Social Media Marketing and More in Hull

July 17, 2023

Another day, another adventure with the Burch Sustainability program! I started the day off bright and early at 5:30 as I was getting ready for our 3-day, 2-night trip to Kingston upon Hull, a port city in East Yorkshire, England. I fit whatever I could in my traveling backpack and left the flat for Kings Cross station with a few of my other flatmates. We needed to be at the station by 7 to ensure we made it onto our train on time by 7:30, however, there was a “small” change of plans. At first, there was a 45-minute delay for the train due to some technical difficulties but in the end, the train never arrived. We managed to catch another train which took us only halfway and then took a taxi the rest of the way. I have to say I was impressed with the taxi as it had enough room for six passengers plus all our luggage. Using my bag as a pillow, I slept through the entire car ride! It hadn’t even reached eleven o’clock yet but somehow, I was already exhausted after our hectic morning.

Once we arrived in Hull, we were greeted by our guide Lizzie, a Student Ambassador at the University of Hull. After we dropped off our luggage at the hotel, we were escorted to the University of Hull, and we got to explore the campus for a few hours. The university was hosting a series of events including seminars, live music, and even a face-painting booth! Initially, a group of us were going to attend a chocolate-making event, however, ended up participating in a social media marketing seminar. The professors leading the discussion were really sweet, and they wanted to know all about what we were studying at Chapel Hill. They gave a presentation about how social media plays an important role in the marketing world as it can be a very influential platform. One of the things they highlighted was the concept of UGC, user-generated content, and how it is critical in the sales of company products including things like the sustainable clothing line on eBay.  At the end of the presentation, we were tasked with a hands-on activity where we needed to create a promotional video for secondhand clothing in less than 25 minutes! They had prepared a rack of secondhand clothes, and it was our job to pick and choose the outfits we would use in our video. Our group decided to go with a Hawaiian theme and quickly put together a video, using the beautiful outdoor campus environment as our set. The main slogan for our video was “Fashion that makes you feel like you’re ALWAYS on holiday.” Our video was a hit amongst the other participants, and it got a lot of fun laughs and cheers. Although we didn’t get to make chocolate, we got to be a part of a really cool experience I would have never thought to participate in!

Next, we attended a presentation with Agota Mockute, a NERC Knowledge Exchange Fellow, where she mainly talked about our upcoming visit to Aura Innovation Center. Aura is a “catalyst for collaboration in the offshore wind and low carbon” and is a hub for research, development, and testing of new technologies mainly involving the wind industry. They are partners with the University of Hull, Orsted, Siemens Energy, and several other enterprises. They also hold events such as the Festival of Green Innovation where stakeholders and other members can engage and exchange knowledge with one another. Overall, this looks like a very interesting facility, and I look forward to visiting it tomorrow!

After the presentation, we had dinner in one of the University’s art galleries where we got to talk and network with to other faculty members of the University of Hull. I got to talk to Ntobeko Ndiweni, the marketing manager of global engagement. The conversation revolved around her experiences in the UK and sharing my experiences in the US. She recommended that I try a full English breakfast at one of the museums in London! I have just a little over a week left in London, so I need to make sure I visit all the hot spots in the city. This concludes our first day in Hull, and I am thoroughly enjoying it so far! Can’t wait to see what else Hull has in store for us!

About the Author

This article was written by Mia Iwakura, Class of 2025, majoring in Environmental Science QES B.S.