The BIC Portfolio Defense

After the BIC graduation party, and just before commencement, the BIC Class of 2015 had to meet one last criteria before receiving the MPS degree: the Final Portfolio Defense. Each student presented a body of work exemplifying their two year study at BIC. These timed presentations were held on May 28th before panels of industry judges who based their scores on three criteria: content, storytelling, and showcase. Our March Portfolio Bootcamp as well as yearlong portfolio checks, tweaks, and presentation practice all paid off -- every single student passed! 

Many thanks to industry colleagues who served as Portfolio Defense Judges and mentors: John Colquhoun, Michael Doody, Jake Kahana, Chad Oliver, David Olsen, Will Parker, Brian Plumb, Richard Rapp, Donna Renella, Michelle Rowley, Monique Tapie, Luba Tolkachyov, and Yury Vargas. Their invaluable feedback and constructive criticism will surely enhance each student's portfolio as they develop them over the course of their careers. 

View photos and highlights from Portfolio Defense day in our Gallery. 

Announcing The Desmond Maxwell "Cause + Charisma" Scholarship

A few weeks into the 2015 Spring semester, BIC received the devastating news that beloved BICster, Desmond Maxwell, had passed away. As part of the inaugural BIC class, Desmond was a caring friend and mentor to classmates, faculty, and BIC administrators. His dynamic personality, good nature, and commitment to good causes was admired and appreciated by all. 

In his personal life, Desmond was a proud Harlemite and father. He was a graduate of City College who became a media and marketing professional after serving in the U.S. Marine Corps. He was extremely enthusiastic about receiving his Master's and being a member of BIC's inaugural class. 

Shortly after the news of his passing, BIC Program Director Nancy Tag and the Class of 2015 embarked on a fund raising campaign to establish a scholarship in Desmond's honor. The Desmond Maxwell Cause + Charisma Scholarship was officially unveiled on May 27th during the BIC Graduation + Recruitment Party, with a fund raising achievement in excess of $50,000. This scholarship in honor of Dez will ensure that future BIC students will be able to benefit from the college that he so loved. 

A web page is under development where our AMAZING list of donors will be acknowledged and where contributions can be accepted.  

Spring 2015 Capstone Client: Univision

On May 21st in Shepard Hall, BIC Class of 2015 pitched their 360-degree integrated marketing communications campaigns to its for-profit capstone client, Univision Communication Inc. (UCI), the largest Spanish speaking network in the world. Students were divided into three competing teams to build on existing brand equity and develop compelling communications materials to attract first time advertisers to UCI. 

After months of intense research, strategic mapping, and campaign development, representatives fromUCI were invited to hear each pitch and judge campaign presentations. Among those in attendance were Diana Terry Rojas, VP, Brand Development and Corporate Marketing, and five UCI colleagues across marketing, brand development, and communications. The UCI representatives were invited to evaluate all three campaigns and after a long deliberation declared team Roundtable's "Imagine a World" campaign the winner. 

View more photos from the 2015 Capstone Presentations in our Gallery.

Big BIC Welcome to Professor Angela Chitkara

BIC is excited to announce the appointment of Angela Chitkara as MCA Assistant Professor and BIC Public Relations Track Director. With graduate degrees from City University in London and Columbia University where she received a Master of International Affairs, her background as a journalist and public relations practitioner makes her perfectly poised to lead BIC students into the future of cross-disciplinary and global communications. She has been able to align her broad skills and expertise to guide her transition into the robust and relevant world of Public Relations on a local, national, and global level.  

Her work has taken Angela to the far corners of the world and back. It brought her to her ancestral land, India, to work as a journalist with CNBC.  It then brought her back to the USA where she became an entrepreneur, starting her own PR firm, which included non-profit work in the village where Angela's maternal grandfather started a grammar school after the partition between India and Pakistan. As she states it: "This is globalization."

BICsters Win Honorable Mention in CCNY Human Rights Competition

BICsters Andy Kwan, Himani Gupta, Naushika Perera with
BIC Professor + Creative Track Advisor Gerardo Blumenkrantz.

Last night, three BIC students were awarded Honorable Mention during the 2nd Annual Human Rights Poster Contest ceremony organized by the CCNY Human Rights Forum. 

Andy Kwan, Himani Gupta, and Naushika Perera were each honored with certificates during the awards ceremony held at CCNY’s Center for Worker Education. Their human rights themed posters will become part of the permanent gallery at the center.

