#kris solberg

[incorrectcherrygrove]

Kris: You read my diary?

Hans: At first I did not know it was your diary. I thought it was a very sad handwritten book.

[luciaalexander-blog]

Guest Lecture: Kris Solberg

Kris Solberg, a recent USF ZAP graduate and current account manager at Social Forces, was a guest speaker for our Digital Media class. He discussed the marketing process, gave some feedback, and just let students know that as a USF student, we can make it in the industry too.

Kris Solberg graduated from The University of South Florida in 2011. As a student, he was the USF Ad Club President. He moved on to become the Ad 2 Tampa Bay Public Service Account Director and, as mentioned above, the self-appointed account manager at Social Forces, a digital agency in Ybor City. Currently, Social Forces is a small agency of four, whose clients consist of Circle K Florida, Kelapo Coconut Oil, and ICE Woman's Hockey, as well as other various clients. 

Solberg discussed what his agency produced for their clients, the process of engaging customers, and gave some tips and tricks of the trade. Solberg noted,  "Fun is one of the most powerful tools in your arsenal," and explained the relaxed atmosphere of his agency that just drew clients in, his advice really stood out for me.

Solberg went into detail about the many different digital campaigns he worked on for Circle K Florida. This just went to show how many potential customers can be gained by small initiatives digitally for small business owners. For example, Solberg explained a "Coffee 500" campaign on the Circle K Florida's Facebook, in which a simple giveaway garnered 1,000 new likes and 83,000 post views. Solberg noted, "A robust plan of action is one of your biggest tools when growing and managing a community."

Something that stood out most in my mind is Solberg's talk about the engagement pyramid. A diagram that shows public engagement marketing. At the base there's growth, which consists of giveaways and sweepstakes. This is the lowest barrier to entry for potential consumers. There's lots of response but low engagement. At the peak there's engagement, such as video entry and creation, this consists of the most involved interaction with the brand. Below is an illustration I found which explains the concepts.

Meeting Kris Solberg ended up being very insightful, if anything it gave me hope that my USF advertising degree can get me somewhere.