Sub-Competition

If only Australia knew what Publix was….the best and freshest supermarket ever! I will admit that Woolworths provides a close rivalry, both in design and services, but for some reason, Publix just makes me want to buy food, and here’s why:

Publix is host to fresh, New York style deli's, even though the chain is typically operational in the South and Midwest of the US. Additionally, these deli’s offer many services, from cold cuts to freshly made sandwiches. When living in the Orlando, Florida area, I began to time my shopping trips around meals, so that I could easily grab a fresh and customised lunch while I ran my errands: completely effortless. Less driving around, more efficiency. I’m sure some marketers spent a great deal of time studying shopping behaviour in that area to find how much people hated driving in the crowded city.

(Source: The305)

Seen above is the outcome of a typical deli order. You can create a meal including a sub, a drink and chips. Sounds familiar right? Well, rumour has it, Publix is about to create stand alone deli services to rival Subway. Talk about a disruption and expansion strategy! Lucky for Subway, previously there were minimal fast food chains pitching health food items, or at least, healthier options. Whereas McDonalds offers a crispy chicken wrap and calls it healthy, Subway always let people customise their wraps to their own taste and health level, such as Whole Grain bread options, or Spinach Wraps, etc.

But now, since us Floridians have been buying our lunch and dinner deli items at Publix anyway, we can plan food stops separately from our normal shopping and spend some more time enjoying it, since Publix Products are made in front of you, instead of coming out of the freezer or fridge, clearly visable.

Interestingly enough, Publix plans to do the majority of its testing with this chain in Florida. But Publix plans on implementing the concept on a more global basis, given that Subway has the most locations of any fast food store (in league with McDonald’s here), and it will be hard to compete on convenience. This is a beautifully tailored disruption strategy, offering a premium fast food option, and the exclusivity should even aid them even more in this instance. I just hope they can come to Australia and everyone here can start loving deli sandwiches - No more Pies!

This semester, our newest cohorts of Master of Marketing students are enrolled in a course known as Marketing in the Global Economy. There, they will learn how to break through such boarders/barriers with products of their own choosing. Strategising and implementing local information will be able to aid them in truly finding a need for their product in certain markets. In this instance, Australians may really not like deli sandwiches, or alternatively, there could be the capacity for the idea to take hold - just make sure you all do your homework before making the jump!

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

MetaData

Apparently, everyone is up in arms about a new law in Australia being passed which will allow Telcom companies within Australia access to tracking-type information produced by mobile devices and internet usages for personal users.

MetaData is typically known to give up information, such a specific location, particular views, searches, phone calls, text messages and more. The reason why everyone is so up in arms about it is because people want to keep their private life, private. Australians wonder why their government needs to read their text messages in order to provide safety? Additionally, they wonder why they have to pay taxes to the government which will possibly fund the Telcom companies to produce and monitor this data.

The following video explains, in a very funny, yet serious, way, how this very small matter has been made very big, and exactly how it could impact you:

At first, I was listening along, and getting into it. I was feeling kind of angry. Why do they need to know who I call and potentially read my messages in order to keep me safe while temporarily residing in Australia? It was a valid question, until the news cast continued to explain the similar, if not more aggressive, pathways the USA has already implemented for a very long time to elicit the same data from people residing on its soil. Basically, we’re left between a rock and a hard place: Its understandable purely to help keep us safe and pin point people who are not using certain technological resources with ethical/moral intent. But on the other hand, if the Telcom companies are responsible for it, they could simply sell out our information to the highest bidder.

Enter marketing firms, advertising agencies and big businesses who want new moves. This is the exciting stuff. Personally, I even love data mining. It’s way better than reading a story. It’s like reading a story about a bunch of people who are completely real and who can lead you to an incredible amount of new ideas to help make you and your company a whole lot of money! As hypocritical as that all sounds, marketers aren’t the bad guys here. Marketers will simply just want to use the data, should it exist, but also have other means of capturing relevant information about their consumers for the time being.

