Marketing?!? — lilya.fi

Written 4/2024

What even is marketing?

A bit of a long text but here we go. For me marketing is anything that gets your message across effectively, in a way that makes sense to your company - and doing it with courage.

Why courage? Because with courage, you can…
1) Ideate and do stupid/crazy/stupidly crazy (but still law-obeying) marketing stunts that might not make sense to all but that make sense to your company and your audience.
-> Carry a grill in front of a metro station and give out sausages + tell about your product in a way that’s actually worth people’s time (see pic below)

2) Make your product seem the coolest and most crucial thing ever even though you might be doubting it yourself (sometimes) - hype is contagious and feelings will always be remembered over words spoken.
-> Get 1000+ energy drink cans with a custom label that gets people laughing, and give them out to sleepy people early in the morning with a smile on your face, or throw an outdoor party with actual artists and in order for people to get to the area, they have to (=get to) listen to your 20-sec pitch about what you do.

3) Do things differently than others around you. Be truly unique as a company. Be your own thing (as that’s what everyone wants to be right?)!!! Don’t be everything for everyone, or everywhere all the time. Do you, focus and believe in doing things your (company’s) way - in marketing and fundamentally in all areas of biz.
-> Take a pile of potatoes to a busy location with a CTA to something related to potatoes (worked for us :D), spray paint moving out boxes and slap your posters on it for people to see from a far, or what not…

I want to believe that once you get the courage to do what your company needs, it can only lead to good things. All companies exist to communicate something important so get your message out there NOW and be imaginative on how you deliver it!!

Text written and photos compiled as a reflection from my time leading the brand, marketing and communications of Europe’s biggest student-led entrepreneurship society Aaltoes in 2023.