With record numbers of graduates vying for jobs, candidates need to be increasingly creative in order to distinguish themselves from the competition.
One unusual place to plunder for ideas is the murky practice of ambush marketing; when a company that hasn't paid to be a sponsor of an event, gets free publicity by unrolling banners in the stadium, for example, or finding other ways of getting their logo in the eye of the cameras, reporters and spectators.
While the ethics of the practice are controversial, there are many ideas graduates can borrow and adapt to make their own qualities as a legally compliant, responsible marketer shine.
Think outside the box: Ambush marketers can't always get into the arena they want to be in (graduates in competitive sectors will see the parallel here!). So, they use their imagination. A recent ambush campaign at the World Cup smuggled in 36 women identically dressed in orange mini-dresses, a colour associated with the Bavaria brewing company. While the women were ejected, the resultant publicity beamed the Bavaria brand around the world — a considerable success for a small company, and an own goal for FIFA.
Alec Brownstein used his imagination and industry knowledge to land his dream job earlier this year. The US-based ad exec bought Google Adword spots next to the names of six top agency MDs he wanted to work for and waited. When they Googled themselves, a message from Alec appeared top in the rankings suggesting they hired him. It cost him $6, he was offered two interviews and now works at Y&R New York.
There was also Tom Gockelen-Kozlowski who doorstepped every national newspaper, handing out his business cards, in the hope of finding work.
Don't give in too easily: The worst thing a marketer can do is be defeatist. The response to "you can't do that" should be "okay but how can I turn the 'no' into a 'yes'?" Ambush marketers are successful precisely because they don't roll over and do what those in a position of authority tell them to do. It's not that you should disregard a regulation or wilfully break a law, rather that you want to use your persuasiveness and imagination to get your customer, client or boss to see an issue from a different point of view.
This approach impressed Robert Walker, founder and managing director of Xcite Digital — a web design and development software house. In a recent blogpost for Guardian Careers he explained that he recently turned down a job candidate as he was unsure they would fit into the team. After letting him know he had not been accepted, the candidate sent an email back explaining why he was definitely the right person for the job; he would do anything for the opportunity and would even be willing to work for free. Encouraged by his enthusiasm, Rob offered the candidate a trial, during which he more than lived up to the promises of his email.
Be creative: The Olympics Act has many clauses designed to prevent ambush marketing. One of the more bizarre details is the restriction on particular combinations of words in marketing campaigns; preventing you, for example, from using words like "gold" and "2012" in the same campaign. So, advertising a sun cream with the line "get bronze in 2012" would, believe it or not, be against the rules. Rather than fighting, or ignoring the rules, the successful marketer needs to find creative, inventive ways of achieving the effects they want to achieve, without breaking laws or regulatory codes.
So, while I would never encourage job seekers to apply for roles they are massively unsuitable or under qualified for, there are ways of wording applications and presenting your experience to highlight transferable or potential skills where you don't have the specific match.
For example, if an employer is asking for proven digital skills and awareness, while you may not have had the opportunity to apply these in the workplace or on a marketing campaign perhaps you have accrued thousands of Twitter followers — including some key figures in your industry — who were drawn in by your witty analysis of the latest marketing campaigns, have launched a successful group on Facebook or maybe even developed a compelling page on MySpace for your friend's fledgling band. Being able to identify these as professional achievements and present them as skills evidence on your application could help you overcome an Olympics Act-like barrier in your job seeking.
Use the problem as part of the solution: How did Skoda reinvent itself while fighting a seemingly impossible battle of countering all those Skoda jokes? Instead of pretending they didn't exist, it used them as part of the reinvention. Skoda used a jokey persona that showed it didn't take itself too seriously with its It's a Skoda. Honest campaign in 1998, when it relaunched the Fabia. The strategy worked, as it exposed the humourlessness of a lot of car advertising, and differentiated the manufacturer from the crowd as a result. Also, think of how Marmite has embraced the fact that a lot of people don't actually like the product. Instead of steering clear of this potential problem, it uses it to its advantage by creating a 'you're with us or against us' culture with its Love it or Hate it campaign.
Car firms aren't the only ones with image issues. One of the perception problems graduates often face is that some employers feel they lack employability skills. So don't ignore this fact and try to convince hiring managers you're ready to take over the company, instead (briefly) acknowledge your skills and knowledge gaps and then put some serious effort and thought into highlighting your potential. Focus on the things you're good at and, with a little, support, training or practice, would be brilliant at. Show too that you have a desire to develop; both the company (have some ideas for projects or new business ventures) and yourself.
It's not a great idea to pursue a career as an ambush marketer. In the South Africa example mentioned above, the women believed to be behind the stunt were arrested, had their passports confiscated and at one point were facing the possibility of a jail sentence, until FIFA dropped the charges. Yet, keeping an eye on the next ambush stunt might give you some powerfully creative ideas about what to do in your next campaign or how to advance your role and distinguish yourself from all those other graduates vying for the next career leap.
Mark Blayney Stuart is head of research at The Chartered Institute of Marketing
