Day 11

Myer

Our last day had arrived and our very last visit was to be held at the Myer offices in the Docklands. We arrived at their stylish building and were greeted by the HR manager Lorene who once worked for Monash ACRS and once upon a time would take students on the MMSP program. She gave us some background knowledge of the company and explained the companies additional channel in online retail. With so many online stores offering convenience and low prices Myer is suffering and so needed to make the move online to keep up with changing retail environments. 

She then described the companies strategic plan-

1. New store growth and refurbishments
2. Exclusive brands- Own Brands
3. Build and strengthen Myer One
4. Optimise product mix and selling price
5. Improve Customer service
6. Deliver a flexible omni-channel Offer
7. Continue to reduce shrinkage

Digital Marketer Anna Delaney then spoke to us and described how they are being active in these digital channels.

Myer Own- Website

Myer Buy- Paid google search and Vogue Website advertising

Myer Earned- Facebook, Twitter and a Youtube Channel

Anna described their Facebook page and disaster plans, she used the example of customer complaints and said that any negative posts as such made will be solved and responded to for the customer immediately or at least as soon as possible. 

Jarrod Tuck the loyalty communications Manager spoke with us next and described for us the Myer One loyalty Program. This program rewards customers with discounts and provides the company with priceless information on their customers. It seemed a lot of data was mined from this source yet the company was yet to use it to their best advantage. 

According to Jarrod the Myer One program provided-

• channel- direct line to customers
• Information- Customer Insight
• Targetting- respond to customer needs
• Measurement- level of engagement
• Rewards- giving something back

Myer hope in the future to be able to use the program to create relevant suggestions to their customers on their online store using the information gathered on the system. At the moment their direct marketing and promotions are quite generic but hopefully this will change. The company was quite open about the fact that they were new to these channels and had not yet perfected them, a refreshing point to hear such a large company admit too. 

They have also produced an IPhone application and their Emporium magazine is now available for download for the IPad. 

The last presenter was Karlton Mcleod the advertising loyalty manager who discussed key thematic trends. these trends were-

• Access, convenience and content
• Transparency and human feel
• Consistency
• Meaningful Involvement
• Using multiple mediums in combination 

The main theme here was the need to personalise communications and be well involved in digital mediums and channels. Karlton explained the great need to keep up to date with consumer trends to ensure the company is relevant and most importantly found and embraced by the customer. With so much knowledge from our other visits it was hard to ignore the number of improvements Myer had to make. It seemed they were a business that had been struggeling to move away from traditional marketing and with the move finally in play were lagging behind the competition. Never the less it was a great and insightful last visit.  Me and Kit presented the speakers with certificates and wine. We were then awarded with showbags and made our way back to the bus. 

All Over

So our company visits had well and truly come to an end. With our last hours together Kristy and Colin took us to a mystery destination for a farewell lunch. When we arrived at our destination Studley Park, there was an amazing lunch waiting for us by the picnic tables. After a nice chat and rest we headed down to the water for some rowing. We got our life jackets on and in the water we went. On my boat was Angelica, Simone, Olivia and Deb and we eventually made our way down and back, poor Deb convinced (or forced) to row the whole way. It was a strange feeling knowing for the first time in 10 days that we wouldn't all be seeing each other the next day. This unit was a great experience and I would definitely recommend it to anyone studying marketing at Monash. This program made our knowledge seem relevant and gave true insight into the industry. The opportunity to study and travel is priceless and the chance to meet new people along the way made it a great experience. Thankyou MMSP!

Day 10

Loreal

Once again we met at Caulfield but this time we were heading to St.Kilda rd to visit beauty company Loreal. We were greeted by Helen Purdy the recruiment manager and introduced to the team of presenters. First to speak with us was Sarah Keating the HR manager who spoke about the background of the company and their recruitment programs. Loreal is the number 1 cosmetics company worldwide with 64,600 employees. Thy have 23 global brands and run in over 130 countries. She explained that their business is beauty but beauty is different for everyone, they attempt to cover all definitions of beauty across their different brands. 