So what do you think? Should metadata be for sale? Should it be collected in general? And, where do you draw the line between private information and relinquished rights under terms of usage? If you don’t do anything questionable, don’t trigger any red flags, then what do you have to hide anyways? Honestly, there are probably bigger things to worry about then some company checking your search history to identify child pornographers or terrorists who pose potential threat to the greater community.

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

Something’s Wrong with this Picture…

I commute to work every day, and I’ve noticed a bunch of interesting advertisements placed in the bus stand media window. First, it was for the old computer game known as “The Sims”, where you build a little life and a house for your virtual character. It was super fun, but even more fun when you figured out the cheat code to make yourself more money and build a bigger house! It was cool to see this company trying to make a comeback for the game. But then, I saw the below ad:

(Photo by Christine Drpich - Waterloo)

Please excuse the sideways and poorly taken photo, however, I think the point is still captured. There are definitely professional athletic Australian women on TV and featured on sports channels! At first glance, I thought the ad and promotion was only featuring men's sports, which would be even worse. But after reading the small print at the bottom, I’ve come to realise it’s actually for multiple sports channels, which go unlisted, but I’m still assuming they highlight women’s sports as well. So why aren’t women featured on the ad?

Your first thought might be, well women’s sports may not have as many followers, and therefore not evoke the kind of revenue that allows them to be televised or afford that publicity. But if they aren’t on TV, then they’ll definitely never be able to achieve a widespread following like the men’s sports. It’s kind of like the question, which comes first, the chicken or the egg? Do you need to be publicised to create the following, or do you need the following to earn you the publicity? Regardless, women work just as hard as men, and often at the same exact sports that the men play. Why aren’t they featured here?

Another thought may be, well, there aren’t as many professional women’s teams, or there aren’t as many games played to be televised. Again, another faulty logic. If that’s the case, all of the teams, individuals, games, matches, etc. that there are, should be extremely well highlighted. Out of all the countries in the world, Australia is one of the most progressive in gender equality, so the least they could have done was highlight some of their female professional athletes who are just as lean and mean as the male rugby players here. I tried to reason through the ad with my little knowledge of Australian sports, and wondered if maybe every male featured on this ad was truly from a different sport. I counted: NRL rugby team member, Union rugby team member, Formula One racer, two soccer players, an AFL footy team member, and then another two rugby duplicates. Those spots easily could have been given to women in those respective sports. Or even women in different fields such as tennis. Australia has incredible tennis players, and tennis is probably featured on at least one out of the billion sports channels you get in this Foxtel package.

It’s kind of sad to see yet another ad missing the women’s perspective. I wonder if this ad was created by a male? To be honest, I didn’t really look for or even acknowledge these small inequalities in ads or publicity, until I attended the International Women’s Day Breakfast as a guest of the Business School about two weeks ago. I was typically of the belief that acknowledging these little inequalities was petty, and only further perpetuated the inequality and the thought there of. However, I would like to see Foxtel redo the ad and incorporate some of Australia’s professional athletic women. They work just as hard, compete just as much, and love their sport and their fans, just as much.

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

Uber: Breaking through both cities and generations

I was surprised to hear last week some interesting reviews from my friend's parents about how much they loved Uber X. To be honest, I was kind of surprised - could our parents really understand and utilise an app and service that works so fast I almost can’t even keep up? Well of course they can! They’re competent, and intelligent, and most of all, still young at heart - and that’s why I think they really love Uber X.

Uber, the alternative and customised taxi-like car service, has tailored a unique car-pooling service to young college students or part-time available car owners. These car owners can work a few hours a day, with their own personal car (model has to be newer than 2006) and make some money picking up fellow stranded city-goers. Not only does this create jobs that are flexible to people with pre-scheduled activities, but it opens up safer transportation to people who would potentially not have enough money to pay for an official taxi service, or who would drive their own car otherwise and not necessarily be capable of doing so safely.

