The Boom: The Evolution of Writing in the Marketing Major

Lorem Ipsum 1 The Boom: The Evolution of Writing in the Marketing Major.

Jack Kieckhefer

Is Marketing the right fit for you?

Lorem Ipsum 2

“Don’t be afraid to get creative and experiment with your marketing”

Mike Volpe Chief Marketing officer Hubspot

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-‐NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-‐nd/3.0/.

Lorem Ipsum 3

Authors Note/Introduction: (Pg. 4)

Overview: Guidelines Tips and Summaries (Pg. 5)

Research Resources (Pgs. 6 & 7)

Top 10 Qualities that make a successful Marketer (Pg. 8)

The eight crucial parts of a Marketing Plan (Pg. 9)

Articles, Plans, and Ads: An Intro to Marketing Genre Theory (Pg. 10 - 20)

USP’s (Unique Selling Propositions) (Pg. 22)

The evolution of Marketing (Pg. 23)

The Project: An Alteration to Intro To Marketing Classes (Pg. 24 – 27)

Additional Information: transcripts and Summaries from primary research (Pg. 28 – 31)

Works Referenced (Pgs. 32 & 33)

Table Of Contents:

Lorem Ipsum 4

Authors Note

To the Reader,

This magazine serves as a guide for incoming freshman or perspective student who are curious about becoming a marketing major. In my own educational path I have never known what exactly I wanted to do and what it may entail. My hope for you is that this magazine will provide clarity and insight into what types of work and writing a marketing major will do in college and in his or her post college career. I have done extensive secondary and primary research on these topics and I hope you will find this information useful as you move on to the next step in your life. This magazine includes many parts. It includes many small blurbs, summaries, activities, and larger essays on genres in the marketing field as well as a proposal for a change in the marketing program within the Daniels School of Business. In order to gather all the information to create these sections I talked with Professor Hartley and Senior Ben Reisler along with the countless online and book research I conducted. Below is a brief summary of each section and what I hope you will get out of it. Field Guide: The Field guide contains the smaller pieces of the magazine. It tis designed for fun and relaxed reading. It has several exercises and visual aids to inform you about everything from the direction marketing is going in to how to create a Unique Selling Proposition (Slogan) and the essential parts of a marketing plan. Also, you will find a checklist of characteristics that make a great marketer. Most importantly there is a list of five research resources that will tell you about writing in the marketing major. Through all of these small pieces I hope the reader will take away many small snippets of what marketing really is. Genre Investigation: The genre investigation is the largest piece. It speaks to the infinite amount genres that are involved in marketing. However, the bulk of the essay is directed towards how to analyze a genre. This will help you communicate your point most clearly to your audience in any situation. In this section there are three examples of how to analyze a genre. I analyzed online articles used inside the classroom, marketing plans, which are created in the business-‐to-‐business setting, and sports photography ads. This paper and these examples should help guide you in your writing no matter what field of study you choose. Proposal for Change: The proposal for change is a more fun piece of writing. It is a way of communicating a weakness within the major to you, the reader. For this piece I analyzed how the earlier intro classes do not involve as much project and group work as the later ones. I think this work is extremely valuable and encourage more projects in earlier classes creating more consistency throughout the program. I have spent countless hours on this magazine and hope that it provides you with some clarity and a greater understanding for the marketing world. I have really enjoyed my business education so far and am thrilled to be entering the world of marketing in the near future. Thank you for your support and ENJOY! Jack Kieckhefer

Lorem Ipsum 5

This informative guide presents the reader with helpful tips, summaries, and guidelines of marketing and writing in the marketing world. Throughout this magazine you will find small blurbs and exercises. These exercises contain everything from tips in writing your first marketing plan to how to write a catchy headline.

Also, You will find many good research websites to guide your writing and a blurb of the evolution of the marketing world.

Marketing is about communicating how your product would better the consumer’s life. Writing provides an incredible avenue to do so. The challenge with writing in the marketing world is that the expectations and guidelines are ever changing as technology and communication evolves. Even basic academic writing now includes social media, pictures, links, and even barcodes that direct you to a website. Throughout this magazine you will find small blurbs and exercises. These will allow you a snapshot of what marketing entails and give you some tips that will jumpstart your marketing career.

One of the most famous and Iconic marketing examples, Uncle Sam’s army recruitment ad.

Overview: Guidelines, Tips, and Summaries

Lorem Ipsum 6

Research Resources: Sites that Will Help Jumpstart You on Your Knowledge and writing.

Brown, Stephen. Writing Marketing: Literary Lessons from Academic Authorities.

• Writing Marketing , by Stephen Brown, focused on writing in the marketing world. In its approximately 200 pages it dives into great detail about how the art of marketing evolves around writing. Marketing is all about being able to convey why a person should buy your product in a persuasive manner. In this book, Stephen Brown analyzes writing by professional marketers and is able to point out what works and why the pieces are so successful. This book is extremely detailed and great for a person who is already studying marketing or working in the marketing world.

• This book is a great resource in my opinion. It takes the reader from the basics of how writing is used and why it is so important into the details of how to write a specific style of report like a white paper and the common downfalls that a person should avoid. The book also includes great examples that prove to be extremely helpful.

