What it's REALLY like in a Vodafone Graduate Assessment Centre

Apologies for the lack of blog posts recently, I have been none stop with uni work and graduate job searching!

As the second part in my graduate marketing job hunt- I was recently invited to attend the Vodafone Marketing Stream Graduate Assessment Centre and here's what happened!

I'd been meaning to do the Vodafone application form for ages but I had kept putting it off as I was super busy, however one evening I sat down and wrote my cover letter and answers to a few simple questions and sent them off with my CV. I really liked the Vodafone application form in comparison to most of the graduate applications I was used to, which were endless questions and hundreds of boxes to fill in. I like to think my CV speaks for itself and by compacting the selling of myself into a short cover letter, I was able to get across the most important points concisely and highlight my best assets!

I was then invited to complete the dreaded verbal and numerical reasoning tests- an absolute pain! I really tried hard to complete them to the best of my ability although I was convinced I'd failed the numerical one... I'm bloody awful at Maths so I ended up guessing a fair few of the answers!

However, the next day I was told I had passed the tests (I was so shocked!) and was invited to complete a video interview. I actually found this part of the recruitment process really fun and had to sit infront on my iPad and wait for the questions to pop up then I had 30 seconds to prepare my answer before I recorded it and then they sped off to Vodafone! The questions were really varied and ranged from what 3 things would I take to a desert island to more specific to Vodafone. However, I believe this part of the process wasn't specific to a particular department so they were still fairly general.

Then the next day, I got another email saying I'd made it through to the next stage and could I come in for an assessment centre a week later!! It all happened within the space of a few days which was really awesome as it was all fresh in my mind and I could really focus all of my attention on the application.

So I headed to Newbury, Vodafone's HQ which is absolutely awesome- really modern and so Vodafied (new word!). There were lots of other candidates- I'd say around 30, however we were told that there were lots of ACs happening over a few weeks and they were recruiting for 150 roles- so the element of competition was eliminated from the atmosphere- something I really hate when going for a job interview, I'd much rather people sell themselves as who they are... rather than who they are compared to a competitor.

All of the employees running the day were absolutely lovely, and lots of current grads came throughout the day to answer any questions we had. I felt really relaxed and not at all nervous- I'm not sure if this was due to the speed at which I'd breezed through the previous application stages or the fact that the other candidates were really lovely, but I was really keen to get through the day!

My first activity was a presentation based on a case study, which we had 45 minutes to read through and provide recommendations and analysis based on downfalls of a business. I found this really easy as I study services marketing and the task was really similar to what we do within the module- I also really liked my interviewer and delivered the presentation to him whilst making jokes and got along with him. It didn't feel like a normal, formal interview and that's what I really liked about the day.

We were then given a coffee break before I was invited to have a one-to-one interview with one of the Sales Directors. He asked me a number of competency questions which I found really simple and he liked my blog, enactus, placement year and my self-employed event work- I felt really prepared and had lots of examples to give!

Then, he started asking me more marketing-specific questions, some about social media which I found OK and then one which threw me off slightly.... he asked "what are the three most important things when creating a marketing campaign?" I was totally thrown off and I almost argued back to him saying how subjective the question was, I hadn't been given any context whatsoever and on that basis, how could I answer when I had no idea what the objectives were, who the target audience was or what media was being used?

I know he was just reading the questions off a piece of paper, but I felt as though the question wasn't testing my marketing knowledge (which arguably is fairly in-depth) so I got a little frustrated. I could tell he was trying to guide me a little which helped... however I knew I hadn't done so well on that particular question.

We were then given a tour of the offices, set in gorgeous green space with loads of client space, a gym and Starbucks AND Costa... slightly better than what was on offer at IBM I must say.... the current graduates answered loads of questions and were super friendly.

It was then my turn to complete the group exercise, and one of the grads had told me during the tour it was about developing an app (not sure if he should have told me that- but thanks ;-)) so I had been thinking about it and therefore when we all sat down and were given the task- I already had an idea in my head. My group were all really confident and respectful, and my app idea was chosen by the entire group which made me feel really happy! The assessors asked us questions at the end which I think I nailed to be honest!