(Source: uber.com/cities/sydney)

Speaking of affordability, above you can see the base rates and continuing rates for Uber X. In this case, you’re meeting a potential new friend and saving some money! No wonder all of the parents love it. It’s quick, cheap, and has many “on demand” options to fit their needs best. Additionally, our parents have been our long time supporters and budgeters, so they definitely know how to pick a deal when they see one. After all, having an app that stores your credit card information securely, removes the hassle of payment at the end of your ride, customises your ride to your needs, and can pick you up at your exact pin point location, hasn’t really forgotten anything.

Following the type of company Uber runs and the services they provide, you begin to wonder how they even create all of these masterfully solved city “puzzles.” Well, check out their company culture throughout this video.

Company culture is not only an aspect of crucial internal marketing, but it is also the fundamental core of doing business and being adaptable. Companies like Uber that have now gone multi-national, have truly mastered an understanding of people, functionality, and even law in the cities/countries in which they are involved. Additionally, capturing the business and consumer market needs and wants is only half of the business. Again, you have to remember they’ve already solved two core problems in the market that has helped bring to life new jobs: making travel cheaper, and making it more accessible. Some taxi companies may fight the disruptive tactics being utilised by Uber, however, disruption just makes for more creative solutions in the future, so I suggest we sit back and relax.

So maybe I should get back on my Uber X game, as I have only ever utilised Uber Taxi. Additionally, I would encourage my car-owning counterparts at uni to get in on this flexible and accommodating job. You may end up with our Uber X-loving parents in your car, but we kind of owe them some driving around after the many years they’ve done it for us.

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

Red, Orange, Yellow, Green…

So where were you this past Saturday night? Somewhere over the rainbow by any chance? Well, if not, you should have been!

Introducing some of this year's main contenders for best brand campaign at Sydney's Mardi Gras: "Out since '99" by Frucor and "Disco Infono" by Telstra. Specifically, Frucor highlighted its primary brand, V, an energy drink, and Telstra highlighted it's phone and wifi services. The purposes of these campaigns were not only to show support for being a judgement-free company, but also to help create a connection between their products and an event in which their product can hopefully create value for consumers.

First, V developed a limited edition rainbow can followed by an advertisement playing on its original release date in 1999. The ad explained the brand's contribution to the sponsorship of the event as well as support for the people which the Mardi Gras was celebrating. Being a part of the festivities helped personify the sensitivity and understanding of the brand and its company's non-judgmental culture. This is an important part of creating value for consumers and potential new customers because it builds trust, and informs users of the company's awareness of current events and sentiments. Additionally, since the ads displayed a play of words on their own history, people actually had to spend time understanding the ad and learned a little bit more about the brand!

(Source: mUmbrella)

However, creating awareness, funny little jokes, and value, didn't necessarily work for everyone. Large companies that attempt to make a connection through small services offered at large scale events can sometimes successfully redefine consumers perceptions of their business culture. Telstra was attempting to do just that, in my opinion. The disco phone booths are a great throwback in combination with a fancy new way of getting connected, especially with their free wifi hotspots. Although this yet again displays their support for the community, it doesn’t necessarily elicit a change in consumer behaviour. Chances are it didn’t cost Telstra that much to produce, and I’m sure people loved their free internet. But, the question remains, does it really make the user more confident in Telstra’s ability to provide an affordable and reliable phone or wifi service? Telstra may now appear to have connected with the community, recognised their identities, and built a more human connection, but now that Mardi Gras is over, will we still get our free wifi? Will it be a good connection? And, most importantly, will more people trust their services and their mission?

(Source: mUmbrella)

Mardi Gras was officially supported by a combination of a hundred or so companies or organisations. Both “V” and Telstra were official supporters and suppliers. They were successful in creating their brand awareness, but only the future will tell about any potential changes in user behaviour. You can find out more about the type of Mardi Gras partners here.

