Author: jdrumlie89

A new school term is around the corner. The Students Association of Northwestern Polytechnic Executive Team is thrilled to have the halls filled with students once again. It’s eerie being in an empty building all summer getting organized for the year ahead. Although attending post-secondary schooling is an exciting milestone in one’s life it is also an expensive endeavor. For some student’s tuition and rent take priority over diet and hygiene needs. A Macleans article stated a staggering 40% of Canadian post-secondary students are food insecure (Sing, 2021).  Here at the Students’ Association (SA) we want students to thrive in class and be focused on their STUDIES not their next meal. We have a student foodbank entitled the Room of Plenty to aid in food insecurities on our campus as well as hygiene needs. The items are collected via donation at various events the SA will be hosting for students on campus through out the school terms.

The first event of the year that we will be hosting in order to collect donation items is a Drunk Tank for well…dunking! Those sitting awaiting their fate will be NWP staff members including the Deans and various department professors and staff members. Wanting to donate and item to try to dunk a specific staff member into cold water? Their timeslots are noted on the poster with their photo and name on them, please come to the SA to view who is on the roster or check out the campus bulletin boards! The dunking begins at 10 am on Sept 2, 2022 at the Outdoor Amphitheatre. Check out the NWPSA events page for more information and to view other events hosted by the SA on campus.

Know of a fellow student who is food insecure or in need of some hygiene products? Perhaps you are a bit strapped for cash this month and are in need of some assistance. If so, don’t sorry you don’t have to come into the SA and disclose your situation if you don’t want to, you may simply fill out this simple form on the NWPSA website. You will receive an e-mail when your order has been filled much like a ‘click and collect’ service the SA will have your items placed discretely in one of the NWP bags all students receive during orientation week so no one will notice you leaving our offices with grocery bags.  

Several studies have associated food insecurity with mental health issues such as depression, anxiety disorder, mood disorders or suicidal thoughts. If you are in need of mental health resources, please note there are several resources for students to access. We wish everyone on campus a wonderful school year and hope the Room of Plenty as well as other student lead initiatives on campus ensure each student thrives in their studies!

References

Sing, Nathan. 2021, October 21. The flight to end hunger on Canadian university campuses https://www.macleans.ca/education/the-fight-to-end-hunger-on-canadian-university-campuses/

Unknown. n.d. Understanding Household Food Insecurity. Proof Food Insecurity Policy Research. Retrieved from: https://proof.utoronto.ca/food-insecurity/#health

For centuries storytelling has been a way to connect with others. Graphics can be found at archeological sites and caves to tell historic tales. Elders bonded with youth via storytelling passing on their wisdom and language.  Storytelling has no doubt changed over the years as digital platforms allow businesses to connect worldwide with their audience. If you’re a business owner wanting to connect with your audience digitally via storytelling but don’t know where to start don’t fret, I have put together an infographic of the tops four ways (in my opinion) to utilize digital storytelling for your ads. So, you will swim rather than sink so to speak. This article will go more in depth as to why they are my key points to include in your thought process.

#1 Choose a character based on your audience.

Pinpoint your brands character by knowing which audience is your consumer. If your audience are children, then a cartoon character is suitable, but it is not transferable to an adult audience. The character you choose also has to fit the narrative you want to sell. If it is adventure you are selling than someone outgoing, tanned and toned will give authenticity to the story as they will look experienced in the outdoors. I myself am a soon to be Mom I don’t want to be sold a breast pump by a male, when I go into a Buy Buy Baby I want to speak with an older female sales staff such as an experiences grandma for tips and tricks that are tried and true. Thus, the main character in your story needs to be relatable to your audience for authenticity.

#2 Convey Emotions.

Emotions are a powerful tool to resonate with your audience and inspire consumer decisions and actions. There is a wide spectrum of human emotions to depict in your storytelling and evoke from your audience. No matter which you choose to portray bear in mind the tone in which your story will be perceived by your audience. For more ideas on emotions to use for your brands marketing strategy please read this article by Hootsuite https://adespresso.com/blog/copywriting-tool-wheel-of-copy/

#3 Keep your copy short and sweet.

Keep your audience engaged with the use of pictures or videos. The infographic I created for the purposes of this lessons is a prime example. It had condensed text that still got my message across and the use of illustrations to be eye catching and engaging. Even though this blog article expands on the topic and this contains more text, it is still pleasing to the eye as there are breaks in the text with graphics.

#4 Don’t reinvent the wheel.

The fundamentals of storytelling do not differ from traditional story writing you learnt academically when changing to media advertising. Your story will still need a conflict and resolution to keep your audience’s attention. Don’t spend hours of brain power conjuring up ideas for your story, draw inspiration from your audience to create your story’s conflict and resolution. What is a conflict in your audiences’ life and how can your product or service aid them in resolving the issue at hand?

I hope you find this helpful to get your storytelling ideas percolating for your next campaign!