Facebook: Oppurtunity or Threat?

Its getting towards that time when students start looking for jobs, and with that the debate on what students should do with their Facebook profile whilst going through the application process. Todays blog post offers my thoughts into this dilemma.

Without doubt, Facebook is the largest social networking site in the world. CheckFacebook (2012) offers an analytics tool into the social network, and as of today (17^th Jan 2013), Facebook has just fewer than 1 billion users. Facebook can essentially be classed as an online profile of the average person’s social life, with most choosing to use it to connect with friends and share information, photos and videos. The result of this is that it has to be considered the first place in which an employer will look to find out more information about a potential employee.

There are many that call this an invasion of privacy, and call for employers to stick to looking at sites intended for professional use – such as LinkedIn. There is now an argument into the divide between personal and professional lives, and whether it is possible to keep them separated. In my opinion, there really is no argument here. It is based on the concept of power. An employer has the power to find information about my personal life, and if I am asking for them to give me thousands of pounds and invest time and effort into my development, surely he is justified in trying to learn about my personal life? Hill (2012) claimed that Facebook can be considered a digital proxy of ourselves, and reflect our personalities and interests, and employers are trying to find out more information than they would in an interview.

Many people believe that Facebook is not about creating online presence, but about hiding potential online mishaps. But not many people go beyond deleting inappropriate photos and removing explicit content from their profiles. Yes, this will prevent employers turning you away immediately and essentially giving you an online criminal record. But employers are looking for what you would be like to work with, and whether your personality would fit into their business, so this should be classed as an opportunity! Employers clearly try to uncover negatives, so why not use Facebook to turn the tides and give yourself an advantage over everybody else.

This doesn’t necessarily mean changing how you use the social network, and there are many privacy options so that employers can’t access parts of your account. But again, most people will feel threatened by this and make everything private, leaving an employer none the wiser after visiting. My point is that by just opening up just a little bit, you can leave that positive impression. It may be just a few holiday pictures, or where you went to university, or maybe even a few graduation photos. In fact, if you make your profile completely private, it may give off the impression that you are hiding something, and in a such a competitive job environment, even these little things may be the difference between getting a job or not.

Microsoft UK visit University of Northampton

Sports marketing students Ben Warren and Callum Hill were privileged today to speak to Tony Henderson, who offered his expertise to the University of Northampton. Tony is the Account Director of Microsoft UK and specialises in technology and engineering. Ben and Callum are currently in the process of developing a start-up business in the mobile technology sector.

After an inspiring lecture about Tony's career and his role at Microsoft, our attention shifted to a "Dragon's Den" style pitch, whereby we spoke about our business idea. Tony was really helpful in giving us feedback and advice for the future, as well as providing opportunities to further aid the process of starting up a business.

Receiving positive feedback has been fantastic for us, but to hear this from an expert in the industry reinforces our beliefs that our idea could be a success. We are committed to using the knowledge that we have acquired at university to help us along the way, as well as using our position as students to our advantage. We can get instant free business advice from a number of sources, and we are very grateful to a number of University lecturers for this.

Killing ten birds with one stone

It is widely accepted that attending lectures is of significant importance to attaining the best degree possible. The question I would like to raise is how important is turning up to lectures? Is it possible to get all the required information online nowadays? Would using the time I spend in lectures be better spent doing my own research?

All of these questions are ones that I will never attempt to answer while I am still at university. There is a sense of guilt if a lecture is missed, a sense of what I may be missing out on. However, in the last 12 months, I believe that a lot of the content we have been taught has been invaluable. The reason for this is integration between lectures is far more prominent. For example, one particular lecture may give me knowledge for that respective assignment, but also give me an extra insight to look at something else from a different perspective.

The was perfectly summed up in the career development session earlier today. We had a guest speaker talk to us about how he set up his own business. Primarily, the session gave us insight into how to start up a business, and the ideas behind his company. Despite this being very interesting in its own right, it so happened that his business directly related to another major piece of work from another module. After a brief conversation, he had allowed us access to crucial data and given us contact information for the head of research from the English Football Association.


So after walking in to a career development session, I walked out much further along the line in a totally different area. If this opportunity had not arisen, it would have taken weeks to get the same level of research. Lectures may seem at times like a pointless exercise, but without them, you will miss more than just the bare facts!

Marketing is Everywhere!

Studying sports marketing over the last three years has enabled us to gain a fair understanding of how big the marketing industry is. A famous quote popped to mind recently that sums this up perfectly.

"If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?"

We have all heard this, but it has never been used in conjunction with marketing. My analysis would suggest that if a product is put to market and no one hears about it, is it really a product?

I feel this encompasses the importance of getting your marketing strategy spot on. You may have a great product, but if no-one knows about it, will they buy it? Unlikely.

In my next post, I will share information about a business that we have recently set up. Many people have asked questions surrounding competition and differentiation to other similar products. My argument is that although our product is unique, our main differentiation strategy is in its successful marketing.

Just remember a famous quote from marketing guru Phillip Kotler, who states that marketing is everywhere!

The Transition from Student to Employee

Being a final year student at University, the prospect of what to do after graduation is one that is constantly looming over our heads.