Another interesting application of Mardi Gras brand analysis comes from our Marketing Communications course. We learned a critical analysis technique known as S.C.O.R.E, which stands for Simplicity, Creativity, Originality, Relevance and Ethicality. This analysis helps define whether or not the ad or campaign really helps create value for the consumer and change for the brand. In this instance, V would probably SCORE higher because their ad contains one clear, simple and easily determinable idea - It is impactful and you will notice the change in the can design and purpose; can design change has been done before according to themed events, but it’s the words on the ad that have not been used in the same way; the ad and can are both relevant to the event and the sentiment of the community; and finally, the context of the word “out” is used responsibly and considerably, and the can is decorated in coordination with the event and the sponsors' agreements. All in all, this is a very exciting way to look at advertisements and activations, and where better to create such displays than at Mardi Gras Sydney!

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

Welcome to all

Last Thursday, the Master of Marketing program at the University of Sydney Business School was proud to welcome close to 30 new students to our community. Dr. Pennie Frow offered orientation sessions prior to the induction ceremony, at which Salil Kumar and I had the pleasure to meet a bunch of new students. Honorary Associate Professor Terry Beed once again executed a phenomenal evening for the program.

We all were also able to welcome guest speakers and industry professionals, Wayne Kingston, Ineke Williams, and Master of Marketing alumnus, Olivia Holtz. All of the speakers told interesting stories about their experiences, but more importantly, projected important forecasts onto the next generation of marketers sitting in the room.

(Photo by Salil Kumar)

The most exciting parts of the guest speaker's information was in regard to the importance of digital technology and the advancement of it. Both Wayne and Ineke felt very strongly about the integration technology and digital services will have with both life and business in general.

Over all, the new students seemed to enjoy the night and we are looking forward to connecting everyone with their new buddies - that way they can get accommodated and introduced more to the program and start connecting with all of their new group and cohort members.

Salil and I also had some time to reflect on the journey we’ve taken since one year ago when we arrived as new students to the program. Now having completed our consulting projects, the road ahead seems more open than ever. We have truly been a part of excellence and learned a lot from our peers, and now, look forward to seeing our friends continue on in the program and the new students thrive as well.

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

Time for new students!

Congratulations and a warm welcome to all of our 2015 commencing students in the Master of Marketing program. We are so excited to have you, and have a lot in store for you. With a whirlwind of a year-long course a head of you, we suggest that you take in all the social events and networking now, because pretty soon you’ll have to get down to business.

First, Program Coordinator, Pennie Frow, sets up an incredibly informational and strategic learning opportunity called a marketing simulation game. The purpose of this game is to not only introduce new students to each other, but to give them a taste of the type of thinking they can begin to expect to be doing throughout the program. This type of thinking is lateral thinking - and in order to solve some of the marketing problems faced within the simulation game, you’ll have to make decisions and project future movements based on market analytics from your previous decisions.

Next, new students will be invited to an evening induction event. This event will serve as a meeting place for past, present and future students, as well as current faculty and important industry representatives. This time last year, induction included the addition of the Australian Marketing Institute (AMI) accreditation to the program. The networking opportunities are endless to say the least.

Finally, new students will be linked up with a current student buddy. These buddies are meant to help us acclimate the new students, especially international students, to the University of Sydney student life and the program specifics. Typically, your buddy becomes your networking partner and is able to introduce you to all of the professors of the program. Buddies are also extremely useful gauging course work and work schedule balances.

So hopefully all of our new students are able to join us for induction, and we look forward to watching you grow into successful professional marketers. Watching the whole process start over is so bitter sweet. As it has now been one year since I was at induction, I can’t even begin to picture where the time went! But trust me, it’s the experience of a lifetime. Come hang out with us!

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

An Intern goes to Manly

So who are marketing interns and what do they do? We’ve all been in that place before; having to find an internship to “gain experience” and so on. Sometimes we have the right experience and skills for the job, and sometimes we want to learn more. The following is the story of one such marketing intern, and their perspective of what it means to become a marketer:

“I must preface this blog by stating that I have absolutely no experience in the marketing world. Coming from (and about to complete) a science degree at the University of Sydney, the world of marketing was foreign to me. I chose to explore my options and to see whats out there. As such, when I was given the opportunity to intern with a large FMCG company (which shall remain nameless), I jumped at it to hopefully see how we are influenced, coached and (sometimes) conned into buying what we buy or behaving the way we do. Two weeks into this strange world, one thing I have very quickly come to realise is that there is WAY more to this than I ever imagined.

