Week 5 EOC: Social Networks and Job Hunting

It seems social media is getting bigger and bigger. I read on the article: Brand Ambassadors: Employing Real Customers to Get Out the Word that enthusiastic customers of Jet Blue Airways were found online and became ambassadors for Jet Blue. They got to fly to New York to get some training, and back home they would make special events like walks for charities that were supposedly sponsored by Jet Blue, even though the budget for the events are only $50. One event which sounds very fun is Blue Day where people dress up in blue costumes and sometimes even paint themselves blue so they could have a chance at winning a free round-trip voucher! I would love to have one of those at the Art Institute! I love dressing up And free traveling! According to the article: "Marketers select their brand ambassadors very carefully, based on customers’ devotion to a brand and the size of their social circles. They sometimes search blogs and online social networks to identify individuals who are already functioning as brand advocates. Once selected, the ambassadors are trained with real brand knowledge to go along with their passion for the brand. The ambassadors then tap into friends, family, groups, and broader audiences through personal conversations, blogs, live events, and online social media.For the ambassadors, it’s often a labor of love more than a paying job. Rewards include product samples, gifts, discounts, and token cash payments. Perhaps more important to many brand enthusiasts, they get insider access to company information, such as new products or services in the works." (Marketing: An Introduction, Armstrong/Kotler, Pg. 143)

Facebook is very big in social media. With over 750 million users "More companies are trying to find new employees, threatening traditional job boards and competing with LinkedIn Corp., which has dominated the online professional networking arena." Honestly, I think it's a great idea for employers to go on people's Facebook. It shows them who they really are, and what they're really like. Though, there might be some things that employees don't want their employers to see; or their parents, which is why I keep mine private.