Dear Reader,
This week's pun title may be difficult to understand for those of you who haven't had experience with the Spanish language (or just in general--I readily admit this one is a bit far fetched...). Catorce-ionist is a combination of 2 words with some Spanglish thrown in. Catorce is Spanish for fourteen, and can be combined with -ionist to sound like contortionist.
This past week, I have felt like a contortionist: stretched and bent to the limits of human capability. Not in a negative way, but with Research Showcase approaching the pressure is mounting. Although I finished working on my display board, there is still the important matter of table layout to plan. What is the best way to put things on my table so that people will be attracted to my board?
I decided to use my marketing knowledge to solve this dilemma. So here's my thought process:
Target Market: Professionals, parents, peers
Resources: 1 black tablecloth, 1 display board, 1 billboard with lights, 1 portfolio, resume copies, candy, and myself.
Micro-environment analysis: Will be close to other displays, maximum of 5 other tables within 5 feet of me
Macro-environment analysis: Will most likely be in long hall lined with displays, traffic flow of people will likely be either down the hall (more likely) or bouncing across the hall (less likely--hard to get through this way).
Goals: Attract people to my board, talk to a large quantity of people without forsaking quality of conversation, make sure people remember me (or my board)
In Marketing/Advertising, differentiation is one of the key things to being successful. You have to stand out from other people. So how do I do that?
1) Set up board to one side of table, closer to whichever of my neighbors has the lower quality board (sorry!) to make mine look even better in comparison. Place my portfolio upright on the other side of the table (it's a unique blue/purple color, so it will stand out by itself).
2) Place candies on side of table with portfolio. Make sure there is plenty of blank space around the candy to draw visual attention to it.
3) Place myself in the center area of my table, between my board and portfolio so that either I or my board are the first things people look at when they see my table.
4) Place resume copies flat on table in front of the board. More interested parties will move closer to read them, creating space for new visitors to come by.
5) Ask each visitor their name, and use it at least once in conversation with them.
Keep in mind that these are simple conjectures that I have planned; some of them are backed by research and some are inferences I have made. However, I believe that marketing can be applied to nearly every aspect of life. In this case, it's self-marketing.
In a preview for next week: Descriptions of Research Showcase, and analysis of several interview I will be having at an advertising agency in Dallas later this week (I'm excited).
Until next time,
Eileen Bau
Sunday, December 14, 2014
Sunday, December 7, 2014
12/8 Weekly Update #13: Lucky Number 13
Dear reader,
By this time next week, I will be within 24 hours of Research Showcase. This past week has been a continuation of working on my board, straightening out my portfolio, and starting my original work.
However, I'd like to first explain why this post is entitled Lucky number 13 instead of Unlucky number 13. You see, the successful singer Taylor Swift's lucky is 13. Taking inspiration from her success, I, too have decided to be optimistic about this traditionally negative number and perhaps turn it into something positive. With this week, I think I'm on that track.
My original work, which is a entirely original piece of research that I produce by myself on any topic in Marketing, is coming into shape. I wrote my original work proposal this week detailing what I want to do, how I'm going to do it, and why I wanted to do it. It's going to be over packaging, specifically how age and ethnicity influence a person's packaging preference. Packaging is one of the most overlooked things by the common person in the Marketing field because it seems like a minute detail, but it has such a large impact on how a product is received. As my original work develops, I will continue to share details with you.
In other news, my board has finally become what I thought it would look like (pictures uploaded later), and I'm working on the final bit (a billboard that will hopefully light up). As research showcase draws near, the pressure to be perfect for it increases. But I'm okay with that, because sometimes a little pressure is what I need to push me into taking that extra step and doing better than expected.
Until next time,
Eileen Bau
By this time next week, I will be within 24 hours of Research Showcase. This past week has been a continuation of working on my board, straightening out my portfolio, and starting my original work.
However, I'd like to first explain why this post is entitled Lucky number 13 instead of Unlucky number 13. You see, the successful singer Taylor Swift's lucky is 13. Taking inspiration from her success, I, too have decided to be optimistic about this traditionally negative number and perhaps turn it into something positive. With this week, I think I'm on that track.
My original work, which is a entirely original piece of research that I produce by myself on any topic in Marketing, is coming into shape. I wrote my original work proposal this week detailing what I want to do, how I'm going to do it, and why I wanted to do it. It's going to be over packaging, specifically how age and ethnicity influence a person's packaging preference. Packaging is one of the most overlooked things by the common person in the Marketing field because it seems like a minute detail, but it has such a large impact on how a product is received. As my original work develops, I will continue to share details with you.
In other news, my board has finally become what I thought it would look like (pictures uploaded later), and I'm working on the final bit (a billboard that will hopefully light up). As research showcase draws near, the pressure to be perfect for it increases. But I'm okay with that, because sometimes a little pressure is what I need to push me into taking that extra step and doing better than expected.
Until next time,
Eileen Bau
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