Their divisions include-

• Professional products
• Consumer Products
• Luxury Products
• Active Cosmetics

Loreal have also acquired the Body Shop and are extremely proud to include it in their group.    Its attainment is part of working towards their image as a sustainable and eco-friendly company. The companies 'strategy is to be global or nothing' and understand the need for different communications for different cultures globally. They also pride their brand on performance and superior quality and so scientific research is a very important part of the business along with innovation.

After having a coffee as a group the next speaker to present to us was the Senior Brand Manager, Lauren. She explained she had moved across many roles and brands during her time at Loreal and currently she was responsible for the consumer product brand Garnier. She discussed the branding of the products and the product launch of their new collection of deodorants. She described the research process leading to its decision, market research, promoting the product and monitoring it. 

Next up was employee trainer George who worked under the luxury brand Lancome. George was so enthusiastic and anyone who was sleepy would have been instantly woken up. He began by asking us what we believed was the most powerful commodity in the world, some responding with image, others with gold.. he explained that beauty was the most powerful commodity and that this is why their business is so successful. He discussed luxury brands being about an experience and that even though customers may be able to get discounts online they will still shop in store because they value the customer service and advice. This visit was very insightful in respect to many different product categories and a lot of knowledge and interesting information sought. We had our photos taken and received a show bag each with some Loreal goodies inside. With bags in hand we then went into the CBD for some lunch. 

Salmat

Our last visit for the day was marketing communications firm Salmat who deliver services to a great number of businesses. Sean McDonell the industry Director of Retail and Thomas Mahon, Head of Sales presented to the group on behalf of the company. The pair were very down to earth and gave us the chance to present our research topics to ensure that they covered any relevant information. They described their role as enhancing the engagement their clients have with their customers and improving their efficiency. They spoke about both tactical and brand marketing and their differing strategies. Salmats main tactics included moving from traditional to digital marketing and using all communication channels in the most efficient and effective way possible, including a seamless integration. With so much noise in communications they emphasised the need to cut-through to their target including both push and pull strategies. 

Last group dinner 

It was all soon coming to an end so for one of our last outings together we went to china town and enjoyed a banquet at the Dragon Boat. We reminisced about our travels and experiences, it was hard to believe it was coming to an end, we had done soo much yet it felt like it had gone so quickly.  

Day 9

The Age & 3AW

Our first day back in Melbourne and it was almost strange to not start the day with everybody else around. We met at Caulfield Uni and slowly piled onto the bus. The first stop of the day was the Age building across from Southern Cross station, we waited in the foyer not really knowing what to expect. We were greeted by members of the companies team and were separated into two groups for quick tours of both of the offices. My groups first stop was the 3AW offices and studios. We had the opportunity to go into a recording studio and watch the hosts near by in action. We also stopped and talked to employees along the way who described their roles and how the station ran. Team members need to constantly stream and research news headlines throughout the day to keep relevant and make sure they have the most recent updates. One of the employees explained that sometimes callers are the first to report stories to them often calling 3AW before they have even rung 000, which the team prompty instruct them to do. We walked past the offices of many big names including Derryn Hinch. We were then handed over to The age for a short tour of their department. 

When the tour was over we were ushered into a room to hear a presentation by the teams. It was the largest group of people we had present to us over the whole trip. The team had well identified the decrease in readership of physical newspapers but had taken opportunity in other channels available. These channels include an IPad and IPhone application and website. When launching these applications research was undertaken to investigate user requirements  and feedback. What seemed most important to the team was being capable of communicating with their reader at every point throughout the day. This included a cycle of technologies used and what information was wanted at particular parts of the day. For example on the train readers are using their mobiles and want news headlines whereas in their lunch break they might be using their IPad and searching for entertainment news. It was great to see the company so successfully adapting to this technological change and new consumer behaviours. 