I left the day feeling really positive and weighing up the idea of living in Newbury... I've wanted to move to London for so long that I wasn't sure... however Vodafone looked like really awesome employers.

Vodafone had told us they'd let us know the outcome of the day before the weekend (the AC was on the Wednesday) so I was pretty much glued to my phone all day on the Friday, despite being in London on and off the tube... and the second they rang I happened to be in the bloody lift going down to Covent Garden station so I couldn't answer! Then my phone ran out of battery! It was such a palava!!

However, when I did manage to phone back, I was told I'd passed the Assessment Centre... however I was told I'd been put on to the Sales stream rather than the Marketing stream as they felt that was a better fit!! Not going to lie, I was gutted, I'd really wanted to get on to the Marketing stream and wasn't happy at all going in to sales, however the salary was reasonable and at least it was A job... so I asked for the weekend to think about it.

However, over the weekend I'd thought more and more about it and realized that I hadn't put 4 years of my life into pursuing a career in marketing to then take a sales job, I decided my passions came first so when she rang me back on the Monday I politely declined the offer.

I was just expecting a complete rejection, however- I was then passed on to the head of recruitment who I somehow managed to convince to put me on the marketing stream! I explained that I was really passionate about a career in marketing and that I had worked so hard for it and I knew that the reason I had been moved to sales was because of that one bloody question! So she asked me what I would have said instead and then said she would move me as she could sense my passion!
I felt so good about myself then and I knew it's exactly where I want to be- so I'm very chuffed to say I will be joining the marketing department at Vodafone this September as a graduate!

118 118 what ARE they up to?

Who doesn't remember these two? 

The 118 118 'Got Your Number' ad was one of the most memorable ads of the early 2000's and started a catchphrase, characters and humour which the nation quickly latched on to and created a stable brand for 118 118 based on their directory enquiries hotline.

The marketing campaign was an absolute hit and the brand became engraved in the minds of the public. The 'Got Your Number' catchphrase was entirely relevant to the brand's offering, the brand had a unique personality and their offering was ultimately clear.
The directory hotline was a great offering back in 2005, when mobile phone ownership was reaching over 80% of the population and a desire for instant information. However, of course with the rapid increase in the use and ownership of smartphones in recent years, 118 118 had a new competitor aside from the numerous other telephone directory services- mobile internet. Consumers can now instantly search for any phone number of piece of information they'd like and best of all- it's free (if included in your data plan). 
Like any business, 118 118 have been working to adapt to this newly emerging competition and I'm not entirely sure their strategy is effective. These are a couple of examples of their new ads in which they try to directly compete with the mobile internet:

I'm not entirely sure what the value that 118 118 are trying to bring to the table is, of course they are trying to compete on the speed of their service, however with mobile networks also constantly working to improve their mobile speeds- I can't see this working as a long-term strategy?
They are of course using the same great branding, however- they aren't offering anything new through these ads and their isn't a real sense of change and adaption here- the company needs to be more forward-thinking and dynamic.
However, as I was driving today, I heard a radio advert for 118 118 Money- offering short-term loans. This new direction for the brand is interesting, however now they are competing with the big dogs at Wonga- who are known for pay day loans! Wonga's branding surrounds this market and in the consumers' minds they are the first brand that comes to mind. 
118 118 are of course trying to differentiate as they sense the lack of demand for a telephone directory service, however it seems that entering an entirely new, unrelated market is extremely risky and will require strong marketing to ensure that customers see the brand in this new light- frankly I can't see it working when they are up against Wonga who's marketing is on point throughout the loans sector.
Let me know your thoughts!

Judging for Target Jobs National Graduate Recruitment Awards 2015!!

This week, I was lucky enough to be asked to judge the Target Jobs National Graduate Recruitment Awards 2015 at the Guardian Head Office in London! As a committee member of Enactus and on the graduate job hunter I was honored to be asked to be part of the judging panel!

