Pauline Aylesbury: Do you have star quality? Marketing awards could give you a leg up at work

One of the key objectives of the Marketing Society is to promote a better understanding and appreciation of the role of marketing. Not only how it's used to ensure business success and a strong economy but also how marketing can influence behaviour and help make the world a better place.

Kieran Skelton from the University of Stirling collects the Marketing Student of the Year award from Susan Walkinshaw of Maxxium and presenter Susan Calman

This might be changing behaviour regarding the environment, personal health or other ways that contribute to improving the ­society we live in.

We recognise the importance young people place on potential employers to have a social purpose – they must do more than operate to the sole interest of profit and their shareholders. Therefore, the role marketing plays in society is one of the key examples we use when encouraging school age children to consider it as a career.

In the Year of Young People, therefore, we will be supporting programmes and events to enable us to uncover and support the next generation of rising marketing stars.

Pauline Aylesbury, Head of Marketing and Insight at the Scottish Government, Marketing Star of the Year 2017 and Chair of the Star Awards 2018/19.

We work in partnership with Young Enterprise Scotland and their company programme awards, which involve school teams throughout the country developing new products and business plans.

As part of the annual Marketing Society Star Awards, which recognise achievement in marketing in ­Scotland, we have the Star School Award for the school team with the most effective marketing plan. The winner in 2017 was Vision from Fortrose Academy.

This year we will also support the two-day Festival of Youth Enterprise, which also includes Fringe Youth ­Festivals throughout Scotland.

Working with universities, we also look to recognise both the Marketing Student Star and Creative Student Star of the Year, also as part of the Star Awards.

Pauline Aylesbury, Head of Marketing and Insight at the Scottish Government, Marketing Star of the Year 2017 and Chair of the Star Awards 2018/19.

Universities nominate their top performing students to participate in an Apprentice Day event, where they work on a real life brief supplied by Maxxium, the drinks marketing company based in Stirling.

The nominated students are rewarded with membership of the Marketing Society with the winner being offered a three month paid internship with Maxxium.

The winner of Star Marketing ­Student of the Year in 2017 was ­Kieran Skelton from the University of ­Stirling. Several of the student participants have gone on to secure full-time ­marketing roles at Maxxium.

The Creative Students also work on a live brief – last year supplied by Brewgooder, the social enterprise business developed by Social Bite and Brew Dog, where profits go towards a water charity in Africa. This year the students will work on a brief from STV where the challenge is to develop a creative strategy which will help the broadcaster engage with a younger audience.

The winner of the Creative Student of the Year also wins a paid placement at The Union Advertising Agency in Edinburgh. Last year the winner was Sarah Mary McRae from Edinburgh College.

The Marketing Society also works with universities to help develop student marketing ­societies. The leading student volunteers are rewarded with membership of the Marketing Society and we also help secure speakers and make connections with potential employers.

Young professionals increasingly recognise the importance of developing networks within the industry with regards to both professional and personal development. As part of the Development Category of the Star Awards, we also make awards to the Rising Marketing Star, Rising Agency Star and Creative Star of the Year. All are under 30.

Nominations are invited from our members and a shortlist is invited to be interviewed by a panel of judges. The winners last year were: Rising Marketing Star – Peter Sanchez, ­Tesco Bank; Rising Agency Star – Caroline Smith, Cello Signal; Rising Creative Star – Jed Case and Rory Imlach, The Union.

Nominations should be less than 200 words and sent to [email protected] before the deadline of 19 February. The shortlist will be required to supply a CV and answer a questionnaire before the interviews in April.

We believe our Rising Stars are important role models for both school age pupils and students at universities to aspire to. Full details of the Star Awards 2018 can be found at starawards.marketingsociety.com and @marketingsocsco #starawards18.

Pauline Aylesbury is head of marketing and insight at the Scottish Government, Marketing Star of the Year 2017 and chair of the Star Awards 2018/19.