• The one downfall to this book is that it is long. If someone is looking for a quick short solution it may not be of much help to him or her.

Hackley, Christopher E. Doing Research Projects in Marketing, Management and Consumer Research.

• Doing Research Projects in Marketing, Management and Consumer Research, is a guide not directed at writing in marketing itself, but a guide that encompasses everything from analyzing data and research and creating a sound argument out of your findings. A large part of marketing is communicating ones research and how to convey it to their audience, this book helps guide the reader to do exactly that. This book is perfect for first timers and experienced marketers who want to brush up on their skills.

• This book would be extremely helpful to people involved with market analysis. It would give them analytical tips as well as presentation tips.

• This book may be too dense for some readers and is gaged more towards upperclassman and even practicing professionals who are looking to hone in their marketing skills.

“Your Culture Is Your Brand” Tony Hsieh CEO Zappos.com

Lorem Ipsum 7

The Purdue OWL: Professional, Technical Writing. (http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/4/16/)

• The OWL was much more helpful when it came to things like formatting and proper tone. This database covered the smaller details of writing in a professional marketing setting. It covered everything from professional emails to a brief summary of what a white paper is.

• I would recommend using the OWL for formatting, citation, sentence structure, and word choice.

• The OWL falls short of expectations if one is looking for course descriptions and examples of pieces that have been used in the marketing world.

"Writing in Marketing." University Center for Writing-based Learning. (http://condor.depaul.edu/writing/writers/Types_of_Writing/marketing.html)

• The Condor, looked at the large picture. It contained various writing topics used in class as well as course descriptions. The database also contained a detailed summary of White Papers (one of the most common types of writing in marketing).

• The condor also provides helpful links to other sites that contain examples. I would recommend the Condor to someone who is curious about marketing and wants an overview of what kinds of writing are most prominent in the field.

• The Condor may fall short on details about format and citation. However, the OWL is a great way to supplement these shortcomings.

"University of Denver Penrose Library /Penrose/Music." http://0-academic.marketresearch.com.bianca.penlib.du.edu/index.asp?prid=990398702

• Marketresearch.com provides information about countless markets. It allows the reader to identify trends and other information about specific markets that may aid them in creating a quality-marketing plan. For example a student can find information on pet sales and demographics to information and statistics on chemical manufacturing

• This site will allow students access to multi-thousand dollar articles that are filled to the brim with information that will help them better understand the market environment they are studying.

• This site may be overwhelming to some students. Many of the documents are 50+ pages and may be too dense for quick research.

Lorem Ipsum 8

Is Marketing Right For YOU?

10 qualities that make a successful marketer: Check the Boxes that Apply to You!

You are creative and set goals.

You possess confidence in your product and ideas.

You understand your audience and the culture surrounding the product.

You understand the basics of marketing and what it entails.

You have a large goal and don’t micromanage or obsess over the small intricacies.

You are flexible and welcoming to new ideas.

You know the ins and outs of your product and company.

You are frugal and plan according to your budget.

You have an artistic eye.

You are a people person and love to communicate with others.

Were You Born To Market?

Lorem Ipsum 9

Why Should the Consumer Choose You: The eight Crucial Parts of a successful Marketing Plan.

“People shop and Learn in a whole new way compared to just a few years ago, So Marketers need to adapt or risk extinction”

Brian Halligan Co-‐Author of Inbound Marketing Chief Executive officer, Hubspot

Lorem Ipsum 10

Articles, Plans, and Ads: An intro into Marketing Genre Theory

Lorem Ipsum 11

Genre Theory

Most people hear the word genre and think of comedy

versus horror or country versus rap. However, when one looks

closely at genres and the specific classifications that each one

possesses, he or she will discover the many intricacies that go

into categorizing songs, movies or pieces writing. In the

marketing industry, there are countless genres - everything

from databases to professional reports and ad campaigns to

jingles. It is essential to understand how to analyze and identify

a genre in order to efficiently communicate with others. This

study of analyzing and identifying is called genre theory.

Genre theory is essentially the study of the “genetic” makeup

or traits of an individual genre.

The countless, ever-changing genres in marketing make

it is impossible to properly teach all the categories and sub-

categories making it crucial to learn genre awareness and how

to identify specific characteristics of genres when analyzing a

specific piece (Devitt, Writing 205). Genre theory is an

essential part of human’s daily lives. Humans constantly

analyze genres and paths of communication. This guide will

deliver a new method to genre theory and exemplify the

importance of different types of writing in the marketing

industry.

Lorem Ipsum 12

Methods to Genre Investigation

In genre theory there are many details that one must be aware of. To properly identify a genre one must

look for the rhetorical situation, social action, context, discourse, uptake, ceremony and constraints. In order to

begin classifying or even understanding a specific genre, one must recognize the rhetorical situation. The

rhetorical situation is the environment in which one is presenting their piece. It requires the writer to identify his

or her audience and the context surrounding their writing. In return the author will be able to portray their

argument or message most effectively to the listener.

