Enzo Woo's Blog

Greetings fellow marketers in section 201, my name is Enzo Woo, and I am a similarly excited student in second year, ready to take on the exciting world of marketing, with its rough edges and all. A planned HR specialist, I am also heavily considering taking future marketing courses, as I’ve always had a keen interest in what I know to be an absolutely integral cog of any business. Regardless of option, COMM 296 is a course that I want to take, because I want to have at least a passable knowledge of marketing; the practice of getting one’s product’s known and sold is both an art and a science, and has a huge role to play in the business world. Simply put, not having any knowledge of marketing will leave a huge hole in anyone’s repertoire of commerce skills, and that’s something I obviously want to remedy throughout this course.

In terms of experience with marketing, I am an active competitor in NESTEA: The Recruit, a national marketing competition hosted by Coca-Cola and Inventa, a marketing firm based in Toronto. The goal is generally to raise awareness of the NESTEA beverage in our university community, and the whole ride, from training in Toronto, to the execution of an amazing first challenge, has been a memorable ride thus far. As a student, I am targeted with marketing ads specifically aimed at my potentially lucrative demographic; often, frugality is emphasised, while attempts to capture student attention through flashy promises and ads are also commonly seen. Some examples include: BMO Student Banking/SPC discount card promotions and Blackberry’s ‘flirt’ BBM commercial.

In my mind, it is rather unfortunate that so many people simply choose to dismiss marketing and claim that they ‘hate’ it. Innovative and thoughtful marketing is something to embrace, and not simply viewed with disdain – without marketing, so many products and services that North American society readily depends on would be unavailable. Some could argue that the increasing commercialization great marketing brings is a bad thing through and through, but it is not nearly as cut and dry as that simplistic conclusion. The role of great advertising, and the overall debate about marketing in general, is a contentious issue, but is also an excellent segway into my favourite piece of advertising.

Some will do anything to get away from ads

I was travelling in Europe, in Vienna, Austria to be precise, when I was awestruck by something completely unexpected – an advertisement for shoes. I was so transfixed, that I stood like a statue in front of the Viennese Nike store, where the commercial loudly looped on the TV screens, and watched the damn thing 4 times in a row. Predictably, my favourite piece of advertising ever has to be Nike’s ‘Take it to the Next Level’ campaign for Euro 2008. Directed by famed English director Guy Ritchie (aka Madonna’s ex-husband), it captures the meteoric rise of an unnamed Dutch soccer star. From his amateur days, to his contract signing with Arsenal FC, to candid celebrity moments, and finally to his placement on the Dutch national team, the name and faceless star lets us view his experiences through his eyes. His face or exact details are never revealed to the viewers, intending to put consumers ‘in the shoes’ of this football star. An absolutely brilliant concept by Nike, the commercial has star power, featuring the preeminent stars of 2008, realism, brilliant shooting, and a clear message. It does exactly what an advertisement should do: plant the seed of a company’s product, its name, and its differentiating ‘X-factor.’ Long considered to be among the kings of marketing, Nike did a phenomenal job with this first-person concept ad, hitting all of its goals out of the ballpark.

Getting helped up by a Dutch teammate

In terms of a personal fact, I suppose an appropriate thing to reveal is my weakness for star power, especially within sporting advertisement. As an avid athlete, I’ve long been seeing specific targeted advertising, and I firmly believe that appropriate star placement in the right places can have enormous implications in the long run. Sidney Crosby for Reebok, Wayne Rooney for Nike, Derrick Rose for Adidas, Usain Bolt for Puma, and Michael Phelps for Speedo: every sporting brand has its flagship athlete, and effective use of endorsements and sponsorships can mean the difference between a sale gained, or an opportunity lost. I specifically remember buying a set of hockey shoulder pads because it was the same model Sidney Crosby, the best player alive, wore. Did I truly believe that it could raise my level of play? Never, but the knowledge that I shared a similarity with a living icon made it enough; if it was good enough for Crosby, why wouldn’t it be enough for me? This athlete worshipping may have faded as I grew older, but nonetheless, it’s an efficient tactic.

The star of the Reebok show - Crosby's lucrative sponsorship has paid off for both parties

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