As you may have been aware, or you will know if you were anywhere near Manly over the past two weeks, the Hurley Australian Open Surfing was taking place. A brand awareness dream; thousands of surfers, skaters, wanna-be-surfers/skaters and your inevitable tourists mixed in to the scene. One thing a novice marketeer would realise is that Manly, and its Corso, is set up just like the ideal shop layout. Your prime market, tourists, inevitably have their point of entry into the stunning Manly Wharf. The customer knows exactly what to expect; they are brought into this idea of the stunning golden beach with the sapphire blue waters, and the self perception of attaining the bronzed god or goddess like body that is abundant in the imagery around them.

(Source: http://www.saltwaterwine.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/poster_800_572_80.jpg)

Before Manly-goers can even make it to the surfing event, one can’t help but get taken up by the building anticipation of where they can go next. Slowly but surely, the merchandise in the stores scream the “SALE 20%”, “BUY ONE GET ONE FREE”, that adorns every surf shop window, and thus lulls the consumer into this beach living appearance. Finally, you are immersed in surf living and the Hurley Open is then taking over. In this case, the marketing scheme isn’t just the discounts; it's the way of life that those brands represent, coupled with the actual personification of the lifestyle - with the athletes and their sponsors all present. The perfect cohesion of marketing and advertising hits bystanders like a ton of bricks, and by now, they’ve probably already picked up a cold beverage of ours of some sort.”

(Source: https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7183/6924734467_a177292082_z.jpg)

It’s so interesting to see from a novice marketers perspective the immediate change in perspective the second you are given insight into the skills a marketer needs to have in order to analyse situations and bring value to consumers. And to think our Master of Marketing program helps us perfect the way of thinking that allows us to make ethical and calculated business decisions in a world driven by insights. Although I can't release this intern’s name and company, the point is that their story is where we all started out, and it also helps explain the difference between marketing and advertising, as they often get confused.

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

A New Type of Kiss

Source: http://www.hersheys.com/kisses

Have you ever had a Hershey’s kiss? They may be hard to find in Australia, but if one company or brand has ever mastered the art of sending x’s and o’s (hugs and kisses of course), it’s the Hershey Company. These kisses have journeyed through a long line of marketing schemes and campaigns to give you the very best Valentine’s day kiss.

In case you’re not aware, a kiss is a small droplet-shaped chocolate wrapped in a bit of foil, with a cute little tag out the top, often displaying it’s flavour. Originally, and traditionally, kisses were simply milk chocolate. But if there were kisses, there had to be hugs! Hugs were invented as a mixture or a combination of white and milk chocolate - an embrace. Together, they spread the love without anyone having to say anything, and made the perfect little gifts and treats around the holidays. Kisses come in many flavours, the ones below are just a few examples of the well-coordinated wrappers, tags and specialised flavours.

Source: Google Images

Just imagine if every Australia Day we had a small little snack that came right out of the fridge or cooler box that tasted like pavlova? White chocolate mixed with passion fruit or kiwi fruit flavoured chocolate? Why not make that small tasty splurge and share some with everyone? It’s quite amazing what a big influence a little party snack can provide.

Now, these delicious morsels could come as a massive disruption to say a brand like Tim Tam. They already do all the holiday flavoured and themed dessert snacks. Additionally, Australians are very loyal shoppers and followers, and don’t often like change from their favourite buys. These little kisses however, are calculated to provide the exact right mouthful size of chocolate and sweetness. They are meant not to overpower your taste buds, but to keep you coming back for more. Additionally, they are sold in large packs meant for sharing. This is an important part of their marketing because they can make economies of scale and there will never be that last odd biscuit left that everyone feels to guilty to eat, or even reach for.

So, the next time you’re thinking of ordering a flower arrangement online, see if you can find some kisses, and do something different this Valentine’s day.

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

Why You Gotta be so Mean?

