editorial
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Ad2 San Francisco
By Chad Gennow |
Let me ask you a question. Before you got into this industry we call advertising, did you really know what it was? Did you fall into it? Here is what I think can answer this question for the 15 plus million students in the US today, a mentor.
Yeah, you read it right, today the number of youth who could benefit from having a caring adult mentor has been estimated to range from between 5 million and 15 million young men and women. Research indicates that students, who are successful academically, in addition to support from parents and teachers, usually have sustained access to other knowledgeable and caring adults. For youth who are academically at risk, a mentor can fill this need and may make the difference between whether or not a youth gets on track for future success, or better yet, aware of our industry.
Many people and agency principals are feeling the lack for talent in our market, and many markets around the US. This is a problem that will continue to worsen if steps are not taken to promote our industry and what we do, advertise. Of course, when I say this, it encompasses sales, media, PR, interactive, account, creative and so on. You get the drift.
The vast majority of students and parents see college as a key to a good future in the 21st century. But what happens once you graduate? A mentor can provide critical assistance, including extra encouragement, academic help, and most importantly -- for students who may not have access to an adult who has been through the college -- guidance for which courses college-bound students need to take and how to prepare for them.
What Is a Mentor?
Mentors are kind, concerned adults -- young and old and from all walks of life --who offer youth support, guidance, and encouragement. Mentors provide the sustained presence of a positive, caring adult role model, and while they are neither foster parents nor responsible for solving all of a youth's problems, they are more than simply an older friend. A mentor seeks to help a youth navigate through the everyday challenges of school, society, and the community by drawing upon his or her greater knowledge and experience, and genuine concern for the youth. Not to mention teaching them about the three-martini lunch.
Although the specific roles of mentors vary quite a bit, every good mentor must do two things: make a connection and use that connection to convey a positive message.
Making a connection means to gain the trust of the youth and foster mutual respect. The essential factor involved in making the connection is that the mentor like and respect the youth and is willing and able to make a sustained, intensive personal commitment.
Using that connection means to let the youth know by word and deed that he or she is worth the mentor's time and effort because that youth is a valuable human being. And that the mentor can offer the youth -- through knowledge and experience or by example -- ways to expand his or her horizons and to increase the likelihood that he or she will achieve success.
What can mentors do?
This is determined by the focus of the mentoring program and the specific needs of the youth that the program works with. Like the mentoring relationship itself, a program may have multiple and related goals. Mentoring programs commonly focus on, but are not limited to
tutoring and academic assistance. In this type of program, mentors work with youth to provide extra instructional help in subjects where improvement is needed.
The mentors' role is often not only to help the students raise their grades, but also to improve the youth's attitude, increase their self-confidence, and pride in achievement. An important focus of these programs may be to help students recognize the importance of school, and understand how to be more successful in their classes.
Career preparation. Often combined with preparation for college programs, mentors in these programs try to help youth prepare for entry into the work force by helping them understand the expectations employers have about attitude, preparedness, and skills. Mentors can also help youth to see the link between their current interests and hobbies, and a future career or professional field. Activities in this type of program might include bringing the youth to the mentor's place of work, teaching a career-related skill, or helping the youth to secure a summer job or internship.
If you are interested in becoming involved in a Mentorship Program, and promoting our industry, please feel free to drop me a line at chad.gennow@mccannsf.com, or check out Ad 2 San Francisco's Website at www.ad2sanfrancisco.org for more information. Until next time.
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Heard
About Town
Gap's sales still skinny after ad campaign
October 5, 2006 SAN FRANCISCO (SAN FRANCISCO BUSINESS TIMES) - Gap Inc., which kicked off a new advertising campaign using Audrey Hepburn's image and the appeal of "skinny" black pants, still saw its same store sales slip 3 percent in September.
The San Francisco company's net sales grew, however, increasing 4 percent to $1.46 billion for the five weeks ending Sept. 30. A year ago in the same month they were $1.41 billion.
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