Project kickoff and other meetings

Behind me there is undeniably one of my busiest but also the most fun weeks for a while. I hadn't a single day off this week, but I am nevertheless glad that I got to meet all the new great people and spend time with my dear friends. This week has included studying, work, career planning, getting to know new exchange-students, as well as partying until the wee hours at the Freshmen party. I am sure that especially about hectic weeks such as this, it is certainly fun to read afterwards.

Brief for the main project of the spring

On Monday, we had guest lecturer Pasi Latva who is sales and marketing manager in SSM, Suomen Suoramainonta. He presented us the company and its business operations, and as a most important thing; our main project that our team will be working on this spring. Our first task in this project is to make a company analysis, in other words make clear what services the company provides and who the customers are, and making a research of the target group and analysing the results. 

SSM is Finland's largest private direct mail company, whose distribution network reaches 2.1 million households at the same time twice a week. The company works closely with a huge number of city newspapers and national and local direct advertisers.

Reasons why direct mail is an effective marketing tool

• People remember direct mail better and for longer than traditional paper ads. Therefore, unaddressed direct mail is an effective media channel that has managed to maintain and increase its significance, in an increasingly digital world. Direct mail help consumers gain information about offers in shops and online.

• Targeting makes it possible to reach a certain target group or all households in a district. The smallest distribution area is a district and a district is a couple of blocks. When combining your ad with a competition, which requires a coupon to be returned, you are able to collect names and addresses, whilst gaining a better understanding of how your campaign is affecting people.

• About 85% of all households accept unaddressed direct mail. This means that a large number of people will receive and read your advert.

• When you print your advert, you have multiple choices of formats to select. Your product can be a tiny flyer or a thick catalogue; it can really be any size and format you want.  With the use of coupons, QR Codes, etc. you get your customers actively involved.

        Source: Suomen Suoramainonta

Check also the tips that Summer Gould, president of direct marketing company Eye/Comm, have listed in her Forbes article to help increase interest in direct marketing in 2017.

Creating a personal brand

On Thursday morning we focused on a completely different topic, when a company shareholder and a show dancer Petteri Avilia told us about personal branding. He told us a very interesting way the different stages of his life; as an entrepreneur starting from 2004, being jailed for serious drug offenses in 2010, and the present life and his new attitude to life.

Petteri wanted to stress the importance of personal brand and networking. He reminded that being successful always means that you're good to be around, because no matter how rich or smart you are, alone you won't succeed. By being authentic and honest people will probably forgive you more easily, as well in relationships as in the business world. Petteri highlighted that honesty is especially important in digital marketing, because in social media things blow easily out of proportion, and once you screw up your reputation in the social media, it's done and will be remembered for ages. 

Social media is a remarkable thing also when building your own personal brand. You have to keep in mind, what do you want them to know about you, what do you want them to do, and what do you want them to feel about you. 

According to Petteri there are 3 important points to remember when creating a personal brand:

1. Creativity
2. Reliability
3. Reputation

I certainly agree with Petteri Avilia that the key to happiness is to be and stay real, and of course positive. And  what comes to networking, I have to add that blending in is not an option, standing out is a key!

Case EsPa

After Petteri's lecture we got to think about in teams how to develop EsPa's (Etelä-Espoon Pallo) digital marketing so that it would especially increase the sales of supporter cards. Working as a team was once again very rewarding and we came up with many ideas together. I would say that the most important areas of development are updating the website, media manager, new slogan and commercial or high light videos in social media.

Di6iBrainiacs working on it 😃