Some of the famous song lyrics by Taylor Swift in her song “Mean” really help us step back and ask the hard questions of those around us. Why do you have to be so mean? Especially to someone who works so hard at her career, acts appropriately, gives back to her community, and is a role model for young people everywhere. The misconduct is coming from all of the cheeky people who got Taylor Swift’s song “Shake It Off” disqualified from the Hottest 100.

As an American, I had never heard of the Triple J Hottest 100 until I spent my first full summer in Australia in the beginning of 2014. That and, when I did learn of it, it genuinely seemed like a real way for people to vote for their favourite song and have a happy Australia Day. It’s not fair that social media sites like BuzzFeed then get to insert themselves into people's lives uninvited thinking they can “troll the poll.” It’s not like Taylor Swift was paying them to get her song on the list - she’d be there anyways. Not only has the international pop culture community watched her personal brand grow from quiet and shy country musician into strong and dedicated young woman, but it has also watched her lyrics and stories shine through people’s poor behaviours. Taylor is the face of resilience, and she will overcome this obstacle as well.

(Source: KFC Facebook Page)

So I bet you want to more about what really happened? Well, it seems like with the image above, KFC decided to publicise their vote for the Hottest 100. This raises advertising and ethical questions, similar to topics we worked through in our Ethics and Regulatory Environment unit. What right does KFC own to this image? Does Taylor Swift’s Public Relations representatives even know her face and reputation is being used in this fashion? Does Taylor even approve of the message being used as her words? These are all common marketing problems facing not only Taylor’s personal brand, but also her business affiliations and reputation. Funnily enough, I would actually compare this advertising practice to political campaigning in the USA. Kind of putting words in people’s mouths and claiming that one or another certain person approves of the message. Additionally, while it may be a good idea to sometimes use celebrities as brand ambassadors, I wonder if Taylor Swift would ever even consider eating KFC food? I think this brand overstepped their advertising boundaries here.

Next, Triple J claimed that Taylor Swift’s song “Shake It Off” would have only made 12th place on the list, but chances are people didn’t vote for it who would have when they found out it was disqualified the day before Australia Day. Additionally, rumour has it that at least one of the songs in the top 10 of the Hottest 100 had never even been played on the station’s airwaves. Isn’t that saying something? People may like a certain song, and have voted for it, yet that song didn’t get requested, nor played by the company the whole past year? Credit should be given where it’s due, especially if Taylor didn’t promote, or probably even know, about what was going on and how people were using her name and image.

Copyrighting and Trademarking are so important in the marketing world, and although no official lawsuits have happened in this instance, they could have. It is important as marketers that we know the limitation of our brands and advertising power. Someone is probably getting fired over at KFC right now, when they could have done a little bit of research to find out about how their customers would have liked to see them display their support for the big day.

(Source: BuzzFeed)

So note for BuzzFeed…. hire some real and ethical marketers to make sure you’re not ruining people’s brands, reputations or businesses. Even Triple J looks bad because you thought you had the authority to tell them and their listeners what they wanted to hear or vote for. The sun may not have been shining this Australia Day, but I was still rocking out to Tay Tay and I’m sure she’s going to shake you off because the haters gunna hate, hate, hate, hate.

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

SuperBowl Ads and Going Back to the Future

As SuperBowl XLIX is fast approaching, the world’s most expensive and creative ads start coming to light as well. As outsiders to advertising, you’d just think they keep getting more and more creative every year, and if not creative, at least more and more crazy and attention grabbing. But a little blast from the past by BMW can really help everyone enjoy a time when we didn’t exactly understand all of our newest technologies in order to help explain their new automotive concept. And of course, there’s no better time of year to put a brand new idea out there than during the SuperBowl, when the most viewers from around the world tune in to watch American Football players create a piece of history of their own.

The video below is a quick look at how confused we really were by a new technology. How no one understood it, yet, today, we couldn’t live without it. This technique is known as creating familiarity. It's one step in a long line of things put in place to help create and display value in products for consumers. It is masterfully brilliant, comparing unfamiliarity with the internet in 1994 to unfamiliarity to renewable energy in cars in 2015.

