Wvu Marketing Communications Today

  Marketing legend Shelly Lazarus has been described as one of the most powerful executives in advertising and named one of the Top 50 Business Women. One of a mere handful of female graduates from Columbia University with an MBA in the early 1970s, Lazarus propelled herself through the corporate world to become chairman and CEO of the billion-dollar advertising agency Ogilvy & Mather. Shelly was way ahead of her time, stressing the need for balance between work and family life while simultaneously creating an integrated multimedia advertising giant that delivered results for brands. In our conversation, Shelly shares some of her memorable career war stories, and advice for today’s emerging advertising leaders. Join us! About our Guest: Shelly Lazarus has been working, as she would say it, “In the business I love,” for more than four decades, almost all of that time at Ogilvy. Shelly rose through the ranks of Ogilvy & Mather assuming positions of increasing responsibility in the management of the com

  In this special edition of Marketing Horizons, hosts Ruth Stevens and Cyndi Greenglass review the 2022 marketing trends that are sure to impact marketers this year. Some fads have already faded, but some new ones will continue to disrupt and drive business results throughout 2023. And a bonus: Are you thinking about how to up level your career this year? Ruth Stevens and Cyndi Greenglass also give us a preview of the exciting careers emerging for marketers. WVU Marketing Communications Today: Horizons is presented by the West Virginia University Reed College of Media, which offers renowned online master’s degree programs in Marketing Communications.    

  It’s time for a rethink of the notion of brand community, says our guest Mark Schaefer. Instead of the transactional, customer self-service model so common today, marketers must build communities that deepen emotional relationships with the brand. In this new model, customers learn from each other, and marketers learn from customers. It’s a win-win, delivering marketing that heals the loneliness found among consumers today. Schaefer explains how to think, how to execute, and how to measure the results of this new approach to marketing communications. About our Guest: Mark Schaefer is a globally-recognized keynote speaker, educator, business consultant, and author. His blog and podcast — The Marketing Companion — are at the top of the charts in the marketing field. Mark has worked in global sales, PR, and marketing positions for 30 years and provides consulting services as Executive Director of Schaefer Marketing Solutions. Mark is also an advisor to B Squared Media and several tech startups. He has advance

  Since the pandemic, airlines and hotels have taken a huge kick to the stomach. But now, it seems they can’t get out of their own way. Delays, poor service, and inadequate staffing, all in the face of massive demand and booming revenues. The result? Record low customer satisfaction and defections. Joining us from Singapore is Mark Ross-Smith, founder of Travel Data Daily and CEO of Status Match. Mark has 20 years of experience leading loyalty programs in telecom and travel, most recently at Malaysian Airlines. In this episode, he explains why loyalty programs are not only hugely valuable to airlines, but are in some cases THE value, with important lessons for marketers everywhere. Listen in as Mark explains the extraordinary power of loyalty programs and the financial benefits of “selling the dream.”  Key Takeaways/Three Little Piggies The lives of today’s consumers blend business and leisure, resulting in a solid new trend known as Bleisure. The world of travel is only going to grow bigger since it brings

  Michael McCathren, innovation lead at Chick-Fil-A, and author of a new book: 6Ps of Essential Innovation, is an expert on the “innovation organization.” In this episode, he shared with us specifics about how marketing departments can develop the capabilities and the culture needed to implement new ideas. Listen in to learn how marketing leaders should adopt an innovation mindset, to make new ideas welcome, and to stimulate “idea equity” in their companies. Michael explains why an innovation organization is NOT the same as an innovative organization, and why it matters. His secret weapon for innovation: Stay close to your customers and let them speak for themselves. Key Takeaways/Three Little Piggies Companies often try to incorporate new capabilities without building a culture that is able to accept them. Marketing leaders can create an innovative culture by asking questions instead of making statements. The voice of the customer can be the “rocket fuel” to drive growth through innovation. About our Gues