For the past two years, CUNY has sponsored the Human Rights Poster Contest to highlight the inherent value of each person based on principles of dignity, equality and mutual respect, which are shared across cultures, religions and philosophies. The competition calls for poster submissions from across the entire CUNY university system that address the general topic of human rights or any one of the 30 articles comprising the The Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Vince Boudreau, Dean of the Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership
presents certificates of honorable mention.

BIC students Andy Kwan and Himani Gupta (BIC 2016) joined the #whyistayed #whyileft conversation by focusing their poster on domestic violence.  

Naushika Perera (BIC 2017) invoked the right to clean water and sanitation with her powerful image of a child.
























You can view past submissions and winning posters created by CUNY students in support of human rights issues on the CCNY Human Rights Forum website.

BICsters submit to D&AD

D&AD is a global non-profit organization that fosters a community of creative thinkers by celebrating and stimulating the finest in design and advertising all over the world. Its New Blood Award  aims to inspire the next generation of creative talent and stimulate the creative industry to work towards a fairer more sustainable future. And that's exactly what happened. BICsters Andy Kwan, Naushi Perera, and Marika Bailey responded to its Airbnb brief and created a campaign to increase travelers sense of belonging through truly authentic experiences by defining a whole new class of vacationers called "The Embedded Traveler." Judging is currently ongoing. Winners will be announced in May. Here's a look at part of their presentation. 

Clean Sweep for BICsters at CCNY Grad Symposium

On April 23rd in CCNY's Great Hall, BIC students placed first, second and third at the CCNY 8th Annual Graduate Research Symposium. Nehal Mahmoud was awarded first place prize for her presentation on the importance of internal communications to activate employees as brand ambassadors for CVS Health. Andy Kwan and Himani Gupta placed second for their multi-media campaign for New York Water Taxi ("Not the Only Ride You Wish Was Longer"). Megan Fullagar received the third place award for her examination of Chipotle's mission-based approach to advertising, leveraging social media and gamification. 

The CCNY Graduate Student Symposium is a platform for graduate students to gain recognition for their work by faculty, students and potential employers. It raises awareness about the wide gamut of programs housed at CCNY and helps distinguish the college as one of the premier higher learning institutions in the CUNY system.

Twitter's Global Head of Marketing Comes to Campus

What does Twitter's Global Head of Business Marketing do when she's in New York City for a conference? She stops off to speak to BIC students, of course! Thanks to an invitation from BIC Professor Madonna Deverson, Head of Intelligence at Ogilvy & Mather, Daina Middleton gave an inspiring guest lecture in last Monday's Brand Experience class. Afterwards, she autographed copies of her book Marketing in the Participation Age.



Prior to her position at Twitter, Daina was CEO of Performics, the performance marketing division of Publicis Groupe. A pioneer in the digital marketing space, Daina is known for creating a new “participant marketing” lexicon. Prior to joining Performics, she served for as SVP of the Sunao division at Moxie Interactive. Daina spent 16 years working at Hewlett-Packard in key marketing communications positions across the company’s $28 billion global Imaging and Printing Group. Daina serves on a number of industry boards and is a regular industry speaker at events including ad:tech, BlogHer, Conversational Marketing Summit, VideoNuze, and WOMMA.

Fall Admissions Deadline EXTENDED to May 5th

Haven't hit that SUBMIT button yet? Top reasons why INNOVATORS choose BIC: 

•    BIC is located in the media and communications capital of the world. There is no parallel to studying at the nexus of your discipline.

•    BIC faculty include active industry pros, such as the Head of Intelligence from Ogilvy, EVP of Research from Y&R, and Managing Principal at SS+K.

•    BIC students get opportunities to work with creative professionals throughout the city -- such as TBWA, Y&R, DDB, FCB, Grey, McCann Erickson. Not to mention our own stellar award winning faculty -- all currently active in the field.

•    Our Mix+Mentor parties -- one each fall -- have been held at the corporate headquarter of Y&R, Ketchum, and McCann Worldwide. Students get the chance to mingle with industry pros the first semester they enroll. Last Fall, BIC Board Member George Lois stopped by to chat with students.

•    Our weekly Guest Lectures make it seem as though you're experiencing a semester-long TED Talk. Just this past Monday, Daina Middleton, Head of Global Marketing for Twitter, gave an amazing lecture on Marketing in the Participation Age (also the title of her best-selling book).

