Marketing is Storytelling

Picture this scene. There is a child is all ready for bed and grabbed their favourite Dr.Seuss book. They ran over to their bed jumping in, asking for the book to be read before they went asleep. The real question is what made the Dr.Seuss series one of the most successful and memorable books of all time?

Was it the amount of creativity that was put into the books or was it the morals and values that they taught? Was it the fact the endings were never satisfactory and always wanted to know where the story went? Whatever it was Dr.Seuss wrote 40 different books between 1937-1991, he sold half a million copies.

Markets could learn a lot from Dr.Seuss when it comes to developing the company’s marketing story. Dr.Seuss was able to define his target customers, creating something that would be relevant, inspirational, and “news worthy,” for years to come. He was the first one to step out of the box and create something that no one has ever been attempted before. Dr.Seuss was able to add morals and values that adults were proud of and wanted to teach their children.

When developing the story for your company you must always keep your main audience in mind. Like Dr.Seuss, this will help you when you’re trying to think of a creative, unique and most importantly “news worthy” story to tell your audience. The goal here is to develop a story that takes on a life of its own using the audience’s morals and values. Stories could use themes such as emotion, challenge, novelty, intrigue, and tenderness.

John Dickason Advice

Christine McCaw Advice

Advice from Ellen Sparling

Peter Jurczak Advice

Suzanne Ross Advice

Nancy Ryan Advice

David Bartolini Advice

Shawn Richards Advice

William Mlacak Advice

Remembrance Day

Canadians are very proud and loyal people, and will always remember the sacrifices that were made for the freedom of today. Marketers should not forget about Remembrance Day because Canadians will never forget. However, using it as the basis of a campaign should be carefully considered.

If Remembrance Day is in a marketing campaign, it could provide a very positive image in the minds of Canadians. The only way to get a positive reaction when using Remembrance Day for marketing is to take it very seriously so it’s not seen as being manipulative.

In 2010, Eddie Bauer attempted to use Remembrance Day in its promotions. Starting on November 9-11 there was a weekend sale and all of the fall merchandise was discounted by 75%. Canadians didn’t appreciate the approach that the American company took with its Remembrance Day promotion. According to the Royal Canadian Legion director of communications Bob Butt, “The Royal Canadian Legion does not like the fact that he’s using Remembrance Day as a sales pitch.” The ironic part is that Eddie Bauer has been hosting “Veterans Day” sales in the U.S. for many years and has been successful.

To read further about this article please visit http://www.marketingmag.ca/news/marketer-news/eddie-bauer-faces-backlash-over-remembrance-day-sale-5855

Bell Canada released a commercial a number of years ago about a young man standing at Dieppe, he then called his grandfather who fought in the war. The young gentlemen telephoned his grandfather and said “Thank You.” The commercial is quite touching and does not appear to be selling or promoting Bell products.

To watch the commercial please visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dd1FNPx_YN4

By comparing these two companies it shows that Canadians are a very proud and loyal people. Marketers must understand that there is a place and time for selling, but Remembrance Day is not. Instead companies can join the Canadians and make this day more memorable than ever since we must never forget.  

A World Without Marketing

Why did you first decide to study marketing? For most of us, it was the decision to expand our knowledge and curiosity about the marketing world, and one day to have a career in this field. Can you image what a world without marketing would look like?

There would be no personality! Giving a company a personality is important in marketing. With the help of integrated marketing communications, direct marketing, and market research, companies are able to grow their own personalities for their consumers. Without marketing, the world would be so plain and little competition would exist. 

Nothing would be memorable! The main purpose of creating a company personality is so the company is memorable. Being able to have consumers acknowledge the advertising efforts a part from the millions of other messages is what makes it memorable. This will ensure that consumers, both current and new, all know that the company is still around and happy to fulfill their needs.  

Marketing is a long-term investment! Marketing is not just something that happens when a company first starts; it's something that is continuous. Prime examples of companies that invested are Coca-Cola, Apple, and McDonald's  Though all of these companies are successful, they're continuously using marketing to continue to reinforce the branding they have created.

Being able to listen, react, and create is the most important part of marketing! Marketing is a conversation that is constantly going back and forth between the company and its customers. With the help of social media this conversation has never been easier for consumers to communicate their opinions. Being able to listen to consumer responses and, react to them is the sign of a successful company.  

The world would be such a different place if there was no marketing! When being part of the Humber OCMC team, one must acknowledge how important marketing is to the business world. One must also understand the value marketers contribute in the success of a company. With the weekly advice from coaches the Humber OCMC team is one step closer to competing at the Windsor event on November 21-22. The sky is the limit.     

Humber OCMC: Koolness with a Twist

I want to take you back to your good old high school days. No matter how long ago it was when you attended high school there were always some very distinctive groups within the school. You had the goths, the jocks, the popular kids, the nerds, the geeks and the list goes on. Most of all in every school there was always that one person who was considered to be, the kool kid.

The kool kid was usually mysterious, likely passionate about their favorite hobbies or interests, and very likable. The popular kids respected the kool kid and everybody enjoyed their company.

Once you’ve been accepted into the Humber OCMC family, you can become this kool kid but with a difference. Like the kool kid you will develop your personality by being yourself, confident, social, and positive as we work in a team environment. The difference is that you are part of the Humber OCMC team and you will need to work exceptionally hard to represent Humber College at the competition with your marketing knowledge. You must continue to develop your interests in marketing, by reading up on the topic and keeping up to date on current events. By developing this interest you are changing your perception of the marketing world.

To take us one step further in changing our perception in the marketing world is Ellen Sparling. Each week she provides us with lectures about analyzing a case and current marketing information. She teaches us about topics such as the threats and opportunities to ensure we can do a SWOT analysis correctly. Ellen also showed us the importance of the Canadian privacy laws and how the laws can affect a business.

The final element, and most difficult to master, in being part of the Humber OCMC team is to be able to create a great first impression. The kool kid was always able to create a very memorable first impression and made others want to see them again. When making a first impression the kool kid would always have good body language, be assertive, and never forget to smile. By using these three tricks of a kool kid to your advantage you will be able to make a great first impression with the judges at the competition.

The bottom line is that kool kids weren't like anyone else and didn't want to be. They were good at creating their own footsteps and took the risks that went with it. That is the same for the Humber OCMC team with the addition of good old fashioned hard work.

HUMBER OCMC FOR THE WIN!

Humber OCMC: The Challenge

When I first signed up for the Humber OCMC I understood it was going to be a challenge. In order to succeed in this competition, I knew I was going to have to put in a lot of time, effort, and commitment in order to stand a chance at the competition.

I remember when Nicholas and I completed our first case during the summer with adviser Sheryn Beattie, it was a grueling experience. We only had an hour to complete practice case. We managed to finish with only a minute to spare. I must say, that was one of the most stressful challenges in my life.

Being part of the Humber OCMC is an experience I will not soon forget. The best experience is working as a team with a mentor guiding us through the preparation phase. OCMC has provided us with the greatest opportunity to better our presenting skills with personal feedback from Christine McCaw. We had the opportunity to have Susan Typert from Black Cat come and speak to us. She is an excellent speaker and gave some advice on how to make an excellent presentation. Lastly, by being part of the OCMC we were invited to attend the IAB MIXX event and gained an enormous amount of knowledge about current Internet marketing trends.

The best part about OCMC is that this journey has just begun. I’m excited to see what the future holds for all of us. Whatever it is, I’m sure it will bring us closer to doing very well at the competition.

HUMBER OCMC FOR THE WIN!