I am a judge today! 🙎 At @guardian head office judging The Target Jobs National Graduate Recruitment Awards!! pic.twitter.com/hZmuIddZEZ
— Steph Clark (@stefclarkx) February 13, 2015

So off I went to the Guardian offices where I met lots of other students, both university and school leavers. I was put into a team with 7 other university students and we were given the task of judging 'The best student marketing campaign for organisations recruiting more than 50 graduates a year'.

Teams are working hard judging away!!! pic.twitter.com/xJwu2P6Bep
— Steph Clark (@stefclarkx) February 13, 2015

We had over 50 campaigns to sift through, so it was a super long day as most organisations had sent through huge packs, some of which contained videos, iPads, interactive games and storyboards. However, it really gave me a chance to see a) how large organisations are marketing their graduate schemes to potential recruits and b) which firms I would love to work for based on the innovation, creativity and messages that were displayed.

At the end of the day- the more students you reach and inspire, the more will apply and therefore the better chance you will have of recruiting a higher standard of candidate! I understand that some firms have bigger budgets than others, but I'm talking FTSE 100 companies here- you would be surprised by the lack of imagination that had been brought to the table!

I can't reveal the campaigns yet due to confidentiality! However when the awards take place in June I will try and do a follow-up post about the ones I liked!

The firms that shocked me weren't the kind of organisations you would expect! I was really shocked by the marketing campaigns I rated the highest! I was also surprised by how engaging and exciting I found these campaigns- marketing jobs or a workplace wasn't something I'd really ever thought about. Of course marketing products and services is something that had been drilled in to me, but never marketing a job! It really is true that you can market anything and everything!

However, the whole experience did make me thing about what stands out in a recruitment marketing campaign and I did a bit of research to find some really creative examples (these weren't part of the entries I was judging):

IKEA

When IKEA needed new employees, they created a piece of direct mail and consistent with their branding in the style of a flat-pack instruction manual. They then slid this into every flat pack piece of furniture purchased by a customer. This was a really simple, yet effective idea and a way of reaching a wide target audience, yet was completely cost effective. The physicality of the job advert was also really shareable, it allowed a talking point and perhaps cut through the noise of other, typical job adverts such as those in newspapers and online. I believe one would be much more likely to take notice, read the advert and perhaps show it to someone who they felt might be suitable, if they didn't feel suitable themselves.

OgilvyOne
The kings of advertising, if anything, should be able to market a role within their advertising empire right? I love this recruitment video for an internship, which invites candidates to send in a video of them 'selling a brick'. The actor is superb and it really sells the tough world of advertising and doesn't candy coat the skills and determination needed.
This was a highly targeted social media and YouTube campaign which really meant 1-on-1 contact between candidate and employer before any sort of formal interview!

Mastercard
Mastercard effectively used social media to find their new interns and used the hashtag #InternsWanted to attract graduates, who then submitted a new innovative idea to help Mastercard move towards cashless payment. This really meant that the employer could gain a sense of candidates' creativity and entrepreneurship without having to read through lengthy application forms. The entrants won an internship based on the number of 'likes' or 'retweets' they achieved! 
Of course, this is a totally new way to hire employees and it wouldn't work for every role- but the engagement and connection is really new and exciting! 

Those are just a few really interesting recruitment campaigns which have totally made me think about the creativity that can surround marketing job roles or companies as employers! It's such an interesting area and I'd love to read any more so please do tweet them to me at @stefclarkx or pop them in the comments!
Overall, I had a great day at the Target Jobs judging day and can't wait until the winners are revealed! I also met some really great fellow judges and mentors on the day who I hope to see again in the future.
Stephanie.

The American Take Over: Cadbury's Creme Egg

Now for me, Creme Egg is one of the best marketed products out there, the seasonality, the teaser marketing, the ridiculously large fan base and the brand personality which Cadbury have created.

The treat is synonymous with Easter and the chocolate delights that come with the celebration!

However, an outcry about this year's Creme Eggs has swarmed over social media and consumers are not happy! Cadbury is one of the best British brands out there and a brand that British people are very proud of, however when they were bought by Mondelez International (was Kraft) in 2010, a lot of people were skeptical of a great brand being taken over by an American corporation. The company was very important to the UK economy and Mondelez shut down a British factory and stopped sending Christmas chocolate tins to their retired employees.... but this was the start of many changes for Cadbury, which didn't go down well with the British public.

