Student Profile: Gaurav Kakar

Where did you complete your Undergrad Degree/Diploma and in what subject area?

I am a marketing student from India with a BBA in marketing and my first Post Grad Certificate in Marketing Management from Fanshawe College, London (Ontario).

When did you first discover an interest in Advertising?

My interest in advertising first arose when I saw the little known “Takis: Don’t eat Takis” campaign by Cossette. It made brilliant use of reverse psychology to get people interested in the brand.  When I looked up the details of the campaign I realized how interesting it all was and thought, “I could happily do this for a living”.

Why did you choose Sheridan’s Advertising Account Management Program?

As someone coming from the world of Marketing, I wanted to get into a program that would allow me to use the skills I had already been working on and also expose me to the different aspects of Advertising. This is something that Sheridan’s AAM program seemed to do extremely well. Starting from the basic principles, it has now led to an understanding of all those aspects of advertising. This is exactly what I hoped the program would do for me and is the primary reason I chose it.

How are you finding your experience at Sheridan?

My experience here has been nothing short of phenomenal. It has been intensive, yes, but every minute of it has been educational and has kept my attention throughout. One week from graduation, I now know more than enough to confidently start my career in advertising.

What advice would you give to someone who is considering our Post Grad Program?

I’d say do your research. Look at the course descriptions, check out some great ad campaigns online and see where your interests lie. You will need an active interest in finding out how things work. (I recommend looking at the Sick Kids VS campaigns for a start. Brilliant campaign)

What would you consider your main areas of interest and expertise as a result of your learning in the Program?

I have taken a major interest in making creative ad strategies. I found that I had a knack for coming up with campaigns based off of the research that we compiled as a group. Each member had their own skills, some in research, some in organization, some in design. Mine was strategy and that is the direction I am taking in the industry now.