Chocolate Collaboration

"Welcome to the Lindt Bear Holiday Experience." I worked a 6 day - 2 weekend - promotion for Lindt Chocolate to encourage holiday spirit. The promo, executed by Elite Marketing, consisted of an outdoor station equipped with several interactive components:

- Two ipads on stands outside of the tent displayed the new Lindt Bear app - It has an animated talking Lindt Bear (with a voice that sounds like someone who sucked helium) that records your voice and gives you the option to send the recorded message to family/friends. The free app is only available for iphones/ipads and can be downloaded from Itunes (from a link on the Lindt website).

- A lifesize inflatable Lindt Bear stood in the middle of the tent for people to pose with for free photo ops. We took the pics on an ipad (standing atop a tripod) and people entered their email addresses on the device to receive their photo. If they clicked the agree box before sending the email the photo would appear on the Lindt Facebook page. The ipad did not store any of the photos.

- An ipad on a stand outside of the tent allowed people to share their Lindt Bear photos via social media (Facebook/Twitter) or through email. We prompted people to enter the same email address they used for the photo and their photo would come up on the screen alongside the sharing options (which required users to log in). The ipad did not store any information. 

*The table loaded with clear-plastic cylinders filled with chocolate, bags of truffles, and big Lindt Bears was not for interacting. Hands off please. Display only! *

 *A giant inflatable Lindt Bear attracted curious crowds from a distance.*

And there was us ! - a group of people in santa hats, big red jackets, and black scarfs bearing golden Lindt logos (that we didn't get to keep). Our job, as the promo staff, was to engage as many people as possible with the brand.

We shouted in the street and gave out complimentary (milk chocolate) Lindor Truffles and mini Lindt Bears to passerby, along with 20% off coupons for the Lindt store. The location for the first half of the promo (Novemeber 29th, 30th, & December 1st) was the corner of 39th and Broadway. The tourists walking by were especially pleased by the display. It was nice to hear all the accented "Thank you"s as we distributed one piece of chocolate per person and offered other perks. The location for the other half of the promo (December 6th, 7th, & 8th) was the corner by the Diesel store in Union Square. As the hours winded down there were different chocolate rules - only people who took a photo would receive chocolate, a gigantic handful of it. Seriously, we happily shoveled chocolates into joined palms, pockets, purses, shopping bags, and backpacks. The other incentive program was rewarding people who shared their photo with three truffles packaged in a small bag. It pays to be a participant! A common question was why were we doing the promotion and my answer was for fun! People, no matter who they are, are always shocked by free goods that don't have a catch, especially in the city - just take them and be happy! 

Working the promo was entertaining and strenuous. The Lindt promo team was comprised of a bunch of good-humored individuals and we braved the coldness - which was the number one struggle - long hours, technical difficulties, hunger, and rude/crazy/conniving people with grace. I enjoyed compelling the masses with chocolate.

And I loveeee the inflatable Lindt Bear - we are a perfect match of adorable.

 

(all photo cred to me except the group photo, sharing ipad photo, and my pic on the ipad photo which are from Elite's Facebook. all the pics of me with the Lindt Bear were emailed to me.)

Magazine Magic

I was an unpaid editorial intern for ZINK Magazine for 3 months (August - November, 3 days a week) and it was a big step forward in my writing career. ZINK has an extremely small staff - I was just working with two editors - and this makes it possible for interns to do real work and get published! I found this internship through Ed2010 - a site that frequently updates with posts for internships at (both print and online) magazines. ZINK was a lucky find for me because it is one of the few publications that doesn't require school credit for interns. (I graduated in May.) I was emailed within a few days of applying to set up an interview and then I was hired on the spot. I wasn't familiar with ZINK but when I glanced through the mag during the interview I was impressed with what I saw. ZINK, a luxury fashion, beauty, & lifestyle magazine, is well known for its thick glossy pages of alluring photos - the editorial spreads are what attract the fans. I was happy to be part of an aesthetically pleasing publication and excited that my words would appear on its pages.

Being an intern at ZINK is equivalent to being on staff, minus the pay. Editorial interns pitch topics/products, contact PR people for press releases & high-res images, write, create titles, interview, transcribe, fact-check, edit, and copy-edit. Interns do it all (without serial commas, as per ZINK's style rules) ! And doing it all felt great. I am thankful that I had the rare opportunity (as an intern) to play an active role in producing an issue of an established magazine. I hit the jackpot with ZINK - I gained experience AND clips!

Check out my writing below from the Holiday Issue:

 

 

               033  Style Fusion 

  

I was content with the short (100-200 word) write-ups I was assigned and ecstatic about writing a feature. Feature-writing is my specialty and I was honored that the editors trusted me with a big (2000 word) story. I had a lovely time conducting the interview - the atmosphere and the people were inviting. While sitting on couches on the terrace of a fancy Broad Street building, Darian and Michela told me everything I needed/wanted to know in a friendly and relaxed manner. There was no time constraint for our conversation - a major blessing - and I recorded an abundance of notes. I walked away from the interview with high spirits and free Mikki More products.

                                (huge chandelier in the lobby of the building, photo cred to me)

  

 (photo cred to Mikki's Facebook)

I love the balm! - It tames my waves leaving them shiny, soft, and non-frizzy. It's my new go-to product after washing my hair (instead of gel). The fresh coconut smell is a bonus - it conveniently compliments the scent from the Herbal Essences Hello Hydration conditioner that I use regularly. Anyway, the Mikki More story is incredible and I'm thrilled I got to share it in an article.

Shoutout to the editors for their patience with me as I made them wait days upon days for the completed story. I am a super slow writer because I have perfectionist issues which lead to procrastination issues and this has been a problem for me for years. However, the excessive amount of time it takes me to finish an assignment always results in quality writing. My Mikki More feature is completely my own - meaning the editors didn't rearrange it/cut things out/add their own words - and I'm proud!

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ZINK interns are expected to work at least 2 full (11am-6pm) days a week - hours are flexible if necessary. There isn't a set amount of time for the duration of the internship - a semester/season is standard but if an intern does good work and wishes to stay longer they are welcome to. Interns are comped metrocard fare for traveling to and from the office on Park Ave & 23rd street. There is no dress code and lunch breaks happen as soon as hunger strikes. Everyone - interns and editors alike - is responsible for bringing in a laptop to work on. The small office - ZINK shares a floor with another business - is especially cramped when everyone is present, and the internet tends to go out multiple times throughout the day, but the space is filled with thoughtful ideas, shared input, and laughs. Jen, managing editor, and Romy, senior editor, are sweethearts and it is a pleasure working with them. The company of fellow interns is enjoyable as well. The environment isn't glamorous but it's relaxed and  productive. Interning at ZINK is definitely a worthwhile experience. =)


(photo cred: my scans of the magazine)