Blake Dawson

Aspiring Strategy Planner / Account Executive

[lordblakedawson]

About Me

I am a 24-year-old Advertising graduate from RMIT University, and an aspiring strategy planner/account executive. 

Life is ridiculous. I know I’ll never understand it, but I’ll bloody well try.

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[lordblakedawson]

"Amend My Spend” campaign for Homepage For The Homeless

Facebook

Campaign Report

Client

Homepage For The Homeless is a web portal that donates part of online purchases to youth homelessness charity Ladder.

Problem

People didn't know what Homepage For The Homeless was, and there was little repeat usage.

Reason

Homelessness is not a popular charity cause - if anything, people think homelessness is the fault of the homeless. The usual charity tricks of appeals to guilt and altruism weren't going to cut it. We had to find a reason for people to use Homepage For The Homeless.

Solution

Buyer’s Remorse is rife in the age of online shopping. It’s a big talking point, and people love to one-up each other’s ridiculous buys. We positioned Homepage For The Homeless as a way to alleviate shopping guilt - no matter the purchase, part of the proceed is donated to charity. In the process, we created a lasting conversation.

[lordblakedawson]

RMIT Communications Ball 2015

Facebook

The Ball

The RMIT Communications Ball is an annual event for RMIT Media & Communication students and friends. It is organised by a small group of third year Advertising students, and is completely self-funded.

$ucce$$

The Ball was a huge success. We sold out of Early Bird tickets in under two minutes. All up, we sold 430 tickets, grossing over $40,000. We achieved over 500 likes of the Communications Ball Facebook page, and our content reached tens of thousands of people. Most importantly, it was a fun, memorable night that was shared and will be remembered.

My roles

Insights My first job was to understand and define our target audience. This guided all of our decisions and the Ball’s USPs: the venue, the price point, our choice to sell tickets online, etc. It also guided how we spoke to our audience.

Sponsorship After researching potential sponsors that were a good fit with our target audience, I was responsible for recruiting sponsors and negotiating sponsorship deals. I managed to get four sponsors onboard: Clemenger BBDO/Melbourne, Factory X (Jack London/Alannah Hill), The Pancake Parlour and The Brownbill Effect. All up, we acquired an estimated $2000 in assets from sponsors. I had to maintain relationships and write content that would connect our audience with sponsors.

Above: Sponsored content for The Pancake Parlour.

Above: Sponsored content for The Brownbill Effect.

Above: Sponsored content for Alannah Hill.

[lordblakedawson]

Commercial Activities at IKEA Richmond

Above: One of Commercial Activities’ locations, the start of Markethall.

In Short

The Commercial Activities team incorporates consumer and marketing insights, as well as ongoing IKEA marketing campaigns, to plan, implement and monitor impulse and add-on purchases throughout our Richmond store.

In Full

The Richmond Commercial Activities and Marketing teams receive briefs detailing IKEA Australia’s national marketing campaigns. Marketing has to work out how to get people through the doors. Commercial Activities has to keep them spending.

Commercial Activities places products that fit well with each campaign, and are proven sellers, in strategic locations to improve sales. We use knowledge of our market and sales data to guide us. Then we maintain these locations and measure ROI.

[lordblakedawson]

“Stronger Hands and Minds” campaign for Wacom

Client

Wacom has a long history of making computer accessories, particularly styluses, for creative professionals.

Problem

Tablets have hit the mainstream. The shift away from PCs and styluses to touch technology is a problem for Wacom.

Reason

Tablets’ popularity is being driven by children. Kids are fast becoming tablets’ primary users. Touch technology is intuitive, and parents marvel as their toddlers use iPads.

For all of the learning and entertainment possibilities tablets offer, they put kids’ fine motor skills and creative potential at risk. What will the future look like if people can’t use their hands to create? Is humanity’s long history as makers and doers coming to an end?

Solution

Tablets are going to waste. Their creative possibilities are endless, but kids mainly use tablets to consume content rather than to create. Swiping a screen can’t replace learning to draw and write.

Wacom will create a stylus specially designed for kids, and will position it as the key to unlocking a child’s creativity. Wacom will also work with creative people that children admire to create apps that encourage kids to practice creativity.