  Memberships, subscriptions, loyalty programs — relationship marketing models of all sorts — have long been a staple of the marketing toolbox. But why is Peloton in such deep trouble right now? And Noom postponed its IPO? Join us as Mark DiMassimo explains what’s really going on, and how we can fix the apparent problem with membership marketing today. Spoiler alert: It’s not the model itself, you’ll be happy to know. Tune in for Mark’s advice on how to motivate customers to “start, stick and stay.” About our Guest: Mark DiMassimo is the Founder and Creative Chief of DiGo (DiMassimo Goldstein), the industry-leading agency in Positive Behavior Change marketing, which he founded in 1996 in New York City and has appeared on Inc's list of America's fastest-growing private companies four times and been named an Adweek Gold Best Agency. DiMassimo's ideas and creative work have helped build dozens of major brands that are pioneers in their respective categories. He was named a “Future 50 CEO” by SmartCEO magazine

  The uber-networker David Berkowitz answers our burning questions about search marketing and where it’s headed. Learn why paid search advertising is growing so quickly (hint: the proliferation of small screens is a factor). And what marketers should be doing to maximize this powerful tool. David has been predicting trends in this field long before most of us, and in this episode, he gives us the skinny. About our Guest: David Berkowitz is the SVP of Corporate Marketing & Communications at Mediaocean, the mission-critical platform for omnichannel advertising. Prior roles include leading marketing and strategy for video production marketplace Storyhunter, social listening firm Sysomos, Publicis agency MRY, and Dentsu agency 360i. He has contributed more than 600 columns to outlets such as Advertising Age, MediaPost, VentureBeat, and Adweek, and he has spoken at more than 350 events globally. David also founded and runs the 3,000-member Serial Marketers community. WVU Marketing Communications Today: Horiz

  The term “Healthcare” covers both the medical and the life sciences industries, and marketers in these fields enjoy all kinds of opportunities. Professionals are navigating the dynamics of an increasingly engaged and empowered end-user patient base, while also juggling a complex and diverse channel strategy—all within a highly regulated environment. While this may stunt the speed of change in other industries, there’s no such slowdown here. Our guest, Jean-Francois (JF) Denault, shares with us what’s going on in Healthcare marketing, from AI-driven chat and social media to the move from cost-based to value-based messaging. JF has worked in Healthcare and life sciences marketing for over 20 years and has his own consultancy working with big names in pharma and medical devices. JF has written two books on the subject and is located in Montreal, Canada. Join us for a lively, informative conversation. About our Guest: Jean-Francois Denault has been working with innovators and entrepreneurs in life sciences as

  In the marketing profession, we have depended on the Four Ps as foundational to business success. But is that still relevant today? Tune in and learn why Rick Spear says ignoring the Four Ps is like ignoring the alphabet. In this episode, we discuss how pricing, above other strategies, has become the secret weapon for marketers in managing through these uncertain waters of inflation, recession, and constant change. But to wing it or make guesses benefits no one. Pricing is the top strategy to gain—or regain—value. Find out why Rick says that the critical question we need to keep asking is: “What will it take to earn 1 point of market share?” HINT: A few key insights can trump terabytes of data. About our Guest: Rick Spear is a senior executive in the capital markets industry who has spent 50% of his career helping to run firms and 50% as a strategic advisor/consultant to CEOs, boards and heads of businesses. As head of strategy, he has helped to architect and manages multi-year growth plans, targeting and

  Purpose is an important new way for brands to differentiate themselves in a competitive market.  Our guest Diane Primo, CEO of the agency PurposeBrand, explained that a brand’s purpose must be authentic, and be established with the buy-in of all stakeholders. Only then can it be successfully presented externally for marketing benefit. Join us for a lively discussion about why consumers' growing interest in a brand’s purpose matters, and how to quantify the impact of purpose on your investment. Hint: Take the long view. About our Guest: Diane Primo is the CEO of Purpose Brand Agency, an award-winning, Chicago-based public relations, branding and digital marketing firm. She is the only African American female CEO of a purpose-driven communications agency. Diane’s focus on impact marketing stems from the belief that brands must be relevant, purpose-driven and committed to consumers to be successful today. Consumers’ demand for meaning, transparency and authenticity has changed the nature and raised the stake