Western Bulldogs

After lunch at Spencer St Mall we were off to meet Nick Truelson the chief Commercial Officer for the Western Bulldogs AFL team. Nick was in fact a past student of the international MMSP program so he had a true understanding of our purpose. We explained to him our research topics and he then gave us a run down of the teams marketing strategies and current conditions. Nick explained the high growth rate in Melbourne's Western suburbs and the huge opportunity this was for them. They are working on building the Bulldogs brand and have started a campaign called 'The Western Front'. While the title of this campaign has been controversial the campaign has in fact been very successful. The video included images of big businesses in the West and produced an emotional and community appeal to those living n the west. They engaged their audience and produced an image as wanted of being dynamic, professional and a leader. The AFL club are using these marketing techniques to increase membership signups and promote loyalty in the program so members re-sign year after year. Their target market are existing members, new prospective members and community & corporate partners. With such large growth in the Western suburbs the team plan to leverage this buy engaging schools and young families with the team and even inviting immigrants to attend football matches. 

The team are using Facebook to engage with their fans and it was noted that monitoring it was sometimes an issue, especially when the team had lost a game. The bulldogs seems to be one of the only AFL teams with a long term marketing plan and we can expect to see a great rise in their fan numbers given growth in the area and effective marketing strategies to match. We then visited their gym for a quick look and we were back to Caulfield to go home for a nights rest. 

Day 8

Google

They day had finally arrived where we were to visit Google! as excited as we were, before we could make our journey there we had to pack our things and say goodbye to the Grace hotel. When we arrived at the offices the excitement had built and we made our way through the unique and modern building. We all received a name tag and waited in reception for our presenter, attempting to resist the urge to jump on the reception tyre swing. We were shortly greeted by James Toepfer their marketing manager who gave us a small tour of the building. The space was so unique and well designed anyone would surely kill to work here. The spaces included an entertainment and leisure room full of electronics and games and jars of miscellaneous food that staff could help themselves too and a staff kitchen/restaurant. James explained the buffet which was very similar to those we had encountered at our breakfasts in our hotel stay. They have a chef working full time who cooks meals for all the staff members and even provides dietary information. Although these were amazing perks I couldn't help but notice that both spaces were completely deserted. Maybe this was because of the time in the morning but I would suggest its because the staff were working hard. 

We were guided into a presentation room where gifts of Google merchandise had been left on our seats including a notebook, pen and yoyo.. Industry Manager Suzi Nicoletti then met with us to join in the presentation with James. Google have 700 marketers globally and the pair presented us with a typical case study. This case study was about understanding and reaching prospective university students through Google as 71% of education researchers rely on a university website when deciding which to attend. This meant making sure the client could be found under key words and that they had an advertising space on the page. James then spoke to us about the future of technology and the fact that soon 80% of all screen time will be digital. He explained the many channels available for there company to communicate with their users as well as collect important data about them which could be used to improve marketing strategies. One technology they have produced is Google Wallet which will allow people to use their mobile phone to make purchases. This technology will close the gap between research and final purchases. That is, at the present time marketers can study how customers are behaving online and in their research process but they cannot ultimately link this information to what that customers final actions were, this will change with Google Wallet. Another potential product for the future was augmented reality, it was amazing to hear the innovative creations the company were working on. Sadly our time here was over but fortunately next up we had Shoes of Prey.

Shoes Of Prey

After a break for lunch we had arrived in the office of Shoes of Prey, we were greeted by a wall of amazing shoes and a very stylish space.  Co-Founder Michael Fox introduced himself and sat us down for the presentation. The company are an online shoe store where women can design their own shoe, choosing the shape, colour, textures etc.  They launched in October 2009 and the concept has been a great success. They are now selling globally and in fact 60% of sales are outside Australia. They are a self funded company and explained that while Australia was a healthy market there is a higher growth rate in countries outside of Australia. Michael also talked about the 'purple cow', the need to have a unique offering, in this case people being able to create what they actually want rather than having to choose from selected and dictated styles in stores. Their company is all about experiential retail and their target market are professional women from around 25-35 years of age who have a higher disposable income.

