Hello,
As part of my blog, I'd really like to describe my graduate job hunt, the application processes and my experiences along the way!
The truth is, I went in to the whole process slightly too optimistic, I was convinced that having secured dozens of placement year interviews, and passing my very first assessment centre ever, securing a job with IBM straight away and turning all of my other ones down! I presumed it was going to be just as easy to get a graduate role- I couldn't be more wrong! It's a billion times harder!!! The applications are ruthless and the deadlines are much earlier!
Recently, I was lucky enough to have an interview with one of the biggest advertising agencies in the world, JWT. After a lengthy application process, I was invited to the Account Management interviews in London.
I was told the interview would be 45 minutes long and there would be nothing to prepare. So I headed over to London, had breakfast with my friend Umesh in the Hospital Club (shout out!) and prepared for my interview. We went over my competencies, skills and experience of the marketing/ advertising world plus general facts about the company and their clients. I thought this would be great preparation as knowing the company is a great start to acing an interview!
The email said 'Smart Casual dress code' so I opted for a Black Ted Baker dress, a tailored jacket and plain black heels- as apposed to my usual suit.... however when I arrived at the offices in Knightsbridge, I couldn't have been more overdressed! Everyone else seemed to be in leggings!!!!! jeans, super duper casual wear! I stuck out like a sore thumb!
Before the interview I had been reading the graduate blog that JWT published which contained profiles of all of their 2014 grads. Literally, every single one of them attended Cambridge, Oxford, UCL, Bristol and the likes.... this immediately worried me even before I arrived on the day. I go to UWE, a previous 'poly' which focuses highly on employability through practical skills and application rather than simply academic theory. I love this part of my uni experience and honestly, I believe UWE has been great at providing me with the skills and experience and I feel 100% ready for the world of work..... something which I doubt a lot of graduates share. However, I couldn't help but feel that JWT didn't value these types of skills, however they valued a highly academic, book-smart candidate, something which I couldn't necessarily provide to that level.
However, I had been offered one of 100 interviews out of 1000's of applications- so they must have liked something right?
There were around 4 or 5 interviews happening at the same time as mine, so I chatted to a few of the other candidates whilst we were waiting, yep Cambridge studying philosophy.... Bristol studying psychology..... London studying Latin.......... thank you for confirming all of my doubts! When I told the girl from Bristol I was from UWE I think she was a little shocked! I was so proud to be sat amongst these brainy, brainy people and know that I had earned my place there! Speaking to them, I realised that none of these people were from business/ marketing backgrounds and therefore advertising agencies aren't really valuing these types of degrees!
Once I was called into the interview, I was met by a lady and a man, one from HR and one who I believe was a fairly recent graduate account manager. They were both really nice and helped me relax.
We started by talking about my degree- I wasn't really expecting this but went on to talk about my dissertation, the modules I was studying and the people I had met. We then talked about IBM, Vet's Kitchen and a couple of other projects I've been working on (read previous blog posts for more info!). This was all fine and I have written so many applications, I know these roles and skills inside out!
We then went on to talk about advertising in general and they asked me about which adverts I really liked..... my mind went really blank and I think this is where I messed up!! I had researched JWT's advertising in-depth and had hundreds of THEIR examples, without really thinking about the industry as a whole! I ended up talking about Sainsbury's Christmas advert and then M&S Christmas advert....... zzzzzzz how boring and cliche!!! My mum (a midwife) could have probably given those answers, nevermind someone who's supposed to be a mini expert in the field! She even asked me "what about non-christmas adverts" and I gave her a really crap answer about Oreo........ I literally froze I struggled so hard to find a answer that would blow them away!
I know I write a bloody blog about great advertising campaigns!!!!! But at that moment I couldn't think of a single one!!!!
We then looked at a number of adverts, the first one was a picture of a tomato on a white background with GAZPACHO written across it..... tell me how in god's name you are supposed to analyse that! It's crap!
Then there was an army advert which I think I analysed well and one for electronic cigarettes which allowed me to speak about ethics etc. which i think was ok!
Then, they asked me about my 'culture' and what I like to do in my spare time, I spoke about Enactus, my entrepreneurial society for social action- something I thought they'd really like, but they were like "No, what do you do for FUN".... but Enactus is fun!!! So I spoke about Bristol Wine Club which they seemed to like, then they said "What about aside from wine?" I just wanted to turn around and say "Well aside from studying a full time degree, running events at least 5 times a week, attending a monthly wine club, seeing my friends, writing my dissertation, acting as marketing director for enactus and doing job applications there isn't much time to do anything else" but I was too scared so I just said travelling........
All in all, I left thinking it had gone really badly- turns out it had as I didn't get a second interview! Honestly, they were ruthless and I guess I don't fit the perfect mould of candidate they were looking for, but that's OK!
I have learnt a lot about Ad Agency interviews and although I really wanted the job before I went, I am OK with not getting it! I think I would be a lot more prepared if I ever went for a similar job....these opinions are totally my own and I would love to hear if you've had a similar or completely different experience!!!!
Thank you for reading!!
Steph
Monday, 22 December 2014
PR Comedy!
Usually, I blog about huge brands with vast marketing and PR budgets and some of the industry's most talented and experienced talent! However, marketing isn't about who can spend the biggest budget or who can create a viral campaign with no reasonable purpose or intention. Sometimes, marketing can be about thinking on your feet and reacting in real-time with wit and initiative.
Check out this customer complaint from Baluga Bar & Club, local to my hometown of Preston:
Check out this customer complaint from Baluga Bar & Club, local to my hometown of Preston:
Of course, this complaint was sent to the completely wrong Facebook account- the bar in question doesn't even serve food!!
Now, the managers at Baluga, Preston had two options in this situation, reply to the message apologising for the mistake in the confusion and suggest that Bianca seek the correct restaurant OR, to use this opportunity to create some great PR and to reply to the comment with humour..... which is exactly what they did:
I think Baluga did a great job- they then shared this great response with their social media. As it was a lighthearted joke I'm sure Bianca and Baluga's REAL clientele found it funny!
The great thing that Baluga managed was crisis aversion, by producing a humorous response to something unexpected, they managed to produce a great piece of PR!
Awesome work! :-)
Friday, 19 December 2014
Celebrity Endorsements
Every one can think of at least one advert which features a famous celebrity endorser and in advertising it is a great way of making your ads stand out!
Here are a few recent celebrity endorsement campaigns inspired by Brand Republic:
Miranda Kerr for Swarovski
This advert stood out to me recently due to the mesmerizing beauty of the products and the advert as a whole. The advert features Miranda Kerr as the beautiful jewelry model as well as a song by Pharrell Williams- two absolute superstars! The brand association with 1st class stars is a great choice and conveys the luxury element impeccably. However, the ad is just a little boring, and isn't terribly memorable. There is no story nor defining features of the brand. A competitor could easily produce something similar! Make yourself stand our Swarovski!!
