My Norwich University Experience : Marketing

Kaplan on Television

WheelCipher — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 21:08:00 GMT

Things must be going well at Kaplan University. The school where I earned my Associates degree and my Bachelors degree seems to be branching into online advertising. I was watching the latest episode of NCIS that I had recorded on my DVR the other night and while fast-forwarding through the commercials, I see the Kaplan logo flash in front of my eyes.

I haven’t seen too many online schools venture into TV advertising. Maybe I am out of the loop or don’t live in an area of the country where there is a concentrated effort to market on television. Perhaps this is a new thing for them. Either way, it was interesting to see. The only education “institutions” I see running commercials are those that are not accredited or specialize in one thing (i.e. art, medical assisting, etc…) So I have a question.

Does advertising on TV by reputable institutions like Kaplan, Walden, Capella and others show a new and exciting way of getting the word out to people who may not be familiar with distance education, or does the attempt at advertising on television cheapen the experience or perception that some may have?

I have not seen those 100 year old brick and mortar institutions advertise on TV. I am sure they don’t have to. They are usually not for profit and state-subsidized. The institutions like those mentioned above are for-profit. Now that I think more about it, I have seen a few University of Phoenix commercials in my time. I think most were a few years ago and especially during the Super Bowl.

Anyway, what do you think? Does TV advertising by for-profit institutions cheapen the reputation that they are trying to build that says, “We’re a legitimate, accredited institution of higher learning”? Let me know your thoughts.

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A Look Back at Marketing

WheelCipher — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 12:00:00 GMT

In two days my marketing class will be over. Our last project is a week-long group project analyzing the marketing efforts of the company we’re studying. Now that we’re just about done, I have some mixed feelings about marketing in general. As someone who has never really had a job in marketing, I do touch it some in my current position. I find marketing fascinating. I think it should be fun. By the end of this class, I am not sure that my perspective has changed, but ultimately, I am not sure what to think.

When this class started, I was looking forward to learning more about the subject, and as a graduate-level class, we were bombarded with new information. Just when I wanted marketing to be “fun”, I learned that it can be as complex as some of the most difficult math classes. Marketing is very “numbers-driven”. It’s not just about selling things or making the customer feel like they are getting a good deal. Numbers rule. Looking back, I probably learned more than I wanted to. One thing is certain: I don’t think I want to do it for a career. I am torn.

The amount of information we received in the class was good, but it didn’t “hook” me into wanting to jump into the marketing field. Furthermore, I have considered the activities of the marketing departments at the various companies I have worked at and I can’t muster a lot of respect for them. In my perspective, they don’t maximize their opportunities and really embrace the whole concept. If I were to jump into marketing, I would want to get my hands in anything and everything. But then again, maybe I am wrong.

At the end of the day, I am glad I took this class. I have a better understanding of marketing as whole and can apply a lot of the conceptual ideas that we learned. As someone who has never really done this, I am comfortable in my current position where I only dabble in marketing. I think it’s a good training ground for future efforts.

Marketing should be fun and I will be spending some time trying to make it that way again.

Do you have any questions about distance education or anything in this post? Feel free to contact Scott anytime!

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Week 9: Getting Closer to the End

WheelCipher — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 12:00:00 GMT

Today marks the start of week nine (out of 11) in Strategic Marketing Management. This class is coming to a close and when that happens, I will officially be half way through my MBA program at Norwich University. The assignment this week is an individual assignment (as opposed to the many group projects we’ve had this term).

In each seminar of the Norwich MBA we as students are tasked with applying course concepts to our own company. A dual purpose of the individual workplace assignment is to learn key concepts through application to our own company and to better understand the organization in which we work in as it pertains to the functional area of the class (in this case, marketing).

In week one, we were tasked with describing the marketing function of our organization and our role in the marketing process (or how we saw a marketing function being implemented in the organization if we were not directly involved). I personally am not involved in the big marketing operation, but with some change in strategy over the last few months, my department is involved in selling things. My understanding of marketing has grown on a daily basis.