To meet the needs of their customers and improve their marketing strategies Shoes of Prey  have engaged in customer surveys  . What they found is that while their satisfaction rate is at a great high they had a low scoring for people likely to purchase again. This can be explained by their higher price and possibly for 10%-20% of sales being for specific events such as weddings. As such a young company the team is involved in many online channels including Facebook, blog's and Youtube. Facebook has been used to engage their customers and the team have a very strong focus on delivering the best customer service. For example if someone posts a query about how a shoe looks, co-founder Jodie Fox will take a photo of herself wearing the shoes and upload to the page. This medium is also used to gauge what customers want, so the team will often post materials for the next season for customers to vote on. 

Michael also told us about their new business venture Sneaking Duck where customers can purchase a range of different frames for glasses and have them filled with their prescription. He also spoke about the prospective of Shoes of Prey expanding into belts and handbags. With new product ventures in mind so were new multi-channel solutions. These included the use of IPhone & IPad applications and even offline selling channels. Offline selling channels in this case were kiosks and possibly spaces in department stores where customers could see the product face to face. 

Michael described their barriers to entry as-

1. Brand Loyalty
2. Operations
3. Technology 
4. Partnerships

Being able to speak directly to the founder of a Company was a refreshing change. Michael was able to answer questions on any aspect of the business and being a small company all team members seemed to be involved in  many different roles, from research to creative. An amazing and innovative company, I cant wait to see what they do next. 

Flying home

After finishing up at Shoes of Prey it was time to go home, real home. So we were off to the airport and soon after on a flight back to Melbourne. It was nice to be back in my own bed, also to have the opportunity to do some much needed washing. Looking back this was one of the best days of company visits so far. 

Day 7

Lend Lease

The weekend was over and it was time to get back to what we were away for, gaining marketing knowledge. The first company of our returning visits was Lend Lease. To be honest I wasn't all that excited about this visit, maybe because I didn't no too much about the dynamics of the company, but as per usual on this trip I was pleasantly surprised. We were first greeted by an employee called Trish who took us for a tour of the new building explaining their prior architectural plans and what had actually been implemented. She spoke about the building being of an eco-friendly nature and their sustainability plans, a strong focus for the group it seemed. We were taken through the open plan offices, starting to get concerned about what seemed irrelevant information for our purpose of visiting, we were soon handed over to the marketing team. Paul Pozzobon, Christine Khoury and Madeline Tomczyk were the presenters, a young and very personable team. 

They explained that their company had many developments but their presentation would be focused on retail. Currently the company manage 16 shopping centres across Australia and follow the philosophy 'Retail is not just a business, its a way of life'. They are very community driven and attempt to create an experience in their centres not just simply a development space. They spoke to us about their marketing strategies and explained that in 2010 they produced a new creative guide for the centre as they felt the previous one was outdated- to boxy and conservative. They wanted to revamp their image to capture emotion, create positioning ('Good Times') and cut through noise. The main observation was that less is more, and they introduced flexibility in the guide. 

The team also spoke about their involvement in Facebook and its launch in 2010. They explained its use as allowing them to engage with their customers in a more personal way. Through this channel 'The Great Give Away' was launched where one prize per day per centre was given away through the month of Feb. This succeeded in creating loyalty and PR within the communities. Anther channel launched in late 2011 is an IPhone App, under the name of each shopping centre. This launch was a result of research indicating that consumers research online before their shopping journey. 

Also mentioned was the teams principles of Social media, those that they follow-

• Make it conversational and relatable
• Don't delete or ignore negative posts
• Embrace the power of Social Media
• Value your community

For what originally seemed like a quiet industry which may not have a great opportunity for marketing creativity, it was much the opposite. The team was very much getting involved in new technologies and channels, and doing it well. 

