The Lake Effect

Hello everyone,

They say that a good intro to a conversation with someone you don't know is the weather. They can always relate to it on some level. Well this week was a roller coaster, Monday through Wednesday was in the fifties and now it's been upper twenties and has been snowing since Thursday. In Erie, this is called Lake Effect snow because cold air blows over the warmer open waters of the lake and then drops the water on shore in the form of snow. So until the lake freezes, we get really beautiful and fluffy snow storms, making campus just as gorgeous in the winter as it is the summer.

Two weeks are left until the end of term, which means that I only have one more term to go! Event better news is that I only have one class this Spring. Yes, you read that correctly. Overloading during the past two years has allowed me to finally breathe a sigh of relief, work on some special projects and have some fun before reality kicks in. I am so so so excited!

If you are a communication major, keep an eye out for information regarding the "Day in Communication." This is your opportunity to spend a day dedicated to communication, talk to professors and students about the program and get an official school tour from me! Contact Meghan Corbin at mcorbin@mercyhurst.edu for more information.

In light of the Super Bowl this evening, while short, this is truly my only update for the week. Carry on, keep warm and enjoy the commercials.

Thanks for reading!
Joe

Branded Sheep

Hey everyone,

Another interesting article update this week. Passerby's in the UK discovered sheep in a field branded with a creepy smiley face. The stunt was owned by Alton Towers, a premier amusement park in the UK, as a publicity stunt for their upcoming new roller coaster. Alton Towers has been at it for months teasing locals and roller coaster enthusiasts alike, promising that the new coast will be like nothing ever seen before and include a never before created future, which many believe is clued to in the eyes of the smiley face. Check out this article on the sheep and Google the Alton Towers SW7 project for more information on what they're doing.

Thanks for reading,
Joe

Weekend Blues

Hello everyone,

The title, "Weekend Blues" may be a bit of a misdirection, but I think it speaks to the awkwardness that was this weekend. Primarily for the first time in 41 years Mercyhurst closed the university at the end of last week. Due to a drastic temperature shift, several water mains broke causing the school to have little to no water (depending on the building). On Thursday school was cancelled and arrangements were made for students to be sent home or moved somewhere safe. Now with water restored, classes are beginning again today.

While typically cancelling classes and creating a unforeseen break would be a blessing, not this weekend. As you have heard me discussing, this weekend was the 2013 Frozen Putt-A-Thon hosted by my student organization. My team and I spent Friday night and Saturday morning uncovering the course and decorating. Then from noon to 5 p.m., we opened the course, provided free hot chocolate and donuts, as well as hired a great DJ to keep the course rocking!

Overall, the event was a huge success. For the second time around, we had more than 60 people attend the event and considering that the majority of our Mercyhurst audience wasn't able to, that was a great success. We had the opportunity to succeed and make some mistakes, so now all there is to do is evaluate everything, compile resources and contacts for next year and move on to the next project.

We had a great day and I am proud to have such an amazing team. Here are some pictures of the crew doing the wobble on the course!

Thanks for reading,
Joe  

Busch Garden's Branding Change

Hello everyone,

Continuing on my assignment for industry news I bring the evolution of logos. After the new year Busch Gardens released designs for a new logo, but this is no small implementation. Logos are a big deal. Think of Coca-Cola, Ford or McDonald's, three iconic brands that the first thing you see in your mind is their logo, which is a representation of their product. Also consider the capital that will be involved in implementing it into the parks. Changing a logo is no small or cheap task.

Ever since I worked for Busch Gardens in 2011 I have received tidbits about the strength of the brand being in question. The company states that they conducted two years of research to determine how to alter and positively influence the brand.  The new logo as seen above is earthly and appeals to both the thrills and environmental identity maintained by Busch Gardens. The icon on the right is the coaster tree, which represents that "Fun Grows Here" at Busch Gardens.

Below, on the left, is the logo they are now transitioning from and, on the right, the original logo of the parks. All three tell a very different story, but considering what the brand is, the new logo is a great step toward better communicating that brand even though I still love the old red logo.

 

Thanks for reading,
Joe 

It's here!

 

Hello everyone!

It's finally here. After just under five months, this is the week for the Frozen Putt-A-Thon. The press release has been pushed out, more than 2,700 fliers have been distributed and every community event calendar in the county has the PRSSA Frozen Putt-A-Thon on it.With a snow storm on the way for the early part of the week, the troops are preparing to dig out the course and add about 4,500 twinkle lights, decorations and tinsel, all before doors open at 12 p.m. on Saturday afternoon. It's a great time for the PRSSA chapter and I'm super excited for the event. If you're interested in coming, please visit us at frozenputt.com.

Harbor View Miniature Golf - Erie, PA

While I have been telling you a lot about my PRSSA adventures, this past week I hosted the "Epic Program" as an event in my freshman hall, though I cannot take all the credit for it. First of all, the idea came from a wise man named Shaun. Shaun is an HR master who is originally from Australia, but now travels the world starting parks and training their management team and team members. I met Shaun as part of my IAAPA Attractions Expo experience over the last two years. This is called "Rock Paper Scissors Warriors," and perhaps is not nearly as good as the IAAPA team, but we had a blast doing it in Warde. Thank you all for participating if you're reading this! Check out the video below.

Have a wonderful week!

Thanks for reading,
Joe