FREDDY VARIAVA Director of Marketing and Student Engagement, Otago Polytechnic, Polytechnic, Auckland International Campus International experience gained across Telecommunications, FMCG, Healthcare, Banking and Higher Education Industries Q: Tell us a bit about your career in Marketing. Freddy: My interest in Marketing was sparked off by Mr. Olof Persson, our General Manager at Black & Decker, Dubai around the Year 1980. I had the opportunity of working very closely with him on all issues related to Marketing. Since then I have been a ‘practising marketer’ and have held a number of senior level marketing positions in world-reputed multinationals and semi-government companies such as Smith & Nephew, National Bank of Abu Dhabi and Emirates Telecommunications Corporation – Etisalat in the United Arab Emirates where I lived and worked. I migrated to New Zealand in the Year 2004 and have continued with my career in Marketing – initially as a lecturer with a private tertiary education provider and then moving on to the position of Marketing Manager for AIS St Helens. I joined Otago Polytechnic’s Auckland International Campus in May 2013 as International Campus Director (when the campus had only 26 students and as at December 2015 numbered well over 400) and decided to start my own management and education consultancy business early this year. With well over 35 years of working experience this seemed like the most logical thing to do. I am very passionate and enthusiastic about all things marketing and over the years that I have worked in this area I was able to add ‘substantial value’ to the organisations I have worked for and a large part of this success can also be attributed to excellent supportive managers and the teams I have worked with. Truly, I have been very fortunate. Q: What do you like most about your job and why? Freddy: In my most recent job as International Campus Director and Director of Marketing and Student Engagement, I thoroughly enjoyed interacting with students and the various stakeholders. Supported by a ‘very forward thinking Board’ we not only had a dramatic increase in the number of international students on campus but also had very successful outcomes across a whole range of key performance indicators – this, to me, coupled with the fact that we were making a ‘positive difference’ in the lives of young students was particularly gratifying ! The Campus also grew in terms of space from an initial floor to 3 additional floors on Queen Street in Auckland during my employment. All this coupled with the fact that we were able to retain our Category 1 rating was phenomenal. Q: How is the explosion of digital technology impacting choice of marketing strategies? Freddy: The explosion of digital technology and variety of social media platforms has resulted in a ‘shift in marketing think’ and revolutionised communication. Consumers are now highly active partners (customers, producers and retailers) with a strong very influential network of other consumers. Today’s consumers are communicating with each other in fast, innovative ways. They exchange information on products and services, how they are obtained and how they consume them. Facebook, Twitter, My Space, Instagram, Blogs, Online Chat Platforms, Amazon, E-Bay enable customers to not only exchange information and communicate in real time anywhere and anytime. This has altered consumer behaviour and the flow of information about a brand is more multi-dimensional and interconnected. Marketers are therefore, finding it challenging to control brand image in relationship outcomes. The traditional media business models will need to change and marketers will have to gain an in-depth understanding of user-generated content and the effectiveness of new digital and social media platforms. There will be a need to not only develop and use highly customised communication messages but also measure the consumers browsing and purchase related behaviours – very important issues for Customer Relationship Management. Appropriate marketing strategies including development of a Social Media Marketing Plan with clearly defined goals will then have to be developed. Q: What are the most important aspects and challenges that marketing managers should be aware of? Freddy: Today’s Marketing Managers face a number of challenges – some of these are: Securing adequate Budgets Proving the Return on Investment (ROI) of Marketing Activities Communicating with and customising content for International Business Automation of Marketing (identifying the right technologies) and integration of CRM, Email, Social Media and Analytics Managing (across a variety of devices) the organisation’s social and digital media presence Hiring the right talent – people who can cope with the huge transformation taking place in marketing – people who have the ability to understand and embrace change, spot opportunities and adapt quickly, curious and enthusiastic when it comes to new learning and work, have open and collaborative approaches, able to deal with uncertainty and take risks. Q: What are the differences in your role as Marketing Manager in UAE and New Zealand? Freddy: In relation to my experiences, first of all the pace of work in the UAE is very different. We work much longer hours, have greater exposure to various aspects impacting the business and have a higher degree of