  With the rising demand for marketing accountability, and the emphasis being placed on data-driven decision-making, is the intuitive marketer under threat of extinction? Our guest, Susan K. Jones, says that AI and science will allow the intuitive marketer of the future not only to survive but to thrive. Listen in as we discuss how smarter AI and tech will lead to smarter “informed intuition” for marketers everywhere. Susan is the author, co-author, or editor of more than 30 books. Academically, she is a tenured full professor of marketing at Ferris State University in Big Rapids MI, and she is also a marketing practitioner with a background in banking, collectibles, insurance, and business-to-business. About our Guest: Susan K. Jones is a full, tenured Professor of Marketing at Ferris State University in Big Rapids, MI, where she is entering her 33rd year of teaching. Susan's practitioner background includes work at agencies and companies in fields including banking, collectibles, insurance, and business-t

  Is marketing’s focus on the customer misplaced, even harmful? We discussed this radical idea with Tim Parkin, a global consultant and coach to marketing executives at many world-renowned brands. While marketers have been focusing on the customer, Tim contends that we have neglected our internal teams. They find themselves without the processes, collaboration, and alignment needed to make marketing to customers work. Join us as Tim explains why he rates most large corporate marketing teams only a 3 out of 10 and gives us an action plan to make this right. HINT: It is tied to a clever combination of skill-based retention and a disciplined process. About our Guest: Tim Parkin is a global consultant, advisor, and coach to marketing executives of many world-renowned brands. He specializes in helping marketing teams optimize performance, accelerate growth, and maximize their results. By applying more than 20 years of experience merging behavioral psychology and technology seamlessly, Tim has unlocked rapid and

  "Small business owners are not marketers,” says our guest Stephanie Schwab, CEO of Crackerjack Marketing. But she can help them become proficient, and successful, if they follow a distinct process that she shares during this episode. As the world enters a time of business uncertainty, Stephanie recommends that owners reassess their marketing, to understand the nature of their unique offering and to take stock of their customers. Listen in, as we explore the details around her process, and her marketing must-dos—including the surprising Top Tip she gives to business owners. About our Guest: As CEO of Crackerjack Marketing, Stephanie Schwab creates engaging digital marketing programs for exuberant lifestyle, tech, and education brands. Over the last 20+ years, Stephanie has focused on social media, content marketing, and influence marketing, blending management consulting best practices with agency creativity. She is the Director of the Digital Marketing Programme at Harbour. Space, a high-tech university i

  Seth Marrs, the Forrester analyst who follows sales technology, painted an exhilarating picture of the future of SalesTech, saying it will combine with MarTech into an entirely new way of going to market — along with a new organizational function called Revenue Teams. Primarily focused on the B2B ecosystem, but with consumer applications — especially for call centers — this developing technology is enabling an end-to-end customer experience driven by conversational intelligence, NLP (natural language processing), AI, and real-time data capture and analysis. In fact, Seth believes the future will be about opportunities and not leads, and this tech gives us a brand new container for our engagement experience, resulting in more powerful roles for marketing, higher revenues, and customer satisfaction overall. Sounds great. Give a listen! About our Guest: Seth Marrs brings more than 20 years of experience leading sales operations, service operations, and marketing organizations. He excels at leveraging data, p

  Recorded live from the Innovation Center at WVU Reed College of Media, Ruth Stevens and Cyndi Greenglass look at the fascinating marketing trends shared on their podcast over the first half of 2022. Included in the discussion are insights on the complex evolution of the customer experience (CX), the emerging power of Gen X as an audience, the importance of your digital first impression, the future of events, humanizing measurement, and connected TV (CTV). Don’t miss this opportunity to catch the highlights of the first half of 2022 and the marketing waves Cyndi and Ruth are riding over the horizon. WVU Marketing Communications Today: Horizons is presented by the West Virginia University Reed College of Media, which offers renowned online master’s degree programs in Marketing Communications.  

