The YMCrew continues to grow, and we wanted to give everyone the opportunity to meet our fantastic team members. Thanks to our permanent remote work structure, our wonderful team of talented individuals is based all across the country. Today, let’s meet Delaney Mills!
Introduce yourself! Who are you, and what do you do at YMC?
Hi, I’m Delaney. I’m a Program Strategist at YMC.
How long have you been at YMC?
I have been at YMC for almost two months now. I started in March 2022.
What programs have you worked on during your time at YMC?
I’m currently working on the Samsung College Program for the Fall semester.
What school did you attend?
I graduated from Temple University in May 2021. I loved it so much and hope to move back to Philadelphia one day!
How do you like spending your free time?
I love spending my free time just unwinding from the week. Usually, on the weekends, I’m just driving around, listening to Taylor Swift, going shopping, and eating good food!
What experiences in your life have set you up for success in your career?
The experience that I will always be the most appreciative of is my time as President at Her Campus at Temple. Through that experience, I learned how to build genuine connections with my peers, which has helped a lot in recruiting at YMC!
Any tips for aspiring #YMCrew members?
The best advice I would give to anyone is to be a good person and love what you do. If you go into experiences with a good attitude, good things will come back to you!
What about you might surprise people?
I’m pretty introverted. You might not get that just from speaking to me because I’m outgoing when I’m around people, but I love my alone time!
Big News: Youth Marketing Connection is shutting down and reinventing itself as an NFT marketplace!
April Fools!
Today’s the day: April 1st, where everyone from our coworkers to major corporations attempts to have a sense of humor and play pranks on unsuspecting peers and consumers. What was once the best holiday for elementary schoolers has turned into a corporate opportunity to generate some headlines and, occasionally, controversy.
April Fools’ is an easy holiday to be a part of, and companies have participated for decades. Brands love capitalizing on trends, whether it’s dance challenges, the meme of the moment, popular hashtags, or celebrating holidays(real and fake). However, more than a few brand attempts at humor or trickery have recently fallen flat or caused outright issues for consumers.
Brands from Google to Lego have used April Fools’ Day to generate buzz—from product announcements to major brand shifts. While some have found success with their pranks, others have found themselves in hot water.
When It’s Bad, It’s Bad
Brands from Google to Lego have used April Fools day to generate a lot of buzz, from product announcements to brand shifts. While some brands have found success with their pranks, others have found themselves in hot water.
Google – Mic Drop
On April 1st, 2016, Googledebuted its newest feature in Gmail, the “mic drop.” The feature allowed users to send a “mic drop” to their emails, accompanied by a gif of a Minion tossing a microphone. While intended to be humorous, the “mic drop” button replaced Gmail’s “Send and Archive” button, leading to misclicks and inappropriately placed Minions. Some users claimed that they lost their job due to the prank, while others faced awkward conversations after sending serious emails accompanied by the gif. Google pulled the feature soon after launch, apologizing for the stunt.
Volkswagen – Voltswagen
Volkswagen hoped to bring some levity to 2021 after a rough previous year. For its April Fools’ prank, Volkswagen announced that they’d be rebranding as “Voltswagen of America” to put a spotlight on their electric and eco-conscious lineup.
There were a few issues with their prank: they announced it before April Fools Day, leading to many thinking that this was a serious move by the brand. They went as far as changing social media handles, leading to major news outlets reporting the prank as a legitimate rebrand.
Volkswagen was still recovering from a mid-2010s emissions scandal when it was discovered that Volkswagen had intentionally programmed its engines to activate their emissions control only when testing, not when in use. This led to their vehicles emitting up to 40 times more air pollution than allowed by US standards.
The ill-thought-through Voltswagen prank hit Volkswagen’s reputation, led to widespread confusion, and rehashed a significant scandal that the public was just beginning to forget about.
The Franklin Institute – Apocalypse
The Franklin Institute, a Philadelphia-based science museum, used April Fools’ to promote their newest planetarium show on cosmic apocalypses with a press release that declared the world was ending, closing out the statement with the sentence, “This is no April Fools’ joke.” This took place in 1940 when the general public didn’t have access to the internet, where this prank could have been quickly debunked.
As expected, this led to widespread hysteria, with emergency lines overwhelmed by calls from panicked readers of the press release. Given the Franklin Institute’s trusted reputation and the explicit statement that it wasn’t a prank, the public took it seriously. The spokesperson behind the press release was fired as a result.
And Sometimes, It Works
While there have been countless failures by corporate America’s April Fools’ jokes, some have been successes. ThinkGeek, a popular website that caters to geek culture, has ended up creating and selling some of the prank products from its April Fools’ promotions, such as a wearable tentacle blanket and a Tauntaun sleeping bag. The once wildly popular mobile game, Pokemon Go, was inspired by an April Fools’ prank from Google, where they allowed users to find Pokemonon Google Maps. The developers behind Pokemon Go, Niantic, were inspired by the stunt and began development on Pokemon Go.
