As an aspiring economist, AMT Marketing kindly offered me a placement for my work experience week. I was whole heartedly welcomed by the team who introduced me to their roles and the structure of their days. I shadowed various jobs and gained a thorough understanding of the numerous aspects a business involves. Initially, I was given a short briefing from the owner of the company, Andrew Turner, where we looked at the AMT website and discussed the improvements that could be made within the setup. We also considered the importance of sustainability and how eco-friendly products are incorporated into their merchandise. This showed me that AMT prioritises their consumers’ ease of convenience and commitment to a greener future.
I shadowed graphic designer, Lauren, who taught me about the social media component and the different posts that were created to promote the company. From there, I got the opportunity to create Halloween and Remembrance Day posts to be published on the company Instagram which would help gain attraction. I also grasped the complexities of a graphic designer and how specific the designs/logos must be when responding to exact requests from clients (e.g. using exact Pantone colours). She also explained how she designs mailers that are sent out to ongoing clients to entice them into making more purchases. I was also able to spend some time creating downloadable party invitations on Canva to be sold through Etsy as a way of increasing profits. This task made me appreciate the time and intricacy designing requires!
I then shadowed accounts manager, Rose, who taught me how quotations were drafted and gave insight into PO’s and budget dropping. A site called “Splunk” was often used as it was convenient for clients to mass order merchandise for exhibitions, corporate events, giveaways etc. Moreover, I learned that being in business meant navigating through more difficult customers by offering them multiple options and being flexible within your approach. This often involved chasing up clients and presenting their budget overview. By doing so, the client would have full knowledge of their finances and were more likely to place more orders. Rose was informative in explaining how each individual cost had to be considered, no matter how insignificant they may seem (e.g. storage & handling expenditures). She also described the company’s aims in terms of profit margins and what % was needed to cover wages/general expenses. I learned that ordering large units is less costly for the consumer due to economies of scale; the costs are spread out over a larger amount of goods when production becomes more efficient. Additionally, Emiliano Marotta kindly taught me how to create invoices from enquiries/orders that had been placed and I even got the opportunity to send one out myself!
Throughout the week, I was given the opportunity to write some blogs on different products. The first one I wrote was about confectionary and promoted a Paint Tin of Retro Sweets. This task effectively taught me how persuasive language was necessary when enticing customers. It involved broader thinking on why the product was different from other competitors and providing incentives for people to purchase them, for example, by mentioning their nostalgic element and popular occasions where they would be consumed (holidays). I also wrote another two blogs on Winter Gifts for AMT Marketing and Christmas Gifts for Bourne International. I looked at their product pages and chose some of the standouts to highlight in my writing. I also read through previous blogs that were written by the companies to ensure I matched the writing style. My final blog was on Sustainability and promoted the Circular & Co Cup which I was fascinated by myself! The process by which the product was manufactured involved collecting beach waste from the UK coastline and blending it to create the outer layer of the cup. I found it incredible how this cup was the first in the world to be made of used drink cups. Sustainability is an integral part of businesses today with-it strengthening brand images. From extensive research I learned how customers’ decisions are influenced by the company’s environmental policies and how prioritising the reduction of carbon emissions is crucial when choosing which company to partner with. I find it remarkable that my work has been published to the company websites and that I could make a genuine contribution to the promotion of merchandise!
I also had the privilege of sitting in on a sales meeting which was very collaborative and taught me how important community is when navigating a business. Governmental polices have a large sphere of influence over business decisions and I was intrigued to learn that we are still experiencing the effects from Brexit. We also discussed how many large corporations are ‘green washing’ which means consumers are assuming a false sense of sustainability. The challenge to overcome is finding more budget friendly sources when producing eco-friendly products as there is still a risk in investing in them. I also learned how important budgeting is when entering a recessional period and how the number of clients you have at a given time is constantly fluctuating. To combat this unreliability, a higher amount of advertising is needed to ensure clients are aware of the large range of products AMT can provide, hence increasing profit margins. Therefore, ideas lists were considered for this.
I also spent time packaging, stock counting and performing cross references on excel spreadsheets to avoid producing a surplus or deficit of items if they were miscounted. Overall, my time at AMT has been very beneficial in learning how a business works and what a typical day incorporates. The team has been very welcoming and useful in enhancing my understanding of marketing which I will continue to improve and broaden. Thank you, AMT!
