Marketing is a homework
- says Alexandra Kulikova.
We talked a lot about tutors, content, and teaching methods. In other words, WHO TEACHES and WHAT is taught in CIM programmes. But the latest survey shows that 87% of our community wants to know WHO TEACHES?
So, who are these CIM students? The same marketers who create British qualification papers and once a year throw up academic caps in Westminster Hall.
What is it like to be a marketer from Kazakhstan studying for a Diploma in Professional Marketing? Let's take our student as an example:
Alexandra is currently preparing for her first Assignment based on the results of the Marketing & Digital Strategy module.
Alexandra is also one of the winners of the CIM scholarship competition!
Alexandra, could you tell us how your professional track was developed?
I started my career when I was a student, volunteering on film projects. I worked on big events, communicating with world stars and gaining experience in dealing with organizers at different levels and the media. At the age of 18 I went on a trip to America. After returning from a 2-month trip, I received an offer to publish a series of articles about the USA. This offer gave me the chance to try something completely new and became, in a way, an impulse in my life. It has always been my dream to travel the world and tell people about it. That's how big brands, companies, and embassies of different countries started to notice me and invited me to press tours and various events for further press coverage. I visited many beautiful countries, met interesting people, and made friends from all over the world. As I continued to gain experience, I started to receive new offers, including an outsourced marketing job with one of the largest and leading tour operators in the CIS. We introduced new tools, tried different channels of interaction, and kept improving. In this way, I learned about travel from a completely different perspective, the important component that tourists often do not see. But I didn't stop there. One day I received an offer that I did not hesitate to accept. It was to join the team of a marketing and communications agency Travellab.
And what position did you join Travellab from?
I worked as an Account Manager promoting the Dominican Republic. In 4 years I gained a lot of experience, knowledge, and contacts. I got new clients and kept learning and improving all the time.
Why are you interested in the business sector in which you work or have worked?
I work in the travel industry and it is a real passion of mine. In this field, I am constantly traveling, discovering new places, noticing and taking note of interesting things in the industry, meeting interesting people, trying different food, and delving deeper into the world every day. I especially appreciate the opportunity to learn from international experiences and then share those experiences with other people.
Traditionally, the niche in which you operate is considered to be quite challenging and competitive for marketing, is it so?
As my colleagues in the tourism industry say, it is the marketers who have survived tourism who have survived everything! After all, the industry presents us with all sorts of challenges. Tourism is extremely sensitive to global events such as geopolitical developments, pandemics, climate change, and so on. A marketer in this sector has to react quickly to changes, adapt flexibly, revise plans and strategies, and constantly monitor the whole process.
There are more than 100 definitions of marketing. Which definition of marketing is closest to you?
Sales only start when you have a product; marketing starts before you have a product. Marketing is the homework a company does to find out what people need and what should be offered to them. Marketing decides how to launch a product or service, what price to charge, what distribution channels to use, and what promotional tools to employ. Later, it monitors the results improves the market offer, and finally decides if and when it is time to discontinue the offer.
What inspires you at work?
I am inspired by new acquaintances and people. People who are eager for this life and live it to the fullest. People who set goals and achieve them despite any obstacles. People who are constantly learning something and making this world a better place.
I am inspired by new places, cities, and countries. The world is so diverse and amazing that a lifetime is not enough to get to know it. But once you open up to it, your life will change.
I am inspired by the sky. Every time I go on a trip, I see something so different, but something that always unusually attracts my eyes.
I am inspired by ideas. Sometimes one new idea can change the concept of a finished project and make it even better, more interesting, and more alive. When I learn about new ideas and projects that can solve complex problems, it makes me think about how I can contribute.
Why did you decide to participate in the CIM grant competition?
I had been following CIM University for some time, but it was the scholarship competition that became my starting point. I decided that it was a great opportunity to give it a try and that it was time to become a full-fledged student rather than just an observer.
Based on the results of solving the competition case, what do you see as the value of case-based learning?
It was important to try my hand at participating in a grant competition and solving a competitive case. I know a lot about what exactly is needed to develop my industry, I know how to use certain tools. But how can I apply this to another sector? Will I be as effective in global marketing? I don't know what I was looking forward to more: the outcome of the case or the feedback on the case solution...
But the results of both gave me a wave of positive emotions. I was able to identify my strengths and weaknesses, and the experts who reviewed my work confirmed my conclusions.
Theory is good, but only practice reveals our abilities.
"Practice without theory is more valuable than theory without practice. Mark F. Quintilian