Every piece of writing is composed for a reason. This is referred to as the social action. In order to meet

the expectations of a genre, one must identify the social action they intend to fulfill. For example, the social

action of a marketing plan is to produce a summary and detailed proposal of a marketing strategy that a

company should use to market a specific product. Every single thing said, written, or even acted has a social

action. Identifying the social action is essentially identifying the purpose of the piece.

Now, one may be thinking, ‘wow that’s a lot to think about’; don’t worry though. The rhetorical

situation is broken into many small parts to simplify the process. Before and after the rhetorical situation is the

ceremony (Freadman). The ceremony involves everything that leads up to and winds down after the

presentation or act of writing. For example, if you were getting ready to sit down and write a marketing plan for

a new startup company, the process of situating yourself in the office with all the essential materials and

research is part of the ceremony. The ceremony will be different for all genres within marketing and may vary

by author. Various rhetorical situations have extremely different

ceremonies.

During the ceremony, a writer and audience are constantly

looking at the context of the situation. Context is about understanding

the situation that surrounds the discussion or argument. In return, the

presenter will choose the discourse; how they want to connect with the

reader and what form/tone of communication conveys the argument

best. Additionally, uptake is a large part of the context. Uptake is

derived from the discourse. It is essentially how the reader or audience

takes in the information that the writer presents them with. For example,

if a writer’s discourse is sarcastic but the audience misses the sarcasm,

there is a large disconnect between the uptake and discourse. This disconnect can block the sale of an entire

product in the marketing world.

“When You Enchant People, Your Goal is not to make money from them or get them to do what you want, but to fill them with great delight” Guy Kawasaki Former Chief Evangelist, Apple Co-Founder of All-top.com

Lorem Ipsum 13

Constraints may play into discourse and uptake. A constraint is a rule in which the genre follows. For

example, Freadman says, “A medical consultation is not the same as a consultation with a lawyer; this is a

different of institution, but the ceremonial may be usefully described as similar”. This quotation is highlighting

the differences in two genres that have similar ceremonies, tones and audiences as well. However, in a

consultation with a lawyer, one would not discuss the other person’s health (unless it pertained to the case) and

in a consultation with a doctor one would not discuss their current legal struggles. Often times a subject and

audience will determine what constraints are on the genre. For example, you are not going to start an email to

your boss by saying “Wadup Bill” or even “Hey Bill.” You will say hi, hello or dear most likely. Often, these

small details of how we present our writing come automatically to us; however, when dissecting a piece of

writing it is essential to understand the smallest details in order to fully understand the rhetorical situation.

Marketing contains an unbelievable amount of genres and subgenres. The purpose of marketing is to

communicate a service or product to the customer and tell them why and how it will better their life. As a result,

all forms of communication are open to marketing professionals. In an academic setting, marketing students

often dissect textbooks and articles about marketing decisions from popular press. Marketing writing from

business to business (B2B) usually consists of many more genres, marketing plans, white papers, and common

communication i.g. Emails. However, the largest variety of genres is found in communication from business to

customer (B2C). Genres in B2C can include everything from jingles to white papers and even informative

lectures.

Lorem Ipsum 14

Genre: a form of writing with a specific structure and purpose developed to fulfill a unique role in communication Exigence: the reason for using a specific genre Discourse: the type of language and tone used towards your audience to convey your message. Social action: The purpose for the piece. What social role does it fulfill and information it provide. Constraints: are guidelines for a specific genre such as format. Antecedent: any prior background knowledge that facilitates the writing process Uptake: How your audience perceives the information.

Key Terms

Lorem Ipsum 15

Articles: (In Class Reading)

Online marketing educational articles talk about current strategies that are successful and share marketing

advice with the reader. This creates an intriguing, yet informative read for the students. Students are focused on

their future, and hearing success stories is a way to not only teach them valuable lessons, but to jumpstart their

creative thought process. This causes a motivating and informational discourse, which triggers a creative

reaction or uptake from the reader. Teachers utilize these articles because they are centered on the most current

trends. These articles fulfill an informative social action as a result of their up-to-date information on the

markets and strategies in which professionals approach them. This is essential because these marketing

strategies and ideas are ever changing. In Marketing Strategies for the Future, by Barbara Schneck, She writes,

“Everyday, a new headline, book, TED talk, or

coffee shop conversation proves anew that

customers, products, markets, and marketing

approaches aren’t just undergoing change—they’ve

changed already”. This quotation supports the

importance of the social action that the article

delivers. Schneck comments on how the marketing

world is constantly playing a game of catch-up with

the unceasing change in technology. This increases

the value of the marketing tips from these

successful companies, who have figured a way to maintain a position ahead of the rapid growth of technology,

that are presented in these types of articles.

Marketing articles are often very similar in structure because they focus on very similar messages. However,

there are not many constraints. Most often these articles are based around the success of a company. For

example, in the article “The Secrets of 7 Successful Brands”, Paula Andruss discusses the intricacies in the

marketing plans of companies like Lululemon, Pinterest, and TED. The author will often include quotations

from the business owners or high-up employees.

