Purple Ties Student Agency, Mobile, Alabama January-May 2016 Public Relations/Promotions Director
Worked with a local nonprofit client, Legacy166, to develop an integrated campaign to establish brand awareness and positioning.
Created events aimed to better relationship with the community – donors, sponsors, volunteers and attendees of the non-profit.
Developed promotional techniques, materials and strategies for reaching all target audiences.
Description: Below is an Integrated Marketing Communication Campaign carried out in an upper level Communications course. Purple Ties Agency worked to establish a strong position and brand for Legacy166, a local non-profit in Mobile, Alabama. I worked as Public Relations Director and worked closed with the Promotions Director to carry out the PR and Promotions Plan.
The Promotions Director and I worked closely with the Art Director to create promotional material for Legacy166. Below is promotional material used for the campaign.
Description: Below is a research paper written for an upper level Communications course. The purpose of the paper was to measure the effects of clothing purchases and one's personal brand
Abstract: The purpose of this pilot study was to explore self-branding from the perspective of clothing, it was examined through self-congruity theory to answer the research question: In what ways does the idealized self-image influence clothing purchases and selections, demonstrating self-congruence with one’s brand? To answer this research question a convenience sample was taken using paper administrated surveys. 74 Spring Hill College students participated in the 21-question survey, which was later tested using Frequencies, Descriptives, Crosstabs and Cronbach’s Alpha. Once data was collected and tests were run, research statistically supported the hypothesis: If self-congruity links self-image with brand preferences, then respondents will report clothing purchases and selections made to demonstrate ideal-self. People reported embracing their own self-image and selecting clothes to represent a well-established personal brand. Results demonstrated that most people from this convenience sample actually made clothing purchases and selections in order to demonstrate ideal self-image.
Description: Below is an Integrated Marketing Communication plan completed for an upper division Communication course. The IMC plan created for the Spring Hill College Communication Arts department website and was complete with partners.
Description: Below are samples of news stories completed for Media Writing, a lower division Communication course
Conquering Obstacles Despite Limitations
She has class every single day, immediately after that she rushes to dance practice. While others cherish their Saturdays for relaxation, she sacrifices them to support her school.
Despite her many commitments, Lillian Cristina Loys is at Spring Hill College to achieve one thing: her degree in education. Loys aspires to become a teacher to disabled children, “I want to become a teacher because my best friend has a little brother with autism. We would always take him to events for kids with disabilities. I became very close to all the kids and I realized how much I loved them. I decided I wanted to teach kids with disabilities so I started off by tutoring them and it all took off from there.”
As a dancer, Loys is plans on incorporating the art of dance into teaching. She believes that music therapy is a successful way for children to build language development through the use of music and sining. Loys is determined to develop dance therapy. After researching how effective music therapy has been, she believes teaching children through the art of dance will help improve motor skills, speech and hearing impediments and other disabilities.
Loys never believed her dreams would be attainable due to her own learning limitations. Because of her stutter she assumed she that she was limited from following her dreams of becoming a teacher, “When I was younger, I had a speech impediment. My parents put me in speech therapy and it helped but it wasn’t enough to take away my fear of speaking so I spent my whole middle school and high school years avoiding speeches, I would prefer failing over speaking in front of the class.“
Her stutter affected her in such a negative way, that she refused to speak to others. Eventually, once she came to college, Loys made a decision that would change her life as she knew it, “After realizing pre med was not for me, I decided I wanted to teach.“ She understood that being a teacher would involve speaking all day and used her desire to teach as her way of overcoming her fear.
Since her transition into college and her newfound comfort with public speaking, Loys continues to think up ways she can assist children with disabilities. After graduating and receiving her degree in education, Loys plans on creating her own chain of schools across the nation for children with disabilities to attend and receive the ultimate attention.
Having had overcome so many obstacles herself, Loys believes she will have no problem helping the lives of others, but for now she sticks to entertaining the Spring Hill College Badgers at their basketball games.
Juggling class and adjusting to her new life in college, Loys thought she had left dance behind for good. After going through her first semester of college without dancing, she felt empty. Once second semester came, she decided to try out for the dance team; doing so was a decision she hardly regrets, “It became part of my life and now my dances team is basically like my family.”
Spring Hill College student, Bethany Hellmers, recalls seeing Loys the first day she walked onto the court to perform at halftime, “She was dead center and lit up the entire gym, all the students clapped and cheered her on.”