Peter Andre for Iceland
This advert is unbelievably cheesy! Peter is trying to promote the low offers that Iceland can offer... yet I am distracted by the terrible acting! Iceland are famous for their cheesy celebrity endorsements, from Sharon Osborne, Kerry Katona and Ant & Dec..... but you only have to have a quick read on twitter to see the lack of disbelief that any of these stars ACTUALLY shop at Iceland!
They haven't been getting the best response over social media either:
I'm not going to lie- I didn't see one positive comment about the ads! However, Iceland know their market and at least people are talking about their brand! We will see if Peter's work with Iceland continues in to the new year!
Nicole Scherzinger for Muller
I actually really, really like these ads! And in this press release the endorsement clearly has proved success for the brand. I think Nicole is a really down to earth, glamorous person and is in touch with the UK market therefore was a great choice for Muller.
Mo Farah for Quorn
The dull voice, the boring story, you can hardly call Mo charismatic! However, I think the emphasis on protein in the diet is really important and usually overlooked by large companies who try and promote fat free or low sugar products! Also, having Mo as an endorser- an actual ATHLETE, rather than a housewife or someone who doesn't exercise.
I hope you enjoyed this post, I look forward to seeing what celebrity endorsements advertising will bring in 2015!
Stephanie
Here are a few recent celebrity endorsement campaigns inspired by Brand Republic:
Miranda Kerr for Swarovski
This advert stood out to me recently due to the mesmerizing beauty of the products and the advert as a whole. The advert features Miranda Kerr as the beautiful jewelry model as well as a song by Pharrell Williams- two absolute superstars! The brand association with 1st class stars is a great choice and conveys the luxury element impeccably. However, the ad is just a little boring, and isn't terribly memorable. There is no story nor defining features of the brand. A competitor could easily produce something similar! Make yourself stand our Swarovski!!
Peter Andre for Iceland
This advert is unbelievably cheesy! Peter is trying to promote the low offers that Iceland can offer... yet I am distracted by the terrible acting! Iceland are famous for their cheesy celebrity endorsements, from Sharon Osborne, Kerry Katona and Ant & Dec..... but you only have to have a quick read on twitter to see the lack of disbelief that any of these stars ACTUALLY shop at Iceland!
They haven't been getting the best response over social media either:
Peter Andre/Iceland advert... Does he really get his food from there? No. Will he be tucking Into Iceland gateaux on xmas day? No.
— Renegade Economist (@RenegadeEcon) December 15, 2014
I used to be completely indifferent to Peter Andre until he started doing the Iceland ads. Now I want to kill him dead with a prawn ring.
— Hoppy The Hag (@hoppythehag) December 15, 2014
If I ever saw Peter Andre in Iceland, I'm not sure what would be worse, seeing Peter Andre or actually being in an Iceland.
— Neil Johnson (@n_gjohnson) December 15, 2014
so gutted I'm a celeb is finished but at least I don't have to watch Peter Andre attempting to promote Iceland
— amy (@innocxnce) December 7, 2014
I'm not going to lie- I didn't see one positive comment about the ads! However, Iceland know their market and at least people are talking about their brand! We will see if Peter's work with Iceland continues in to the new year!
Nicole Scherzinger for Muller
I actually really, really like these ads! And in this press release the endorsement clearly has proved success for the brand. I think Nicole is a really down to earth, glamorous person and is in touch with the UK market therefore was a great choice for Muller.
She even gets involved on Social media, which adds to the authenticity of the campaign and shows she really does endorse the product!
However, Muller need to be careful with their endorser as she was seen buying a competitor's brand in this article!
Mo Farah for Quorn
The dull voice, the boring story, you can hardly call Mo charismatic! However, I think the emphasis on protein in the diet is really important and usually overlooked by large companies who try and promote fat free or low sugar products! Also, having Mo as an endorser- an actual ATHLETE, rather than a housewife or someone who doesn't exercise.
I hope you enjoyed this post, I look forward to seeing what celebrity endorsements advertising will bring in 2015!
Stephanie
Wednesday, 3 December 2014
Vintage adverts!
Just looking back at adverts 50, 40 even 20 years ago and you really can see what a fast-changing industry advertising is. I have become a little fascinated with vintage advertisements and honestly, some of them are pieces of art!
Now a days, I would never dream of putting any of the posters on billboards you see on bus stops or billboards in my house, but I truly think these are worthy of an artistic accreditation!
Here are two of my particular favourites:
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Now a days, I would never dream of putting any of the posters on billboards you see on bus stops or billboards in my house, but I truly think these are worthy of an artistic accreditation!
Here are two of my particular favourites:
Can you believe this is for toilet roll! It looks angelic and the height of luxury. Of course, people who buy the product won't receive this beautiful lifestyle, however the product will make them feel like they have a tiny part of it. I think it's beautiful and extremely eye catching without being too in-your-face!
I looked at this advert for such a long time as I love the detailing in each shoe! I think it's an awesome example of appealing to female emotion and delight and taps into that feeling you get when you try on a beautiful pair of shoes!
I think modern day advertisers could take a leaf out of our ancestor's books when it comes to the beauty within advertising!
Steph
Monday, 1 December 2014
Genius Revolution in Advertising from British Airways
Check out one of the most innovative adverts I have seen from British Airways:
As part of the #LookUp campaign, BA set up a billboard in Piccadilly Circus which tracked flights and named them as they were passing. What an amazing attraction which is not only interactive, fun and interesting but allows consumers to engage with the brand on a real-time basis.
It ignites the imagination and child-like curiosity in people and for those who imagine where the plane they see up in the sky, they can find out instantly! It is inspiring and an absolutely phenomenal piece of innovation within advertising.
I believe the campaign could also be extended through various platforms such as a smartphone app and to give British Airways phenomenal coverage and brand experience!
The ad was created by Ogilvy!
Dylon Print Ads
Check out these beautifully creative ads from Dylon fabric dyes by Grey Paris
The campaign was titled "Give clothes a second chance" and I love the adverts! They are totally unexpected for such a low involvement product. I feel as though the emotions in the adverts are conveyed extraordinarily and are humourous!
The ads give the viewer an emotion towards the brand and are very memorable!
Great job!
Tuesday, 11 November 2014
Back to student life, event management and experiential marketing
I'm in a bit of a strange position at the moment, I finished my placement year at IBM and my summer internship at Vet's Kitchen back in August and since then I've come back to university to finish my degree. I'm in a weird place as I really miss the real marketing world of work and I find that studying now at university isn't really challenging or testing me so I can't wait to graduate!
