Introduction to my blog

Me :)

Hello! And welcome to my blog. My name is Jos and this summer I left UCL with a degree in Human Sciences. I have wanted to work in marketing communications for a while now, but when I started applications to graduate schemes and attended some interviews, I came to realise that I am at a very weighty disadvantage compared to other students who are studying industry-related degrees.

Competition for graduate jobs is something that all students have to face, but I feel that by being a BSc grad in an academic subject I have faced a particular struggle to gain recognition for my interest and capability to work in marcomms.

My journey into marketing has been tempered by a stroke of luck that saw me working in a marketing role before I attended university, which has certainly made it possible for my CV to snowball somewhat. However, when applying for graduate roles, inevitably there is a lot of focus on your degree, and at times I have felt that my course has overshadowed my other more worthy and relevant credentials.

This blog will not only act as a platform for me to talk about my opinions on campaigns, so that I can demonstrate my passion for the industry, it also will document my struggles to make it in marketing with my academic degree, in today’s world of fierce competition. 

Great guerrilla campaigns

Before I start off on my rants about the difficulties of not having studied marketing(!), I wanted to show you these guerrilla campaigns that I saw on Bored Panda.  I'm a big fan of guerrilla marketing - I think it's a great way to create a buzz around your brand or campaign, and can also be a really effective means to get some press coverage that will capture your audience.

If you're not so much of a fan, or if you're not too familar with it, take a look at the below and see if it doesn't change your mind.

An archery club placed apples stickered with their website on the heads of status around town, in a perspicacious reference to William Tell's shooting of the apple off of his son's head with a bow and arrow.

 

 

Absolute radio swoop in and save onlookers from exposure to a rather unappealing image

"If you smoke, statistically your story will end 15% before it should. For help with quitting, call QUITLINE".

This extra page with a premature conclusion was slipped into books and delivers a powerful message about the lethal effects of smoking.

 

These adverts are truly inspirationational for someone like me who is just starting their career; they're examples of just how exciting marketing can be, and how passion and rigorous thinking is vital in order to deliver the client's bottom line. It's one thing to come up with a great idea that amuses:

but the campaigns that really stand out are always the ones that use their brand as inspiration for the advertising.

An extremely befitting guerrilla advert for a Yogo centre