the end is nigh

My time at iiNet is almost over with next week being my last week. Currently I am working on iiNet's sponsorship of the Sydney Festival to be held in January 2009. The Sydney Festival is a massive cultural event and iiNet's commitment to sponsorship should see them receive large amounts of publicity. One of the tasks that I was specifically assigned to was to find quotes for poncho's that could be affixed with the iiNet logo. Apparently last year it rained 2 out of the 5 days. This is therefore a great opportunity to gain some "free" publicity. I put free in inverted comments because through my quote gathering I found out that these poncho's aren't exactly cheap. In fact they come in at almost a dollar each and at quantities of around 40,000 this is a significant outlay; especially if it doesn't rain! However, discussions have already focused around their potential to be reused in other campaigns or PR giveaways, such as at football matches.

This all showed me how important a budget is in any organisation. While iiNet may be considered a large company, it is still bound financial constraints and any spending is closely monitored by the board of directors. iiNet's tends to try and do a lot with little money. They make use of cheap advertising and PR avenues such as radio spots and bus advertising. They do not have the financial power to sponsor a football team.

They are also in an enviable position within the ISP landscape. I find that many people are in some way disgruntled with Telstra allowing iiNet to assume the position of the "underdog". Most of their PR, marketing and advertising efforts therefore focus on letting the consumer public know that they are out there and that their is an alternative to Telstra. In this case massive spending or sponsorship deals may be counter-productive to their image and could see them being positioned more similarly to Telstra rather than in opposition to them.

On another note I would like to comment on the corporate culture of iiNet. I find that they treat their staff very well and try to reflect their quirky image within the workplace. Throughout the office their are boxes of fruit, lolly jars and nuts that the staff are encouraged to consume. The dress culture, while professional, is relaxed and aims to promote a comfortable working culture. The HR teams is also very active in regards to creating social events and parties that I believe create a sense of workplace cohesion amongst colleagues.