Posted: October 14, 2009 | 13:25 ET
File Under: Career | Branding | Consumer Behaviour



Samba Days, Canada’s leader in gift experiences, offers themed experiential packages with dozens of activites to explore, from action and adventure to learning and rejuvenation. Alex has forged partnerships with Aeroplan, Visa, Expedia and the Hudson’s Bay Company to create memorable gift experiences. Previously, Alex was the head of Brand at Aeroplan where he developed the "Rewarding Life" positioning and created Arrival Magazine from ideation to launch. Prior to Aeroplan, he was the Global Director of Marketing and Brand Strategy for MDS Inc., and was the Director of Marketing at Royal LePage during their IPO. Alex holds a Master’s degree in Marketing and Management from the University of London, U.K., a B.A. from the University of Western Ontario, and is a Certified Management Consultant. He currently teaches Brand Management at Seneca College.

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Media Central: Was your career path planned?

Alex Barseghian: I studied philosophy and political science because, originally, I wanted to get into law. But I quickly realized law was not for me. I had a general sense of where I wanted to go next, so I completed my masters degree in marketing. Marketing is very diverse with many different avenues to explore: from creative to research to production and advertising, but I didn’t know which direction was right for me. Opportunity brought me where I am today. If there’s one thing I’ve learned about this business, it’s that you have to keep your eyes open for the right opportunities and focus on your strengths. You can’t sit around and wait for things to land in your lap. You have to go after them yourself and be willing to raise your hand and step up to the challenge. That’s how I navigated to where I am today.

MC: If you had to do it over, is there anything you would have done differently in your career?

AB: I don’t have any regrets. But in hindsight, at the start of my career, I could have spent more time learning the broader business before I jumped into a marketing role. I learned along the way, but I could have started with a better foundation. And now that I can look back from where I am today, of course I wish I had started the entrepreneurial path a little earlier.

MC: What is the most important issue that young marketing professionals should be seeking to understand or address?

AB: I would humbly suggest that there are two areas young marketing professionals should focus on. The first is understanding customer behaviour and the other is branding.

Customers have so much purchasing power and marketers need to step back to really understand who is in control. The focus needs to be on how you influence customer behaviour vs. just simply counting on the consumer to buy your product/service. There are a lot of new and insightful tools available to marketers and we need to take full advantage. Analytics and social media can help capture much of the knowledge and data we need to better understand our customers.

The other point is branding. Your brand is your business. Look at a great brand like Apple or Starbucks. What stands out is that they deliver an entire experience from start to finish. From the people they hire to the product they deliver--it all helps define and further build their brand. Every good brand has a common touch point. I believe a brand has as much to do with creativity as it does with operations.

If you can understand the micro reasoning behind your customer behaviour and the macro reasoning behind your brand, you are setting yourself up for success.

MC: What skills are critical for someone just starting their marketing career now?

AB: If done correctly, it becomes a skill--and that’s networking. I believe networking is one of the most important tools you can leverage for your career. You need to create and build a positive network around you because you don’t know where you are going to end up.

Marketing is a huge business and can seem very daunting when you first start out. But you quickly realize that it is a small industry, and if you take the time to build a network, you’ll quickly see how intertwined we all are. So make sure to have integrity when it comes to business because your reputation will always precede you.

MC: What do you do or where do you go when you need to come up with a new creative idea?

AB: Creativity is all around me. I can be having dinner with friends and a great idea will come out of nowhere. But if I’m looking for inspiration, I like to go somewhere quiet, and be away from my usual work space. I’ll go for a walk, talk to a few people and look at what is going on around me. The bottom line is that everyone has creative ideas. Success is what you do with your creativity.

MC: Do you think marketing is a science or an art?

AB: Marketing is 90% science and 10% art. Most people think 50/50, but I don’t believe that at all. The "marketing" plans we don’t see right in front of us--that’s science. Direct Marketing, Research, Pricing, Distribution--it is all a science. That said, creativity, which accounts for the other 10%, can have a pretty big impact on your business so you must pay attention to it. Those who don’t see that marketing is more of a science are relying too heavily on the creative. In tomorrow’s generation of marketers, justifying ROI is going to be increasingly important if not vital if marketing is to continue having an impact on the way businesses are run.

MC: What item do you keep on your desk or in your office that reflects your personality or marketing philosophy?

AB: When I was in England, I worked for the British Designer Paul Smith. I have kept one of his mugs with me through the years. His mugs have the same shape and same beige background, but what makes them unique is that depending on the season and time, he will design a vibrant and special pattern--you can see that something has influenced his creativity. There is consistency in his designs; you know it’s Paul Smith, but there is something that makes each piece unique that is representative of a different time. I really like his motto and try to live the same way--classic, yet contemporary.

MC: What keeps you awake at night?

AB: I am a guy who likes to have a plan. If I don’t have one, the panic sets in. I need structure to know how my strategy and implementation are going to play out. I rely on structure and a planned approach to understand how I’m going to meet my end goals. My mind is constantly working and in overdrive. I’m always running scenarios through my head so that I can anticipate changes in direction. Without plans to monitor your goals, how are you going to know if you get there?

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