Garrand - like the rest of the marketing world - is doing its best to keep up with the fast paced changes of the digital age and understand how people are consuming media. Brenda decided that as tech savvy (depending on who you talk to) “twenty-somethings”, Dionisios and I may have insight into the consumption behaviors of our generation.
Every facet of our consumption of news and entertainment, our relationships with friends and family and how we exchange data revolve around the internet and electronic devices. Are we starting to rely too much on our mobile devices and computers to access the world? Is it too late to go back to reading hardcover books and sending letters?
About Travis:I’ve lived in Maine my whole life. I’ve always been very fond of the way of life here and as I traveled more, I began to really appreciate it. In 1990, my parents started their own business called Riverside Farm Market in Oakland, ME.
Both my parents left their jobs to pursue a more laid back lifestyle. Growing up being constantly involved with their business has done a lot to define who I am as a person. My parents did a great job of instilling a sense of entrepreneurialism and I’ve always felt that I was destined to do something creative. I’ve contemplated taking over the family business, for now I’m trying my hand in marketing and advertising. Advertising is directly related to design and I think that’s why I’ve always been fascinated by it – the creativity that can be achieved is what really draws me to this industry. Although I’m still struggling with what direction I intend to pursue after college, life at Garrand over the past few months has increased my interest in the advertising and marketing industry. We’ll see what happens!
When was the last time you picked up a newspaper?
The only time I want to pick one up is if I might be sitting around a coffee shop or if I’m traveling. I’m sure most people my age would agree - if there’s something compelling in the news, we find what we need on our smart phones (big surprise?). I find the news sites I visit on a regular basis on my phone, like The New York Times, have dedicated applications, which makes it even easier. If I’m traveling, I might pick up a local newspaper to see what’s happening in the area.Do you listen to the radio? If so when was the last time, what did you listen to and for how long? (Internet radio doesn’t count).
I can’t remember the last time I listened to the radio in my home. Since the car connection for my iPhone recently stopped working, I’ve been forced to do more radio listening. I don’t like much on the radio and it’s annoying to listen to commercials. A lot of the stuff I listen to isn’t even on the radio. With internet radio, I’m able to customize my listening experience all with minimal commercial interruption. If cars weren’t equipped with radio at all, I wouldn’t miss it.
Do you subscribe to any magazines?
Nope. Magazines seem like a waste of time.
How do you find out about things that are going on?
Facebook has become a real hub for events and keeping up with people to plan outings. It used to be a lot harder for me to get in touch with my group of friends and make plans that worked for everyone – now with applications like “events” on Facebook, everyone is in touch with one another and can communicate in a forum environment.
If you had something important to tell close family and friends, how would you do it?
I feel it’s important to call people or see them in person if you have very important news.
Do you know who your local representative is?
Sadly, no. I knew who my representative was in Oakland when I lived there, but only because my dad ran for representative.
What applications on your phones (assuming they’re smartphones) do you use most frequently?
If you don’t have a smart phone at this point – you’re missing out on a lot of very cool, useful, everyday features! The applications I use the most are my weather application from TheWeatherChannel.com, Pandora radio, Facebook, and The New York Times. Apps I regularly use with close friends are Skype and Knocking Video.
About Dionisios:
My name is Dionisios Sparangis and I am an intern at Garrand Marketing helping Christine Campbell and Jon Hutter in the media department. At 22 years of age, I do not consider myself the master marketer, but I believe that I learned much more about what it means to be a part of a full service marketing agency.
When was the last time you picked up a newspaper?
As a young student, I barely ever pick up a newspaper unless it is the Wall Street Journal. I try to be knowledgeable on what is going on with the equities and global markets. When searching for news I normally go on Google News and the Portland Press herald’s website.
Lately Greece has been in the news a lot; it is not what I like to hear, since most people that know I am Greek will ask, “What are you guys doing over there?” Most newspapers will talk of Greece now as being the source of uneasiness in the global equity markets. Whether it is news on Greece or news about the latest headlines in the marketing world, I always turn to the web for all my news.
Do you listen to the radio? If so when was the last time, what did you listen to and for how long? (Internet radio doesn’t count).
In my opinion, Maine has some of the most horrendous radio stations in terms of their programming. The music that these local stations play is the same list of songs each day. So, my ears tune me into the classical music station, WBACH, and NPR on MPBN.These two stations are the only ones in Maine that offer a reasonable form of entertainment and news that interests me.
Do you subscribe to any magazines?
I do not subscribe to magazines, but I like to read Portland and Downeast.
How do you find out about things that are going on?
I find out about events whether they are in my local community in Southern Maine or another area of the world through websites on the Internet and magazines like Downeast and Portland Magazine.
If you had something important to tell close family and friends, how would you do it? If I had to tell my friends and family members something important, I would either directly speak with them or call them if they live too far away to meet.
I am not the person who uses Facebook or email to tell people about important events or issues. These forms of communication are too impersonal for my taste. Facebook is just too time consuming; it is an obstruction to completing important daily tasks.
What applications on your phones (assuming they’re smart phones) do you use most frequently?
On my Android based smart phone are Facebook, the NPR app, Google Finance, Pandora, Google Voice, Qik, Open Table, and Gmail.
To some people this might sound like excessive use of a mobile phone, but I can essentially do almost anything I use my laptop for on a day-to-day basis on my Android based cell phone. Sometimes I question whether it would be better "cell-phoneless", so that I can have some peace and quiet, but in the end it is permanently glued to my hand!
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