Marketing Here, Marketing There, Marketing is EVERYWHERE!

January 16th, 2012 • 3 comments Uncategorized

While thinking about the topic for this blog post, my thoughts went from Apple to Coca Cola. Then I chanced upon a UBC Bookstore towel and I found my topic.

I am a student ambassador of the UBC Bookstore.  Since 2010, I have worked on numerous marketing projects with the Bookstore. I am responsible for sharing Bookstore messages with my peers and preparing a report on my findings. I also volunteer for  brand awareness activities like the annual Rez Night. I have had much fun and have gained experience in marketing through this role. But till Jan 4th, I didn’t know how valuable the ambassadors’ services are to the Bookstore!

Every organization wants unbiased customer reactions but this may be costly and cumbersome. Through the ambassadors however, the Bookstore has cleverly placed a pulse on the students’ view of the Bookstore and within a couple of weeks of getting feedback from us, it can take  measures to tune its marketing plan. Also, the ambassadors have proven to be a valuable information delivery channel for the Bookstore. Since we often speak about the Bookstore promotions in our conversations with friends, they have successfully become part of the conversation. They have turned us ambassadors into marketing evangelists too. Having closely worked with the bookstore staff. we know that the profits are directed back to UBC and that the higher prices are necessitated because of the fair trade policies that it follows. This positive image that we hold of the Bookstore reflects in our brand exchanges with our friends and ultimately good word-of-mouth publicity for the bookstore.

Employing the target market market to attract the target market is clever indeed and the recent North American College Stores (NACS) innovation award that the Bookstore received for this program ratifies this statement. Kudos to the Bookstore!