Lorem Ipsum 16

These quotes will cover consumer trends. A marketing employee of Warby Parker, a stylish eyeglass

retailer, states, “We’ve found that different aspects of our brand resonate with different communities”, he

writes, “Although you can’t be everything to all people, you can definitely be something to some people.” This

quotation epitomizes Parker’s marketing

plan and marketing philosophy as he

takes a niche market route. Often times

these quotations and the companies

themselves will be reinforced with

various sales statistics. The purpose of

this is to validate the message illustrated

to the student. These first accounts are

always intriguing and often discuss very

popular markets and topics like the use of

social networking. This engages a class

and in return the students are likely to trust the various advice and examples given.

These articles draw upon the changing statistics and common marketing practices. They are created to talk

about the changing trends and fulfill the social action of keeping the reader as up-to-date on marketing as

possible. Popular press articles can cover a variety of topics but follow the same formula of using examples and

statistics to keep their audience engaged and informed. Most commonly, authors do not stray far from this

platform because it successfully conveys their argument and is entertaining and engaging for the reader to read.

This genre provides tips to students and professionals on how to identify their target audience. It provides them

the statistical data outside of the countless rambling databases they need to make decisions. Marketing articles

are becoming increasingly popular in classrooms as a result of their intriguing messages and large accessibility.

“Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing about” Benjamin Franklin

Lorem Ipsum 17

Marketing Plan: (Business to Business)

A marketing plan is created to effectively communicate the marketing team’s proposal for advertising their

product. It is an in-depth strategy of how the company plans on growing or sustaining its customer base. In the

executive summary of a marketing plan for star software, it clearly states the social action; this social action is

the same for almost all marketing plans. The executive summary reads, “The plan focuses on the company’s

growth strategy, suggesting ways in which it can build on existing customer relationships, and on the

development of new products and/or services target to specific customer niches” (Executive Summary, Star

Software). This small section is essential to the functionality of

the paper. It provides an outline for what is to come and the

direction of the company, while directly showing the reader the

intended action of the paper. As a result of a well-formatted

marketing plan, like the star software example, a company can

make proper decisions and stick to a timeline, which allows

them to be most efficient. These plans are commonly assigned

in marketing classes because they command the student to look

at all the small details of marketing and not just the design of a

billboard. Marketing plans have been used for many years and are changing in small ways with the evolution of

marketing.

When speaking to Professor Hartley, he predicted that marketing plans were going to be altered in the near

future. He felt they were going to take new electronic forms to increase the engagement of their reader because

‘old-fashioned’ marketing plans were becoming dismal to read. As a result of their traditional purpose, they

have begun to fall behind world of technology. Staying up-to-date with technology is marketing’s constant

battle. As technology has moved forward so have marketing plans. They now incorporate things like diagrams,

hyperlinks and even QR codes. Although the technology is ever changing within marketing plans, it does not

altering their basic skeleton.

Lorem Ipsum 18

Most marketing plans often follow a very structured format and have many constraints. They often begin

with a summary and an analysis of the market, which surrounds the company’s product. This portion is essential

because a marketer cannot be successful if he or she does not understand the trends of the market they are

working within. Following that, an overview of the marketing idea for the product will be summarized. These

first two summaries are the most read parts of a marketing plan because they are designed to attract the reader.

After these summaries, the marketing team will present the details with a SWOT analysis (Strengths,

Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) and details regarding strategy and objectives. One can identify these areas

because they will be filled with much more dense info and factual numbers regarding the target market. After,

there will often be a plan to sustain the marketing platform and a budget. All these parts should be in a

marketing plan however; the way in which they are illustrated is not a set structure. For example, in the Five

Year Marketing Plan – Blue Sky Clothing, the SWOT was in a diagram form while it was in paragraph form in

another.

Although the formats of both marketing plans the formatting varied, they both stayed true to the basic

skeleton. The most notable of expectations was the formality of the writing. The writing includes many

statistics and data in order to provide reasoning

for their ideas. As a result, they can often feel

very dense. Also their audience is usually a boss

or someone who is higher up in the business. This

triggers a very formal discourse throughout the

paper. Unlike an article a marketing plan serves as

a proposal to the business. At times the tone can

even be classified as intense because of the high risk

involved in various types of marketing. A marketing

plan is one of the most professional genres in the

marketing field.

These plans are the outlines for many other genres. They outline how one will communicate to their target

consumer meaning it has countless options to outline. For example, it could help outline a TV ad campaign or a

budget plan to hire a man to flip and twist a sign outside of a restaurant. Marketing plans are the bases for all

marketing ventures. This being said, a marketing plan impacts all genres used in communication between

Businesses’ and consumers. Financial, visual, and audio decisions are based off of marketing plans.

Marketing Plans can pitch ideas that are extremely creative and outlandish or they can be straightforward and basic. They are used for

everything.

Lorem Ipsum 19

Sports Photography Ads: (Business To Consumer)

In marketing, there are numerous approaches to advertising and promoting a product. For example, there are

photography ads. Photography ads contain many sub-genres, one of which is sports. Sports photography ads

often play on inspiration or emotions. They are created to make the

viewer attracted to the product the split second they see the image. For

instance, the Nike ad of the boy on the 10-meter high dive is supposed

to inspire a feeling of “if he can do it I can” and sub consciously human

beings than relate this feeling of invincibility with Nike. The same is

illustrated in the Adidas “take the gold” ad for the 2012 London

Olympics. This is one platform of sports ads while the other invokes

more of an emotional response to the image itself. All of these ads promote the product by stimulating the

viewers mind through vivid imagery. Photography ads have begun to be replaced by more and more TV ads, but

remain common throughout the web. The reason why photography ads have not been fully replaced is because

they are designed to do the same as a TV ad but in a second or two.

