Marketing Themes in Ethics and Regulation

An article from Advertising Age, written by Kate Kaye, brings to light extremely relevant insights on advertising and digital regulation, with support from the Pew Research Center Internet Project study.



With the rise of the digital revolution comes growing concerns about privacy amongst consumers. According to the research mentioned in Kaye’s article: “91% of participants ‘agree’ or ‘strongly agree’ that consumers have lost control over how their personal data is collected and used by corporations”.

I would further add that the burgeoning number of loosely regulated surveys and other forms of poorly administered data gathering — often in the name of marketing — raises an urgent need for regulatory frameworks that ensure quality, trust and security for internet goers and other online consumers.

This study, while reporting on a U.S. research project, would produce similar results if replicated in Australia. Our Masters students, within the University of Sydney Business School, should know of the work that the Association of Market and Social Research Organisations (www.amsro.com.au) does. Additionally, its Privacy Code is co-regulated by the Australian Privacy Commissioner.



I see consumer data privacy as one of the enduring issues facing marketing in this decade and beyond. The University of Sydney Master of Marketing program is one of the few in this country that has a specialised unit of study addressing this issue called ‘Regulatory Environment and Ethics.’ In addition, the Masters program is one of only two that are accredited by the Australian Marketing Institute (www.ami.org.au), which is also a strong advocate of best practice, particularly on this matter. The Discipline of Marketing holds Corporate Membership in the institute and, last month, was a sponsor of the AMI National Awards for Marketing Excellence.

Terry Beed
Hon Associate Professor of Marketing at the University of Sydney Business School

Marketing on Instagram – Mercedes Benz GLA

Marketing on social media platforms is no longer an uncharted territory, but for many brands the challenge they face is in creating content and campaigns that are both innovative, and completely engaging for their target market. It’s quite easy to create great looking content, but to create a branded experience on these channels is much more difficult, and especially so on Instagram where users have limited functionality with the mobile application.

Mercedes Benz, however, have stepped up to the plate and created an ‘Insta-experience’ through which followers of the brand can create a customised version of the Mercedes Benz GLA (their latest product offering). I’ll save you a detailed explanation of how this actually goes down in lieu of a short video explaining the same.
As an avid Instagram user myself, I’m immediately drawn to anything I can repeatedly tap my fingers on, and the ‘Choose your GLA’ experience wholly delivers on this front with a slew of ‘options’ that you can select in the process of creating your own Mercedes Benz vehicle. It’s clear that the campaign was intended to have this affect, as mentioned by the Mark Aikman, department manager of Digital Marketing and CRM at Mercedes-Benz USA; ‘Instagram is obviously a platform where people are to have a little bit of fun. We’re talking about the product in a channel that’s really authentic for the millennial consumer and for our brand. This [campaign] teaches them about the product and gives them something enjoyable to do.’

Although I can’t attest to whether this is an Instagram-first campaign, it’s a communication model that definitely has the potential to catch on, and could work for many other brands seeking to create a similar customised consumer experience on this platform.

To experience this campaign for yourself, visit Build Your Own GLA.

Salil Kumar
Current student in the Master of Marketing program at the University of Sydney Business School

Personal branding: How good does your internship really look?

I frequently wonder: what does an internship really do for you? Of course, it has to be different for everyone. For example, some people learn necessary computer skills and operating systems within a company. However, for others, they already knew how to lick an envelope and send the letter. What is the objective purpose of internships, what guidelines are there, and how good does it really make you look while reassessing your personal brand?

First of all, Australia is very well set-up in terms of regulations guarding unpaid positions. These positions are therefore objectively outlined as unproductive work. This would be similar to shadowing, or attending information sessions from which you can learn about a company or particular roles within a company. Any product work must be covered under minimum wages. Therefore, if a certain internship role requires the actual production of trial material, or demands some kind of labour, you must be paid for the position. This isn’t necessarily the case in other countries such as the U.S.

Next, what type of internship really builds your resume? Some people tend to take on internship roles, go unpaid for a while, and then list it on a CV when it comes time to move on and find pay. Internships are also thought to boost your hiring potential. But can you honestly say that you'd learnt something about that company or that role? For example, if you interned at a marketing research firm, can you say that you know the difference between quantitative and qualitative data? Can you explain a time where you drew an insight, built it into a presentation, and fully explained your discovered concept? This experience can strengthen your resume, at which point it probably shouldn’t be called an internship, but instead a project. Internships where you can't express any produced skills may only hurt you in such competitive job markets these days.