Any one would have thought than since then, Cadbury would be doing their upmost to regain the trust and loyalty of British consumers. However, there have been a number of shocking decisions made by the company, which sees consumers slipping further and further away from the brand they used to love....

Creme Egg Controversy

This article in the Telegraph here talks about the changes that Cadbury have made to the Creme Egg recipe which now does not use Dairy Milk chocolate in its coating, instead uses a milk chocolate which consumers argue ruins the great Creme Egg taste they know and love. The company also lowered the pack size from 6 eggs to 5, yet kept the price the same AND made the egg smaller.

Has anyone tried a creme egg this year? So disappointing. Just not the same anymore 😩 #c... http://t.co/wWHpyPSQX6 pic.twitter.com/YvsIXPVjE4
— Laura • Lola&Behold (@LolaandBehold) January 25, 2015

@CadburyUK I'm so sad not to be buying #CremeEgg anymore - do let me know if you change your mind and want my business again
— Martin HB (@hblondon) January 25, 2015

Start of the end for @cadburyuk Creme Egg - you don't mess with the chocolate! http://t.co/c0OoQXUoJk
— Andrew Barnes (@itchypaws) January 17, 2015

Chocolate coins axed

Cadbury announced at Christmas 2014, that they would no longer be selling their chocolate coins due to them no longer making profit on the product. Supermarket's own branded chocolate coins took most of the business away from Cadbury, however the consumers who love the Cadbury chocolate taste were left without their favourite Christmas stocking filler treat.

First @CadburyUK killed Chocolate Coins, now they fucking with Creme Eggs? WHY DO YOU HATE OUR HOLIDAY CHOCOLATE SO? http://t.co/l9R5vM987Y
— NEAFCY (@PNeafcy) January 12, 2015

Cadbury’s discontinues chocolate coins ahead of Christmas http://t.co/VYe03r2ysA The end of Christmas as we know it? #ChocCoinGate
— Bill Bruce (@BillFoodBev) October 29, 2014

Cutting corners (literally)

Cadbury rounded the corners on the Dairy Milk pieces in order to cut costs.... yet still charged the consumer the same price. They are clearly putting in every cost-saving measure to ensure maximum profits. This reduced the size of the bar by 4grams... when you add up all the bars of Dairy Milk they sell, this adds up to a huge saving for Cadbury! The brand put it down to the 'melt in the mouth' experience of the new shape.... consumers were having none of it!

What can Cadbury learn?

Anyone who knows anything about how to run a business and market products knows that knowing and understanding your customers' needs and wants is the number one rule and is at the core of success.

The Cadbury brand has high emotional attachment, nostalgia and links to every British person's childhood. Cadbury needs to understand that we love the brand and when a big American corporation comes in and starts messing with our Cadbury, whether that be packaging, traditions or recipes... we are going to make them pay! 

Mondelez have been putting profits before consumers and eventually they need to wake up and smell the coffee!

It seems as though Cadbury has a lot of making up to do if it wants the British consumer to put Cadbury back in it's hearts as their favourite chocolate brand!

Stephanie

Why creating DEMAND from consumers is the best marketing tool!

I don't know about you but everywhere I've driven, every TV show I've watched and every social media channel I've browsed in the last couple of weeks, I can't help but noticed McDonald's new marketing campaign, whether it be in outdoor advertising, TV and radio ads or paid posts across Facebook and Twitter;

Post by McDonald's.

@krpickersgill @McDonalds trouble is when you get one it will look nothing like that, more like it's just been stood on or run over!!
— Keith J Last (@kentishmale) December 15, 2014

Yes, the McRib is back! Now, I can't say I'm a regular McDonalds visitor myself, but judging the hype on social media, this was a clearly loved product. The McRib product is often introduced for limited periods of time and then taken off the menu. Clearly the marketing spend around bringing the McRib back has been huge as I have seen it just about everywhere! By creating these touchpoints, consumers can build their excitement and remember the product everywhere they go.