As a result of these ads being designed for a quick glance, they often

contain very few words. They are often bright or very strange in order to

catch the attention of the viewer or passer-by. Usually the ads capture one

person doing something remarkable or the capture a bizarre picture like

the one for Arena swim gear. Pictures like these captivate their audience

however, these commonalities are not guidelines in any way. In business

to customer marketing, the businesses do not have to follow any code or

tone. They are free to do anything to draw in customers and raise awareness for their product.

Picture ads started with billboards and posters, but have grown exponentially since the Internet boom in the

‘90s. Their goal has always been to catch the eye of a consumer and encourage the purchase of that product.

Unlike other picture ads, sports ads are surrounded by an inspirational or motivational context. They encourage

people to push themselves to progress at what they do whether it is a sport or not. This is what separates sports

photography ads from any other photography ad. They are based on the context and the ceremonies of doing

something great.

Lorem Ipsum 20

Summary

Marketing has evolved tremendously since the technology boom in the ‘90s. Everyday people are coming

up with new innovative ads or simply bettering current forms of writing. According to Professor Hartley,

marketing is being taught more or less the same as it was however it is beginning to rapidly change in order to

incorporate the technology boom. Textbooks are now paired with online sites and classes on advertising are no

longer about billboards. These change are most visible in ads, marketing plans and marketing materials used in

the classroom.

By analyzing various genres and digging deep into the various genetic makeups of writing in the marketing

fields, one can see the importance of genre theory. In order to connect with one’s audience, he or she must

understand the various components, rhetorical situation, social action, context, ceremonies, discourse and

uptake. Being able to identify these not only allow one to categorize a specific piece of writing but allow a

person to achieve their goal whether its an ad, marketing plan, or dissection of an article most efficiently.

Marketing is constantly evolving and the traits of each genre are continuing to develop. Marketing is all about

selling one’s product to his or her targeted consumer. In order to do so, you need to best communicate that the

product will better their lives and bring them happiness. This is

not always an easy task and there are infinite ways of achieving

this. Identifying the many traits that create the genetic makeup

of a piece of writing in the marketing world will allow one to

successfully connect with his or her targeted consumers and

sell the product.

Marketing Ads Can be as creative as you want. Many ads use their creativity in order to convey a subtle message. For example, this Heinz Ketchup ad speaks to the freshness and healthy quality of their ketchup.

Lorem Ipsum 21

“Marketing is the science of people – find the right person to improve their lives with

something” Ben Reisler Senior, University of Denver: Marketing Major

Lorem Ipsum 22

Headlines are what catch the audience for a specific product. They are designed to draw the reader or viewer in and sell them on why the product will make their life better with in one or two sentences. This may be extremely hard and requires a lot of research. These headlines are known as USPs (unique selling propositions). They are catchy phrases derived from factual evidence. As a result they do not only sell the product but deliver a surprisingly amount of information. For example, TOMS shoes: “With every pair you purchase, TOMS will give a pair to a child in need. One for One”. This does not only tell you about the company but is combined with their slogan to create a catchy but informative phrase (USP). Now You Try! Below is your information. You will design a USP for the Daniels school of business using these facts. (You don’t have to use all of them)

• Ranked 72nd best business schools in the country • Private university • Professors who care about the success of their students • Students who want to achieve greatness • Nurturing environment focused on building a well-‐rounded individual. • Located a mile high

There are many different answers! Here is one: Located a mile high, Daniels business school is one of the tops of its kind and is for students who want to achieve greatness. Daniels, Start at a higher place.

USP (Unique Selling Propositions)

Some of the most iconic and famous Brand’s USP’s; They are short but from each one they tell you an informational fact about their company that can be elaborated on greatly.

Lorem Ipsum 23

Too some people, marketing is as simple as posting an ad on a billboard or on television. However, the methods of marketing are ever changing along with technology. In order to direct people towards their websites barcodes are being

implemented into T.V. Commercials, and social media is becoming part of marketing plans. Everything from titles and headlines to the location of ads is evolving. For example, if an ad is targeting an audience of people age 18-‐25 it will be placed on the Internet first. The Internet is replacing television for this generation.

If the marketing of certain products does not adjust as quickly as social media itself the products will miss there target audiences and suffer severely. It is these

details that make market analysis so important. One cannot successfully market their product without understanding the needs and behavior of their consumer.