Is it Worth it?
Most of the time, these types of April Fools’ pranks tend to exhaust consumers and spark ire. There are exceptions where brands get it right and create a fun experience that’s remembered for years. But odds are, April Fools’ pranks from brands aren’t going to get the laughs they did in the brainstorming session and can lead to issues with credibility and public opinion. It can also come off as disingenuous advertising for some companies, which can annoy consumers rather than delight them.
With many brands continuously failing to meet expectations or even elicit a chuckle, take some time to consider whether it’s worth it to join in on the so-called fun. CollegeHumor perhaps said it best when they parodied the recent sentiment behind corporate April Fools’ pranks:
This month marks Black History Month. At YMC, we think it’s crucial to take the time to recognize the contributions that Black teenagers have made to pop culture as both the creators and main drivers behind many of today’s trends and social media challenges. Take a look at the history behind Black teens’ role as trendsetters and some of the most popular and impactful contributions.
Black Teens as Trendsetters Through the Ages
Black teenagers have been the trendsetters driving pop culture for many decades. The Roaring 20’s were defined by music genres like jazz, blues, swing, dance band, and ragtime. These music genres all originated from Black communities. At first, society openly vilified the Black community for creating this new music. Once it was accepted into the mainstream, the Black community’s contributions were minimized.
When you think of the 1950s, Elvis Presley, dubbed the “King of Rock and Roll,” dominates the conversation. However, it was Black teens that popularized and revolutionized the genre. Additionally, many of the most popular and edgy fashion styles of the day originated from young people of color, especially men. Swing dance filled the dance halls, an echo from 1920’s Harlem dance halls.
The 70s and 80s were marked by disco and experimental fashion. Acrylic nails became statements, lettuce hems graced t-shirts, and sneakers became status symbols. Many of the trends that marked this era originated in Black culture. Acrylic nails have maintained their popularity, though many of those who love the long and decorated nails fail to remember Flo-Jo, the world-record-setting Black runner who was noted for her extremely long and painted nails. Lettuce hems were invented by African-American designer Stephen Burrows and took root in the fashion world across previous decades. And sneaker culture has sparked a booming market, often championed by Black athletes like Michael Jordan and LeBron James.
This is by no means exhaustive of the massive contributions that the young Black community has made to pop culture. However, these examples show that creators and originators of the trends that have defined eras are often forgotten and suppressed—with society ignoring their labor and hard work.
Today’s Trends
In today’s social media era, trends are quick-moving, explosive, and frequently jump from our TikTok feeds to mainstream media. Dance challenges have popped up all over social media, and often, these dances are created by Black teens. 14-year-old Jalaiah Harmon initially created the Renegade Dance. As the dance gained popularity, Jalaiah’s name was forgotten while other white creators were credited with popularizing the dance.
Much of today’s most popular music is created by young Black people or mainstreamed through its popularity with Black teens. Lil Nas X, Kodak Black, Doja Cat, and Megan Thee Stallion have topped the charts over the past several years, demonstrating the power and influence of young Black people in the music space. These artists have taken center stage in pop culture, with invites to the Met Gala, bringing AAVE slang and phrases to the mainstream lexicon, and serving as role models to young Black children across the country.
Today’s fashion trends have originated mainly with Black teenagers. Bucket hats, hoop earrings, and Y2K fashion have re-entered teens’ closets, thanks to the Black teens that started these trends in decades past and the black teens today reviving these styles. The beauty space and modern beauty standards have taken notes from the Black community, emulating their looks by utilizing coconut oil and glitter and taking even more extreme measures like fillers to get fuller lips.
Language is constantly evolving and changing, with words entering and leaving the lexicon with regularity. More often than not, these words and phrases originate from teenage girls, who have been the primary drivers of pop-culture language for centuries. Much of the slang and expressions we use today have originated from young Black people, especially LGBTQ+ Black youth.
Doing Better
Black teenagers face hardships that white teenagers often don’t—with their younger years marked by inequity, unfair scrutiny, ignorance, and even vilification. It’s important to take the time to recognize those who make the most significant contributions to pop culture and trends and create a system where they can reap the benefits. It allows the Black contributors to receive their due, and it’s the least we can do.
As an industry, it’s imperative that we make a point to name and credit young creators of color and avoid appropriation. Instead of knowingly or incidentally erasing the contributions of young Black teens, let’s uplift them and recognize their creations, hard work, and impact.
Take some time to research the origins of your favorite phrases, the styles of clothes hanging in your closet, the makeup on your vanity, the types of jewelry on your body, and the words you speak. More often than not, you’ll find the influence of Black teens. Also, let your money talk and donate to Black-led charities that uplift young people of color:
