Are you a consumer who’s taken by cute cartoon anthropomorphic characters flogging everything from ice cream to batteries? You’re not alone and your response has attracted the attention of tyro marketer, Declan O’Neill, Canon’s 2016 Honours Scholarship in his research into the cute and funny characters that humanise brands.
“An example of a humanised brand can be seen in the Energiser Bunny or M&M characters. How brands are personified directly relates to how consumers evaluate the brand. I hope that companies will be able to use my research findings to tailor their marketing efforts and connect with their consumers. The psychological side of how people interact with brands is really interesting to me,” said O’Neill.
The student at The University of Sydney, has been awarded Canon’s annual Honours Scholarship for 2016 for his efforts in the Marketing Honours program, specifically his pioneer research which looks into how humanising brands dictate consumer behaviour.
He completed a Bachelor of Arts and Commerce last year, majoring in Marketing, International Business and Japanese. During the Honours program his supervisor was Dr Ülkü Yüksel.
“It has been an honour to win the Canon Scholarship – and the $6000 grant will allow me to apply greater focus on my studies rather than having to spend as much time working casually, and I’m hoping to even buy a new laptop,” said O’Neill.
Effie Fox, HR and Communications Director, Canon Oceania, presented the award to O’Neill at Sydney University on Monday night this week.
“Canon is passionate about giving back to the communities in which it operates, which in this case means supporting students in their studies. We want them to be inspired by what they learn and help them to succeed in the marketing discipline long into the future. Declan is incredibly deserving of the Canon scholarship, and we looking forward to following his success, and where this project takes him.”
O’Neill hopes to apply his research in a marketing position in an international firm, where he can choose a marketing speciality, and take up opportunities abroad.
The Canon Honours Scholarship Fund was established in 2003 to create a continuing scholarship of up to $6,000. The scholarship is awarded annually to a student accepted into the Marketing Honours program who demonstrates the greatest proficiency in their Marketing major units of study.