By April Hudson
News Contributor
The Bull & Bear
McGill University
I remember the first time it happened so vividly; I had just been introduced to a fellow Bronfmanite who asked me what I was majoring in. Without hesitation I answered, “I’m a marketing major! And yourself?” This answer, (which I’m sure a lot of you non marketers can relate to…especially you accounting majors) prompted the over exaggerated eye roll, followed by the, “oh, you’re one of those.”
As it was my first year and I did not know better, I asked him to elaborate. Boy, was that ever a mistake. With a condescending smile my peer responded, “Well, there’s not a whole lot of work involved in marketing. Anyone can get an A in intro to marketing without even studying for the final.” I understood right away what he was insinuating; evidently, this boy thought I was a free-rider.
Since that fateful day I have heard different variations of this remark more times than I can count. I have even had a friend laugh out loud when I revealed that I was completing a major in marketing and a concentration in organizational behaviour. “Man, you really are lazy,” was the statement that followed this laugh.
Well, after two years of jokes I am going to set the record straight: marketing is more than capable of causing just as many headaches as Principles of Tax. It can also be, as it so turns out, equally as rewarding.
At its worst, a class in marketing can be mundane and repetitive. At its best, however, it can inspire and challenge you in ways you never thought possible. Case in point: Brand Management with Mr. Mackalski.
Though I was on the verge of several heart attacks after being assigned an in depth (part 1 was over 125 pages) brand analysis project, those many sleepless nights paid off. I am proud to say I now hold the secret to creating brand equity, and could even write a comprehensive report for you if you asked nicely.
This may not seem like a big feat, especially to those of you who have had to put in 20+ hours of studying for one midterm, but imagine this; you are an aspiring chef who has just become one of the 20 Canadians ever accepted into the Paris division of Le Cordon Bleu. You have no idea how to go about it, but it is your dream to one day return to your home town as a distinguished chef and open your own restaurant. Like it or not, the success of this restaurant depends on knowing how to build a brand, or at the very least knowing someone who can help you. And this, as that chef’s brother so eloquently put it, is why marketers are paid millions of dollars.
Now, I am not suggesting everyone drop his or her respective major and pick up a major in marketing. Nor am I insinuating that marketing is better than other majors. The real point I’m trying to get across is I take pride in my major, and am very excited by the opportunities it grants me. The ability to actually help this aspiring chef gave me more satisfaction than an A in finance ever could. So why judge?
