Two celebrities, Donnalee Roberts and Ivan Botha addressed the first-year students and shared their thoughts on marketing. Donnalee received a BA Drama degree from the University of Pretoria in 2006, and was also Miss Tuks RAG Queen in the same year. She shared her belief that marketing is oversaturated and is going back to one-on-one marketing. “Marketers need to find a way to make it personal and bring it back to someone’s need instead of oversaturating”, she said.

Ivan on the other hand recently fell in love with marketing and realised that there is a balance between corporate and creative. “I believe that the future in marketing lies in collaborating”, said Ivan.

This is the approach that they have taken in marketing their upcoming movie. The two celebrities co-star in the movie “Pad na jou hart”, which opens in cinemas on 14 February 2014. The movie sees two strangers embarking on a journey that ultimately ends in love. This journey is not without its ups and downs and is filled with laughter and tough times.

Their visit was just one of the many surprises that were in store for the day. Prior to the presentation from the two celebrities, the students signed a banner indicating their goals and ambitions for the year. After the presentation, students and staff members from the Department blew soap bubbles to signify the journey that they have just begun, and that they will continue to fly high and reach their dreams. The students were then treated to a photo and autograph opportunity with the two celebrities, which was greeted with great enthusiasm as the students surrounded the two stars!

After such an action-packed day, the first-year students were excited and energised. “I have finally found my passion. This was a lot of fun and I can’t wait to get started”, said Paul Creux, a first-year BCom (Marketing Management) student. The theme of the Department of Marketing Management for 2014 is “Marketing in Motion” and its aim is to continuously surprise the BCom (Marketing Management) students as they travel on their exciting new journey, always ensuring that they keep moving forward. Photo gallery