DDB

After a short lunch break we were off to DDB. We arrived at the advertising agencies offices where we signed confidentiality agreements. There was no room for our presenation here so we were taken to the upstairs of a near by pub where we sat in lounge chairs and had some drinks. DDB began by stating 'We believe that creativity is the most powerful force in business. They are one of the biggest advertising agencies in the world and their vision is to be the most influential communications agency in the market with a focus on innovation. The team spoke about changing technologies and communication channels describing the mobile device as a Swiss army knife. They spoke about cloud systems, social networking and moving away from the original desktop to other devices such as tablets. What was presented to us was a range of case studies the company had been involved in including the companies they were working for, the design brief and the final creative solution and execution. It was great to see the whole process uncovered and some advertisements we regularly encounter in the mix. 


What seemed evident in their creative solutions is that to capture a customers attention they were having to offer an experience as opposed to simply an advertisement. They were using a combination of channels to provide their audience with a brand experience and most importantly engage them in the campaigns. Often the audience would be pat of their marketing as they would share the videos or images and the campaign would become viral.  This stressed the importance and relevance of digital marketing in today's age, the new marketing era being about digital and social strategies rather than mass media advertising. 



Last Night in Sydney
It was our last night in Sydney, so to celebrate/commiserate we went on our last group dinner out of state at Cargo Bar. We enjoyed some food and drinks and witnessed a cocktail/punch bowl bigger than our heads. It was a nice end to our time in Sydney and then we were back to the hotel room for our last sleep out of our own beds. 

Day 6

Free Day

It was our first free day to ourselves and for many this began with a sleep in. After a late start to the day a group of us visited the Sydney Opera House to enjoy the sun and a nice meal along the water. I also explored the surrounding area and even visited the small Sydney Museum. Even after a sleep in I was still so exhausted from the last few days that I had an afternoon nap in the hotel room. Feeling refreshed, that night a group of us took a trip down to Bondi Junction, had a stroll along the well known beach and had some dinner near by. When our dinner was over the rain that we had been expecting finally came, and it certainly poured. The restaurant was beginning to flood and cars outside were starting to float. We quickly had our taxis on the way to pick us up as we watched the unusual phenomena. When they arrived we took of our shoes, pulled up our pants and near on swam to the taxi door. It was a great day to do some exploring ourselves and I'm glad we had a chance to catch the sun. 

   

Day 5

Arrival In Sydney

It was time to say goodbye to sunny Queensland and head down to Sydney (rain forecasted). We packed our things and hopped onto the bus and watched our last glimpses of Surfers Paradise out the window. To our surprise when we arrived in Sydney the weather was nice and we pulled up to our hotel The Grace, a large hotel with an old fashioned and rather fancy personality. We checked in and visited our rooms quickly then as a group went out to get some lunch.  Some members of the group had been to Sydney before and suggested an asian restaurant to visit and after a large hunt we ended up at a cafe which served hot plate lunches, a first for me. Time flew very quickly and soon enough we were back at or hotel preparing for the Harbour bridge climb.  We were a bit concerned that it might rain but luckily for us the skies were clear. 

Bridge Climb!

We arrived at the bridge and were prepped for the amazing experience. This included being introduced to the rest of the climbers, fitting our jumpsuits, a practice stair climb and an overview of what to expect on the climb. Our guide led us to the entry to the bridge and one by one we were attached to the guideline. We walked on thin platforms over the main road and could see straight through the floor below us. I am not one to be scared of heights but the beginning of this walk was making me question my courage. We climbed and crawled through dark spaces and climbed up vertical stairs through train railways in use. We soon however arrived at the bridge itself and the view was amazing. We had a full view of the city scape and night lights, a very different experience to what it would be during the day. The part of the bridge we climbed on was an easy and comfortable walk and we had many opportunities to stop and have photos taken and enjoy the view.The guide was very engaging with many interesting facts and stories about the history of the bridge, he mentioned the fact that on every climb he hosts there are always such different tales told as there is just so many to talk about. It was an amazing experience and I am so glad we all got the chance to do it as a group. When the climb was over we had the opportunity for a free night in Sydney. My boyfriend was in the city at the time so we had the chance to meet up. We spent the night exploring the city together, a great end to the day. 

