Reflecting on my time at Red C over the past year I never expected to be given so much responsibility; my placement year has arguably been one of the most rewarding experiences I have ever had.

Before undertaking the placement year at Red C I knew that marketing was definitely the career that I wanted to pursue, however having undertaken this placement I can really see myself working at in agency rather than the client side. It has been interesting to find out how an agency operates, understanding how the two sides of the agency work together, the account teams liaising with the clients and then relaying information to the creative team.

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Every child dreams of being a superhero, and unsurprisingly I was no different. With a bin bag cape and underpants outside my trousers I was ready for anything, including the dastardly super villain that was next-door’s Jack Russell. The devil in dog’s clothing.

Not a lot’s changed really, I’m still cautious of very small animals, and often struggle to dress myself properly. But it was obvious that a career as Spiderman’s successor wasn’t calling me. Something I’d quite forgotten about until, that is, I popped in to the art gallery, Generation POP!

This kitsch little gallery situated in the Northern Quarter of Manchester recently paid tribute to comic book history – with a six week exhibition of the official Marvel fine art collection. As I strolled past the gallery’s long glass front (smeared with the steamy finger and face prints of excited geeks), my childhood excitement was quickly rekindled.

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This is a strange one for the we like section but I’m treating it as more of a celebration of the life and work of photographer, Corinne Day who sadly passed away recently after a long term illness.

Corinne’s unique style introduced us all to a new way of shooting fashion. It’s a more realistic, unposed & edgy feel known as ‘heroin chic’ which to some people was seen to “make heroin addiction seem glamorous and sexy and cool”. And although her style at times was shocking it has changed the way we all look at fashion photography. Helping us to try new styles and inject more personality.

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We love a challenge at Red C. So when our client at Marisota came to us with a challenge to enter and try and win the NatMag 100 award… we jumped at the chance. Billed as the most coveted media award of 2010, the NatMag 100 award gives agencies the chance to win a 250k multimedia campaign for one of their clients. To be in with a chance of winning, media and creative agencies must devise the most innovative and creative ad campaign for an individual brand, utilising a combination of the leading UK publisher’s brand portfolio and platforms to target women or men in the UK.

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As I approach the end of my placement year with Red C, I would like to emphasise how much I have enjoyed being part of such a dynamic and innovative company. Being at the forefront of marketing development and seeing an idea put into practice is an experience any marketing enthusiast would envy. The knowledge and skills I have acquired will undoubtedly prove to be a valuable asset in my final year at University.

From the moment I started my placement to the final week I genuinely felt part of the Red C team, rather than just a student having to be kept busy for the duration of her placement. The friendship, co-operation and genuine concern for one another became apparent as soon as I started working at Red C and something I will always remember.

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Hi, I am a Corby Classic.

I was won in a raffle, but my owner prefers skirts to trousers. I have been used a little experimentally and I can certainly press a trouser. I’m just not very good at anything else.

I have a little timer thing, rather like an egg timer, so you can leave me to happily press a trouser for up to 45 minutes without burning anything. Something my archrival ‘The Iron’ can’t claim to be able to do. Unlike an egg timer, though, I don’t click seconds or go ‘ping!’ when the trousers are ready. My little red light goes off and that’s it.

I suppose you could press other things in me… flowers… tea towels… crumpled newspapers.  So perhaps a hippy with an obsessive-compulsive disorder would be interested.  You will need a car to carry me, though, as I’m pick-up only.

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Back when I was a student, there were a couple of songs that everybody seemed to go gaga over. The first was by a band called Stiltskin entitled ‘Inside’ and the other was by an act called Babylon Zoo whose song was called ‘Spaceman’.

Both of these songs are notable for the fact that they became so well known in the UK because they were first aired to the British public via Levi adverts. In the case of Spaceman, the interest in the track resulted in it going straight to number one, where it stayed for five weeks. The track also went to Number 1 in the single charts in twenty-three countries and at the time Babylon Zoo held the record for the fastest selling single for a UK debut artist.

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Rangemaster, a brand the within AGA Rangemaster Group, invited Red C to pitch to create a new website, which not only reflected the design standards their appliances are known for, but the functionality and ease of use too.

The website needed to promote the brand to both consumers and retailers, showcasing all of the appliances they sell (not just cookers), and providing all of the information needed to take people through the purchasing journey. Rangemaster were also keen to include some added value to the site that would encourage repeat visits. It was also vital to ensure  that the site incorporated all website functionality best practice as well as be optimised for search engines.

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At the weekend I finally had the chance to go to the Cornerhouse and view an exhibition called Unrealised Potential. This is a collaborative group exhibition brought about by artist-curator Mike Chavez-Dawson. The show is an active investigation into the potential of unrecognised, unfinished or unfulfilled ideas, blurring the lines between artist, curator, visitor and producer.

Back in 2003, Mike Chavez-Dawson presented a series of certificates under the title, ‘Potential Hits’. Each certificate stated the name of the individual artist, the title and idea of an unrealised exhibition. Chavez-Dawson then invited a number of contemporary artists to contribute to Potential Hits by answering the following:

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Imagine it’s a Monday night and you’re sat on the sofa watching Coronation Street. Roy Cropper is cooking up 2 Walls sausages on Warburton’s bread with a dollop of Heinz ketchup for Steve McDonald. Normally we wouldn’t know which brands Roy uses in his cafe, nor see any brands at all on the street – except for fake ones like Newton & Ridley ale in the Rovers Returns! But this could soon be the future of your favourite soap thanks to the new ruling by the Government to allow product placement on UK television.

Product placement is a form of advertising that uses branded products or services placed in a context devoid of adverts – like a TV programme or a film. Previously the government had always denied commercial broadcasters the ability to take payment in return for placing products on screen; however earlier this year Culture Secretary Ben Bradshaw announced that the Government would be allowing it for the first time in television programmes.

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