The Evolution Of Marketing: It Grows as Humans Grow

Lorem Ipsum 24

The Project: An Alteration to Intro to Marketing Classes

Lorem Ipsum 25

When speaking with professionals, who work in the business world, their most consistent advice has

been to put yourself out there and get experience as soon as possible. They often say something along the lines

of “you can only learn so much in the classroom and the lessons you will learn outside, in the business world,

are what will separate you from the rest of the pack.” I have heard this advice over and over from people in

charge of recruiting for large financial firms and small business’ alike. Intro To Marketing classes at DU and

at many other universities follow a very similar syllabus. It is a syllabus that touches on everything from

analyzing data to writing a marketing plan. It often is accompanied by classical essay assignments and a

couple midterms paired with a final. These assignments allow the student to memorize the terms and scenarios

but they don’t give the student practice on dealing with situations that are applicable to their potential future

jobs. As a Student progresses through the marketing major activities and assessments become more hands on.

One way DU can provide its students with an advantage over students from other schools is incorporating a

work like environment into its marketing education.

By introducing a project-type format to intro marketing classes it will benefit not only the students but

will benefit the teachers and the school. By using project based learning students will not only need the

material necessary, but teach them skills that are much

needed in their working environments post-college.

For example project teach students personal and social

responsibility, planning, critical thinking, and

creativity just to name a few. Essentially project based

learning will make the students more prepared for life

post college. In return this will make the marketing

program more well-regarded and in return make the

program more sought out among new applicants. It

will also result in companies having to spend less

money on training DU students and the initial quality of work will be much higher. These things will occur

because students will already have a greater sense for certain responsibilities, creativity, and the ability to be

self driven in the work place requiring less hands-on guidance from upper management. Most of all these

projects will allow students to exercise different uses of technology. This variety of skills will help marketing

students in vast array of genres and activities that occur.

Daniels College of Business Mission: Ethical Practice. Thought Leadership. Global Impact. The Daniels College of Business is dedicated to educating ethical business leaders, advancing the theory and practice of business and making a positive global impact.

Lorem Ipsum 26

In marketing there are so many sub categories and genres. By implementing this project into the class

room curriculum teachers will able to touch on all sub categories. Students will start with the task of collecting

data and researching the market that a specific product is in. They will then proceed to write a fully

comprehensive marketing plan and then pitch it to the company. There pitch will be a possible area for class

presentations. From there, the student will be in charge of creating ads and selling the product to consumers and

companies via a variety of sales approaches.

This curriculum will not only give the student experience, but will in fact teach the material more

efficiently and in a more current fashion. Marketing has been constantly playing a game of catch-up with

technology ever since the technology boom of the 1990’s. The invention of social media and the Internet have

completely altered marketing in the past two decades. The greatest advantage to implementing the project is it

will cause students to explore all possible up-to-date avenues of advertising. This is something that is absent

from many textbooks causing marketing majors to be left behind.

Implementing this project into the curriculum is a relatively easy process. It provides just as many areas

for assessment and takes about equal effort from the teacher and student. However, persuading the teachers to

alter their course curriculum and do

research to provide students with

enough information in order to make

the project a success may be a

challenge. Teachers may argue that it is

unfeasible to create these intense

projects that will teach all the small

detailed aspects of beginning marketing

class. Creating projects like this is challenging especially when there is such a broad range of information that

needs to be covered and assessed. However, if the teachers create a quarter-long project similar to those of

business 1000 classes, they should be able to create a variety of small to medium exercises that accumulate into

one final product. These exercises will have various due dates throughout the term as well.

Lorem Ipsum 27

Even though it may not always seem like it, Professors are constantly looking or new ways to engage

their students. Most often students simply complain about the current work instead of offering solutions. If a

group or committee of students were to write a

sophisticated well thought out proposal to the

marketing department that included a very detailed

step by step plan, I believe that the department would

have very little choice, but to accept the proposal. The

proposal should include a couple of mock projects as

well as some research backing your proposal. Often

times, listing the pros and cons of a change like this is

an excellent way to persuade your audience. A long

with a sophisticated plan, a large number of student’s

signatures, who were in favor of such an alteration to

the curriculum, would only solidify the argument.

Getting these signatures can be a challenging task

however, setting up time after or before your business classes to ask classmates to support you is a relatively

easy way to handle the process. Also setting up a table in the Driscoll Bridge or even the common area of the

Daniels Business School building will attract many students on a daily bases.

If intro to marketing classes are formatted around a project, students will not only gain knowledge about

marketing but also be gaining experience at the same time. It will be this unique experience that will allow the

student to grow and be more prepared as they enter more specific classes an eventually the business world. As a

result they will be “unique” and more qualified when speaking to a business recruiter who is looking for a

student who has knowledge that does not stem from normal class conversations.

This new curriculum will provide students with all the tools to complete the marketing puzzle and find

success post-college

Lorem Ipsum 28

Additional information:

Transcripts from Interview with Professor Hartley.

