Introduction

This reflection examines how actual brands integrate marketing principles into day-to-day functioning. Mecca, EB Games, and Blue Dog Posters are the three companies identified in the video collage. Each of them employs different methods to attract customers and reinforce their market position. These examples illustrate how marketing theory is applied in practical business environments.

The five identified marketing ideas include:

• Mecca’s approach of live product testing and consumer immersion, known as experiential marketing (MECCA, 2025).

• Personalised service and engagement, through personal selling and customer interaction, offered by Mecca.

• EB Games focuses on sales and temporary promotions as its key marketing strategy (EB Games Australia, 2025).

• Product mix and differentiation, where Blue Dog Posters appeal to a wide range of consumer interests.

• Use of colour and layout by Blue Dog Posters to attract attention an example of visual merchandising and sensory marketing (Dog Posters, 2025).

Critical Analysis of Marketing Concepts

Clip 1 – Mecca: Experiential Marketing

Mecca’s in-store beauty consultations and cosmetics samples are examples of experiential marketing. The brand allows customers to try, feel, and experience products directly, instead of relying solely on advertisements or visual displays. This hands-on involvement builds trust and emotional connection with the brand (Deloittedigital, 2025).

Consumers enjoy a customized experience where they feel confident and valued beyond just purchasing cosmetics.
However, Mecca can enhance this approach through digital follow-up for example, sending personalized email recommendations based on the products tested in-store.

Clip 2 – Mecca: Personal Selling and Customer Interaction

Through personal selling, Mecca’s employees play a vital role in shaping the customer experience. Staff members warmly welcome customers and offer expert advice on product selection suited to their preferences and skin type (AWS, 2021).

This consultative selling approach ensures that customers feel guided rather than pressured. The philosophy of direct, face-to-face interaction to influence buying decisions works particularly well in the retail cosmetics industry, where trust and knowledge drive sales (Digital Nation, 2024).

Clip 3 – EB Games: Sales Promotion and Price-Based Marketing

EB Games applies traditional sales and promotional tactics, using large posters and window displays to announce discounts and limited-time deals. These visual cues attract both dedicated gamers and casual shoppers, often encouraging impulse purchases.

This approach reflects value-based marketing, which uses temporary incentives like discounts and packages to increase sales volume. While effective at driving traffic, there’s a risk that consumers might delay purchases, expecting future discounts.

To improve, EB Games could introduce digital loyalty rewards or app-based discounts, encouraging repeat purchases while maintaining value perception.

Clip 4 – Blue Dog Posters: Product Differentiation and Product Mix

Blue Dog Posters demonstrates a strong product diversification strategy. Its broad range of posters covering gaming, music, movies, and merchandise appeals to multiple consumer segments and niche communities. This heterogeneity attracts film enthusiasts, gamers, and pop-culture fans, expanding the company’s customer base.

While effective, this strategy could be further enhanced through limited-edition releases and artist collaborations, adding exclusivity and scarcity value. Additionally, bespoke bundles or curated collections could increase average transaction values and offer personalized shopping experiences (Omnisend, 2024).

Clip 5 – Blue Dog Posters: Visual Merchandising and Sensory Marketing

Blue Dog Posters’ in-store environment is a powerful example of visual merchandising and sensory marketing. The use of bright colors, dynamic layouts, and crowded displays creates an engaging aesthetic that encourages browsing. This visual appeal triggers excitement and nostalgia, motivating customers to spend more time in-store.

To enhance this experience, the brand could incorporate interactive elements such as digital displays or augmented reality tools that let customers preview posters on virtual walls. This innovation could further elevate engagement and refresh the shopping experience (Wang, 2024).

Conclusion

This reflection analyzed the effective marketing strategies used by Mecca, EB Games, and Blue Dog Posters based on their target audiences and operational models.

• Mecca’s success lies in experiential marketing and personal selling, which foster emotional loyalty and trust through direct communication.

• EB Games adopts traditional price-driven promotions that appeal to value-conscious consumers and boost sales volumes (O’Brien, 2021).

• Blue Dog Posters combines a diverse product mix with strong visual merchandising, creating a vibrant and engaging retail space.

Each brand demonstrates distinct strengths but also holds potential for improvement.

• Mecca could strengthen its customer relationship management by introducing online engagement programs and loyalty rewards (Schweiger & Grewal, 2022).

• EB Games could enhance its promotional strategies by adding digital alert systems and value-added bundles.

• Blue Dog Posters could elevate its in-store experience through augmented reality previews and limited-edition offerings, fostering exclusivity and urgency (Girsang & Teng, 2025).

This reflection bridges the gap between theoretical marketing models and real-world application (Birn & Lee, 2025). Observing these strategies in action deepens understanding of how marketing principles operate within competitive retail settings, translating academic insights into practical tools for strategic analysis and growth.

