Around the Net: Digital Skills Job Seekers Need Now, Ellen DeGeneres-generated Marketing

Posted on | December 21, 2007 |

For those of you who will spend the holidays looking for a new job in marketing or advertising - here is a list of the top digital skills organizations say they desire. For the original text visit Advertising Age (sub required).

Hackers: the “web 2.0 junkies who live on Del.icio.us, TechCrunch, and Digg… people who like to tinker, who understand how to build on top of application programming interfaces, creating Google Maps mashups and Facebook apps.
Technologically Curious: OK good, this is getting easier - for those without “hacker” status, this next group needs to at least be “uber aware” of what new widgets and gadgets are out there and where marketers might use them.
Online Evesdroppers: Eves-droppers listen in on the conversations circling brands - this chatter can be a source of campaign ideas, or help identify emerging problems.
Dataheads: “Most marketers aren’t quants,” said Steve Rubel, a senior VP in Edelman’s Me2Revolution who’s chronicled industry changes for the past decade. He said the companies that are able to use data to their advantage, building relationships and unearthing trends, will be the big winners. “Marketers need to at least have a good grounding in how to use new kinds of data, even if they leave the crunching to others,” he said.
Trailblazers: Trailblazing is a state of mind, found inherently in the start-up world where firms must compete with innovative thinking and challenges to conventional wisdom - to make up for the dollars they don’t have.

Happy holiday hunting! and if you by chance are looking to star in a Nike commercial - read on…

So how does one get to star in a Nike Ad? well… ask Ellen - DeGeneres that is. USA Today coined the phrase “Ellen DeGeneres-generated Marketing” after her 23 year old guest, Chris Bryant - who landed the show for his crazy “car jumping” abilities - ended up with this Nike spot.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0×6j5g6beM[/youtube]

During his interview, he told Ellen he “always wanted to be in an Nike ad” and Ellen - apparently so impressed with his car jumping abilities - phoned the Nike CEO Mark Parker right from the show and pushed the company to make the ad. So I don’t know which is harder, landing a Nike ad with user generated video, or getting on the Ellen DeGeneres show - both seem hard - maybe its all in the shoes - kudos to Chris Bryant - wonder what he will do next?