CREATIVE PORTFOLIO Tara L. Johnson
Table of Contents 03 about me 04 photography 06 design 10 writing
Tara Johnson tljohnson12@gmail.com 870.577.3418 1420 North Corisca Dr. Fayetteville, AR 72704
skills
Adobe Creative Suite Campaign analysis Curriculum design and instruction Journalistic writing Using Nikon DSLR cameras Microsoft Office Noosh Project Management System Presentation design and delivery Project Management Research design Research writing Written communication
EducaTion
University of Arkansas 2013 - 2014 Master of Science in Agricultural and Extension Education Concentration: Agricultural Communications GPA: 4.0 2008 - 2011 Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Education, Communication and Technology Concentration: Agricultural Communications Final GPA: 3.79
Work ExpEriEncE
i Creatives - Bentonville, AR Producer January 2015 - Present
• Provides on-site support to the Visual Merchandising and Marketing teams producing in-store signing for the Seasonal, Celebrations, Toys and Stationery categories at Walmart. • Attends strategic discovery and kickoff meetings with cross-functional teams to establish project deliverables and identify timing requirements. • Creates and manages project timelines using Noosh and Excel; assigning key milestones and resolving any timing issues that arise. • Actively manages project status documents to keep stakeholders informed.
OneKreate - Bentonville, AR Account Manager July 2014 - January 2015
• Managed the production of a digital tab test project for Walmart. • Served as the primary business contact responsible for all client communication, conflict resolution, and compliance on client deliverables. • Maintained a continuous knowledge of project status in order to identify potential issues and opportunities. • Actively participated in strategic project meetings by capturing detailed information on creative direction and relaying that information to the production team.
University of Arkansas - Fayetteville, AR Graduate Research Assistant January 2013 - July 2014
• Taught junior and senior level undergraduates lessons on Adobe Photoshop, InDesign and Illustrator along with other graphic design principles as an instructor for AGED 4243 Graphic Design in AFLS. • Served as lead graduate researcher on a project to assess and identify communication campaign needs for the Arkansas Water Resources Center. • Served as lead graduate researcher on a project that evaluated the 2012 communication campaign of a large commodity board.
Arkansas Farm Bureau - Little Rock, AR Blog Contributing Editor August 2011 - January 2014 • • • •
Led content creation and development as a freelance contributing editor. Used natural light photography to create weekly posts. Served as the face of the brand and main contact at blogging events. Wrote columns for Arkansas Agriculture and Front Porch magazines.
Institute for Agricultural and Fisheries Research - Gent, Belgium Communications Intern June 2013 - July 2013
• Led intern team and coordinated responsibilities with Plant Science and Food Pilot unit researchers. • Created a promotional video highlighting the Food Pilot unit’s product testing facilities using Adobe Premier Pro. • Created a promotional booklet highlighting the Plant Science unit’s services using Adobe InDesign.
At Home in Arkansas Magazine - Little Rock, AR Marketing Coordinator June 2012 - December 2012 • • • •
Acted as a liaison between advertisers and the editorial/sales teams. Initiated work orders into production. Connected with advertisers to get artwork in a timely manner. Managed billing, revenue reports, distribution reports and advertising contracts.
ABOUT ME
PHOTOGRAPHY My experiences behind the camera include agricultural stock photography, natural light portrait photography and food photography. Through my work with At Home in Arkansas magazine, I was also exposed to high-end fashion and product photography. To the right is a selection of photographs from an engagement session I shot last fall. I am more than happy to provide additional examples from my library of photos. Though my new role may not directly incorporate my photography skills, I have a unique perspective of the industry. I understand the time investment behind each photo, camera functionality, and the importance of post processing.
DESIGN After teaching a general graphic design course for junior and senior undergraduates, I am extremely comfortable with Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign. To the right, and on the following pages, is a small sample of products I have designed including an innovative research poster, a logo for a fitness blog, and a branding sheet. I am more than happy to provide additional design examples. While I am not applying to be a graphic designer, my design skills are an asset to any position. I am familiar with the programs and the design process, so I am more prepared to effectively manage a creative team.
Social Media Analysis: Tools for a New Age of Communication Tara L. Johnson, Stuart Estes, and Dr. Leslie D. Edgar
How it Works
Introduction • With the development and growth of platforms like Facebook and Twitter in commercial settings, companies are utilizing various social media strategies to connect with their audiences (Wilson, Guinan, Parise, & Weinberg, 2011).
• Businesses and organizations are using social platforms like Facebook and Twitter to create intimate relationships with their target audiences and those audiences are using it to make decisions about what to buy and what to think.
• Research shows some companies use these platforms as an extension of customer service while others use it to advertise, to market their wares, or to increase awareness of their brand. Some use a combination of these tactics to find the most value in their social media presence (Wilson et al., 2011).
• For example, Walmart, the largest retailer in the world, uses several platforms to engage with their target audiences. On Facebook, Walmart has more than 30 million fans and thousands of those fans interact with each post (Expion, 2013). • For companies like Walmart who have been effective at utilizing new media in a marketing, communication, and public relation functions, evaluation of social media presence to determine return on investment, customer acceptance, and brand loyalty are critical.
• Companies seek employees who know how to utilize social media platforms as tools in a public relations and marketing function as the industry moves further away from traditional media sources (Morgan, 2012).
Resources Needed • Costs associated with social media marketing and evaluation vary based on the particular business or organization’s objectives, encompassing the entire range of pricing. • At the educational level, costs are marginal. New media topics can easily be incorporated into existing class materials and free tools exist to gather data on social media integration and to develop student competencies.
Implications Advice to Others • Social media marketing and evaluation should be incorporated into existing courses to provide students with a frame of reference before entering industry. • Topics covered should include: (a) how to use social media platforms in marketing, communication, and public relation functions, (b) how to collect data on these systems, and (c) how to evaluate the success of the platform. • Research efforts should focus on identifying and incorporating specific new media analysis techniques to enhance awareness, educate audience segments, and promote industry values, products, and services.
• While most students are familiar with various social platforms, many lack the knowledge to utilize them in marketing, communication, and public relations functions. • Additionally, since new media is constantly changing, it is challenging to identify hard and fast rules for how social media is used. • With that in mind, it is important to provide a basic foundation for students, with the idea that they will learn the specifics of how a particular business or organization uses new media after entering industry.
Little Lion FITNESS
Primary Logo
PL Porter Lane Color Palette
Abrv. Logo
Alt. Logo
Watermark
PL
Porter Lane
www.porterlaneblog.com
www.porterlaneblog.com
Letter Styles
Raleway Thin ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz
Baskerville Old Face ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz
WRITING From AP Style writing to presentations, I have writing experience across many different channels. To the right are links to a selection of writing samples from various writing styles. I am more than happy to provide additional writing samples. Though my new role may not require journalistic or research style writing, my strong foundation in writing is an asset. Additionally, because I am trained in a variety of different writing styles, I am able to easily critique copy for any medium.
blog post electronic newsletter feature story innovative poster abstract press release research manuscript
THANK YOU tljohnson12@gmail.com
1420 North Corisca Dr. Fayetteville, AR 72704
870.577.3418