• Multiple audiences in marketing (new startup – audience is banks or venture capitalists versus existing company – audience is board members)

o Need to use common language • Advertising writing (creative writing –

audience is consumers) o Communicate points of difference

or create awareness • Professional journals – odd and very

different kind of writing o Much more sophisticated o Much more detail

• No similarities between three types of writing (internal, external, journals)

• Marketing plan, ad campaigns, • Journals about conceptual and empirical

research • Growing up in media era where its truly

multi-media • Internal writing and journals is still

writing based • Informal world of communication is way

ahead of formal world • READING

o Largely textbooks o Popular press

Digital versions o Contemporary books (chapters

from sway and outliers) o He wrote a textbook o Writing memos

• Marketing activites have to be a function of the audience

o Web page for 60 year old bankers wont see it

• Were currently seeing blending of the two o T.V. commercial with QR code or

website link o Vote or replay

• High-engagement shows • Blending for younger audience • In the middle of a transformation of the

way people communicate o TV was going away but they

blended it by engaging us with more than just TV

• Marketing news o Most common trade publication

• Practice makes his students better writers o He fears that not much people are

doing sophisticated writing in high school

o Go start your own web page • Need to be able to choose words carefully • Headlines and small adds (max. 50 words) • Kick starter (example of marketing

website) • Need to be able to pitch your product

through writing • Blogs create room for instant feedback

o Even brutal comments are great news

• More so analysis today than in the past o Allows for more accuracy o Better performance assessment

which allows people to allocate the most amount of resources to specific types of marketing

• So many mechanical parts that add into the easiness of marketing

o Translations

Lorem Ipsum 29


Summary from Interview with Professor Hartley.

Interviewing Professor Hartley gave me a whole new view of the marketing world. The main trend

throughout the interview was technology and its effect on writing in marketing. As a result of the constantly

changing forms of communication, marketing has had to play a game of catch-‐up with technology. Instead of

talking about the curriculum and the major itself we discussed how writing and research in the major has been

completely altered over the past ten to twenty years.

Professor Hartley explained numerous examples of marketing evolution. He mentioned that it was

changing numerous in-‐class materials and changing the assignments themselves. For example, he had just

received first-‐draft marketing plans. In these marketing plans he explained how in current times people expect

info graphics and computer-‐generated charts. This is only one of his many examples of how technology is

altering the marketing world currently. Professor Hartley also mentioned that the changes of T.V. and

computers are altering the behaviors of the consumers. This means that the research of marketing companies

is constantly changing and finding new trends. For me this was extremely exciting because it showed the

endless evolution and innovation that will take place in marketing for years to come.

The most fascinating thing I found in my interview with Professor Hartley is that he felt there was no

“key” to writing. It is a skill that comes from practice. Everyone is unique and that it takes practice to hone in

your strengths and better your weaknesses. Overall, My interview with professor Hartley was a great success.

He gave excellent insight into the volatile evolution of marketing. It is a field that is constantly adapting to ever

changing trends of human kind.

Lorem Ipsum 30


Transcripts from Interview with Ben Reisler

In class Writing and campaign projects: • Small writing

o Explaining problem that company is having

o Competitive audits – looking at all competition and what niche they own

• Creative process o Derived from small writing o Play around with Taglines and

USP (unique selling propositions) • campaigns for every class • branding classes

o elevator pitch – if you were to get in the elevator at the lobby with a big time CEO for 2 minutes how would you approach your conversation

• early classes involve a lot of sourcing o three pages on what the problem is

example • sometimes do a full campaign – teacher

will use a real client • have students correct problems within a

company o takes out research component

• project often include fixing a problem Current Careers:

• Last September worked at Cactus ad agency

• Currently interning with sterling-rice group

• Ton of emails • Every bit of writing is 100% internal for

intern • Write many presentations of one to two

sentence slides • Need to articulate things in a small

succinct way

Audience in class room: • Mostly presentations in upper class

sections • Reflections are usually written for

professors • Writing-to-present in upper-level classes

Writing process in these classes • Classes with many small presentations • Sometimes classes have different groups

with different clients three very different projects

Research: • Research styles depend on the project • Always start with secondary research

o Use huge databases • Fathers day example

o Difference between dad and moms opinion

o These differences help form facts and story

• Form these stories and come up with products or promos for companies

Technology: • Internal writing is non-stop • Use word, PowerPoint, excel, keynote • Discussion guides for interviews • Full research – inspire client take them

out to take pictures (example) • Huge big screen of all their pictures

o Use this to find current trends Tests:

• Test are earlier in marketing classes o Often a formality o Creates a tough learning

environment as a result of the flipping between tests and presentations

o Tests lessen as you get older.

Lorem Ipsum 31


Summary from Interview with Ben Reisler

Interviewing with Ben Reisler gave me an amazing amount of insight into the marketing major at

University of Denver. We talked about everything from projects to test to his current internships. Unlike

Professor Hartley, Ben walked me through the progression of marketing classes at DU all the way to his

current internship.

Intro to marketing classes are based around the fundamentals. They discuss terms and common

strategies. These class’ assessments are often a blend of tests and smaller projects. As one progresses through

the marketing curriculum these tests often phase out and are only included because they are a formality.

These projects will often included solving a marketing problem for a fictional or real company. If it is a real

company the students will often hear the CMO (chief marketing officer) speak about a problem within their

company and then they will be set off to correct it in any way possible. They will then present it back to the

CMO and the professor. These projects are formed to exercise the student’s creativity. However, Ben

mentioned that it is not a creativity contest. All creative ideas need to be backed up with factual evidence as

to why it is the best option. This is what the teachers look for most as they grade papers and projects alike.