They released a new TV ad with the strapline "Diet Coke Break" and featuring a lovely hunk! They then executed a Diet Coke sampling campaign and we set up in Swindon town centre with our hunk in-tow! He had photos with members of the target audience aka 17-30 year old females which were shared on social media and they were free to enjoy their Diet Coke break!
I really liked the campaign as it really translated from TV advertising to the brand experience, an important concept when bringing brands to life and translating the brand image across channels.
Kraken Rum:
We were given the exciting chance to work with Kraken rum, a brand which has recently launched in the UK on working on their nightclub tours.
The Kraken is a mythological creature resembling a giant squid which lives 3000 feet beneath the sea. By playing on this brand 'story' we were able to engage nightclub goers with the brand and it's heritage. We also had our deep sea diver character which allowed a photo opportunity which could then be shared on social media, in addition we gave samples of the rum and provided discount codes for an 'Ink Bomb' at the bar. Then the 'Ink Dolls' provided a fire breathing performance assisted by a celebrity DJ and our very own deep sea diver!
I thought the way that the brand told a story was very impressive and allowed a talking point around delivering the shots and ultimately allowed the target audience to remember the brand. The brand is already huge in the US and they are fastly becoming one of the leading rum brands in the UK. Their website is absolutely brilliant and paints a perfect picture of the brand here.
Macmillan Cancer Care:
Macmillan set up a marathon track along Manchester's Market Street and encouraged members of the public to run a small percentage of the race which would all ad up to the 26 miles in a marathon. To run they were to donate £3 by text and their photos were shared on the Twitter page.
The event was an absolute success and we raised hundreds of pounds for the charity, engaging lots of people and creating a buzz around the city! I think it was a great way to encourage donations and create awareness of the brand without having pestering fundraisers or simple collection bins. It was a really creative idea which I thought was really effective!
Vanarama:
Vanarama are the new sponsors of the Conference league and for the first match of the season we wanted to create a huge buzz around the brand as it was appearing on BT sport so it was a great opportunity for the brand to gain some coverage!
We positioned ourselves as cheerleaders spelling out the letters in Vanarama and engaged with fans, cheered for the cameras and gave out merchandise.
The brand also offered a deal that with every purchase of a Vanarama van, £100 would go back into their club so it was great to speak to fans about the offer. The campaign had a lot of reach and highlighted the brand in a great light for the start of their sponsorship!
As you can see, experiential marketing is an amazing industry to work in and can be so varied from sampling to brand awareness to sponsorship! It has given me exposure to the marketing world and how these campaigns are executed and the thoughts behind them! I can't wait to continue working in the industry!
Stephanie
However whilst I'm studying I am working part-time Freelance with a number of marketing agencies and experiential agencies representing so many different brands! This has given me the chance to really get experience in executing marketing campaigns and it's so interesting to see the strategy and planning behind them (the area I want to get in to)!
Here are a few of my favourite campaigns I've worked on recently:
Diet Coke:
Here are a few of my favourite campaigns I've worked on recently:
Diet Coke:
Cheeky sampling day in Swindon & Chippenham pic.twitter.com/utGwHHWOSI
— Steph Clark (@stefclarkx) October 2, 2014
I worked with Diet Coke on their 'hunk' campaign which you might remember from a few years ago.... The background of the hunk campaign can be found hereThey released a new TV ad with the strapline "Diet Coke Break" and featuring a lovely hunk! They then executed a Diet Coke sampling campaign and we set up in Swindon town centre with our hunk in-tow! He had photos with members of the target audience aka 17-30 year old females which were shared on social media and they were free to enjoy their Diet Coke break!
I really liked the campaign as it really translated from TV advertising to the brand experience, an important concept when bringing brands to life and translating the brand image across channels.
Kraken Rum:
I love my job 😆 pic.twitter.com/IzdRohCOO4
— Steph Clark (@stefclarkx) September 20, 2014
We were given the exciting chance to work with Kraken rum, a brand which has recently launched in the UK on working on their nightclub tours.
The Kraken is a mythological creature resembling a giant squid which lives 3000 feet beneath the sea. By playing on this brand 'story' we were able to engage nightclub goers with the brand and it's heritage. We also had our deep sea diver character which allowed a photo opportunity which could then be shared on social media, in addition we gave samples of the rum and provided discount codes for an 'Ink Bomb' at the bar. Then the 'Ink Dolls' provided a fire breathing performance assisted by a celebrity DJ and our very own deep sea diver!
I thought the way that the brand told a story was very impressive and allowed a talking point around delivering the shots and ultimately allowed the target audience to remember the brand. The brand is already huge in the US and they are fastly becoming one of the leading rum brands in the UK. Their website is absolutely brilliant and paints a perfect picture of the brand here.
Macmillan Cancer Care:
Come and run the marathon for @macmillancancer outside the arndale 😊 pic.twitter.com/EN7mWUHRHi
— Steph Clark (@stefclarkx) September 13, 2014
Macmillan set up a marathon track along Manchester's Market Street and encouraged members of the public to run a small percentage of the race which would all ad up to the 26 miles in a marathon. To run they were to donate £3 by text and their photos were shared on the Twitter page.
The event was an absolute success and we raised hundreds of pounds for the charity, engaging lots of people and creating a buzz around the city! I think it was a great way to encourage donations and create awareness of the brand without having pestering fundraisers or simple collection bins. It was a really creative idea which I thought was really effective!
Vanarama:
#vanarettes at Bristol rovers today!!! pic.twitter.com/bzIKXzaCJG
— Steph Clark (@stefclarkx) August 9, 2014
Vanarama are the new sponsors of the Conference league and for the first match of the season we wanted to create a huge buzz around the brand as it was appearing on BT sport so it was a great opportunity for the brand to gain some coverage!
We positioned ourselves as cheerleaders spelling out the letters in Vanarama and engaged with fans, cheered for the cameras and gave out merchandise.
The brand also offered a deal that with every purchase of a Vanarama van, £100 would go back into their club so it was great to speak to fans about the offer. The campaign had a lot of reach and highlighted the brand in a great light for the start of their sponsorship!
As you can see, experiential marketing is an amazing industry to work in and can be so varied from sampling to brand awareness to sponsorship! It has given me exposure to the marketing world and how these campaigns are executed and the thoughts behind them! I can't wait to continue working in the industry!
Stephanie
Sunday, 26 October 2014
You can market ANYTHING.......
Recently, I saw a piece of advertising that made me think you really can put a value to ANYTHING with the correct marketing in place.
This is 'Smart water'- an "electrolyte enhanced water" which is being plugged by none other than Hollywood's finest- Jennifer Aniston.