Most importantly, internships, paid or unpaid, will always exist. So what is their true purpose and value? Personally, I think the purpose is bi-directional. Some companies want to appear socially responsible, as well as scout new talent in the field. Some individuals want to learn a specific job not taught to them in school, as well as try to get their foot in the door with their target company. The prescribed purpose however is to advance talent and individuals’ careers while keeping the company within their employment budgets.

Ultimately, the experience is what you make of it. I participate in projects. That’s part of my personal brand. But if you find an internship you can truly convert into a skill and explainable experience, then by all means boast your internship. Positioning and wording is key here.

Christine Drpich
Current student in the Master of Marketing program at the University of Sydney Business School

MONA and The Art of Words

Over breakfast this morning one of my clever classmates reminded me that the heart of communication is not simply what we say, but how we say it. It was a simple, offhand comment that got me thinking about the many messages we’re bombarded with daily, and how a brand I experienced over the weekend cut through this noise using the simplest of tools.

Thanks to an invitation from good friends to share in their Tasmanian wedding, I had the amazing pleasure of visiting Hobart over the weekend to spend time at MONA, the Museum of Old and New Art. Yet to even reach its 4th birthday, this irreverent private gallery burst into existence at the dawn of 2011, the child of the Tasmanian millionaire David Walsh. In his own words, he described MONA as a ‘subversive adult Disneyland’ (Young, 2011), and having experienced it for myself I can attest to its ability to both delight and disturb in equal measure.

MONA sits like a fort on the headland, protecting its secrets within
(http://www.fkaustralia.com/project/s/name/mona-museum/)

Much has been written about the stunning architectural feats of Nonda Katisilidis and his masterful integration of concrete, stone, rusted steal and glass to create a cavernous underground gallery akin to an oversized labyrinthine playground. Even more words have been penned about the art collection itself, controversially capturing the visceral journey of life to death.

The art and architecture have created a unique destination for Hobart, but that’s been well documented. What I wanted to explore was a more intimate experience with the brand, reinforcing the brand experience with how it expressed itself in simple words.

The cavernous labyrinthe playground at the heart of MONA
(http://artblart.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/mona-corten-stairwell-2.jpg?w=655&h=473)

As a young upstart to the traditional and stayed art institutes, it was the words MONA used to speak with viewers that struck me with their unique approach. To put it simply, MONA spoke as a self-confident young upstart, happy to irreverently poke fun at the establishment. It leverages humour and colloquialism to reposition art as less highbrow and more approachable, cleverly opening itself up to a wider audience of consumers.

Using this tone of voice also worked to create a unique position in the art world, one many older institutions would find hard to attack, through its choice of words. The opening description at MONA captures this tone nicely, and sets up the execution throughout all touch points of written marketing communications; ‘Looking at art used to be boring. It still is, maybe, but at least here at MONA you can get drunk and/or rage against the machine’.

The O gallery tour app at MONA consistently employs the brands tone of voice
(http://www.mona.net.au/theo/)

Other examples include The O, MONA’s art tour app provided to all guests upon arrival. Where most galleries would present the curators commentary, MONA referred to theirs as ‘Art Wank’, irreverently illustrated with a stylized male phallus. Locals, who are provided free entry to the gallery, were told ‘If you are Tasmanian, and identify yourself as such (yes, yes, second head, etc etc), you get in for free’. The VIP lounge on the high-speed ferry is called the Posh Pit, available ‘for a mere fifty bucks’ which is ‘posh as’. Even the branded festivals hit the mark, with the upcoming MOFO sticking it to the system.

The MONA festival MOFO plays up the irreverence
(http://mofo.net.au)

They are just words and a small part of what the MONA brands says about itself. But with the noise of communication competing for our attention, they represent an important channel to consider in delivering a consistent and engaging brand experience for consumers. The pen is mightier than the sword, and a brands tone of voice an asset not to be forgotten.

Duncan Bell
Current student in the Master of Marketing program at the University of Sydney Business School