 

 

Day 4

Sea World

Day 4 and and it was finally time to visit the much anticipated theme park Sea World. When we arrived at the park we were greeted by Selena Lawson the Activation Manager and Rebecca Scully the Digital Marketing Manager. They directed us through to the other side of the park to Dolphin Cove where our presentation was to be held. Dolphin Cove was a large dolphin pool and arena where shows were held for park visitors and we had it all to ourselves. When we arrived to the spot we were greeted by a group of dolphins who swam up to the shore to see us, we were then given a brief introduction and the opportunity to get in the water with the dolphins for a quick pat. Getting the chance to get up close with these animals was an amazing experience and their skin a unique texture to touch. When we were all done with our photos we got back to our seats and dolphin instructor Tammy explained to us the companies dolphin programs and the training involved. Also mentioned was Sea Worlds involvement in animal rescues and rehabilitation. 

After we had the opportunity to ask Tammy some questions both Selena and Rebecca spoke about Sea World and its marketing strategies. Selena explained that she had been involved in the Village Roadshow group for many years which included Sea World, Movie World and Wet 'n' Wild. They had for sometime now offered combined passes for all parks which had accrued higher revenues for the group. Selena also described the need to promote spending in the park such as meal deals and other extras such as swimming with the sharks to drive revenue. While promotions like these were being advertised it was also very important that all staff be aware of there existence, the team did not want customers asking for information and staff being able to offer little or no knowledge. Selena also spoke about retail channels and described park passes as being available online, on the telephone, through travel agents and at the door. Ticket purchases however are most preferable online as the group receives payments in advance and less staff resources are required. Online purchasing also allows for customer data collection and the opportunity to have direct contact post-purchase. 

Rebecca then discussed her role as the digital marketing manager and issues in this role. She spoke about the use of Facebook and the way Sea World uses it as a customer engagement tool. The content placed on the page is of a fun nature and the team try to avoid promoting advertisements to their customers through this channel. Instead Rebecca will often upload pictures of the animals in the park which as she comments 'people go crazy over'.  Rebecca also spoke about the general dangers of Facebook, that is, negative comments, abuse etc, but said that they try to avoid deleting comments unless they include swearing or inappropriate content and instead the team will respond to the negative posts. Although this is the teams plan of action, they often find that their 'Facebook tribe' will have defended them before they have even seen it. Another way the team is using Facebook is a tease campaign for there latest ride. The team will post comments or photos of sneak peaks or hints bout the next ride to which huge discussions and speculations will generate on their page, working to engage these customers. 

The  presentation had to come to an end as people began to flood into Dolphin Cove to see the spectacular dolphin show. We all stayed back and watched in our prime seating as the dolphins we had pet performed jumps and acts for the audience. When this was over we journeyed over to shark bay to have a look and decide whether we were all brave enough to get in the water with these semi-giants. Some had no interest, the rest of us excited for the opportunity. To be honest i was disappointed the scheduled swim wasn't with the big sharks! a group of us went and booked ourselves in. Then we were off to the rides for an adrenaline kick. Once we had tired our stomachs we grabbed some lunch and watched some of the Sea Lion detective show. When this was all done we had started to feel the heat so me Deb, Angelica and Olivia headed over to the water resort for a ride down the water slide and a soak in the pool. Then it was time for our shark experience.

We all squeezed into our unflattering wetsuits and waddled into the pool. Here we were given instructions and off we went to swim alongside sharks, stingrays and one giant fish.  When we had finished our laps it was time to jump back on the bus and head back to the hotel. 