The marketing's great and she looks great- there's nothing to fault with the advertising.... do people really believe that by drinking smartwater they will be as angelic and youthful looking as J.A?
This is 'Smart water'- an "electrolyte enhanced water" which is being plugged by none other than Hollywood's finest- Jennifer Aniston.
The marketing's great and she looks great- there's nothing to fault with the advertising.... do people really believe that by drinking smartwater they will be as angelic and youthful looking as J.A?
I absolutely believe Glaceau water made the right endorsement choice with Jennifer, there is constant media speculation as to the reason behind her youthfulness.
However, I really don't believe that marketing a basic human need, a product which provides no value other than survival- can really be Jennifer Aniston's "secret".
"tasty" water.....
I don't know about you, but I think I might stick to my Bristol's finest tap water!
You really can market anything
I will be interested to see how well the smart water campaign does.
Thursday, 23 October 2014
Mysterious Ape
You may, or may not have seen Southern Electric's new advertising campaign. If not here's a few of their outdoor advertisements:
To be fair, I actually like the ad and come to think of it I think I have seen it on TV before, however I think SSE/ adam&eveDDB need to learn from the following mistakes made in this campaign:
1) Consumers don't always have a high recall rate
Even if people have seen the ad, it may not be in the forefront of their mind and the character doesn't automatically spring to mind and therefore the link between the TV and outdoor advertising cannot always be made.
2) You cannot 'create' a character's novelty or likeability
It is only through consumer word-of-mouth and other earned media sources that characters are known, loved and remembered.... take compare the meerkat, it was the brand who created the character, but the consumers who developed his legacy
3) Don't just PRESUME that the consumer will have seen the TV ad
Not only is it slightly arrogant to think that your marketing methods are going to have that kind of reach, but if your whole campaign is resting up on it then you're bound to fall at the first hurdle.
4) Don't create an ad that appears completely out of context on it's own
I'm all for integrated marketing communications and with better planning and a more intelligent outdoor advertising message, the whole campaign could have been a success. Yet, the current outdoor ads are as described on twitter "a bit crap", it's almost as though their entire budget went on the TV ad, so they got the work experience boy to create the outdoor ads
All in all, at least SSE got huge PR out of this! And their ads have gone viral..... maybe not for the reasons they had hoped......
Steph
Consumers are hitting social media to express their confusion and humour at the ads. Some people even thought the adverts were a mistake! You can read some of the tweets here: http://www.buzzfeed.com/patricksmith/everyone-is-confused-by-the-sad-looking-ape-in-these-energy
As SSE responded to questions of the relevance of the ad to their organisation/ consumers taking the piss out of an ape at a music concert/ country side/ over wind turbines, they said the outdoor ads were to continue the story of their TV ad about "looking at energy through fresh eyes"
Here's the ad:
Sunday, 19 October 2014
Cough drops advertised in Finland- a little different!
Check out this epic ad from a Finnish cough drops brand by ACTIVEARK JWT agency.
A great example- I doubt anyone could have guess what was being advertised before the cough drops appeared!
I love this ad as it brings a story to life, thinks outside the box and creates something shareable, memorable and funny! It breaks all boundaries of standard 'pharmaceutical' advertising- we should take a leaf out of Finland's books when it comes to advertising!
Monday, 22 September 2014
iNnocent 300ML
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The hype around the new iPhone 6 was always destined to be big. Apple are geniuses at creating a buzz around their new phone launches, with long queues being pictured worldwide outside their stores. The PR they receive around the launch is endless and the social media buzz surrounding the new product is priceless. The way Apple keep the phone's specifications deadly secret until days before it's release also adds to the desirable and exclusivity of the product.
As Apple gets the limelight, other companies are able to capitalize on their success and get free PR and attention off the back of Apple's.
I really like the way that Innocent Smoothies used their humour and "cheekiness" to produce this amusing ad:
They also used a guerrilla marketing strategy and sent representatives to the store launches where hundreds of people had queued outside to buy the phones, and this was covered heavily by the press. Therefore innocent drinks (who are owned by Coca-Cola- arguably the best marketed brand on the planet) received press coverage and their ad went viral on social media.
Some may say that hijacking other brand's marketing to pursue your own product is unethical, however it is an inexpensive and clever form of marketing, if done in the correct way. It's perfectly legal and if anything, it actually added to Apple's publicity.
Wednesday, 2 July 2014
End of placement, beginning of internship
Hello!
My marketing placement year at IBM has finally come to an end! A year of working in marketing full-time has given me a glimpse of the real world and how marketing can function outside of the textbooks, lectures and models that university can bring.
If you're currently studying marketing at university and have the opportunity to take part in a placement year, DO IT. It will open your eyes to the real world, you will learn an awful lot and you may decide what field of marketing you would like to work in, or in my case... NOT work in.
I first ventured into studying/ wanting a career in marketing whilst steering away from Journalism/ Public Relations therefore for me, I want to pursue something creative, which I can really sink my teeth into and experiment with... the great thing about marketing as a career is that there are so many avenues to go down, one area of marketing can be completely different to another!
Working at IBM was an amazing opportunity, a world-wide company which has a huge budget and is therefore able to commit to huge conferences, websites which are designed down to the T by the leading design agency in the world, events which the Senior execs of the biggest organisations in the country will happily attend at short notice... all of these things are obviously, amazing assets and what better position would you want your company to be in? The thing is, they don't actually NEED to do any marketing! The IBM brand is so well established and is a household name, in the business world it's the top dog of technology and therefore where is the competition? Where is the drive to increase awareness from 0% to 100%? It just doesn't exist!
The opportunities at working in such a large organisation, however, are probably unmatched with other types of jobs. I was able to get expenses to travel across the country, try out lots of education courses, meet hundreds of new people and network to my hearts content! I was also able to see what was successful and the struggle that such a large organisation faces when transitioning in to a new way of thinking/ new technologies.
A big company can offer flexible working, a great pension scheme, great pay, great facilities and the support you might need at a readily available service. However, weigh this up against just being 'a number' in 400,000 employees, facing outsourcing to other countries, never actually seeing your team apart from their icon photo in a conference call, having to phone a helpdesk every time you want to send a parcel, having to get every project you complete checked and finalised by hundreds of processes and procedures, it can sometimes feel like your individuality, thoughts and suggestions and even your personality can be a little bit squashed....
However, the experience was of course, priceless and an amazing opportunity, which I (hope) grasped with both hands and got the most out of. Even in a bad situation (not saying that it was a bad situation) you can always learn and grow through the things you experience.
However, I think I have almost made my mind up- I would like to work in a small- medium enterprise, or at least a highly competitive industry! I also think, for me, it's important to market something which I am passionate about and can relate to.