  As marketers, we spend a lot of time talking about Millennials. We target them as consumers, employees, and donors, to the point of obsession, as the next cohort after the Boomers. But wait! We are overlooking Generation X, not surprisingly called the “Forgotten Generation.” This is the 65 million people in their 40s and 50s sandwiched between the Boomers and the Millennials. They represent a $2.4 trillion market. Ignoring them could prove a costly mistake for both businesses and nonprofits. In this episode, we speak with Alicia Lifrak, who is a Gen X member herself, and has spent the past 25 years leading strategy in the nonprofit and higher education worlds. She explains why marketers ignore Gen X at our own peril, and what we should be doing about it. Pop Quiz: Can you name at least 3 Gen X leaders of major transformational companies today? Listen to this episode for the answer. About our Guest: With more than three decades of experience in the philanthropic sector, Alicia M Lifrak is a marketing execu

  Marketing is no longer about simply bringing in new customers. Marketers are also responsible for managing customers to profitability. Our guest Steve Gershik explains why customer management is the new horizon, and how we all need to develop the tools and skills to understand our customers deeply. We must become digital anthropologists, examining customer behaviors and signals to infer the steps needed to serve customers and expand their value. Join us for a lively conversation, beginning with Steve’s notion of the “funnel beyond the funnel” and the surprising origins of the AIDA concept. About our Guest: Steve Gershik is a marketing executive and board advisor, based out of California. He was the first head of marketing for Sirius Decisions, a sales and marketing advisory firm now part of Forrester Research. Previously he has served as marketing executive at companies like Eloqua, inRiver, TOA Technologies and previously created the online marketing function for Nuance, now part of Microsoft. He co-foun

  Marketers are under mounting pressure to demonstrate results. In this episode, the renowned measurement master Katie Delahaye Paine shares her latest tips on how to successfully overcome the challenge while preparing for the new developments ahead. Join us to learn two key reasons this issue persists, why you need to set the right objectives, and how silos and fiefdoms can doom your efforts. Innovative AI-driven tools are on the way, but we must apply them with care. About our Guest: Katie Delahaye Paine, aka The Measurement Queen (@queenofmetrics), has been a pioneer in the field of measurement for more than three decades. She was recently awarded the prestigious IPR Jack Felton Medal for Lifetime Achievement, an award given for lifetime contributions in the advancement of research, measurement and evaluation in public relations and corporate communication. In her consulting practices, she designs measurement dashboards for some of today’s most admired companies. Katie has also been a leading developer a

  The landscape of higher education has experienced major changes, but it is set to undergo a sweeping transformation in the years ahead. A smaller Gen. Z cohort, combined with increased talent demands in the industry bring both threats and opportunities for academic instruction. Who will survive, and how will they thrive? In this week’s episode, we tackle two compelling opportunities: how marketing professionals should evaluate the role of higher education in their career ladder, and how schools should borrow from the B2B playbook to competitively market themselves for the future. Take a listen with our esteemed guest, Chad Mezera, Assistant Dean of Online Programs for the Reed College of Media at West Virginia University. Chad literally “wrote the playbook” on online education, and has turned WVU’s higher education programs into award-winning, innovative online degrees. About our Guest: Chad Mezera is the Assistant Dean of Online Programs for the Reed College of Media at West Virginia University (WVU). In

  In this episode, Brian Hunt explains, in the clearest possible terms, the total scoop on CTV for marketers. We learned its benefits and drawbacks, the differences between CTV, OTT and linear television, and why CTV is an essential medium for us to be experimenting with today. Career hint: Data science majors can write their own tickets in this field! Join us for the details of how television is becoming more digital, targetable and measurable as a marketing communications channel. About our Guest: Media industry veteran Brian Hunt is Head of OTT and CTV Advertising Sales for Sinclair Broadcast Group. In this role, Hunt is responsible for the monetization of multiple premium connected TV and over-the-top digital video services for the company, including CompulseOTT, a data-driven ad platform and the fastest-growing digital product in Sinclair’s history. His responsibilities also include oversight of Sinclair’s rapidly growing local broadcast inventory and national platforms for NewsON, featuring over 300 l