Studying Abroad and the Vast Change of Perception

Every year over 190,000 students study abroad each year. Continuously many students if not all, come back home from these experiences with changed thoughts and perceptions about the countries they visited.

On June 16, 2009, over 700 students enrolled in the University of Virginia’s semester at sea program embarked a two month voyage abroad; porting at eight different countries around the Mediterranean before returning home in Virginia on August 23rd. After nearly every country students were already starting to view the world a little differently in addition to the country itself.

What entity in this civilization is powerful enough to provide such false ideas about different countries and types of people to the point were it would turn into a concrete perception.

Peggy Kreshel a media studies professor of the University of Georgia says “it’s due to nations branding”.

“Nations branding is similar to brands such as Nike and or McDonald’s both have an image and attached some type of slogan that everybody knows.”

For example, McDonald’s has the golden arks as the symbol and the “I’m loving it”. In additions Nike’s symbol being the check and the slogan being “just do it”. Countries in this aspect have the same thing, such as America having the nation brand of the flag with the slogan “Land of the Free”, but such things can be altered by global media. Such media are the news, movies, history books, and more importantly television.

Shanae Strachum, a sophomore fashion design major said “Bulgaria is a country that has a negative nation brand, they are known for human trafficking according to the media and the movie “Taken” only built more superstition.”

“But after spending a couple days in the country there seemed to be a different perception, it turned to just be a party city with a lot of entertainment it nothing like the stereotype.”


Brittney Simon, another student enrolled in the semester at sea program said “my perception was definitely based on television and sometimes even history books.”

“Before I got to Egypt, I thought of it being this beautiful desert sand with pyramids, but after viewing it for myself I seen how impoverished Egypt is and how it’s not well cleaned up.”

Today’s study abroad experiences are more than just education abroad; it brings students to a level of truth. Truth of the media and how it portrays different people, and countries, and how much it affects out perception.

By Giancarlo Spells
Special thanks to Shanae Strachan, Peggy Kreshel, and Brittany Simon
For more information go to Nation Branding.

Business Around The Holidays

Due to the state of the economy many local businesses are going out of business. Facing the stressful recession, local businesses are suffering from a decrease of sales while other bigger businesses such as Wal- Mart and Target use their marketing strategies to make it through the economic storm.

The holiday season leads businesses into the New Year, starting from September all the way through February businesses make their push to end off the year on a good note. This profitable business strategy builds the base for Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, and the most profitable day of the year Black Fridays which is right after Thanksgiving. Such sales would not be existent if not for the marketing and sales plans.

Businesses that lack the proper marketing planning skills or outreach, more than likely attract devastating blows, economically leading into bankruptcy and closing. Others on the other hand, profit generously and receive record breaking revenues.

“If you don’t have a business plan then you are planning for failure”, said Ryan Spells business owner of A&D Graphixs.

Spells has been in business for 10 years. A&D Graphixs is a black owned business that’s in the business of advertising.

“Known for catching the eyes and making people pay attention to an advertisement even if their not interested” said Spells.

The company does many different things such as making and designing websites, flyers, business cards, brochures, logos, CD / DVD covers, tee shirts, photo editing and stationary.

Spells said “that the recession affected his line of work, because of the affect the economy had on other businesses. When the recession came about one of the first things on the budget business started looking at and cutting down on was advertising. Advertising is one of the major expenses for businesses today.”

“The recession caused me one of the slowest summers I have ever experienced, but September is the months where a lot of businesses make their push for the end of the year. Not only to market for sales but to also promote Christmas and New Years parties. For such events companies will put an order in for fliers and invitation.”

“Being that A&D Graphixs is an advertising company, my business can help other businesses that are going out of business, but first they have to find a niche within their market.”

Niche marketing is the subset of the markets on which a specific product is focusing on; therefore the market niche defines the specific product features aimed at satisfying specific market needs, as well as the price range, production quality and the demographics that is intended to impact.

Jorge Gaytan, a business professor at North Carolina Agricultural and State University said “Niche marketing plays a very important role, because businesses are able to maximize marketing opportunities by linking their niche with the business environment.”

“First we must build a marketing plan, finding out who are customers are and where they are located. Second build a website to take the business from a local level to national level, selling products online is the next biggest money producer as far as sales”, said Spells.

“The market plan is essential to the success of an organization, because it forces members of that organization to engage in various preparation activities essential and critical to the beginning life stages of an organization” said Gaytan.

When comparing the success of Black owned businesses to big international companies such as Wal-Mart and Target; Spells says that those companies not only strive in marketing but also in convenience.

“What nationally run black owned business out there could you compare to Wal-Mart, those companies sell a variety of products ranging from electronics and household items to clothes and groceries. Black owned businesses usually only have one niche not a wide variety all in one business.”

So what if numerous black owned businesses with different niches linked up and became as powerful as a Wal-Mart and a Target. Could the missing link within the idea of success just be collaboration and cooperation? What is the next big step for black owned businesses to reach the next level?

By Giancarlo Spells

Special Thanks to Kelvon Barkley, Ryan Spells, and Jorge Gaytan