yes, I applied.  Guilty.

So what does that mean going forward?  Don’t get me wrong, I don’t see a “Best Accounting Job in the World” contest coming out anytime soon.  But this new Job Seeking 2.0 sensation has the potential to offer companies the ability to “kill two birds with one stone”:  To hire a qualified candidate and generate a buzz.  In today’s competitive job market, you have to provide more than just a resume.  You have to be creative and grab the attention of the recruiter.  If companies provided an outlet for job seekers to show their stuff, then things could get interesting. Serious job hunters need to fight for that interview.  No laziness allowed!  At the very least, create a blog to talk about and give advice on your profession. If your profession requires a strong personality or customer service, make an online video and sell yourself.  Market yourself right, and you will start to see a difference in the response you get!

Written By:
Anna-Marie Abell
Big Head Marketing, LLC

Okay, okay… I know right off the bat from my title that some of you might be gaping with your mouth open asking, “WHAT?!  That vampire guy?” Well, let me explain.

Let me start of by talking a little bit about Johnny Depp.  You must remember that when Depp first started out he was a heart-throb as well.  Teenie-Bopper magazines were covered with his hot little “21 Jump Street” Face. No one really took him as a serious actor at first either.  (Hmmm.. maybe it was because of their hair styles… see any similarities?)

So what changed? Depp started following his passion for his craft.

Let’s delve into what makes Johnny Depp’s career so unique.  It is not his “star power”.  In all honesty, it was not till “Pirates of the Caribbean” that he was such a big box office draw.  He has his fan base, don’t get me wrong, but he was never really “Hollywood”.

He was certainly handsome enough and had the charisma to go mainstream, but he chose to take on films that challenged him, that allowed him to try an amazing range of characters and emotions.  It almost seemed that he was willing to face any acting challenge.

No other actor has done so many unique types of roles that I can think of.  It takes some guts.  He brought Burton’s beautiful fairytale of a guy with scissorhands to such life and wasn’t scared to play the greatest lover in the world.  If you have any doubts as to his range, just take a look at his film credits.

And the best part is… sometimes it didn’t work out.  But at least he tried something new.  I mean, in my opinion, movies such as “Cry Baby”, “Nick of Time” and “Willy Wonka” were… ummm… well, crap.  Not that he did bad, but they just shouldn’t have been made in the first place.  But he tries everything… and does it with his whole heart.  He may be part of a “bad” movie, but you can never take away the passion that he brings to his roles.

Now let’s consider Robert.   Granted he hasn’t seen all that much screen time, but I see that passion for acting in him, much like I see in Depp.  After seeing “Little Ashes”, I think he is one of those actors that thrive in doing quirky characters.  And, as I see the roles he is choosing to take even after his instant stardom with “Twilight”, he seems to be taking his career along the same lines as Depp.  Doing films that interest him, that challenge him and that take him to unique places as an actor.  Future roles such as those in “Bel-Ami” and “Unbound Captives” will prove his capabilities.

Yes, now granted, he wasn’t a “brilliant” actor in “Twilight”, but I honestly can’t blame him for that one.  He definitely had the look.  To me the director was too focused on the visuals, and not on the acting.  Kristen Stewart is also proof of that.  She is a talented actress, but in “Twilight”, her much joked about “dead eyes” were allowed to take over and her character was not as charming as in the books.  Directors are as much to blame for “so-so” performances as actors are. If you have not seen “Little Ashes” you should.  I think it will give you a new perspective on Robert’s potential.

Hopefully one day I will get to sit down with Robert and see what makes him tick as an actor.  What drives him and what his goals are.  I see it in him, and hopefully he keeps his career on an interesting path like Depp.  At this point it will be easy for him to go mainstream.  But I think he will chose a more challenging path.  I will be keeping an eye on him!

“Little Ashes” Movie Trailer

By Anna-Marie Abell - Big Head Marketing, LLC