•    BICsters are the BEST. Check them out. They're winners, too. Our BIC students have won scholarships, internships, industry competitions, invitations to conferences and panels, and many have secured impressive jobs at media companies across the city. Just last night, BICsters placed FIRST, SECOND, and THIRD at the CCNY Graduate Symposium. A BIC clean sweep!!

•    Our BIC students and faculty make awesome things happen on a daily basis. Browse through the BIC Blog for a sampling of visiting lecturers, real-world clients, award-winning student presentations, and an inside look at the BIC program space located in one of NYC's most prestigious landmarks, Shepard Hall of The City College of New York.

If you've already started your application, NOW's the time to press SUBMIT. If you have yet to start the application process, go the CCNY Admissions site to plug into the process TODAY. If you have questions, email us at bic@ccny.cuny.edu.

SUBMIT!

CCNY Great Grad: Amber Lynn Jackson, BIC 2015

We are proud to announce that Amber Lynn Jackson has been named a 2015 CCNY Great Grad!

Amber Lynn Jackson
BIC Class of 2015
2015 CCNY Great Grad

Amber embodies all that is amazing about City College. Originally from Kansas, Amber chose CCNY based on a recommendation from a close friend who attended MCA's undergraduate program. She comes from the heartland, but applied to City College not just because of its academic offerings, but because New York City is the land of achievement. Amber is a striver and calculated risk taker. She’s also a builder, choosing to be a part of the inaugural class of BIC.  

By the end of her first semester at BIC, Amber secured a management position at Grey, a major global advertising agency. Despite the extreme demands of this job, she has maintained a 3.5 GPA and chose to be the project leader of BIC’s two capstone projects, creating multi-media branding and communications campaigns for Columbia Children’s Hospital and Univision. 

In addition, Amber has been active in diversity initiatives in the communications industry, both as a recipient (she earned a highly competitive LAGRANT Scholarship as well as a coveted spot in ADCOLOR Futures) and as a mentor who seeks to give back. She sits on the diversity council at her company. 

As a working professional and student, Amber wanted to use her degree to not only impact the communications industry but also the CCNY community. That is why she, with the support of her peers, started the BIC Alumni Association (BICAA). The goal of this organization is to support the students, future communications professionals, and staff of BIC as well as continue the fellowship and professional development of the program's alumni. To this end, Amber defines the ideal BIC student.

Few grads embody all that City College stands for as completely as Amber Lynn Jackson. Please join us in congratulating her for both her achievements and the role model she has become.

Read the full feature article on CCNY's Great Grads of 2015. 

LAGRANT Scholarship Awarded to a BIC Student for the Second Year in a Row

Donna Dei-Baning (BIC Class of 2016) has been selected -- among just 19 graduate students nationwide -- to receive The LAGRANT Foundation (TLF) scholarship for students who share the foundation's mission of increasing ethnic diversity in the advertising, marketing and public relations industries. Donna is the third BIC student (and fifth CCNY student) to win the highly selective LAGRANT Foundation Scholarship in the last two years. Fred Garcia and Amber Jackson, BIC '15, both received the $5,000 scholarship in 2014. Donna joins students from University of Chicago, Carnegie Mellon, Northwestern, and Duke.  

Prior to enrolling in BIC, Donna Dei-Baning received a Bachelors Degree in Linguistics/English from Dartmouth College in 2010. Currently an Integrated Marketing Communications Manager for Graduate NYC!, Donna was previously a Content and Community Manager at 360i. 

This year's scholarship winners will benefit from TFL's first ever partnership with Google Chicago. In addition to receiving the scholarships, TLF will also provide winners with airfare and lodging in Chicago to attend career-building events where they will meet with top communications professionals and participate in networking opportunities over the course of three days.

The LAGRANT Foundation (TLF), a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization based in Los Angeles, was established in 1998 by Mr. Kim L. Hunter to address the lack of diversity in the advertising, marketing and public relations fields. TLF provides scholarships, career development workshops, professional development, mentors and internships to African American/Black, American Indian/Native American, Asian American/Pacific Islander and Hispanic/Latino undergraduate and graduate students. Since its establishment, TLF has awarded $1.56 million in scholarships to 221 ethnic minority students and has provided in excess of 278 internships and full-time employment.

Read the full TLF scholarship announcement here. 

The City College of New York Announces Two CCNY Students Awarded LAGRANT Foundation Scholarships.

