Tanya Dentham: Blog #1

I was always fascinated by the world of Marketing Communications and how it had such a huge impact on people's lives. Having an undergraduate degree in Marketing and prior work experience at Grey Advertising in Thailand allowed me to take Marketing Communications to a whole new level. I was introduced to the concepts, theories, ideas and examples of Marketing during my studies and was able to put them into practice while working at Grey. As a Strategic Planner, I took care of local Thai accounts, as well as international accounts. I saw the difference in the campaigns and executions because the needs of these clients were very different. Throughout my entire year at Grey, I realized that communications is a vital skill in practically every industry. I have always felt uncomfortable whenever I have to make public speeches or speak up in class, mainly because I grew up in a household where everyone was an introvert. However, I enjoy the dynamics of discussions and feel that I am able to learn about new things through other people's experiences. This is why I decided to enroll in the Communications Practice program at Columbia. I plan to sharpen these necessary skills in communications to better equip myself for success in my future career.

I am very excited to begin this new journey – not only to receive world class education, but to have hands-on experience in all classes. The introductory session of the “Evolving Industry” class was very energetic and enjoyable. I liked Professor Jarmon’s way of teaching and the interactions that was going on in the classroom. It made me want to participate in the discussions and share my ideas. 

Besides the enriching learning experience, I am especially interested in the company visits that will take place in the upcoming weeks. It is such an amazing privilege to be able to learn from various companies in different areas of communications first hand. I plan to gain valuable knowledge and insights from these companies regarding their lifestyle, culture, work ethics and differences - this will give me a better sense of which field of work that I would like to pursue further. Towards the end the course, I hope to find my true passion in order to make better career choices for myself.

The Target Is You (TTIY)

For my TTIY project, I chose to do Bath & Body Works. This is a brand that I have always loved ever since I can remember. I was introduced to Bath & Body Works products back in middle school and have always come back to shop here whenever I visit the United States. I enjoy using theirs products because of the appealing fragrances. I like the fact that Bath & Body Works comes out with fragrances for different seasons of the year - this variety of selection urges customers to return and buy more products.

Bath & Body Works products is suitable for people within the 20-40 years age group, both male and female. They also target people with families because their product sales always include good deals on buying more than one product. Even though I was never exposed to their marketing communications campaigns while in Thailand, I have always followed their product offerings and would get my recommendations from make up gurus on Youtube. Now that I am in the United States, I hope to learn more about the brand and their offerings.

Current brand communications 

Bath & Body Works' store displays are a major factor of drawing in customers. I always feel intrigued to go in and try out their products because the store display is so cute!

As for other communication channels, the Bath & Body Works website is a very good place for people to go in and learn about the products. They update customers about current promotional campaigns, along with providing coupon codes for those who wish to shop online. I feel like the strongest strategy employed by Bath & Body Works are the promotions because I always want to buy the products during these sales. 

As for the online platforms, Bath & Body Works have established a presence in multiple social media channels - Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and Pinterest. These links are listed on their main website. These channels of communication talk about events that are going on, the current promotions and links to the website. To keep customers updated with news and exclusive offers, Bath & Body Works uses the email subscription.

I am looking forward to explore their marketing and communications strategies over the course of the semester to see their effectiveness and how they appeal to the target market (including myself!).