So therefore, this summer I am undertaking an internship at Vet's Kitchen in the marketing department (consisting of 2 people) which is an start-up pet food company based in Swindon, their products are sold in Tesco, Sainsbury's and Asda and online. It couldn't be more different to marketing at IBM which is exactly what I wanted, a chance to try something completely different and a chance to show my skills to a small team of people and to actually have some responsibility, and mostly- to make a difference.
As the business is B2C, I am also getting the chance to try types of marketing activity that I would never had been able to within a B2B organisation. Vet's Kitchen literally do every type of marketing campaign I could ever think of- which is an amazing opportunity for me to gain experience in all of them! They are big on social media, and I am basically running all of their social media channels at the moment, advertising- print, radio, online etc, events (I'm going to exhibit at one of their road shows in a few weeks), email marketing, public relations, web design, packaging design, sales promotion, direct mail, merchandise...... I've literally done the lot! I've only been here 2 weeks and already I am learning the ins-and-outs of the organisation, how it operates, and how the company has grown and how the marketing can be used to attract new customers, raise awareness and ultimately gain market share.
I am also able to make my own suggestions and plan my own marketing activity (an amazing opportunity!!) and if I think something would work, I can suggest it AND request budget! There is so much freedom, flexibility and creativity- everything I wanted from working in marketing.
I'm really excited to carry out the rest of my internship and hopefully learn lots before deciding what kind of graduate job within marketing I would like to apply for.
Of course- everyone has their own desires and different opinions of work, I think any experience is a good experience, again even if this makes you realise what you DON'T want to do.... I know I don't want to work in a B2B technology organisation and I thank IBM for providing me with such a rewarding experience that helped me realise this! I would highly recommend a placement year there to anyone!
Opinions are entirely my own!
Steph
My marketing placement year at IBM has finally come to an end! A year of working in marketing full-time has given me a glimpse of the real world and how marketing can function outside of the textbooks, lectures and models that university can bring.
If you're currently studying marketing at university and have the opportunity to take part in a placement year, DO IT. It will open your eyes to the real world, you will learn an awful lot and you may decide what field of marketing you would like to work in, or in my case... NOT work in.
I first ventured into studying/ wanting a career in marketing whilst steering away from Journalism/ Public Relations therefore for me, I want to pursue something creative, which I can really sink my teeth into and experiment with... the great thing about marketing as a career is that there are so many avenues to go down, one area of marketing can be completely different to another!
Working at IBM was an amazing opportunity, a world-wide company which has a huge budget and is therefore able to commit to huge conferences, websites which are designed down to the T by the leading design agency in the world, events which the Senior execs of the biggest organisations in the country will happily attend at short notice... all of these things are obviously, amazing assets and what better position would you want your company to be in? The thing is, they don't actually NEED to do any marketing! The IBM brand is so well established and is a household name, in the business world it's the top dog of technology and therefore where is the competition? Where is the drive to increase awareness from 0% to 100%? It just doesn't exist!
The opportunities at working in such a large organisation, however, are probably unmatched with other types of jobs. I was able to get expenses to travel across the country, try out lots of education courses, meet hundreds of new people and network to my hearts content! I was also able to see what was successful and the struggle that such a large organisation faces when transitioning in to a new way of thinking/ new technologies.
A big company can offer flexible working, a great pension scheme, great pay, great facilities and the support you might need at a readily available service. However, weigh this up against just being 'a number' in 400,000 employees, facing outsourcing to other countries, never actually seeing your team apart from their icon photo in a conference call, having to phone a helpdesk every time you want to send a parcel, having to get every project you complete checked and finalised by hundreds of processes and procedures, it can sometimes feel like your individuality, thoughts and suggestions and even your personality can be a little bit squashed....
However, the experience was of course, priceless and an amazing opportunity, which I (hope) grasped with both hands and got the most out of. Even in a bad situation (not saying that it was a bad situation) you can always learn and grow through the things you experience.
However, I think I have almost made my mind up- I would like to work in a small- medium enterprise, or at least a highly competitive industry! I also think, for me, it's important to market something which I am passionate about and can relate to.
So therefore, this summer I am undertaking an internship at Vet's Kitchen in the marketing department (consisting of 2 people) which is an start-up pet food company based in Swindon, their products are sold in Tesco, Sainsbury's and Asda and online. It couldn't be more different to marketing at IBM which is exactly what I wanted, a chance to try something completely different and a chance to show my skills to a small team of people and to actually have some responsibility, and mostly- to make a difference.
As the business is B2C, I am also getting the chance to try types of marketing activity that I would never had been able to within a B2B organisation. Vet's Kitchen literally do every type of marketing campaign I could ever think of- which is an amazing opportunity for me to gain experience in all of them! They are big on social media, and I am basically running all of their social media channels at the moment, advertising- print, radio, online etc, events (I'm going to exhibit at one of their road shows in a few weeks), email marketing, public relations, web design, packaging design, sales promotion, direct mail, merchandise...... I've literally done the lot! I've only been here 2 weeks and already I am learning the ins-and-outs of the organisation, how it operates, and how the company has grown and how the marketing can be used to attract new customers, raise awareness and ultimately gain market share.
I am also able to make my own suggestions and plan my own marketing activity (an amazing opportunity!!) and if I think something would work, I can suggest it AND request budget! There is so much freedom, flexibility and creativity- everything I wanted from working in marketing.
I'm really excited to carry out the rest of my internship and hopefully learn lots before deciding what kind of graduate job within marketing I would like to apply for.
Of course- everyone has their own desires and different opinions of work, I think any experience is a good experience, again even if this makes you realise what you DON'T want to do.... I know I don't want to work in a B2B technology organisation and I thank IBM for providing me with such a rewarding experience that helped me realise this! I would highly recommend a placement year there to anyone!
Opinions are entirely my own!
Steph
Thursday, 8 May 2014
Opt-in, Opt-out
Digital marketing, arguably, and especially in the B2C world- is one of the most effective methods of reaching your target audience. However, as more and more organisations jump on the digital bandwagon, the quantity of marketing noise from more and more brands which consumers are faced with has rapidly increased.
Take Facebook- personal profiles were hugely successful and once Facebook allowed brands to join the site and create corporate/ brand pages, they started popping up all over the place. From the biggest brands such as Cadburys, Starbucks and Tesco to the local pub, butchers and community centre all creating engaging content through online social media sources, utilising websites and sending out emails- they are all at it and I know my social media pages have started to become much less social and much more brand-focused!
With this ever looming presence that consumers feel they are being sold to, constantly marketed towards and annoyed by persistent messages- is email marketing still useful when reaching a consumer? Or will it go straight into the 'Junk' or 'Deleted' folder?