[lordblakedawson]

"First Mate" campaign for RMIT Student Services (Careers)

Facebook

Campaign Report

Client

The Careers department of RMIT Student Services offers careers advice and counselling to students.

Problem

Students weren't aware of the full suite of Careers services, and regardless weren't using them as much as possible.

Reason

Finishing a degree is often accompanied by great anxieties. Many graduates don't discuss these worries with their peers because they feel as if they're alone - everyone else seems to have their next steps sorted. They don't seek help because it only makes their concerns "real".

Solution

In reality, graduation fear is widespread. Graduates needed more than practical advice - they needed emotional support and to know they were not alone in this turbulent time. First Mate let graduates know that they were all "in the same boat", and offered support and advice in a more comfortable, informal and immediate setting.

[lordblakedawson]

"Everything Is Fine" campaign for SEEK

Campaign Report

Client

SEEK is the leading employment website in Australia.

Problem

People weren't using SEEK's new profile until they really needed a job.

Reason

A large number of Australians feel ambivalent at best toward their jobs, but many don’t actually switch jobs until they're truly fed up. Australians stay in bad jobs because we hate "whinging", admire perseverance and just battle on.

Solution

Saying "I'm fine" in situations which are clearly not is a common and relatable theme across everyday Australian life. Our campaign makes light of these moments and asks our target audience why they'd accept being "fine" in a job they'll spend 1/3 of their life doing. We positioned the SEEK profile as the immediate solution to being "just fine" at work.

[lordblakedawson]

"Give People Hope Where They Need It The Most" campaign for Ben & Jerry's

Campaign Report

Client

Ben & Jerry's is a global icecream giant with heart. It wants to create positive change in every market it enters.

Problem

Ben & Jerry's entered the Japanese market in 2012. It has one store in Tokyo and has low market penetration in the face of fierce competition. Meanwhile, Japan has one of the highest suicide rates in the world.

Reason

Suicide plays a big role in Japanese history and culture, and is still silently accepted. There is little support for depressed and suicidal Japanese people. Many suicides are tied with Japan's work culture. Meanwhile, Ben & Jerry's has yet to make its mark on the Japanese market.

Solution

Ben & Jerry's will sincerely align itself with the Japanese market and make a real difference through offering support to depressed Japanese workers, raising awareness of depression and suicide and changing perceptions surrounding it. Ben & Jerry's is the perfect brand to take up this issue as icecream is classic comfort food.

[lordblakedawson]

"Love Isn't Far Away" campaign for Tinder

I developed the concept and copy for this campaign.

Client

Tinder is a dating app that finds potential matches based on location.

Insight

You could meet the love of your life anywhere. When you’re single (and perhaps a little desperate…), you secretly hope that the love of your life is waiting everywhere you go. There could have been many times when someone perfect for you was just nearby. Of course, they never just magically appear out of the woodwork. 

Big Idea

Tinder shows you potential matches nearby - suddenly there’s a whole lot more chance of love being just around the corner.

[lordblakedawson]

India campaign for Tourism Australia

Client Brief

Client

Tourism Australia is an Australian Government Agency responsible for promoting tourism downunder.

Problem

Australia's share of the global tourism market was shrinking, along with tourism's contribution to Australia's GDP.

Reason

Aside from wider issues such as the high Australian dollar and the GFC, Tourism Australia was pushing an identical campaign in all international markets. Reasons for visiting Australia differ widely between markets, and one campaign could not cater to all. Tourism Australia was not directing its energies to developing markets with great potential such as India.

Solution

India is one of the world's fastest-growing outbound travel markets, and is Australia's 10th most-valuable inbound travel market. The increase of Indian travellers to Australia has far outpaced growth in visitors overall. Meanwhile, Indians are Australia's 4th-largest - and growing - migrant group. In contrast to other visitors, Indians overwhelmingly holiday in Australia to see friends and family who have moved here.

Tourism Australia needs to direct specialised attention to India. It needs to position Australia as the ultimate destination to reconnect with loved ones and make memories that will survive time and distance.