Unlocking the secrets of the marketing world, join me as I experience the marketing magic on my job shadow adventure! We generated remarkable brand pitching concepts for “Hats for Cats”
Is Marketing Not Only Creativity?
When I contemplate marketing, creativity immediately springs to mind. However, it was during my job shadowing experience that I gained a deeper appreciation for the multifaceted skill set required in the marketing field. This eye-opening experience revealed that a marketer's role encompasses not only creativity but also data analytics, creative writing, SEO, and market research. These aspects collectively provide a deeper understanding of the marketing field.
Digging Deeper into the Marketing Role
As we progressed into the session, the host delved into her work experiences at different organizations, discussing the processes, challenges, and highlights she encountered along the way. Our host has worked in the fashion, beauty, food, and academic industries. As a marketing specialist, our host had me contemplating which industry I should pursue. She showed us the many photoshoots she had done during her time working at a wedding magazine. She talked about the process of doing photoshoots, how each product needed to be carefully taken care of, and how chaotic it can get in the midst of it all. During the time she worked for the university food services, she showed us promotional social media content she made such as recording recipes from her kitchen and tied it back to the workplace where students are able to go and get these foods. With a marketing background, one can analyze comprehensive marketing campaigns to promote products or services. Additionally, individuals with a marketing background often excel in market research, brand development, and customer engagement, contributing to the overall growth and success of businesses!
The Branding Pitch: Experiential Learning Activity
To understand the marketing role a bit better, we developed a branding pitch centered around "Hats for Cats", aiming to create a premium brand tailored for affluent cat owners. We conducted a comparative analysis involving brands like Rolex, Prada, Tesla, and Gucci. We identified the issue, luxurious outdoor cats needing hats for warmth. Our unique selling point was the emotional connection between cats and their owners. In our SWOT analysis, we recognized our luxury appeal as a strength, but non-mandatory cat hats as a weakness. Opportunities included pet collaborations and expansion, while the threat was competition and the variety of options. We also enjoyed discussing branding elements such as fonts, colors, and social media platforms. Lastly, we created a persona, Michelle, a single software analyst in her late 20s with an 85K income, who enjoys workouts, cafes, movies, and vacations, and owns an orange cat named Cheddar!
I personally found this hands-on experience to be a great way to immerse us in the world of marketing and gain knowledge of the role through experiential learning activity. It has equipped me with a deep understanding of creating brand pitches, which I'm excited to put into practice in my upcoming future projects!
Job Shadowing is offered during the Fall and Winter semesters. Our Job Shadowing orientation sessions are offered the first month of the new semester. You must attend one of our orientation sessions to be eligible for Job Shadowing. You can register for an orientation session on CLNx.utoronto.ca.