Five BICsters selected for the CCNY 8th Annual Graduate Research Symposium

Five BIC students have been chosen to present their branding and integrated communications projects, campaigns, and research findings during the upcoming CCNY 8th Annual Graduate Research Symposium. Edmund Graham Balogun, who won third place last year, has been asked to present once again. Nehal Mahmoud will deliver her presentation on the importance of internal communications to activate employees as brand ambassadors for CVS Health. Megan Fullagar will share her examination of Chipotle's mission-based approach to advertising, leveraging social media and gamification. Andy Kwan and Himani Gupta will present their multi-media campaign for New York Water Taxi ("Not the Only Ride You Wish Was Longer").

The CCNY Graduate Student Symposium is a platform for graduate students to gain recognition for their work by faculty, students and potential employers. It raises awareness about the wide gamut of programs housed at CCNY and helps distinguish the college as one of the premier higher learning institutions in the CUNY system.

Please come root for our BICsters as they present in The Great Hall in Shepard Hall on Thursday, April 23rd from 5-8PM! 

She Works Hard for the Money

If only we could talk about our salaries the way we talk about sales... 

Organizer and moderator Neisha Tweed gathered four successful women in advertising to explore that issue for a panel discussion entitled "She Works Hard for the Money." Hosted by BIC on March 17th, this all female affair allowed pros to share their stories and offer advice about getting what you’re worth and managing your money like a boss. From negotiating an offer to investing in your 401K, the topics covered the questions students have but are too nervous to ask --  and some of the things you didn't even know you should be asking. 

It was an educational and empowering conversation that broke down the job offer process, unveiled salary ranges in the industry, demystified 401Ks and gave practical tips on everything from talking to recruiters and starting an emergency fund. Attendees were able to jump in, ask questions, share their stories and get straight-forward advice from the panelists and each other, making it a truly intimate and impactful. 

Khara Wagner, Shameka Brown Barbosa, Rati Vaishya, Neisha Tweed, Cristina Pyle

Panelists included Christina Pyle, Director for ADCOLOR and Diversity & Inclusion Supervisor at Omnicom Group, Khara Wagner, Group Account Director, Shameka Barbosa Brown, Freelance Creative Director and Adjunct Professor at City College, Rati Vaishya, Talent strategist at McCann New York. The event was hosted by Neisha Tweed, Associate Creative Director and blogger, BabyFoodForCreatives.com. 

Selected comments from Attendees: 

* I learned so much that day and even started a savings. It's a small step but good one. :) 

* While college prepares you with the essential skills to be competitive in the job market, lectures are rarely geared toward managing the fruits of your labor.  The conversation we had was candid and powerful. It reminded me that as a woman of color it is my responsibility to be an exceptional worker and to insist I always receive the compensation I deserve.

* One of the most empowering things was hearing the panel of women talk about both the obstacles and achievements over the span of their careers. Neisha and the panelists reassured women that it isn't just okay to know of their worth and defend it in the workplace, but that it is important to do so in an effort to close the gender wage gap.

* It was beyond phenomenal.You have no idea how much the experience is already resonating with me and could not have come at a better time. I have found myself once again reevaluating a few major things in my life and I find that when I reach that point, it's usually my gut pushing me to make some changes, whether big or small.

PORTFOLIO BOOTCAMP WEEK @ BIC

A PARADE OF PROS came to campus last week to give advice, feedback and basically "kick ass" in BIC's weeklong Portfolio Bootcamp held exclusively for the BIC Class of 2015. All soon-to-be-grads skipped normal classroom hours to attend daily portfolio development sessions. Each evening was dedicated to refining specific elements of the professional portfolio in anticipation of the portfolio defense required of each graduating BIC student in May of 2015.

Monday kicked things off with a focus on case study development. Filmmaker and artist, Ash Meer; Director of Foresight, Manoj Fenelon; and Creative Director, John Colquhoun, were on hand to offer storytelling and video editing advice. Tuesday was content night featuring Public Relations Consultant Sandra Stahl of jacobstahl, inc. and Monique Tapie, Vice President and Co-Founder of Triomphant Communications. Wednesday focused on design and digital platforms and covered best practices for showcasing portfolio pieces online. Featured mentors included Art Director/Branding Specialist, Gerardo Cid, and Web Strategist, Gahlord Dewald. Thursday night dug deeper into content development, with mentors Laura Bowles, former Partner/Managing Director of Crispin Porter + Bogusky, Creative Director Nick Scordato, and Courtney Kozloski, Graphic Designer at Gravity. 