Now, one may argue why do McDonalds created this 'limited-time-only' product? If it's so popular- why don't they just keep it on the menu year-round? 

Well, from what I can tell, when it was on the menu permanently, the sales were low... yet not low enough to keep it off forever... so here are the reasons I believe that the intermittent reintroduction of McRib is a great marketing strategy;

1. It creates a sense of urgency in the consumer: It's available for a limited time only! The consumer must stock up if they want to make the most of the product whilst it's still around. The great thing about food is that it's perishable... so customers can go back to McDonalds as many times as possible in the time period in order to repurchase.
2. Nostalgia: Customers may remember the product from the past and want to relive perceived 'happier times'... this also applies to brands who have executed this brilliantly e.g. Cadbury's Wispa
3. Retains customers who may not be regular customers: Customers who might not regularly make trips to McDonalds may do so purely to purchase the McGrill- this therefore brings in extra custom and the potential to retain them further/ up or cross-sell.
4. Creates a great talking point: We all know social mentions and shares are fundamental to establishing an online presence, therefore something which consumers feel their peers may talk about/ something which they perceive to be 'safe' to discuss like McDonalds food.... is likely to be highly discussed. This also applies to the offline world.
5. Something new, but not a risk: New products can hit it off with consumers, but their sales are usually low to begin with due to consumers fearing trying something new. However, the fact that McDonalds have brought this back because it was so well loved in the past, which is a message highly reiterated in their marketing communications activity for McGrill, consumers are much more likely to buy it. When your peers like something- you are likely to want to like it too!
6. Customers feel like they have achieved something: By creating a 'hype' or an upstorm about bringing the product back, customers feel like they have caused this and therefore they feel a better connection with the brand as they feel as though their needs are being listened to. Effectively, this is the case, but it also brings more awareness and talk around the brand itself

This is the kind of genius marketing I get excited about!! So simple yet so effective!

Stephanie

Using social media 'fame' in advertising

We have all seen the people who are famous just from being on the internet? Believe it or not there are hundreds of 'celebrities' who have risen to fame just from publishing content on the internet... from Jenna Marbles, Zoella and Tyler Oakley, the Youtube 'vloggers' who have risen to fame, to Brittany Furlan and Dapper Laughs who created entertaining Vines to instagram stars like Amalia Ulman and Kordale and Kaleb Lewis.

Whether they create videos, blogs or images, these content creators have all been able to capitalise on their social media channels and become idols in their followers' eyes.

But what does this mean for brands?

Brands often struggle to create viral content themselves and therefore why not take something (or someone) that is already viral and associate yourself with it. These so-called 'stars' have allowed brands to be represented by people who consumers look up to, associate with, are already engaged in a two-way conversation with and mostly who they consider to be real people. 

Celebrities can be fantastic endorsers of brands however, as in a previous blog post, I spoke about the credibility of using movie stars/ singers with consumer brands... who actually believes said Hollywood actress actually shops at *insert low-cost store here*. However with these online social media content-creators, the idea that they are similar and relatable to by the target audience is a real selling point in the eyes of consumers. I think this article sums it up nicely.

How have brands been doing this already?

Sponsored videos/ blog posts/ tweets

Brands can pay those who they believe to be influencial/ have a viewing demographic which matches your target audience, who then review products or talk about their benefits and share the review with their users.
However, this can come across as inauthentic and consumers/ viewers are very aware of what is paid and what isn't. However, it certainly gets the brand out there and creates awareness. Brands also have to be conscious of how well the sponsoree can communicate their brand values/ product benefits.

Add to the quality of what they already produce

I believe this is an extremely effective tool, as you are no longer asking the endorser to do something they wouldn't usually, you are actually aiding them to achieve what they usually would and for the reason their subscribers/ followers like them so much.