By reminding everyone how it felt to be confused by something new, BMW created the gateway into encouraging consumers to try and understand their newest all-electric car. Some users are opposed to change, yet change still happens over time and is something we adapt to without realising which direction or stance we even came from in the first place. That’s exactly what BMW is portraying here. It may seem confusing now, but in 21 years, it will be something we can’t live without…and hey, it will be much better and safer for our environment, cities and health.

Another interesting concept that the ad more subtly displays is the amount of change both Katie Couric and Bryant Gymbel have gone through. Their vocabulary didn’t even include the word for the “@“ sign in 1994, and by the end of the future portion of the ad, Bryant asks Katie if she can twerk. Additionally, Katie went from asking her assistant Alison, off-stage, to look something up for her, to calling her on her cell phone from the car. These transformations really help viewers from any part of the USA and other parts of the world come together on and relate to our modernisations.

Well done BMW; SupwerBowl viewers will really enjoy the ad, because it won’t be like all the overplayed and repetitive ones. People will never get tired of being reminded of humanities’ accomplishments.

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

Flashback to Personal Branding

As an up-and-coming marketer, I find this blog a very good place to reflect upon personal experiences - especially those which come from realising I am seeing things in a new way, thanks to my education and new skills from the Master of Marketing program. One such experience has come from Sydney’s real estate market and my search for the perfect new home.

That being said, I’ve come to modify my personal brand in a new way - a way in which it is purely seeming to be dependant upon the property’s personality, or the agent listed with the property. My personal brand has become a shape shifter, and I don’t think it should be. So, I think it’s time I looked back into the fundamentals of our personal brand as marketers.

First, we should be consistent. When working with a real estate agent, you would probably assume you have to frame yourself in a certain way to leave the best and most lasting impression. That may be the case - you could even leave your business card so they remember you when you’re calling back or having a second viewing. After all, you want to make the cut in preliminary applications and have a reference from the agent to the owners. With the property listed and seen below, there are probably hundreds of people in the Sydney area looking at this individual townhouse. And if you are professional, and come prepared with a completely filled application, you’ve probably made their life easier. But, do you fit the desired profile yet?

Second, your personal brand may be adaptable, but you may also need to get business done and move on to other things. Companies like Meriton are prepared for any and all profiles of tenants. Chances are your personal brand will even stay more in tact working with these agents because they just want the cold hard facts; can you afford it or not? This isn’t an instance where you have to market yourself, and it’s actually better because you’re not trying to be something or someone you’re not, simply to find a roof to put over your head.

Ultimately, the property search was strenuous. I thought behaving the way I usually do, being honest about my job, my academic history, and even my nationality, are more important than faking it until I make it. Some owners may think certain profiles aren’t trustworthy enough, but then how would students begin to market themselves and start building a rent history, if no one will give them a house? I guess, it’s all going to have to be trial and error, as long as your personal brand doesn't get taken down in the process.

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

Fitness Centres Marketing for New Years Resolutions

Are you ready for your New Years resolution? I’m 99% sure it will probably have something to do with wanting to lose weight, or gain muscle/tone. That’s because that’s what we all say every new year - and it’s not such a terrible thing! Especially when our local fitness centres set us up with such good deals; how could you resist? In this case, it’s kind of like “which came first, the chicken or the egg?” in that you have to wonder, “which came first, the desire to lose weight, or the inspiration based on the advertisement.” Believe it or not, these type of marketing schemes came up in discussion in our Research and Decision Making course - along with similar topics of risk and reward.

Above is the current offer at Fitness First Australia. Of course they want you to get in the door at the beginning of the year. It will be so crowded - at least for the first two months before everyone gives up. But there’s a hidden topic of discussion here: how does the type of membership, incentive, or contract, affect our behaviour when it comes to fitness or going to the gym?

For most of us, we’ll probably get too busy finishing up work we take home with us, or chores around the house, or catching up with friends. That’s why those type of people would probably go for the month to month contract; this way, they won’t experience a sunk cost or any cognitive dissonance if they can’t make it all the time. Alternatively, these same people may even spend more to get the full year contract so that they have to consistently go to the gym to get their money’s worth. This indecision is exactly where the gym’s marketing efforts pay off.