Night in Surfers

When we arrived at the hotel I went back to my room for a shower, some rest and some study time. Then I was off with part of the group to an Asian restaurant where we had some delicious noodle soup. Along the foreshore there was a night market taking place so we also took a stroll along there where many interesting  bits and pieces were being sold, including whistles you stuck on your tongue that made animal noises when you made certain sounds. Me and a few of the other girls picked up some rings made of spoons which dated back as far as the  1800's. When this walk was over me and Kit caught up with the rest of the group for a night out at Surfers Paradise. 

 

Day 3

Goodbye Brisbane hello Gold Coast

This morning Alison and I started off the day by heading down to what we thought was going to be our first proper buffet breakfast. Instead by the time we arrived the buffet was closing so once again we had to stuff our hands full of food and make a mad dash back up to our room. Our day began with eating while packing our things in preparation for our journey up to the Gold Coast, already it was difficult to repack. Once we had done our final checks of the room we made our way downstairs and checked out of the Ibis. This left us with an hour or so before the bus left to use however we liked. So me and some of the girls went for a walk down to Queens Street mall where we enjoyed some shopping and a quick bite to eat.  Soon enough we had gotten back on the bus and arrived out our destination. We could see the beautiful beaches out the window and the excitement grew for our short stay, here we were, Surfers Paradise and paradise it certainly was. 

Austereo

But before we could enjoy the sun we first had to enjoy a company visit to Southern Cross Austereo. So to fill the short time we had between our arrival and appointment start with them we went to Max Brenner to have a hot chocolate and I discussed with my group Thi and Kath the sort of questions we should ask the company. Then once again we were off and made our way up to the offices. We were greeted by the Geneal  Manager Paul Bartlett who took us for a tour around their newly acquired modern office space. And for the first time I got the chance to stand in a radio studio. It was a strange experience as a radio listener, as the work places and atmosphere of the radio studio are often romantacised in your head. When MC Jack took us into a studio he was currently working in and we saw exactly how the technology worked. Jack would have clips of all different recordings including music, advertisements and conversations of radio personalities or listeners to which he organised and played within a 10 second air delay. For instance a conversation he would have with someone calling in would be edited to remove any awkward silences or possibly inappropriate content before aired. Also conversations with other radio personalities were partly pre-recorded. What we witnessed was Jack recording himself asking Fifi Box what was happening in her afternoon show, to which then Jack clicked a pre recorded clip of her response. It was a completely staged conversation, as the two have never even met, but to a listener would have sounded like they were on the other end of the phone to each other. What struck me is the amazing multi tasking skills Jack must have had to keep up with such a time critical job. 

 

Once our tour was over we met the companies PR and Social media manager Luke Parsins. Luke discussed with us the role of social media in their industry and how they both use and manage it. He described it as a tool for engaging customers and explained that often a forum such like this created a tribe of fans who would more than often come to your rescue when negative comments were posted. While using social media as an engagement tool rather than an advertising one, Luke also mentioned the importance of being up to date with the media and using forums such as Facebook as an opportunity to reflect on your audience and what they respond well to. 

We then had the opportunity to ask both Luke and Paul some more specific questions which they happily answered. During this time they reflected on the importance of media personalities and again the crucial role of being relevant and the success of their latest breakfast presenter Charlie Robinson in their bid to keep the brand young and fresh. Advertising was also a topic of interest in which they spoke about the need of advertising to survive and choosing advertisements that are appropriate to air. They also expressed the need to make strong and long term relationships with these clients, creating positive outcomes for both partners in the long term. 

Evening in Surfers Paradise

At the conclusion of the presentation we went straight back to set up out our new home, hotel Vibe. After having a short time to refresh we were down at the hotel Bar having a few drinks in the sun. A great opportunity for some more socialising. Soon we all walked over to the Hard Rock Cafe for a group dinner, where we sat out on the balcony looking over a beautiful view. After dinner we were forced into a scare when we walked over to Dracula's Haunted house. Here me Alison, Angelica and Olivia walked through together all though it took us a considerable amount of time to even get through the entry door as we were to busy already screaming. We eventually made it out the other side. When we had all made it through a group of us made our way out and spent some time walking around the main strip before we found our way to a bar where we enjoyed some drinks and a dance. 