Summary of Assessment Requirements

The assessment required students to reflect on how real-world brands apply marketing principles in their day-to-day business operations. The reflection was to be based on a video collage featuring three companies Mecca, EB Games, and Blue Dog Posters each employing distinct marketing strategies.

The key requirements included:

• Identifying five core marketing concepts demonstrated in the videos.

• Critically analysing how each brand implements these concepts in practice.

• Providing relevant theoretical references to support observations.

• Discussing areas of improvement for each company’s marketing approach.

• Concluding with an integrated reflection that connects theoretical learning with real-world application.

The main marketing concepts to be covered included:

1. Experiential Marketing – as demonstrated by Mecca.

2. Personal Selling and Customer Interaction – observed in Mecca’s in-store service.

3. Sales Promotion and Price-Based Marketing – illustrated by EB Games.

4. Product Differentiation and Product Mix – applied by Blue Dog Posters.

5. Visual Merchandising and Sensory Marketing – adopted by Blue Dog Posters.

Academic Mentoring Approach

The academic mentor guided the student through each stage of the reflection process, ensuring a structured, research-based approach that aligned with assessment criteria.

Step 1: Understanding the Task

The mentor began by clarifying the assessment objectives and the need to link practical brand examples with marketing theories. The student was encouraged to first observe the videos carefully, identify visible marketing practices, and note key brand activities related to consumer engagement and product positioning.

Step 2: Structuring the Reflection

The mentor explained that the reflection should include three key parts Introduction, Critical Analysis, and Conclusion.

• The Introduction was designed to set the context and outline the brands and marketing ideas being discussed.

• The Critical Analysis section was meant to break down each clip’s marketing concept with theoretical support and critical insights.

• The Conclusion would summarise key findings, suggest improvements, and link theory with practice.

Step 3: Identifying Key Marketing Concepts

Together, the mentor and student identified the five key marketing ideas to ensure comprehensive coverage:

• Experiential Marketing

• Personal Selling

• Sales Promotion

• Product Mix and Differentiation

• Visual Merchandising

The mentor advised the student to gather definitions and academic references from credible marketing sources (e.g., Kotler, Deloitte Digital, Omnisend) to provide theoretical backing for each concept.

Step 4: Writing the Introduction

The mentor helped the student craft an engaging introduction that outlined the three brands and explained how each applied different marketing strategies. The introduction also listed the five marketing principles observed in the video, demonstrating a clear understanding of the task.

Step 5: Analysing Each Clip (Critical Analysis Section)

The mentor guided the student to structure each clip under clear subheadings for coherence:

• Clip 1 – Mecca: Experiential Marketing:
  The student discussed Mecca’s in-store testing experience, referencing experiential marketing theory, and highlighted emotional brand connection as the outcome.

• Clip 2 – Mecca: Personal Selling:
  The mentor helped the student explain how customer interaction fosters trust and brand loyalty, connecting it with the concept of consultative selling.

• Clip 3 – EB Games: Sales Promotion:
  The analysis focused on EB Games’ use of short-term offers and visual advertisements. The mentor emphasized discussing both benefits and drawbacks of this strategy.

• Clip 4 – Blue Dog Posters: Product Mix and Differentiation:
  Here, the student explored how offering a wide variety of products helped target niche audiences. The mentor suggested adding recommendations such as limited-edition collections to improve strategy.

• Clip 5 – Blue Dog Posters: Visual Merchandising:
  The mentor guided the discussion on how color, layout, and store design influence consumer behaviour and suggested modern enhancements like AR previews and interactive displays.

Step 6: Writing the Conclusion

The mentor supported the student in summarizing how each brand’s strategy aligned with marketing theories. The conclusion connected real-world applications with academic concepts and included practical improvement recommendations for each company.

The mentor also ensured the conclusion demonstrated reflective understanding, linking academic learning outcomes such as:

• Application of theoretical models in real contexts.

• Critical evaluation of marketing strategies.

• Development of analytical and reflective thinking skills.

Step 7: Reviewing and Refining

Finally, the mentor reviewed the student’s draft, checking:

• Logical flow and transitions between sections.

• Accurate referencing (APA style).

• Conciseness and clarity of arguments.

• Alignment with assessment rubrics (critical analysis, reflection, academic writing standards).

Feedback was provided for refining phrasing, strengthening theoretical references, and enhancing the reflective tone of the writing.

Outcome and Learning Achievements

The final reflection demonstrated the student’s ability to:

• Connect marketing theory with real-world brand practices.

• Critically analyse marketing concepts like experiential marketing, personal selling, and sensory marketing.

• Identify areas for improvement within brand strategies using academic reasoning.

• Reflect on learning outcomes, bridging the gap between classroom knowledge and professional application.

The student achieved the desired assessment outcomes by producing a well-structured, evidence-based reflection that fulfilled all marking criteria, showcasing comprehensive understanding and practical insight into marketing in different contexts.

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