Usually when signing up to newsletters, entering competitions or buying products online, you usually have the choice of opting-in or opt-out of receiving emails from the brand. This allows the consumer to have full control over the marketing messages they receive.
This infographic from Marketing Week indicates how willing consumers are to sharing their data (such as email address, phone number or postal address) with companies for the purpose of marketing. It's really useful to understand how willing people are to let companies market/sell to them. The impression I have gathered from working in a B2B scenario is that people are far less likely to 'opt in' to receiving marketing messages unless:
a) they are being provided with something of value, whether that be content, information and help or a personalised message
b) there is an incentive to do so- discounts, a competition or another type of reward
c) it is a company they really trust, admire or like- this can make it harder for start-ups or less-established brands trying to reach new markets to utilise database marketing
Think about how much you click the unsubscribe button on the endless email messages you receive from brands, or how many times you 'Unlike' an organisation's Facebook page?
I believe the key to maintaining a consumer's interest in your marketing messages, whether that be email messages, social media posts or even post (who does direct mail any more seriously?!) is down to 3 things:
a) Consistency: you have to absolutely nail this one; don't post too much and don't post to infrequently. This is mainly down to experimentation of how the interaction with your posts differs depending on the frequency of them, for email this is click throughs, for social it could be shares, likes or comments etc.
b) Content: provide something of value or that email is going straight into the delete folder, or that post is getting hidden! Whether that be discount, free delivery for e-commerce, coupons or vouchers for in-store purchases, competitions, product launches or events.
c) Personalisation: this potentially may be the most important point in marketing messages- whether you are targeting a new customer, loyal customer or someone who hasn't made a purchase in a while, the marketing messages must be tailored, even if you offer them the same incentive! Make the customer feel as though they are unique, valued and not just another name on a spreadsheet and I believe you will nail email marketing!
Stephanie
Take Facebook- personal profiles were hugely successful and once Facebook allowed brands to join the site and create corporate/ brand pages, they started popping up all over the place. From the biggest brands such as Cadburys, Starbucks and Tesco to the local pub, butchers and community centre all creating engaging content through online social media sources, utilising websites and sending out emails- they are all at it and I know my social media pages have started to become much less social and much more brand-focused!
With this ever looming presence that consumers feel they are being sold to, constantly marketed towards and annoyed by persistent messages- is email marketing still useful when reaching a consumer? Or will it go straight into the 'Junk' or 'Deleted' folder?
Usually when signing up to newsletters, entering competitions or buying products online, you usually have the choice of opting-in or opt-out of receiving emails from the brand. This allows the consumer to have full control over the marketing messages they receive.
a) they are being provided with something of value, whether that be content, information and help or a personalised message
b) there is an incentive to do so- discounts, a competition or another type of reward
c) it is a company they really trust, admire or like- this can make it harder for start-ups or less-established brands trying to reach new markets to utilise database marketing
Think about how much you click the unsubscribe button on the endless email messages you receive from brands, or how many times you 'Unlike' an organisation's Facebook page?
I believe the key to maintaining a consumer's interest in your marketing messages, whether that be email messages, social media posts or even post (who does direct mail any more seriously?!) is down to 3 things:
a) Consistency: you have to absolutely nail this one; don't post too much and don't post to infrequently. This is mainly down to experimentation of how the interaction with your posts differs depending on the frequency of them, for email this is click throughs, for social it could be shares, likes or comments etc.
b) Content: provide something of value or that email is going straight into the delete folder, or that post is getting hidden! Whether that be discount, free delivery for e-commerce, coupons or vouchers for in-store purchases, competitions, product launches or events.
c) Personalisation: this potentially may be the most important point in marketing messages- whether you are targeting a new customer, loyal customer or someone who hasn't made a purchase in a while, the marketing messages must be tailored, even if you offer them the same incentive! Make the customer feel as though they are unique, valued and not just another name on a spreadsheet and I believe you will nail email marketing!
Stephanie
Thursday, 24 April 2014
Season Pass
Recently I saw an advert for Thorpe Park and a season ticket offering of £48... that was unlimited entry to the park for an entire year! It really got me thinking as although I've never been to Thorpe Park, I have been to the sister theme park Alton Towers and I remember how pricey it can be for a day out there.
A day ticket also costs £48 although you can save by booking online before you arrive. Many people would question why a day ticket is the same price as an annual pass- it seems ludicrous right?
But when you think about it from a different perspective, it's actually an extremely clever marketing tactic that is used in lots of different places where one might not recognise the marketing tactic is in place.
Once a consumer has entered the park once, and paid the £48 fee- the park covers the overheads such as electricity and staffing, and the initial costs of the ride building/ design etc. and any residual value of such assets. The initial costs of that person entering the park are covered. Great- but do these overheads increase as more people enter the park? No.... the staffing/ electricity/ insurance etc. costs are going to be exactly the same whether there are 100 or 6000 people in the park, therefore Thorpe Park's main objective is getting as many people through their gates as possible!
Thorpe Park make such a huge mark-up on added extras such as the car park, food & drinks, games and merchandise that the price of entrance probably doesn't have a huge profit margin. Once customers are through the gates, they are more likely to spend money inside the park ESPECIALLY if they have paid for an annual pass and therefore have the feeling as though their initial cost of the day out was "free"- they may be inclined to spend more on additional add-ons!
Pricing is a marketing tool which is often overlooked, even by myself and although it depends on mark-ups and margins and overheads etc. it can also create a perception of a product and sometimes even a cheap price can detract from a product or service.
So- where else is this tactic used? Night clubs offer free entry or guest list entry before a certain time in the hope that customers will enter and purchase drinks all throughout the night, another example is captive pricing- where a company offers a product for a low price, but then once they are hooked, they rake up the prices of captive products.
I think it is a very wise move from Thorpe Park and one which should see their entries sore and their additional spending therefore increase!
Stephanie
A day ticket also costs £48 although you can save by booking online before you arrive. Many people would question why a day ticket is the same price as an annual pass- it seems ludicrous right?
But when you think about it from a different perspective, it's actually an extremely clever marketing tactic that is used in lots of different places where one might not recognise the marketing tactic is in place.
Once a consumer has entered the park once, and paid the £48 fee- the park covers the overheads such as electricity and staffing, and the initial costs of the ride building/ design etc. and any residual value of such assets. The initial costs of that person entering the park are covered. Great- but do these overheads increase as more people enter the park? No.... the staffing/ electricity/ insurance etc. costs are going to be exactly the same whether there are 100 or 6000 people in the park, therefore Thorpe Park's main objective is getting as many people through their gates as possible!