Because of this transition at work, I have been able to contribute meaningful material and carry on conversations about something that I have a grasp on. I used to always say that I was in technical/engineering/management because I couldn’t sell hot chocolate to an Eskimo. I always loved the concept of marketing, but never really took well to the idea of doing it for a living.

Now that I am diving in, I can see my role expanding. I think this class has helped to expand my horizons and made me more effective in my role at work. I’ve said it many times and I will say it again. One great thing about the MBA program at Norwich is that you get to use your own organization to use the skills learned over the course of the program. It’s fun and rewarding at the same time.

Now that we’re on the downside of this particular class, I am beginning to look forward to Strategic Operations Management.

Do you have any questions about distance education or anything in this post? Feel free to contact Scott anytime!

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I Love Group Projects

WheelCipher — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 12:00:00 GMT

I love group projects! It puts a stress on us as a team that forces us to work together. In my first two terms at Norwich University, we’ve had a group project at the end of the term. We would all get on conference calls and hash out the details of what ends up being a 25-30 page final paper on the topic we’re learning. It’s a huge undertaking. In the end, it’s very fun and a rewarding experience.

In the marketing class I am in, we’re being exposed to the team environment at times other than the end. We’re only in week three and we already have a team assignment. Being the go-getter I am, I volunteered to be the leader/editor for this assignment. We have five people (including myself) on the team. Each person will get an assignment. Since there are five sections to this assignment, it worked out perfectly. We’re studying a scenario in the wine industry. The five sections include:

(1) Given our understanding of case study facts, what elements of the forces driving change in the global wine industry were at play in the shift of market leadership?

(2) What are the sources of competitive advantage along the value chain for the French? For the Australians?

(3) What key factors in the world market, and particularly the UK enabled non-traditional producers like Australia to overcome the barriers to entry?

(4) What were the corner stones of Australia's marketing strategy that made it so effective against the French?

(5) Develop an Action Plan: What are the key action steps that you would recommend the owner of a mid-sized, well regarded vineyard producing wines in the premium and super-premium categories undertake to respond to threats outlined in the case study? Be sure to consider the positions of the government officials and the heads of the wine industry associations in the answer.

As you can see, it can be pretty in-depth. One challenge is that the total paper must be around 750 words. That averages out to about 150 words each. It can be hard to state a point and outline an idea with that limitation. I really think the school does this to make us think and work to meet that requirement. I love it.

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Marketing and Writing?

WheelCipher — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 13:00:00 GMT

Marketing and creative writing is an odd mix. They go together like pork chops and marshmallows. I mention this because our professor made it clear this week that not only are we learning about marketing, but this is a writing class as well. I am writing this post because of a situation I ran into near the end of my 4-year program at Kaplan. The cases are similar, but the outcome will be very different.

Near the end of my degree program at Kaplan, I had a class (I don’t remember what class it was) where the teacher was focused on the writing quality of the work we turned in. She didn’t grade much of anything having to do with the subject matter. After putting in a lot of time and effort to turn in quality work, I was told that my margins weren’t correct. Needless to say, I blew a gasket!

After talking to the teacher (with no constructive feedback from her) and then complaining to the administration (with no resolution from them), I somewhat abandoned my efforts to turn in a good paper and just spent my time making sure the margins were 1” on each side and everything was double spaced. What a colossal disappointment on my end.

Eventually I was able to balance the need to learn the subject matter and pacify what I considered to be a worthless instructor who had no idea how to actually teach the subject matter. In the end, I got a “B” if my memory serves me correctly.

I am now in a marketing class where the professor is focusing on writing skills in a big time way. The difference between this time and the last time is that (1) The professor announced up front what was expected, and (2) she is also teaching the marketing material and providing some great feedback on both marketing and writing. As someone who loves to write, I am in heaven.

I love to write and I am always looking for ways to improve. To have a professor who is both very engaged in the marketing side and the writing/communications side is a bonus for me. The fact that we knew what to expect is great. I don’t think it’s fair to let students go into a class blindly like what happened with that one class at Kaplan. I guess that’s the difference between undergrad and grad school. There’s a certain level of respect here. At the same time, there is also a demand for excellence on all levels.

So, here’s to a great mix of marketing and writing! I am having a blast.

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