Throughout the week, BIC students were paired in one-on-one sessions with each mentor and gained invaluable feedback and personalized attention late into the night. On behalf of BIC Class of 2015, we give an ENTHUSIASTIC "thank you!!!" to all of the mentors who took the time to offer their professional expertise, tips, and tools for creative and strategic enhancements to student portfolios. We look forward to seeing the results in May!

Feedback + Food on Day FOUR of the Bootcamp

Filmmaker, designer, artist, writer, Ash Meer.

Creative Director John Colquhoun. 

Ash Meer and BIC student Batikan Aslan.

Director of Foresight, Manoj Fenelon consults with BIC student Ruth Ogbeab.

Art Director + Branding Specialist Gerardo Cid and Web Strategist Gahlord Dewald.

Yanin DeJesus gets advice from Graphic Designer Courtney Kosloski.

Ruth Ogbeab and Laura Bowles formerly of Crispin Porter + Bogusky.

Three BIC Finalists in Human Rights Poster Contest

BICsters won BIG at the 2nd Annual Human Rights Poster Contest organized by the CCNY Human Rights Forum. The competition called for poster submissions from across the entire CUNY university system.

Andy Kwan and Himani Gupta (BIC 2016) joined the #whyistayed #whyileft conversation by focusing their poster on domestic violence. BIC Class of 2017 student Naushika Perera invoked the right to clean water and sanitation with her powerful image of a child.

For the past two years, CUNY has sponsored the Human Rights Poster Contest to highlight the inherent value of each person based on principles of dignity, equality and mutual respect, which are shared across cultures, religions and philosophies. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the United Nations on December 10, 1948, sets out the basic rights and freedoms that apply to all people. 

Posters were asked to address the general topic of human rights or any one of the 30 articles comprising the Declaration.  Entrants are competing for one of two $2,000 prizes.  All posters will be displayed on the City College campus during the month of April 2015.  Winners will be announced on March 31st and honored at a ceremony to be held on May 4th at CCNY’s Center for Worker Education. 

View past submissions and winning posters created by CUNY students in support of human rights issues on the CCNY Human Rights Forum website.

Sally Rumble and Jeffrey Bowman: Insights, Experience + Confetti

All semester long, BIC Professor Madonna Deverson, Head of Intelligence Group at Ogilvy & Mather, has been introducing our first year students to trailblazing companies and leaders who are elevating brand experience expectations across the globe.

On March 16th, Sally Rumble, CreativeMornings’ Chief Happiness Officer, visited BIC to talk about how the team at CreativeMornings has built a global community of volunteers around the world to deliver free, monthly breakfast lectures designed for the creative community.


In truly happy form, Sally handed out confetti and colorful notebooks before guiding BIC students through the history of the company, how they’ve grown and how the company continues to scale at a global level while keeping the brand intact. CreativeMorning's novel idea has indeed caught on and ignited passionate speakers across the globe.

Follow CreativeMornings and view events past and forthcoming. BIC, Madonna and Sally have already begun brainstorming plans to bring a CreativeMorning event to our CCNY campus.

Professor Deverson invited another innovative leader to speak to her class this week: Jeffrey Bowman, Chairman of REFRAME and Managing Director of Ogilvy & Mather's Cross Cultural Practice. Jeffrey is one of the pioneers of the Total Market industry vertical and during his visit to BIC on March 23rd he shared insights into the Total Markets driving the ad world today.

Jeffrey invited students to attend REFRAME: The Summit —The 3rd Annual Total Market Industry Conference coming to Harlem on May 13th. Attendees will explore the New Marketplace and gain a clear understanding of what it takes to become a Total Market Enterprise. Mark your calendars. BIC will be there!

NYTimes Editorial Director Ann Derry lectures on latest initiatives in content marketing

On Thursday, March 5^th, BIC welcomed Ann Derry, Editorial Director of The NewYork Times, to campus where she spoke about the NYTimes new initiative she heads which is identifying partner and sponsor opportunities for video, television and film. The Times is creating new models for curation, distribution, monetization and growth, while developing strategy and coordinating editorial and business execution. This includes leveraging Times production, audience development and marketing capabilities. In her new role, Ann works with editorial, advertising, business development and technology teams to align partners with The Times’ strategic and tactical initiatives.

For the last fifteen years, Ann has been responsible for creating the video vision for The New York Times and helped pioneer the field of digital video. She founded and expanded The Times' video department, and developed its award-winning programs on television and all digital platforms. She’s won numerous awards including five national Emmy’s, four Alfred duPont Awards, two Edward R. Murrow Awards, too many Overseas Press Club Awards to count, and others.