Thorpe Park make such a huge mark-up on added extras such as the car park, food & drinks, games and merchandise that the price of entrance probably doesn't have a huge profit margin. Once customers are through the gates, they are more likely to spend money inside the park ESPECIALLY if they have paid for an annual pass and therefore have the feeling as though their initial cost of the day out was "free"- they may be inclined to spend more on additional add-ons!
Pricing is a marketing tool which is often overlooked, even by myself and although it depends on mark-ups and margins and overheads etc. it can also create a perception of a product and sometimes even a cheap price can detract from a product or service.
So- where else is this tactic used? Night clubs offer free entry or guest list entry before a certain time in the hope that customers will enter and purchase drinks all throughout the night, another example is captive pricing- where a company offers a product for a low price, but then once they are hooked, they rake up the prices of captive products.
I think it is a very wise move from Thorpe Park and one which should see their entries sore and their additional spending therefore increase!
Stephanie
Tuesday, 1 April 2014
Inside Rolls-Royce
I've been watching the 'Inside...' series on 4OD, a must-watch if you are interested in the luxury goods market!
I especially loved the Rolls-Royce episode which gave an insight into the companies head office and the sales tactics used with high profile customers. Rolls-Royce were creating the Celestial Phantom- their most expensive model ever, containing hundreds of diamonds and documentary shows the rigorous process which is undertaken at the factory and during the design process. Clearly for such a prestigious brand, their cars sell themselves due to the status and authority that comes from owning one of the cars.
However, I was interested to see the types of marketing strategies that Rolls-Royce use in order to target such a highly regarded audience. The typical Rolls-Royce customer may be spending well over £50,000 and almost as much on optional extras to add to the car, therefore the customer service they recieve is fundamental to their loyalty to the brand.
The documentary displayed that most Rolls-Royce customers own 4 or 5 vehicles and therefore retaining such customers is a key priority in their marketing strategy. The salesmen in the car showrooms are highly trained, just as with any car show room, however it is their personal connection with the Rolls-Royce brand that means their passion is revealed and hopefully passed on the customer.
One of the key PR strategies used by the company, is the opportunity for key members of the press, celebrities and other senior influencers to test out the vehicles on a race track, in the hopes that they may write a review/speak about the experience and even that they may be potential buyers... this is classic 'try before you buy' but also an example of getting opinion leaders to form their own recommendations of products. They are also attracting a new selection of young, cool, hip customers which is important to help the brand progress in the future.
The fact that Rolls-Royce are perfectionists when it comes to product design and quality means that they are renowned for providing a consistently impeccable product- there are no reports of one-off disaster products or bad customer experiences as the product checking and factory processes are so strict that it simply doesn't happen at Rolls-Royce! This in itself is a fantastic example of PR!!
It would be an absolute dream to work in the marketing department at Rolls-Royce, the staff seem to have an extreme passion and love for the brand and their marketing strategy is unique, admirable and seems to work to target customers who enjoy the extremely finer things in life!!
You can watch the show on 4OD- let me know your thoughts!
Steph
I especially loved the Rolls-Royce episode which gave an insight into the companies head office and the sales tactics used with high profile customers. Rolls-Royce were creating the Celestial Phantom- their most expensive model ever, containing hundreds of diamonds and documentary shows the rigorous process which is undertaken at the factory and during the design process. Clearly for such a prestigious brand, their cars sell themselves due to the status and authority that comes from owning one of the cars.
However, I was interested to see the types of marketing strategies that Rolls-Royce use in order to target such a highly regarded audience. The typical Rolls-Royce customer may be spending well over £50,000 and almost as much on optional extras to add to the car, therefore the customer service they recieve is fundamental to their loyalty to the brand.
The documentary displayed that most Rolls-Royce customers own 4 or 5 vehicles and therefore retaining such customers is a key priority in their marketing strategy. The salesmen in the car showrooms are highly trained, just as with any car show room, however it is their personal connection with the Rolls-Royce brand that means their passion is revealed and hopefully passed on the customer.
One of the key PR strategies used by the company, is the opportunity for key members of the press, celebrities and other senior influencers to test out the vehicles on a race track, in the hopes that they may write a review/speak about the experience and even that they may be potential buyers... this is classic 'try before you buy' but also an example of getting opinion leaders to form their own recommendations of products. They are also attracting a new selection of young, cool, hip customers which is important to help the brand progress in the future.
The fact that Rolls-Royce are perfectionists when it comes to product design and quality means that they are renowned for providing a consistently impeccable product- there are no reports of one-off disaster products or bad customer experiences as the product checking and factory processes are so strict that it simply doesn't happen at Rolls-Royce! This in itself is a fantastic example of PR!!
It would be an absolute dream to work in the marketing department at Rolls-Royce, the staff seem to have an extreme passion and love for the brand and their marketing strategy is unique, admirable and seems to work to target customers who enjoy the extremely finer things in life!!
You can watch the show on 4OD- let me know your thoughts!
Steph
Wednesday, 26 March 2014
Sentimental KFC Advert
I wouldn't say KFC are my favourite brand in the world..... in fact I would say they are one of my least favourites from an animal cruelty/ healthy eating/ quality point of view. However their marketing campaigns and specifically their TV advertising does interest me....
When you think of the brand 'KFC' what springs to mind? For me it is the 'bargain bucket' adverts, the family sat around a table on a Friday evening munching on a chicken's leg, a huge bottle of Coca-cola and a pot of baked beans. The mother with a huge grin on her face stood in the background after picking up the entire family's dinner for "ONLY £9.99". Correct?
This has been KFC's advertising of choice for many years and one which targets families on a low budget who like a treat meal. I think that most people can immediately identify a KFC advert based on these characteristics.
Therefore I was shocked to see this new KFC advert by Bartle Bogle Hegarty at Blink Media Production:
Which you can watch here
The advert is sentimental, very creative and serious- not usually KFC's style at all....
It's based on a love story and is 20th-century USA themed- based on KFC's early heritage. I love the story-telling behind the advert, it's pleasant to watch and I love the spin at the end! I would expect this advert to be advertising something more premium- it makes you think and the fact they are launching "slow pulled chicken" through this campaign fits in with the little story of the man pursuing a female he has been admiring.
To understand how the story relates to the product, you have to almost think over the story over and over again in your head which I think is extremely clever as it makes the advert stick in your mind which is of course every marketer's intention when trying to build a memorable, thought-provoking advert.
However, I am interested to see how this advert is received- KFC's target audience are used to very simple, light-hearted advertising and I feel as though KFC have taken a risk in trying this new type of marketing! Let's hope they understand the message the brand is trying to ommit!
I love interesting and thought provoking marketing!!
Hope you enjoyed this post!