Loys decided to conquer her greatest fear and now her stutter is almost nonexistent. By finding something she really loves, such as teaching, Loys has been able to present speeches with little worry. After college she plans on combining her two passions, teaching and dance, to help children who are struggling to learn due to learning limitations.
Embody Love Movement + Body Image 3D
Women should be comfortable in their own bodies and refrain from judging themselves and other women based on looks. Women should not stand for fat talk, a speaker told about 90 girls Tuesday night at Spring Hill College.
“Fat talk means don’t compare yourselves,” explained Lexi Moorehead, a student and Embody Love Movement representative.
Delta Delta Delta Fraternity along with the Embody Love Movement host Fat Talk Free Week. This 5-day body involvement campaign draws attention to body image issues and the negative effect of the 'thin ideal' on women in society. The women in the room were both shocked and moved by what Moorehead discussed so passionately at the workshop.
Having suffered from an eating disordered herself Moorehead overcame her struggles. She now seeks to educate women on how fat talk is never necessary. “We are beautiful women,” said Moorehead “We have so many things to talk about yet we are talking about our weight!”
The media has a grave impact on how women view themselves. The media does not just affect adult women, 47% of elementary school girls say that when they read magazines it makes them want to loose weight. Women are exposed to a “right” and “wrong” way of appearing, beginning at a young age.
After being hospitalized due to her eating disorder, Moorehead decided that she wanted to be the change. When she saw the pain in the eyes of the other girls at the hospital her revolution began. “The change started with myself,” said Moorehead “I was eating, I was treating myself with respect, and I was loving myself all the time.”
Tri Delta member, Caroline McGraw was motivated by Moorehead’s words, “Lexi is so inspiring, this entire workshop has been so positive. It is great that all these women can come together and not only learn about fat talk but learn about each other’s strengths and weaknesses.”
Moorehead along with Tri Delta was successful at educating Spring Hill College women on fat talk. Fat talk is not just insulting your own weight, it is judging your body as well as someone else’s. Comments people would not consider fat talk, such as “Are you really going to eat that?” and “Did you see her wearing that ugly shirt today?” are included.
“I will never look like any of you, you will never look like me.” said Moorehead “We have our own bodies and I think it is disgusting when people say ‘beauty is only inside, why worry about the outside?’ No, we are damn beautiful and we need to respect that.”
Fashion Week 2013 Kickoff Party
The first day of Mobile Fashion Week began Sunday, September 22 with the “Fashion Week 2013 Kick Off Party.” Local storeowners, magazine editors and fashion bloggers gathered in downtown to support fashion for a cause.
The kick off party took place at the Mobile Arts Council in downtown Mobile, Ala. from 7-9 p.m. This is the third annual Mobile Fashion Week. This week does a lot more than simply promote fashion in Mobile. The entire week is fashion dedicated to a cause; every year, proceeds and donations go to Camp Rap-A-Hope, a summer camp for kids with cancer. The entrance was set up to make any average person feel famous. Hot, bright, lights greeted visitors when they entered the event. Arranged directly in front of a backdrop that read “MFW,” Spectators were smiling and posing for the photographers and then they were free to look around as they pleased.
Colorful artwork hung around a grey room with dim lighting, giving off a museum like ambiance. The kick off party had more to offer than just models showing off boutique clothing. Costumes and sketches created by local students were displayed around the event as well. The dramatic costumes and masks added classic sophistication to the party.
People walked around and talked about the clothes, food, artwork, and models that were scattered throughout the party. The atmosphere was chic and soothing, thanks to the dim lighting which went perfectly with the array of colors. Nothing in the Mobile Arts Council clashed, the colors looked extremely elegant. The kick off party was a clear success; it was a stylish introduction to a hectic week of up coming fashion shows, parties and events.
Lillian Loys, a Spring Hill College student who admires the fashion industry said: “I am happy Mobile is trying to step up and recognize fashion and art. I like that they are dedicating a whole week to fashion, which I think is important because it helps people develop their own identity. You cannot ignore something that can easily make someone who they are, clothes are a great way to express yourself.” Loys then added, “Being from Miami, I only know fashion week as being exclusive, I really like how anybody can enjoy this.”
It is hard to believe that just 3 years ago one man, Richard McGill, founder of Mobile Fashion Week had a dream and put it all together. When asked what it took to organize the event McGill said, “What this is, is getting industry professionals, coordinators, models, boutiques, just anybody who loves fashion and the industry and we get together organize and start a fashion week.” He then added, “This is also all about our cause, Camp Rap-A-Hope.”