YMA and Scotiabank Present: The Insight Revolution

“Big Data” is a term coined to describe the copious amount of information about today’s consumers that is at the fingertips of modern day marketers. It is no longer enough to rely on one’s creative instinct to develop a business model or marketing initiative as all marketing and branding decisions are now driven through the collection of consumer insights. With the rise of digital and social media platforms there has been a major surge in the amount of information that is available to companies as they collect, analyze and evaluate who you “like”, who you follow and where you “check-in”. YMA’s conference titled “The Insight Revolution” aims to answer how this information is collected, the trends that it develops and, ultimately, how various companies and brands are applying this new information to their business models.

“The Insight Revolution”, sponsored by Scotiabank, Colgate-Palmolive, American Express and TalentEgg, promises to be an engaging event where delegates will have the opportunity to network with a variety of industry representatives from our sponsoring companies as well as P&G, Maple Leaf Foods, General Mills, and many more. In addition to the conference, Colgate-Palmolive and YMA have partnered to develop a case competition for 2^nd and 3^rd year delegates. Winners in 3^rd year will receive a guaranteed interview, and 2^nd years will be granted special consideration for subsequent years.

Join the Revolution on January 18^th, 2013

Price for YMA Members: $50

Price for Non-Members: $60  

Interested in registering?

YMA Executives will be in the Schulich Marketplace from Tuesday November 27^th – Thursday November 29^th from 9:30am – 5:00pm.

YMA will be awarding a prize connected to “The Insight Revolution” every week for all registered attendees! The sooner you register, the more chances you have at winning a prize! This week’s prize is a $50 AMEX gift card!

If you would like to PAY ONLINE follow the instructions below:

1. Please fill out the registration form and submit tiny.cc/ymaconferencereg. Your registration will not be complete until you return to this page to process your payment by following step 2!
2. Click the Buy Now button below to pay using PayPal. Be advised that there is a $2 standard processing fee for registering online. Your registration will NOT be considered complete unless you complete this step!

Contact us at conference@yorkmarketing.ca if you have any questions or concerns!

5 Tips For Making the Most of Your Time at Market Yourself 101!

By: Max Fang, YMA Corporate Account Manager, 4th Year BBA, 

Market Yourself 101 is fast approaching and as always, there’s going to be some great panel discussion and even a keynote by Lauren Friese, the founder of TalentEgg! That being said, I’m sure majority of you are attending for a different reason: the opportunity to have a 1-on-1 networking session with the many company reps and alumni we have in attendance or the chance to hear great job search tips from our keynote speaker, Lauren. If you are in your 2^nd or 3^rd year, this event is the perfect opportunity to get face-time with employers before recruitment season hits in the spring. So to make the most of this 1-on-1 time, I’m going to give you 5 tips going into the event to help you out!

1)      Take It Seriously

Yes, the dress code is business casual. Yes, these are not real interviews. However, you should still be taking these sessions seriously. These are real company representatives who could have a say in your employment in the future, so you want to be at your best when meeting with them. What does this mean specifically? This means showing up on time for your interview slot. This means refreshing your interview skills before the event. Lastly, this means preparing questions to ask so you leave having learned some valuable tips.

2)      Make Each Session Unique

If you are signed up for the speed networking sessions, you know that you will have a couple 1-on-1 meetings at the event lined up for you. Why do the same thing at all of them? Try asking different questions. If all your sessions go exactly the same, you’ll likely get the same feedback from all of them. Take the opportunity to make each session unique to make the most of the fact that you have a couple sessions.

3)      Ask For Feedback and Take Notes

This is somewhat self-explanatory. Many times people walk away from these sessions and say to themselves, “That went pretty well, I think she really liked it when I showed off my dance moves or said that funny thing.” Usually, they are sorely mistaken...usually. You have the chance at these sessions to get real time feedback on your interview style/resume/cover letter so why not take advantage of it? Remember to ask for feedback and take notes on it. Write it down.

4)      Network!

I’m going to say this again: these are real reps from big companies who could have a say in your future employment, so network with them! The majority of you already know the importance of this, but I’m sure a lot of you actually don’t know how to go about it. Despite what you might think, giving them your business card is not enough. Here’s what works for me whenever I’m at an event where there are networking opportunities.

Step 1: Before approaching them, figure out what will make you memorable to them. For me, this is usually a unique question that nobody else will ask.

Step 2: Introduce yourself, ask your question, and be ready with follow-up questions. How awkward is it when you approach someone, ask one question, get a short answer, and then there’s silence? Very awkward. Also, if you did not have a unique question, maybe their answer is unique and you’ll just have to remember it.

Step 3: Exit the conversation smoothly. Example: “It was great meeting you! I’d love to stay in touch in case I have any more questions. Do you have your business card?/Is there an email I can reach you at?” 

Step 4: Keep in mind that not all speakers will have business cards on them or feel comfortable giving out their contact information, so remember to please respect that and thank them for their time regardless. If you do get their information, email them within 24 hours of the event and connect. The email should include what made your interaction with them unique so they will remember you. E.g. “Thanks for answering my question on the connection between chickens and marketing!” Make sure you ask another question (possibly a follow-up question) in the email. Disclaimer: Don’t ask about chickens, that was a joke. Ask a legitimate question.