Stephanie
When you think of the brand 'KFC' what springs to mind? For me it is the 'bargain bucket' adverts, the family sat around a table on a Friday evening munching on a chicken's leg, a huge bottle of Coca-cola and a pot of baked beans. The mother with a huge grin on her face stood in the background after picking up the entire family's dinner for "ONLY £9.99". Correct?
This has been KFC's advertising of choice for many years and one which targets families on a low budget who like a treat meal. I think that most people can immediately identify a KFC advert based on these characteristics.
Therefore I was shocked to see this new KFC advert by Bartle Bogle Hegarty at Blink Media Production:
Which you can watch here
The advert is sentimental, very creative and serious- not usually KFC's style at all....
It's based on a love story and is 20th-century USA themed- based on KFC's early heritage. I love the story-telling behind the advert, it's pleasant to watch and I love the spin at the end! I would expect this advert to be advertising something more premium- it makes you think and the fact they are launching "slow pulled chicken" through this campaign fits in with the little story of the man pursuing a female he has been admiring.
To understand how the story relates to the product, you have to almost think over the story over and over again in your head which I think is extremely clever as it makes the advert stick in your mind which is of course every marketer's intention when trying to build a memorable, thought-provoking advert.
However, I am interested to see how this advert is received- KFC's target audience are used to very simple, light-hearted advertising and I feel as though KFC have taken a risk in trying this new type of marketing! Let's hope they understand the message the brand is trying to ommit!
I love interesting and thought provoking marketing!!
Hope you enjoyed this post!
Stephanie
Thursday, 20 March 2014
Cancer Research: No make up selfies are genius for non-profit marketing!
How could I, as a marketing blogger, not mention the massive trend this week- No make-up selfies to raise awareness for breast cancer!?!
As I am sure you are all aware- through facebook and twitter, EVERYONE seems to be taking make-up free photos of themselves and uploading them. Cancer Research have suggested that since the trend started they have received a huge increase in the levels of donations to the charity that they have been receiving, enough to even crash their donation systems!
However, CRUK have also said that they have no idea where the idea came from yet clearly they support it!
I know on my Facebook there was a lot of controversy, especially from those saying it is a pointless trend, that taking photos of your face make-up free isn't going to cure cancer and other like-minded comments. These negative comments and retaliations from those arguing the other side of the case have actually given the cause an even stronger presence online!
This is just another fantastic example of how social-media can be used to drive awareness and in the non-profit marketing world, donations...
However, the thing that is unique about this example of social media marketing is that it wasn't driven by the brand it was driven by the consumer! I feel as though a marketing trend could be emerging which brands need to think very carefully about how then can use to the best of their ability!
Cancer Research were very lucky to be at the center of this- lets hope we see more consumer-driven marketing examples in the future!
Steph
As I am sure you are all aware- through facebook and twitter, EVERYONE seems to be taking make-up free photos of themselves and uploading them. Cancer Research have suggested that since the trend started they have received a huge increase in the levels of donations to the charity that they have been receiving, enough to even crash their donation systems!
However, CRUK have also said that they have no idea where the idea came from yet clearly they support it!
I know on my Facebook there was a lot of controversy, especially from those saying it is a pointless trend, that taking photos of your face make-up free isn't going to cure cancer and other like-minded comments. These negative comments and retaliations from those arguing the other side of the case have actually given the cause an even stronger presence online!
This is just another fantastic example of how social-media can be used to drive awareness and in the non-profit marketing world, donations...
However, the thing that is unique about this example of social media marketing is that it wasn't driven by the brand it was driven by the consumer! I feel as though a marketing trend could be emerging which brands need to think very carefully about how then can use to the best of their ability!
Cancer Research were very lucky to be at the center of this- lets hope we see more consumer-driven marketing examples in the future!
Steph
Monday, 10 February 2014
An interesting experiment
I attended an event on Saturday where an interesting experiment was done...
The speaker asked the audience to raise their hand if they have a Samsung Galaxy Phone, to which a small proportion of the audience raised their hand. He then asked who owned a BlackBerry, again only a few hands were raised. Finally, he asked the audience to raise their hands if they own an iPhone- and not surprisingly, around 85% of the audience did....
He then asked us to consider why so many people owned iPhones, is it because iPhones are better? is it that they perform better or have functions that other phones do not?
He then asked of the audience that owned Samsungs or BlackBerrys, which of those liked owning that phone, to which they all said yes....
Therefore the argument that iPhones are 'better' than any other phone cannot stand, as some prefer using other phones.
So why do Apple dominate the phone market??
They have been able to create a perception of being the best phone on the market. Their outstanding branding, product awareness, public relations and customer service are what I believe had lead Apple to such high success.
If you're friends are buying, chances are you will too....
And it's happened before! In the 80's everyone had a walkman, if you had just a normal cassette player it wasn't a walkman so it wasn't considered popular - it still played cassettes (and some personal cassette players were far superior to walkmans with extra features), but walkman was THE name.
The iPhone is the same, you pay to "fit in", suprising how much people will spend to adhere to their peers isn't it!? As for everyone having an iPhone that isn't exactly true, that is just the image that Apple try to project towards people to make them believe.
The speaker asked the audience to raise their hand if they have a Samsung Galaxy Phone, to which a small proportion of the audience raised their hand. He then asked who owned a BlackBerry, again only a few hands were raised. Finally, he asked the audience to raise their hands if they own an iPhone- and not surprisingly, around 85% of the audience did....
He then asked us to consider why so many people owned iPhones, is it because iPhones are better? is it that they perform better or have functions that other phones do not?
He then asked of the audience that owned Samsungs or BlackBerrys, which of those liked owning that phone, to which they all said yes....
Therefore the argument that iPhones are 'better' than any other phone cannot stand, as some prefer using other phones.
So why do Apple dominate the phone market??
They have been able to create a perception of being the best phone on the market. Their outstanding branding, product awareness, public relations and customer service are what I believe had lead Apple to such high success.
If you're friends are buying, chances are you will too....
And it's happened before! In the 80's everyone had a walkman, if you had just a normal cassette player it wasn't a walkman so it wasn't considered popular - it still played cassettes (and some personal cassette players were far superior to walkmans with extra features), but walkman was THE name.
The iPhone is the same, you pay to "fit in", suprising how much people will spend to adhere to their peers isn't it!? As for everyone having an iPhone that isn't exactly true, that is just the image that Apple try to project towards people to make them believe.
Wednesday, 15 January 2014
How cool is this marketing campaign!!?
Just thought I'd share it with ya!
https://crimestoppers-uk.org/get-involved/our-campaigns/national-campaigns/pickpocketing/
https://crimestoppers-uk.org/get-involved/our-campaigns/national-campaigns/pickpocketing/
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