My name is Adam Spottiswood, and this is my marketing blog.

I’m originally from Australia, but left soon after finishing high school to continue my study of Mandarin Chinese at Zhejiang University in Hangzhou, China for one semester prior to starting at UBC as an Arts student in September last year. I had a great time studying in Arts, but I love business even more, which led me to switching faculties.

To be honest, I’m taking this course because it was on a standard timetable that lets me sleep in until 12:30pm on Mondays and Wednesdays. Although I didn’t get a choice in whether or not to take Comm 296, I’m glad to be taking it. I’m still not sure what I want to major in, so it might have a chance to change my mind, and regardless of which area of business I focus on, I believe having a good understanding of marketing is very important.

Obviously I’ve experienced marketing as a consumer, but I’ve also got a little bit of experience of marketing as a student of the subject. In high school I studied marketing as part of Business and Management HL, and I also did my IA (the major assignment for the course) focused on a marketing decision of a local real estate agency. It was a great assignment, as it allowed me to get some real experience of surveying, and interviewing people, and looking at which means of advertising were the most effective. I also chose to focus my extended essay on a local business, which lead to similarly interesting experience.

When it comes to my favourite ad, theres a lot that come to mind, but for this I’d pick the “Not Happy Jan” ad for the Yellow Pages in Australia.  Its simple, funny, the phrase became very popular throughout the country, and is still used today. It seems to have worked very well at staying in people’s memory. However, I’m not so sure how well the Yellow Pages brand stayed linked to the phrase.

Some of my other favourite Aussie ads:

Sam Kekovich – Lamb: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGZEBjzkZMg&feature=related
Telstra: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHx_VXW-Xd8
Flashbeer – Carlton Draught: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=esrNyIg_SMI
Big Ad – Carlton Draught: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eH3GH7Pn_eA
I Still Call Australia Home – QANTAS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbGuqmaDgLA

Something about me: I like to speak Chinese, so if you can speak it please come say “ni hao” sometime.