Hello! My name is Alyssa Zucker and I am thrilled to join the HMG Creative team as the new Social Media and Marketing Intern! I am currently a Sophomore at the University of Texas at Austin, studying Public Relations with a minor in English. I am loving every aspect of being a Longhorn. Coming to Texas from my small town of Manhattan Beach, California, I am fully embracing all the amazing culture Austin has to offer. From learning what it means to “Keep Austin Weird,” to eating my way through the city, I am constantly entertained here. While I will miss being walking distance from the beach, I am excited to immerse myself in the Austin lifestyle, even the excruciating summer heat.

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Few things are more frightening to a creative than the blank page used to begin every project. It can be unnerving, and you may lock up. Then after jotting down a handful of ideas, you face a new challenge. This time your subconscious is trying to break your stride by sowing the seeds of fear, self-doubt, and temptation.

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Although parts of Texas don’t get below 20 degrees and snow doesn’t cover the roads, the winter blues still catch up to us. When the days are shorter, the air is colder and the outdoor activities are limited, it is easy to feel down as winter drags on. Before hibernating in your bed with your over used Netflix account, try these tricks to get your mood back on track: Continue…

For some, brunch is just a meal for when you’ve overslept past breakfast, and are hungry before an appropriate lunch time. For others, brunch is just an excuse for old girlfriends to get together. But for Austinites, brunch is a sport. The weekends in Austin are devoted to trendy people of all different backgrounds, looking to “scope out the best brunch spots.”

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“Fast Paced” is an understatement when it comes to describing today’s society. People are busy, constantly on the run, and have very little time for themselves. It is a common sight to see people all around looking down at their phones while they eat, walk, and go through their days. So why make an email that can only be viewed on the computer?

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The Internet is all about finding the next big thing. This is one industry that never stays stagnant, it is constantly moving forward and adapting. The online world we live in now, is referred to as Web 2.0. This era is overflowing with user-generated content. We are living in the time of social media, blogs, and constant consumer interaction. Web 2.0 isn’t going anywhere, but it is evolving. As Web 3.0, also known as the semantic web, emerges, we are seeing more machine-generated content.

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Social media is not just an outlet to read about the political views of your “friends.” It is more than a channel for sharing your latest selfies. Social media is an integral part of business.

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Living in a world with technology at our fingertips, mobile devices have given advertisers greater opportunity to reach further into consumers lives. However, to succeed in this ploy, they have needed to cleverly adapt. So we ask, with the average person constantly bombarded by advertisements, has it become too much?

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By now, you’ve likely encountered the trend toward the use of nootropics, or smart drugs, in Silicon Valley. If you haven’t, Nootropics are substances that improve cognitive function, and have become exceedingly popular with developers and executives, specifically as a means for tweaking their own cerebral chemistry. Memory, problem solving, focus, and creativity—are only a few of the key functions enhanced by these substances. Continue…

All successful brands have one core element in common, consistency. Would we all have memorized the Nike slogan (“Just do it.”) if their marketing team used a new slogan for every product? Would we be able to see a yellow “M” and instantly think of McDonalds if the color changed every week? Brand recognition is difficult to achieve. However, once it is acquired, that brand can then work its way into the consumer’s evoked set. This essentially means that your brand is then stuck in their head, for quick recollection when needed, which is exactly where we want it.

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