Monday, April 20, 2009

Case #4

Hi everyone,

The final assignment is actually not a case study at all, but rather, an analysis of a single text (i.e., a book of your choosing from the list).

Using what you've learned about CB this semester, but focusing especially on the information about consumer purchasing decisions from the last several chapters of the textbook, write a detailed essay about the book that you've chosen to read, concentrating on the following concepts:
1) Does this book make a strong argument for the case it's trying to make? Why/why not?
2) Is this argument persuasive? Why/why not?
3) Does this book reinforce the concepts in the Solomon textbook? Why/why not?
4) What does this book get right/wrong, based on other research in the CB field?
5) Is this book entertaining? Why/why not?

As you can see, I'm not interested in having you merely summarize the "plots" of these books -- if you do so, it will be a waste of your time (and mine). I want you to present a thoughtful, well-supported analysis of this text as a whole.

Therefore, you SHOULD NOT answer in 1,2,3,4,5 format as you have in the previous cases.

Write a single, cohesive judgment of how this book fares as a consumer behavior text. I think the length should be ~5 pages, as with all the other cases. Also, as with all the other cases, make sure to:
1. Cite all sources for ALL ideas that are not your original thoughts. ALL. All. Allallall.
This will be a combination of ideas from the book you choose, the textbook, and possibly other source material.
2. Use your code name
3. Submit to TurnItIn

Best of luck!
Graham

Friday, April 17, 2009

Great opportunities from the Bracken Center

1. Here's the chance to get some leadership experience under your belt and on your resume. The marketing club is looking for some leaders to help run their club next year. Open positions include, President, VP, Treasurer, and Secretary. If you are interested in applying, please send an email to msumarketing@gmail.com explaining which position you are interested in and why you would excel at that particular position (market yourself!).

You can email them to find out more about what kinds of activities the club has done. Omar Shehryar, omar@montana.edu is the current advisor for the club.

2. Internship flyers are posted by the Bracken Center door and electronically on myportal: Go to: Groups -->CoB Bracken Group --> Files --> Marketing Files. (Sorry I can't post the link -- MyPortal isn't being MyFriend today...)

Internships include:
Cody Dieruf Benefit Foundation. Help plan a summer event.

Target Brand Ambassador. Help plan a back to school event this August.

Schedulicity Intern. Work with a on-line internet marketing firm in Bozeman.

Bobcat Sports Properties Athletics summer (and maybe fall) internship.
NOTE: This is different than the athletics internship I had posted. So you MUST apply separately if you are interested.

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

My Green Event instructions

Dear CB,

Here are the instructions for the short essay that's due next Wednesday (Earth Day).

Please note, the websites I included at the bottom are just to help you get started. You don't have to read all of them (though I think they're all good, which is why they're on the list), and you should strike out on your own in order to access the best, most relevant information for YOUR particular event.

Monday, April 13, 2009

Book list for Case #4

Dear CBers,

Click here
to see which books you can choose from for the final case study.

If you have another one you'd like to use, I'm open to suggestions. They have to be about behavioral economics, and they have to be fact-based and solidly researched, but other than that, the field is pretty wide open.

Good luck,
Graham

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

TurnItIn: Case #3

You may now submit your cases to TurnItIn.

"Base of the Pyramid" conference


Hello CB scholars,

In class the other day, we talked about marketing products and services to the least wealthy segments of global society.

The next day, I received a call for papers for an international conference that addresses this exact issue.

"Prahalad and Hart (1998) initiated a stream of research and activity that has presented the world’s poor as an opportunity for innovation, partnerships and profitable growth. Others have raised concerns with this market-development approach and pointed to limited empirical research (Karnani, 2007; Landrum, 2007). Some initiatives have begun tracking the efforts of MNCs [multinational corporations] in the base of the pyramid (BoP) and suggest a second generation of corporate BoP strategies that include “co-invention and business co-creation” (Simanis and Hart, 2008, 2).

This conference will bring together academic researchers, especially those working across Southern Africa, to deepen our understanding of how organisations can more effectively engage in the BoP. The conference will provide an opportunity for researchers to present conceptual and empirical papers across a range of topics related to the BoP context."

Cool, huh? I guess that's the reason they keep coming out with new versions of the textbook every year or so...

Have a wonderful weekend,

Graham

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Class on 4/8

Dear CB students,

In lieu of the case study, we'll have a special guest speaker coming to both classes. Jim Frisk is the internship coordinator for the U.S. Senate Finance Committee (which is chaired by Montana's own Max Baucus).

Please come ready to listen and ask questions regarding one of the most important and influential units of our Federal government!

Monday, April 6, 2009

Case #3

Due to the strenuous and persuasive lobbying of the 9:30 class, case 3 will now be due on

Monday, April 13.

Good luck, and happy long weekend!

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Message to Marketing Juniors from Mike Gold

If you are contemplating a career in marketing, advertising, brand management or a related discipline you should consider taking Mktg 489/490 . This is a full academic year's commitment that leads to 6 credits.

5 graphic design students join the class in Spring 2010.

These classes lead to participation in the NSAC (National Student Advertising Competition) run by the AAF (American Advertising Federation).This competition is entered by some 180 schools nationwide.

The AAF gives the student teams a “client briefing” for which the students produce an entire “Integrated Marketing Campaign” from start to finish; this includes conducting research, determining the marketing strategy, planning the media both traditional and non traditional, producing all the advertising from TV to direct mail. The teams then present their work at the regional competition, which will be held in Spokane next year.

We are in a very strong region, competing against Univ. of Oregon, Portland State, MSU -Billings, Oregon State, Idaho State, Washington State, University of Idaho, BYU, Univ. of Washington, Boise State.

The standard is extremely high, the class does not have any, quizzes, tests or exams but is likely to be one of the most demanding classes you take at MSU; it will however be one of the most rewarding, if you are up to the challenge. I can guarantee you an experience that is the closest thing to real life that you will get while at university.

If you would like to know more about this class please e-mail me to arrange a time to meet and discuss.

The class will be limited to 10 marketing seniors.

Those not prepared to work all night if necessary need not apply!

Thank you for your time,

Mike Gold

Reid 311

mgold@montana.edu