A Marketing Blog by Iris Zhou

For the past semester I have had the opportunity to work with an amazing group of individuals who have each brought a unique set of skills to the team. Although none of us knew each other prior to our first meeting in class, it did not take any effort for us to get along, figure out our strengths and weaknesses, and fit the pieces together to deliver a solid marketing project. What really intrigued me was how fluidly we worked as a team, and although there were bumps along the road (ie. late nights spent organizing all of our individual thoughts into a single, coherent project before submitting it at 5 AM), I learned more than just “the 4 P’s” of Tata Motors; I became more familiar with my own attributes, where exactly I fit in a team setting, and how I can use my skills to contribute to the overall effectiveness of the group.

“Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.”
– Henry Ford

I often perceived myself as someone who was soft spoken in the presence of people whom I do not know well. In the beginning, I was hesitant on expressing my opinions on matters and the direction of the project since I was not sure how they would be received within the group; however, as time progressed, I was more open to vocally contributing to group discussions. I credit this to the personable nature of my teammates, who were always encouraging each other to speak their minds and bring objections to the table if something did not seem right.

What I realized from my journey with my group in this project was the importance of thinking critically from a marketing perspective. We frequently found ourselves at crossroads, asking questions and evaluating prospects with every idea that came across our mind, wondering if our proposal was feasible or just plain out of the world crazy. Through this project I have also developed the important skill of “thinking on my feet” and being more creative with my exploration of marketing strategies.

“Creativity is not the finding of a thing, but the making something out of it after it is found.” – James Russell Lowell

We chose to challenge ourselves by choosing a company that was completely new and unfamiliar to us, and now that we are finished, I am glad that we pushed ourselves in this context since it compelled us to be more detailed and focused in our work. Overall, my experience with this marketing project has been a positive one and it has definitely made the material more interesting since we were able to experience the theories of marketing from a hands – on approach.