Ben and I proceeded to talk about his current internships. He currently works for Sterling-‐Rice Group a

marketing agency. All the writing he does there is internal and the majority is emails. However, he did mention

that it is important to be able to communicate an idea in a short succinct way. The reason for this is almost all

ideas and projects he works on involve presentations. In these presentations you need to e able to convey

elaborate research findings in an audience friendly format.

Overall, Ben gave great insight into the Marketing curriculum and how it is applicable to his current

works situation. He feels that Daniels Business School does a great job of giving you a brad range of skills that

you can apply to your future in marketing.

Lorem Ipsum 32

• "101 Fantastic Quotes About Marketing." Business Insider. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 May 2013.

• "All The Marketing Statistics You Need To Know." Marketing Statistics. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 May 2013.

• Brown, Stephen. Writing Marketing: Literary Lessons from Academic Authorities. London: SAGE, 2005. Print.

• "Daniels College of Business." Daniels College of Business. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 May 2013.

• "Daniels College of Business." Daniels College of Business. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 May 2013.

• Iowa Central Community College. "Sample Marketing Plan." N.p., n.d. Web.

• "Marketing Strategies for the Future." Entrepreneur. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 May 2013.

• "Modern Family: A Reality for Today's Marketers." Direct Marketing News. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 May

2013.

• "Polaris, Inc - Branding Solutions." Murphy Files (Internal Content). N.p., n.d. Web. 27 May 2013.

• "The Secrets of 7 Successful Brands." Entrepreneur. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 May 2013.

• Star Software. "Star Software Inc. Marketing Plan." Http://college.cengage.com/business/pride/foundations/2e/resources/pf_found_sample_mkt_plan.pdf. N.p., n.d. Web.

• "Understanding the YOLO Generation | Marketing Magazine." Marketing Magazine Understanding the

YOLO Generation Comments. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 May 2013.

• "Unique Selling Proposition (USP)." Entrepreneur. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 May 2013.

• "University of Denver Penrose Library /Penrose/Music." University of Denver Penrose Library /Penrose/Music. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 May 2013.

• (pg. 5 “uncle sam” Photot) "Dewey's Read-a-Thon." » We Want You! For Read-A-Thon Staff. N.p., n.d.

Web. 28 May 2013.

• (pg. 26 Daniels Photo) "Spotlight on DU’s Daniels College of Business | Illuminations, from Shine." Illuminations from Shine Spotlight on DUs Daniels College of Business Comments. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 May 2013.

Works Referenced

Lorem Ipsum 33

• "Welcome to the Purdue OWL." The Purdue OWL: Professional, Technical Writing. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 May 2013.

• "When Marketing to Men, Keep These 10 Stats in Mind (Infographic)." Entrepreneur. N.p., n.d. Web.

27 May 2013.

• "Why Is Project-Based Learning Important?" Edutopia. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 May 2013.

• "Writing in Marketing." University Center for Writing-based Learning. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 May 2013.

• Professor Steven Hartley, Marketing: University of Denver; Daniels College of Business

• Ben Reisler, Marketing Major: Daniels College of Business, University of Denver Class of 2013

• (pg. 3 Photo) "Call Tracking Blog." The Dos and Don'ts of Content Marketing. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 May 2013.

• (PG. 34 Photo) "LaShanda's Network Marketing Circle." LaShandas Network Marketing Circle. N.p.,

n.d. Web. 28 May 2013.

• (Pg. 17 Photo) "VentureBeat | News About Tech, Money and Innovation." VentureBeat Marketing Automation Firm Marketo Shares Jump 55 in EnergeticIPO Comments. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 May 2013.

• (Pg. 27 Photo) "Bloggertone." Marketing RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 May 2013.

• (Pg. 13 Photo) "The 10 Best Infographics for Internet Marketing Pros." Marketing Pilgrim. N.p., n.d.

Web. 28 May 2013.

• (Pg. 20 Photo) "» Heinz Ketchup Advertising/design Goodness – Advertising and Design Blog: The Best Ads & Designs and Sometimes the Worst around the Globe." Advertisingdesign Goodness Advertising and Design Blog RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 May 2013.

• (Pg. 19 Photo) "The Most Creative Sport Ads." Beautifullifeinfo RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 May 2013.

• (Pg. 19 “high dive” photo) "Media Blog." : Post #12: Who Knew Nike Would Help You Overcome All

Your Fears, and Keep You Looking Great While Doing It! N.p., n.d. Web. 28 May 2013.

• (Pg. 18 Old Spice Photo) "The Man Your Man Could Smell Like... Using Video to Raise Your Visibility." » ActionPodcast. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 May 2013.

• (Pg. 15 photo) "B2B Marketing Articles." B2B Marketing Articles. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 May 2013.

• (Pg. 8 “marketing Baby Photot) "Real Estate 101: Marketing Is Really What Business Is About." Real

Estate Investing RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 May 2013.

• (Pg. 22 Photo) "Branding 101: How to Create a Brand." Lipstick Unpluggedcom RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 May 2013.

Lorem Ipsum

You have to be burning with 'An idea, or a problem, or a wrong that you want to right.' If you're not passionate enough from the start, you'll never stick it out. Steve Jobs

Documents

The Boom: The Evolution of Writing in the Marketing Major