Day 2

Brismark

Today we woke up at 5am to get ready to visit the Brisbane Markets for a presentation by Brismark. After a rushed morning and strange non functioning sleep state we eventually made it down to the bus once we did a mad dash up to our buffet breakfast to stuff some rashins into our handbags. When we arrived at the markets we were greeted by Vanessa the marketing director and did a bus tour around the huge area. Although on the way we could barely keep our eyes open, as soon as Vanessa jumped on the bus we all suddenly had a huge burst of energy, which Vanessa's bright and excitable personality was responsible for.

Vanessa pointed out to us all sights of interest along the way and also spoke about the devastating floods they had quite recently experienced. Another devastating issue for them was the role of Woolworths and Coles as buyers whom they referred to as 'the bullies'. Here the big companies are having a huge effect on the pricing of the goods as they often sell below price an therefore essentially set a price for the rest of the wholesalers and grocers who will then make minimal profit. 

After the bus tour we all hopped of the bus into the markets where we wore our very stylish flouro vests over our corporate gear. The markets were full of life and there seemed to be so much going on, it was a very fast paced working environment where we were warned not to lose our toes! Along our walk we stopped and spoke to many of the wholesalers who told us about how the market worked and the hard times they were in at the moment. The market runs on supply and demand and many of the workers explained that majority of their stock was hidden from the buyers meaning that they could vary prices depending on the customer. The politics in the marketplace was also something that stood out and was    

something that Vanessa said had to be closely monitored. 

Once we had done our lap of the marketplace we were in Brismark's kitchen where we were provided with a hearty breakfast which included an amazing roll and of course beautiful fresh fruit. 

Vanessa then did some brainstorming with us on what the company could do to promote this kitchen in the community and how it would be done. This conversation revealed that Vanessa only had 1 hour of internet access a week!  an incredible disaster as far as anyone in a marketing role could be concerned. This fact only reiterated that the business was run in a very traditional yet somewhat ancient way. 

We then got the opportunity to speak to two both Carl and Carlo who had been Brismark members for many years. This was a chance for all of us to ask relevant questions for our assignment topics. A big research topic in most of our cases were online, social media and multi channel retailing which in this business honestly seemed hard to make a connection with. The men explained that their product required face to face interaction as their produce is based on quality. Quality could not be portrayed in a photo, their customers liked to touch and taste the product. The importance of the customer relationship was also discussed and we were told that workers on the floor would be armed with all the information about every product and be capable of building a true dialogue and long term 'friendship' with their buyers. This was most important as it is through word of mouth that they gain customers rather than advertising as such. Another topic was the fact that their industry is perishable goods, so compared to most companies it is hard to have a business plan as the turn over needs to be fast. Their industry at least for me, proved that product and customer are at the core of every decision. As much as new technologies can improve a business, if you don't have the resources or customer demand, maybe their is no benefit in going down that path, sometimes it is better sticking with what you know and what you are good at. 

When our discussion was over we headed back out to get back on the bus and to out surprise by this time the markets were completely deserted, nothing but some left over fruit lying on the ground. We said our goodbyes and off we went. 

Day in Brisbane

When we arrived back at the hotel some of us headed over to the library for some note taking and blogging. It was a very modern library and right out the front was the farmers market, where some of the food we saw that morning had ended up. So after our time in the library we had a wander and picked up ourselves some lunch and a gourmet ice cream. After we filled our stomachs we decided to go for an explore around the rest of Brisbane, our travels included the Botanical Gardens and the Ferris Wheel.  

   

                                      

When the evening came the group headed to Sofitel for some drinks, it was a beautiful hotel with a great atmosphere and then once again we went out in search of a meal. This search found us at a contemporary Chinese restaurant where we had all you can eat dumplings. After this long day I was well and truly ready for bed. A great second day.