So which plan is really better for you if you do decide to take the new years resolution plan? Well, Anytime Fitness Australia, as displayed above, compares their membership fees to other common daily expenditures on their website landing page. Here they added the extra effect of guilt tripping you into their reoccurring small fee membership type. Yes, it’s inexpensive. Yes, you should probably be going to the gym instead of buying coffee. And yes, you can afford it every month to keep going back because you’ll be so much happier if you do and you wouldn’t be wasting your money since it’s on your health. All of these thought statements pertain specifically back to experiencing sunk cost if you don’t go. Either way you’ll experience it. Either on your promise to yourself if you don’t get healthy because you didn’t have any obligation to keep going back, or on your money spent because you don’t use it as often as you intended to.

So before you make the decision, just know that marketers have already built pathways for your money around whichever type of behaviour you end up exhibiting. Once they’ve got you, they’ve got you for good. So even if you’re on a monthly pass, they will find some way to tell you exactly how well you’d do on your new year resolution if you get a friend to sign up too! How about some money off next month’s fees?

Christine Drpich
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

JetBlue: “Happy Jetting”

Let me just start with the image below - it says quite a lot:

Not only does this quick message make you stop dead in your tracks, it actually makes you giggle a bit and feel like someone cares about you for the first time in aviation history! It’s so short and sweet, quirky, and different, that you really feel like your needs are being understood, especially while traveling. And personally, I’ve never flow on a better airline.

For example, one of their company mottos is “No first-class seats. No second-class citizens.” This statement really resonates with me, and probably most other travellers, at least within the U.S. (where the company operates), because you’re not just cattle being shoved around based on the grade of your meat. And traveling isn’t about what you can afford and what you can’t. It should be a pleasurable experience for everyone because after all, it’s a privilege.

Above is an example of just one of the many ways JetBlue differentiates itself from the competition. Not only have they established a precise and unique repertoire and language with customers, they also have a new look. Each one of their aircraft fleet members is painted differently, and individually named - each containing the word “Blue” somewhere in the name. Realistically, it becomes a game! You can keep track of the planes you’ve been on, because they really become your friend instead of a mere bus in the air. I got to name a plane once - it’s called “BLUE-t-ful” in case you’re ever visiting.

At this point you’re probably thinking something like, “Well, the company is friendly; they can sit with me. And the planes are pretty cool, I think I’ve been on this one before. But, will they truly get me wherever I need to go?” And the answer is, yes! Being a low fare carrier, they have been exceptionally precise in their market research by targeting small airports with big business and vacation potential. Take my home airport, Westchester County (HPN), for example. In the shadow of three major airports contributing to one of the biggest travel hubs in the world, NYC, there are many people who can’t exactly make it to them due to traffic, weather, expensive prices, or flat out crowding! And, not only do the ads for flights at this airport, seen below, advertise their expanding destination market, but they talk about the comfort, and closeness. All contributing factors to exactly why the JetBlue experience is such a good one.



Not only do the three ads above display the type of consideration travellers look for, they also display the type of language travellers speak in. It is so concise - It just blows my mind. I drive by on the highway, and the billboard is easy to read and doesn’t distract me from driving. They are so well placed as well, only near the airports when you’re thinking about those last minute things to prepare for your trip - like lowering your expectations about your seat location because it’s probably going to be a tight squeeze, only to arrive on a JetBlue flight and find out you’re truly not just a herd of cattle again. Let alone how JetBlue also builds or refurbishes it’s own terminals at most airports they service to give back to the community there, bring in new business, and make it a better experience over all - as well put by the final ad displayed below:

So, not only have they mastered understanding travel needs, travel safety, and human behaviour, they’ve mastered communicating that understanding right back to the people. The Australian comparison would be JetStar, who has their own marketing tactics going on with flash sales and such and multiple international destinations - but JetBlue isn’t about creating flash customers because they’re in it for the loyalty and the long run.

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