A group of 13 IFTM students recently attended a workshop on video blogging, or 'vlogging'. The training was by specialised staff from the Apple Store at The Londoner Macao integrated resort, where the workshop took place.
The activity was for Year 2 students in the Chinese-language stream of the Tourism Retail and Marketing Management Bachelor's Degree Programme, namely those taking the course on Principles of Retailing. IFTM Lecturer Ms. Belina Lei accompanied the group on the March field trip to the Apple Store. "We thank the Business Development, Management, and Forum (Creative) teams at Apple Cotai Strip, that were involved in the field trip and workshop," Ms. Lei said.
The workshop aimed to provide students with up-to-date skills related to retailing, namely for product and brand promotion via social media platforms. During the training, undergraduates learned filming and video-editing techniques, all using just a smartphone.
As part of the workshop, the visiting group of students was divided into 3 teams. Each was tasked with producing a 1-minute video at The Londoner Macao shopping mall. The purpose of the on-site project was to promote either a brand or a product.
Following the workshop, the IFTM delegation was offered a tour of the Apple Store in order to have a better grasp of the brand's retail culture, particularly its focus on user-friendliness. The tour allowed students to understand how Apple creates in its stores an environment to promote interaction between customers and the products.
The overall activity at the Apple Store provided students with an opportunity to apply knowledge discussed in the classroom in a creative and innovative way. It offered them a fresh perspective regarding concepts featured in the syllabus of the Principles of Retailing course, including the growing importance of social media platforms as a way to connect and interact with target markets.
The students attending the activity praised the vlog workshop arrangement. According to one of them, knowing how to shoot quality vlog clips to promote particular products is a "useful skill" for professionals in the retail industry.
Another student said the activity had given participants a detailed understanding of Apple's retailing strategy. The brand is all about providing an immersive retail experience instead of adopting a direct sales approach, the student explained.
The Principles of Retailing course introduces students to essential retailing concepts. It expands student understanding of retailing beyond the acts of buying and selling by introducing them to topics such as target market, sales skills and store operations.