Following the University of Pretoria’s slogan, “Make today matter”, the Department of Marketing Management‘s theme for 2015 is “Make marketing matter”. Mr Thinkwell Ndhlovu, Ms Jade Samuels and Ms Danita Potgieter, lecturers in the Department, inspired the students to make 2015 a year to remember.

During the orientation session held on Wednesday, 21 January 2015, students were encouraged to shake off the past. To portray this theme, the very apt song “Shake it off” by Taylor Swift was played. To demonstrate ‘shaking off the past’, students received rice-filled balloons – and when shaking the balloons, it signalled them shaking off the  past and moving into the future.

In keeping with the theme “Make marketing matter”, students were also encouraged to take fun photos around campus, displaying their “shaker” balloons with an inspiring message. Some of the messages included:

• Patience is a virtue, virtue is a grace
• Don’t fit in, stand out
• There is only one way, and that is UP

As part of a competition the first-year BCom Marketing Management students had to upload their photos to Instagram and Twitter with the hashtag #makemarketingmatter. The top three most liked photos received exciting prizes the following day. The purpose of this initiative was to engage the students by making marketing matter.

The Department of Marketing Management would like to wish all the first-years well as they embark on their journey at the University of Pretoria.

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Lecturers getting ready to welcome the first-years:  Ms Danita Potgieter, Mr Thinkwell Ndhlovu and Ms Jade Samuels