Following Trina Mousseau’s presentation, the conference attendees were split into separate workshops. I attended the market research workshop with Nick Black, the Vice-President at Concerto Marketing Group.
The PowerPoint presentation itself was interesting, but what was most intriguing was definitely the insight he offered in addition to the accessible presentation. He explained an aspect of marketing, which he knows best, that is rarely discussed in classroom situations.
Two categories, he said, fell under marketing: Agency and Client.
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Agency |
Client |
|
Research Strategy Media ATL BTL (Concerto, Inventa) |
P&G Coca Cola AXA |
“ATL” is short for above the line, which refers to press releases, television and the like which are targeted mainly towards the masses.
“BTL” stands for below the line, which targets more specific individuals with catalogues, mail, promotions and can gather a bit more specific insight.
Nick then proceeded to talk about the pros and cons of starting out in each section, and this immediately led me to recall a past Commerce class when the table of income for entrepreneurs and employees was displayed. The question posed as to whether or not one should work in an environment of structure and monotony, or enter into a field with relatively less pay to start with, but is a job that is more individual and enjoyable.
One reply on “Insight Conference Part 2: Sailing Ships”
Hi Valerie,
Glad to hear you enjoyed the presentation.
Just to clarify, there are pro’s and con’s to being on both the client and agency side. Furthermore, whether you see them as a pro or a con can depend on who you are, and what you want to achieve with your career.
For some, the idea of structure is very appealing. Steady pay increases over time, clear job descriptions, and the ability to spend more time with friends and family can be appealing. This would be more typical in larger organizations, and client side roles.
For others, the idea of less structure is appealing. The idea of a more fluid salary (which can change based on performance), more creativity and flexibility with the job, and blurring of the lines between work and pleasure. This would be more typical in smaller entrepreneurial organizations, and agency side roles.
Of course roles and companies don’t always fit into these two neat categories, but it helps to get a general picture of what each side can offer.
Anyway, good luck with the decisions.
Nick Black
http://www.nickblack.org/