5)      Have fun!

Yes, very cliché. That does not make this tip any less relevant. Although the first tip was to take it seriously, make sure you enjoy yourself at the event and be relaxed during the session and meeting the company reps. Nobody wants to work someone who they can’t imagine hanging out with.

In closing, follow these 5 tips and you will be sure to make the most of your time at Market Yourself 101 on Thursday November 15th. The event starts at 5:30pm and there are limited spots for the speed networking sessions. If you haven’t signed up already, do it now! You can register HERE. 

Regardless of your attendance at the event, I hope there were lessons here that you can take and apply elsewhere!

The Marketing Games: Round 1 Recap: P&G Pantene Sales Pitch

By Janice Park (@janice_h_park)

The day began like any other ordinary day. Business students of all years streamed into the Seymour Schulich Building, dressed in business casual and with eager, yet slightly sleep deprived, faces. Although it seemed like a regular day of classes, it was far from ordinary. October 26^th marked the official commencement of the Marketing Games. These weren’t just business students; they were marketing tributes.

Round One of the Marketing Games took place last Friday and all of Schulich was watching. Forty tributes in teams of two were selected from districts 2013 – 2016. They were given one week to prepare a solution for a P&G Customer Business Development (Sales) business case.

Case Topic & Task

Each team took on the role of P&G account reps for Hair Care at a mass merchandiser, and had to create and present a solution to complete the sell of six new Pantene items for the “Fragrance” line.  A week of intense case analysis, market research, product investigations, and presentation training culminated in the three-minute elevator pitch each team would deliver to P&G marketing professionals. Stakes were high as only half the tributes would survive and advance to Round Two.

The Games began at 9:30 AM when all forty tributes gathered in the SSB arena and drew their presentation order. As the judges took their front row seats, the Capitol’s broadcasting of the Games to all of Schulich began, as the first live tweet from @yorkmarketing was sent. Excitement and tension filled the air as the first team took their place at the front, projected their presentation slide, and waited for the judges’ signal to begin.

Recapping the Battlefield: Presentation Summaries

As each team of tributes presented their solution, the competition became fiercer and it became clear that the crowning of the champions would be a difficult task.

Every team followed the “P&G 5 Step Persuasive Selling Model” suggested by the sponsor. Below are some of the “big ideas” presented by tributes:

Tributes from Team Covergirls proposed to sell P&G’s new fragrance line, Pantene Esscents, to new mass merchandizers by reducing Prestige’s shelf space, while tributes from 50 Shades of Cray recommended leveraging P&G’s Febreze technology and fragrance expertise by launching Pantene PurAroma. Team Super Marketers didn’t beat around the bush; they proposed to maximize profits by increasing shelf space and decreasing TRESemmé’s shelf space by using in and out deals. Team Chelle & Belle approached the arena with a unique strategy to decrease the supply of Garnier in the East and decrease the supply of Prestige in the Midwest.  Tribute 360 introduced Pantene’s Fragrance Line with three distinct scents to be available on a volume discount in two months. Team OJ attacked the competition with the creative idea of hair wig demonstrations to highlight the benefits of Pantene versus its competitors. A conditional proposal was presented by Team Victorious Secret: shelving what sells and featuring the new items on separate shelves to ensure the campaign “is worth every scent”. Team OREO proposed joint value drivers, including price promotions for consumers, increased profit margins for shareholders, and push money tactics for employees. Twelve other tribute teams showcased their marketing skills in the arena, including teams SYF, ACElift, Idealab, Spider Pig, Rocket, Leave a Legacy, Tracker Jackers, AdVenue, Dynamix, Tribute 360, un(EMPLOYED), and Brio.

Each team approached the arena with bright ideas and perfected elevator pitches. However, only ten teams would continue onto Round Two, and the other ten would end their journey short and return to their districts.

Round 1 Winner

After some deliberation, Team SYF (third year duo Ksenia Bulgakov and Ivana Radunovic) was awarded first place as they managed to impress the P&G judges the most. Their solution leveraged the needs of Pantene’s stakeholders and aligned them with those of the buyer.

Although the day seemingly began like any other day, it couldn’t have been any less ordinary. 40 tributes entered the Games, ready to battle for ultimate marketing glory, but only 20 came out as survivors for the next round. All of Schulich was watching, and the tributes did not disappoint as they put on a spectacular show, displaying competitive and creative marketing ideas.

The ten teams were recently announced at our YMA Halloween Scream for SCENE event, and all of Schulich now patiently waits to see who will win the second round, sponsored by Maple Leaf Foods. The fight for the Apprentice Marketing Games title continues. May the odds be ever in your favour!

Important Dates:
Round 2 - Friday, November 9
Round 3 - Friday, November 30

For a full album of the first round, click here!

Janice Park is External Director of the York Marketing Association. She is in her final year of the BBA program, and is specializing in marketing and strategy with passions for corporate communications and public relations. Having recently returned from exchange to Seoul, she plans on someday becoming a globetrotter and a professional Instagram photographer (@janice_h_park).