Business and Management (Marketing) Personal Statement

Why do you want to study this course or subject?

Living in London, which is ranked as the number one city for business, innovation and culture, exposes me to the world of economics and business on a daily basis. It was a lecture from the NBCUniversal Vice President of Digital Marketing, Neil Wirasinha, that first opened my eyes to marketing and its potential. His lecture described the various marketing techniques used to promote the film Fast and Furious 7 and I was fascinated to learn about the interplay between traditional forms of marketing and newer digital marketing techniques, and how these overarching strands of the global campaign were realised for individual countries and audiences. I think it would have been exciting to work on this campaign which aided the film to break several box office records and go on to take $1.5 billion worldwide. I hope that one day I will be able to say I worked on such an inspiring campaign and that my marketing ideas could have the sort of influence and impact that would lead to such incredible success. I have a real interest in marketing, as evidenced by the fact I have already gained two marketing work placements. I look forward to furthering my knowledge and passion of marketing by undertaking a degree in the subject.

How have your qualifications and studies helped you to prepare for this course or subject?

I currently study A-Levels in Media, Film Studies and English Language. I believe these have taught me many transferable skills as well as providing me with a strong understanding of marketing principles. In Media Studies, I have learnt about marketing strategies used by key media industries and have developed my own marketing campaign to accompany my practical production of a film trailer/music video. In Film Studies I have learnt about a variety of marketing strategies used in the film industry from utilising digital technologies for viral campaigns to how marketing can help British film survive in the shadow of Hollywood to how marketing can be used to help create success for foreign films. English Language has taught me about the power of words and has helped hone my ability to use language in a clear and effective manner, which is useful in order to create successful marketing campaigns that appeal to the target audience. All three subjects have helped develop my analytical and critical thinking skills as they allow me to analyse and understand the construction and influence of a variety of different media products and texts.

What else have you done to prepare outside of education, and why are these experiences useful?

I was very pleased to win a place on my school’s Media Academy programme. This has benefitted me greatly and led to some fantastic opportunities, including a six-week paid internship at Global Blue Inc which is a tourism shopping magazine company. Through this internship I gained knowledge and experience of the world of work and gained a great insight into marketing and the importance of brands. During the internship I was tasked with researching different fashion brands from all over Europe and Asia, making phone calls to potential clients abroad and setting up schedules for my group. This helped develop my networking and organisational skills which I feel will be beneficial at university. I also volunteered at the Hunter Fashion Show during London Fashion Week which helped polish my leadership and communication skills. As this was a live event these skills were critical in order to ensure the smooth running of the event. Fortunately I remained calm under pressure and was thrilled to be able to contribute to the success of the show. I am a conscientious, hardworking young person who is reliable and eager to learn new skills. I enjoy working in a fast paced environment and always bring a positive energy to the team. I can work well independently or as part of a larger team. In my spare time I love to play sports and watch films and documentaries. I am also looking forward to experiencing all the opportunities university life has to offer. As Cesare Pavese said, “We do not remember days, we remember moments.” I just hope to have many of these ‘moments’ myself during my time at university.