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. 

Day 1

Off We Go

So today the trip finally took off, although it certainly did sneak up on me after a fast paced summer break. We met at the airport check in at 8am which meant a very early morning (not a norm over my summer). Together we waited for boarding and had an opportunity to have a chat and for the most part brag about how excited we were.  After a  short flight we arrived in Brisbane and the beautiful heat hit. Here we are staying at the Ibis hotel and me and my friend Alison are sharing a room (note the excessive luggage)

Super Retail Group

We began our arrival in Brisbane with a short explore of the city which took us to a food court off Adelaide street where a small group off us indulged in some much needed food. Soon after we were back to the Hotel to get organised for our very first company visit at Super Retail Group. After a 1 hour bus trip we were there.

We were warmly invited in to the offices and sat down in a meeting room where The CEO Peter and Marketing Director Kevin preceded with their presentations. It became obvious very quickly that they had tailored the presentations specifically for the topics we are currently researching and we were all very impressed with the information they gave and the success of the Group. 

The group curently stand as the 7th Largest corporate retailer group in Australia specialising in the leisure market being a leader in all of its categories. Impressively they have 11,000 employees across the whole group. We were told that their main focus is on producing and maintaining the most effective business model and culture of the business. 

Peter talked about the fact that business' need to differentite themselves and explained the groups points on differentiation as:

- Products and innovation

-Passionate team members

-Customer Focus

-Core sysems (effective multi-chanelling solutions)

-Speed and discipline

He also spoke about the industry as a whole and the fact that retailers are tending to start making their own brands and brands beginning to sell their products directly rather than through a retailer. With these changes and also changes in the way customers research and shop Super Retail Group was putting a strong emphasis on engaging their customers and creating a seamless integrated experience. 

Peter then passed the presentation over to Kevin and he continued to explain how the group was evolving this seamless integrated process. The main focus of the presentation was about customer engagement and how their group is working to create this engagement both efficiently and effectively. The groups online presence and multi channel retailing was most impressive as they work towards a seamless integrated experience using databasing, personalised offers and good information systems. 

The group was much more advanced than I was anticipating and their websites seemed flawless. When Kevin spoke he seemed to be passionate about the fact that if you are going to enter a new retailing channel you have to be great at it. There is no point entering the new venture if you will do the job at a poor quality because customers will only be disappointed. 

When the presentation was finished me and Michelle presented both Peter and Kevin with a certificate and wine and we made our way back to our new home in Brisbane.  

Evening in Brisbane

Once home we had a short rest and then went out for a group dinner at the Groove train. After we had finished our meals me Alison and Angelica went for a short walk then headed back to the hotel for an early night in preparation for the 5am wake up to come on Day 2! A fantastic first day with a great company and a chance to meet great new people. 

The Beginning

Soo uni over the summer... sounds awful right? but it couldn't be better!!!

I am very excited to be involved in a Monash Marketing trip in February 2012 which will take a group of approximately 20 students across Australia to visit an amazing combination of well known companies including Google and Loreal. This trip is going to be such an eye opener and hopefully give me some great ideas of where I do and don't want to end up post Uni Studies.

I have recently finished my 3rd year of Uni and will head into my 4th and final year in 2012. In this year i will be completing my Bachelor of Business and Bachelor of Visual Arts. This includes a major in Marketing and in Interdisciplinary design (basically a bit of fun to get me through some of my business subjects!). Although i do hope that the two will compliment each other.

a little bit more about me-

• At the moment i cant get enough of Dexter
• Desperate to get my Scuba Licence
• I have a part time Job at a Chemist
• Love to travel
• Designing and photography (some bits and pieces at the Monash art and design grad show but probably to late..)
• Tennis player (attempted)

It was great to meet everybody on the initial meeting day but unfortunately I missed the learning day due to some health problems, so I look forward to seeing everybody again. I have been allocated to a group and our topic is Multi Channel retailing which I am actually really interested in researching so that worked out well!

For now I am completing the proposal with my group members and soon head to Thailand with my boyfriend for a holiday. What a great summer it is going to be. I'll be sure to update regularly hopefully with some interesting pieces.