A great example is Nikon, who teamed up with gay couple Kordale and Kaleb Lewis who's Instagram snap below went viral:

Being fathers is getting our daughters up at 5:30 am making breakfast getting them dressed for school and putting them on the bus by 6:30 .This is a typical day in our household . It's not easy but we enjoy every moment and eveny minute of #fatherhood . #proudfathers #blackfathers #prouddads #gaydads

A photo posted by Kordale N Kaleb (@kordalenkaleb) on Jan 14, 2014 at 7:17am PST

This was a great chance for Nikon to associate with great role models and ambassadors, who the spotlight is on at the moment. I also believe the collaboration is a great move, the digital camera industry is dying due to the use of smartphones and it is a great chance for Nikon to move into the 21st century and relate to hot topics.

The concept of gay marriage is highly debated and this will allow strong messages from both the couple and Nikon and in my opinion is a fantastic move for both parties. They created this brilliant ad:

Social media fame is on the rise

I believe all brands should ensure their marketers are active enough on social media to notice and understand who these people are, and what their stories are so that they can understand their value and relevance to the brands they work with!

What IS experiential marketing?

Every time I mention my work in experiential marketing, I always get a funny look as some one asks "What on earth is that?!" even from people within the marketing industry, experiential or guerrilla marketing is a niche area which not all brands execute successfully/ to the best of their ability. However, some absolutely excel at it- and for them, it is a highly valuable and invaluable marketing tool which helps the consumer EXPERIENCE the brand.

Traditional advertising provides the consumer with visual and verbal communication- however experiential helps consumers taste, touch, smell and feel the brand- so this involves any physical interaction.... it can be described as 'events' to a certain extent, however not as one might think of conferences, festivals or fashion shows- however these can actually be great examples too! Can you tell why I love this industry yet?

It's actually a huge industry and brands are increasingly seeing it's value and spending more on exepriences and there are so many examples of how to execute great brand experience.

Heidi Cohen defines it beautifully "Experiential marketing enables prospects and customers to interact and connect with your offering in a way that creates memorable branded experiences. Based on these brand-related encounters, customers become more connected to and invested in your offering. This results in increased awareness and sales for B2C, B2B and NFP (not-for-profit) brands."

There's a great statistic which says something like "You are 10 times more likely to tell a friend about something you've experienced". It's a great way to set a positive image of your brand in the consumer's mind and they are so much more likely to remember your brand rather than a TV ad which they've seen amongst 100 others that day. You are also much more likely to share your experience on social media and these posts become ads in their own right- however this is when you are translating into earned media.

The aim is to acquire customers and achieve long-term brand loyalty and therefore achieve a lifetime customer.

In order to be successful, brand experience activity must;
1. Fit with your brand values and communicate them in a way in which the customer understands them.
2. Exist in a space where your target audience are present (of course- that step exists for any marketing activity, but there's no point sampling men's aftershave at a Beyonce concert....)
3. Allow it to be social! Encourage people who take part to share their experiences online through #hashtags, photo sharing or taggable 'check ins'- for every person who takes part, there could be another 100+ who see the experience and see it as desirable!
4. Encourage some sort of emotion- whether than be fun, humour, delight or just thoughtfulness or consideration!
5. Use trained and well-briefed staff to represent the brand correctly

Great examples of brand experience in action

Coca-Cola

How could I not mention Coca-Cola, these guys are the absolute kings of experiential marketing and they absolutely excel at using experiences to engage consumers, deliver their brand message and create shareable content. I've worked for the brand a number of times and they are constantly executing well thought out, consistent, clever events. They have hundreds of examples from the coca-cola truck to share a coke bottles printed in shopping centres, this being a particular favourite: 

Haagen-Dazs

This is a pretty standard campaign- but of course effective as the brand is fantastically represented in a number of methods which allow the consumer to interact. The campaign involves sampling, photo (so the consumer can take away something physical) and a competition. Great touch points which last outside of the event. They also managed to get their brand heavily covered across the fashion event.

Pepsi

This is a brilliant use of technology and Pepsi's video went viral which can be an important objective when executing campaigns. I can guarantee those participants definitely told someone about their experience!

Audi

Another example of how technology is driving outstanding brand experience from Audi. There really is so much more brands can do to engage their audience. This is directly related to the product and therefore conveys innovation, forward-thinking and creativity.

 In summary- experiential marketing is physical, tangible, conveys emotion and happens in real-time.