As well as acing that report in Brand Management or revising for an important Marketing exam, we now have several aspects of our working lives to juggle. The attitudes of many students have now changed. We hear worrying reports about a shortage of jobs in the industry, so how do we put ourselves in the best position to get employed after graduation? The buzz word of being "a rounded individual" is being constantly thrown at us, but what does it actually mean? Our particular University has us on a designated module called "Career Development and Planning", but does doing that get us a killer job in Sports Marketing? Well, Maybe!

When looking at our timetables before we started, it was fair to say that we as students approached this module with caution."We are Sports Marketing students, we want to learn about Sports Marketing!" was the initial feeling.  After an introductory lecture, we were straight to the office of the course leader to change to a different subject. 

However, we are now six weeks in, and its fair to say opinions have changed. As students, we were aware of being "a rounded individual", but now we have an action plan to become rounded individuals. What we have been taught is what we should be doing between now and graduation to put us in the best possible position to land our dream jobs.

Whereas in the past everything seemed so linear, the adage of get a good degree therefore get a good job is not necessarily the case anymore. With the help of this module, it has given us a realisation before it is too late.

So what exactly does one have to do to make themselves more employable? Its difficult to know where to start, with everything from creating an online presence to researching industries and gaining valuable insights being very important. But for me personally, it doesn't matter if I don't learn anything from here forward, because the realisation mentioned earlier could possibly turn out to be the single most important thing I will learn all year.

University of Northampton - Promotional Video

We were recently asked to do some promotional work for the University of Northampton, which entailed describing what is was to be a sports marketing student.

Here is the video

Head in the Clouds

Being a university student at present gives one a number of amazing technological opportunities.

The problem is, it seems that they are being totally ignored by at least 95% of students. There are many who moan and groan about how difficult organisation and efficiency is, with so many distractions that are thrown at them.

The technology is out there to make our lives as students much easier! When describing the benefits of such programs, the response is often that of caution. Will it make any difference? Will it be easy to set up? Will I still be using it after a week? The answer to all these questions will more than likely be YES!

It is amazing to think it has been two years since my university career began, and how technology has changed the way I operate as a student. All of my work is now online, in the "cloud", and there for me anywhere I go. No more "I forgot my USB stick" or "i'll have to email it to you". Let me share some information about two of the best bits of tech for a student to have.

The first, and the most important, is an online file sharing service. I use Dropbox myself, but there are many options available depending on personal preference. As a student, I can instantly back up any work I have done, and have it instantly transported across all of my devices. It is at its best when doing group-work. My number 1 tip for any student undertaking a group project is to get dropbox! Get everyone to get a free account, make a file that everyone can share with each other, and watch as group members can simultaneously update and view work from any member. Its that simple! Imagine a power point that everyone can add there own ideas to without having to email it around like playing pass the parcel.

The other tool that has been crucial for me is a tablet computer. I use an ipad, but there are now hundreds of options available at a variety of price points. The reason for this device is simple, when you go to lectures, it is your best friend! As well as being easy to transport, the tablet will let you write up simple notes, or even record the lecture if you are feeling lazy. After the lecture, upload everything wirelessly to Dropbox and there you have it. After time, you will automatically build an online portfolio of notes and work that is organised into simplistic folders, no paper or untidiness!


It really is a simple decision, it is time to get your head in the clouds!

The Globalisation of Sport (Prezi Presentation)

Overall, it can be considered that globalisation has had important influences on the relationship between sport and business, but this needs to be continuously managed in order to maintain the core values of traditional sport.

The role that globalisation has played can be analysed by looking at the potential difference between past and present. Seymour (2012) sums up the changes by suggesting that on a geographical and political map, country borders are clear and evident, but on a competitive map, this may not be the case due to globalisation. This can relate back to the original definition from Wolsey & Abrams of “Global Interconnectedness”. The world is “shrinking” and becoming a homogenized “Global Village” due to the power of globalisation.  

http://prezi.com/y9g0vuwduczt/prezi-version-6/

New Media in Twenty20 Cricket

New Media allows sports brands to benefit by enabling new kinds of interaction between fans, players and clubs. This form of media would have synergies with the target audience of Twenty20 cricket.

The problem with Twenty20 cricket is that there seems to a lack of fan engagement. Mintel (2011) suggests that sports organisations should do more to improve fan engagement, and New Media could bridge a gap between the event and its consumers. It would be recommended that the event could have an application in mobile devices, which has proved popular for other sports and events. This has proved an effective means of communicating digital content such as live scores, future events, team news, interviews, replays, live statistics and social media activity. It would also be a positive move to have free Wi-Fi available at every venue, which would ensure easy access to the applications. This would be relatively inexpensive to set up, but would coincide with the brand personality of innovation and entertainment. 

The Ideology of Legacies in Mega Events

Legacies have become a prominent part of any event management process. For some events, the issue of a legacy has become central to the decision to host or create them (Bowdin et al, 2011). The idea of a legacy has become more important due to the increased globalisation and commercialisation of sport, as organisers see the increased benefits that the event can bring. Conversely, it is evident legacies are often talked about, but in reality, are very difficult to achieve. The legacy is often dubbed as a “highly effective sales pitch that is never fully realised” (Guardian, 2011). The focus is on the short term legacies, which is often how the Games are judged to those outside of the host nations. After looking at different examples of legacies, it is clear that those events that have planned effectively and placed high importance on the legacy can succeed. This is a positive sign for the London Olympics, as there is a high motivation to succeed. The best legacies are those that look to the long term. This is difficult to achieve and is often a risky strategy, but mega events can have a lasting impact on the event destination in many ways.