accountability in the position with ‘very short timelines for deliverables’. Pressure to perform is high and budgets are not an issue particularly if you are working for an organisation that aims to become a Regional Centre of Excellence (Black & Decker and Smith & Nephew were Regional Centres of Excellence in the Middle East) or for an organisation that is semi-government (National Bank of Abu Dhabi and Emirates Telecommunications Corporation – Etisalat). We also have a greater degree of diversity in terms of interacting with senior management or colleagues who are all expatriates and come to the UAE from all parts of the world. I have had the opportunity of working with some excellent managers and colleagues from countries such as UK, USA, Italy, Sweden, Denmark, Iran, Egypt, Sri Lanka, Philippines, Singapore, China, India and France. Another important difference is effort and reward are very well compensated – salary increases and bonuses are generous and tax-free. Professional development of staff is also given ‘top priority’. I have been fortunate to have worked with some of these ‘very fine organisations’. Q: What skills or personal qualities are good for a job in the marketing field? Freddy: Apart from a formal qualification in Marketing and a drive and ability to succeed, students seeking a job in the marketing field should have the following skills/personal qualities: Interest in People Commercial Nous Ability to understand and interpret complex information Ability to solve problems and work to deadlines Interpersonal and communication skills Ability to work in teams Organisation skills High level of creativity and enthusiasm Ability to collate, store, present market data and marketing information An understanding of marketing budgets Understanding of project management Understanding of markets, media, customers and their needs and customer satisfaction Q: What course of study and advice would you recommend that someone take if he/she wants to work towards a career in Marketing? Freddy: Marketing professionals are in demand but there is, intense competition for the best jobs. Students wishing to enter the marketing profession should have an initial bachelor's degree in Business/Applied Management (with marketing as a major) or a degree in Marketing. You can always build on to a basic degree with graduate or post graduate diplomas or a Master’s. Choice of institution is important but more important is the ‘standout’ performance of the student. Marketing is a very diverse field and a number of students also choose to specialize within the marketing genre. For those who wish to enter the rapidly growing world of online marketing, a minor in computer science or certification in HTML or other web-based language is an attractive addition to any marketing degree. Above average writing skills and successful industry experience (internships) are very important. Students should pick an area of marketing where they would like to start their career and then ‘zero in’ on companies that fit their chosen profile. Q: What tips would you give to entrepreneurs of small business with smaller budgets for successful marketing? Freddy: You need to be creative in your marketing approach. Marketing does not have to be expensive and you can gain a lot more mileage and business exposure and success by: Having an active presence on social media sites Survey, obtain feedback, referrals and endorsements from your existing customers Grow your network and share your expertise freely Leveraging on LinkedIn Write for a Trade Magazine Have a presence on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter Position yourself as an expert (networking events, seminars, volunteer, memberships) Commence an E-Newsletter for your business Broadcast your success stories and your WOW Factor Q: What advice would you give to a student exploring opportunities to study abroad? Freddy: Students opting for study abroad face a number of challenges – culture shock, lack of familiarity with the education system, teaching and assessment methodologies in the overseas country, financial pressures, relationship issues etc. My advice to students exploring opportunities to study abroad would be first of all to learn more about the country, its people and culture. Be prepared to immerse yourself in a new culture and environment. Take advantage of opportunities to acquire new skills in order to become workplace ready. Be open to challenges and have and show a great deal of resourcefulness and initiative. Attend conferences, seminars, guest lectures, business breakfast meetings and networking events. This will entail getting out of your comfort zone and making an effort to not only forge new friendships and relationships and put you in a very ‘advantageous’ position. Studying abroad presents a range of fantastic opportunities – expansion of thinking and greater understanding of issues, enhanced quality of learning, new ways of looking at and doing things, gaining an understanding and appreciation of cultural diversity and differing points of view, internship opportunities etc. Employers in today’s globalised, dynamic business environment are looking for very different sets of skills. Students must therefore become more open to knowledge, new forms of learning and have a variety of ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ skills.