What Marketing Taught Me

Having studied marketing for 2 years, each and every 'live' project (think there's 12 in total) are totally the same, having to consider the following. And the method involved are what the contestants in The Apprentice underwent, and so, each project felt like being assigned a task by Lord Sugar, just without the firing, but with the persona of his 2 sidekicks Nick and Karen from the tutors. Here goes:

1. The Brief

The brief is a short and sweet piece of paper indicating what are the specifications of the purpose of marketing. More of a guideline into what the client is looking for/ and want. This brief is the ultimate and most vital piece of information from the client.

Usually, people ignore this brief and starts to deviate, especially on project work (YES, I KNOW!!) and surprisingly, the tutors still can pass them (SERIOUSLY?!). Brief sometimes are what we already know, however, it contains the vital information, and is considered a gem if there's a well written one.

2. Product Life Cycle

This is the important and yet kind off boring part of marketing- identifying which stage of the cycle the product is at, and if the market is still idea. Boring because it is all theoretical and administrative, reading reports after reports of consumerism insights, GMID reports and sometimes Nielson market indices. However, still a very important tool.

3. Focus group 

Often mentioned in the reports churned out (and always faked in my groups, expect for IMC) but always so seldom conducted. Focus group seemed like the only way of qualitative research, just like questionnaire being the most efficient way of collecting quantitative research unless otherwise stated. I think this is what differentiated the calibre of the groups. For qualitative research, other methods includes placing a mock product in the supermarket and survey how many people pick that product up (used to place other brand of the same product type side-by-side as a kid and see how people reacted), participant observation, supermarket/store trek and more. Definitely it's much easier to pat your head and rub the stomach at the same time!

4. The pitch

The most important pitch is not during the actual and final presentation (15% of your overall grades!!). Instead, is when you're presenting your ideas for the very first time during the small consult between your group and the tutor. This is the best time to mind read your tutors and have some understanding on the reception of your ideas. Thus, it is always wise to asked for the best salesman in the group to pitch the idea, because you want the tutor to not just like the idea, but to be IN LOVE with it.

Just like selling a product, be persuasive and convincing. Selling is an art, and happy people sells, miserable bastards don't. Be happy, and you'll sell. If the tutor love the idea, they'll more than happy to endorse and give recommendations to improve and get a better grade. If they don't like the idea, tough love, but life still continues.

Thankfully there's no really birch tutors, who will go like "I'm here to listen and not help to brainstorm on your ideas" or will walk out of a unprepared discussion. Of course, there are many tutors who love showing group the brief and keep saying "Stick to that".