UND CoBPA MARKETING NEWSLETTER SPRING 2018
GR E E T ING S
FROM THE CHAIR DR. CONNIE R. BATEMAN Professor & Chair, Marketing Department connie.bateman@und.edu (701.777.4201) UND is in my DNA. Being from Grand Forks, my earliest memory of UND is visiting the Memorial Union on Sunday after church to have lunch in the cafeteria with my family, and dream of being a student someday. I still recall the carousel-like artwork suspended between 1st and 2nd floor, and “Spinning Wheel” by Blood, Sweat & Tears (1968) playing through the speaker system. The power of the UND Brand, experienced, and embedded in a child’s heart. Today, I stand alongside you as a proud UND Alumnus, sentimental to our rich history; and as Chairperson of the Department, innovating for the future. The Marketing Department staff, faculty, and professors serve to work with alumni, businesses, and the community to equip our students (The Marketing Leaders of Tomorrow) for Impact. I have wonderful highlights to share with you about all we have accomplished in my first year as Chair. We hope you join us in our efforts moving forward.
Outreach Highlights. Our student Marketing Club is on the ‘move’ - The Club hosted busloads of area High School students in Gamble Hall in Fall 2017 for a hands-on branding workshop; toured and engaged with area companies in Spring 2018; and hosted guest speakers at their regular meetings. In addition, High School students who have indicated interest in the Marketing Program at UND each receive a personalized postcard message from a marketing student (part of a peer-to-peer marketing initiative). Also, our Program will soon launch new social media and marketing initiatives in concert with UND’s priority program initiatives.
Student Business Competition Highlights. A student team advised by Dr. Sandi Luck won the National at the Formula 5 Competition, PGH’s Annual Conference entitled The Consumer Connection, for their Broc-Tons proposal (think croutons made from freeze dried broccolettes). Another team presented at the international L’Oreal Competition. The Inaugural Spring CoBPA Red River Valley Business Competition (think Shark-tank for students) was a success. The top prize package provided enough resources to actually begin getting their business idea off the ground within three years of the victory. Lead developer for the latter competition was our own, Rob Warren, Instructor; and supported by the Larson Foundation.
Curriculum Highlights. Our inaugural Summer 2018 Online Acceleration Program offers pre-marketing students and marketing students the opportunity to accelerate to degree completion from any location. Summer internships occur in a number of
geographic areas. Our pre-majors and majors are in good hands, and work personally with in-house CoBPA Specialized Advisors. Our majors take cutting edge courses in Social Media Marketing, Digital marketing, Brand & Product Management, and complete real-world client-based projects and team assignments. 2018 UND Award for Departmental Excellence in Research has been awarded to the Marketing Department based on a 5 year window of sustained performance. Our tenured and tenure-track professors’ track records excel and publish in journals comparable to any R1 institution. We are proud to bring this credibility to UND and CoBPA. Collectively, our family of full time and part time faculty excels in teaching, research, and service. This is a “Team Win” and joy is shared amongst both current and former faculty.
Student Scholarships & Department Awards. We celebrate our high performing Marketing students who received $7,250 in scholarship awards designated by alumni to the Marketing Department. We are so thankful for alumni who engage with us in so many areas! Many of our majors also qualified for College level scholarships. Also, we are proud to let you know that The 2018 UND Award for Departmental Excellence in Research was awarded to the Marketing Department based on a 5 year window of top tier, high quality research and publications. We are proud to be the first Department in CoBPA to have won this UND Research Award.
This Newsletter’s Theme - Brands and Engagement. In my opening remarks, I shared with you the power of the UND brand on my family. I invite you to enjoy our featured stories relating to the power of a strong Brand from alumni, students, and faculty. Share our pride and honor as we showcase Distinguished Alumni Jeff Gau and Young Alumni Cami Bennett whose careers have been transformational in building lasting and strong brand equity for globally and nationally recognized organizations. Following in their footsteps are the up-and-comers, our future graduates, who engage in high impact practices and experiential learning in all classrooms and work to solve real-world client problems. Dr. Jennifer Stoner reveals why academic research published in internationally renowned journals is an essential ingredient to a top tier education. Dr. Sandi Luck shares about the Social Media Takeover Project that she has carefully designed for her students to help companies strengthen their brand position. Izzy Waite’s marketing education to date has prepared her to excel as a branding intern with CoBPA initiatives.
DEPT OF MRKT ACCEPTING RESEARCH AWARD From left to right: Grant McGimpsey, Connie Bateman, Sandi Luck, Sheryl Broedel, Jennifer Stoner, Simon Wang, Mary Askim-Lovseth (Emeritus), Rob Warren, Karen Becker
“Together we will accomplish much, lay the foundation for more, and embrace our envisioned future with enthusiasm.” DR. CONNIE R. BATEMAN
BROC-TON WINNING TEAM
CHAD GUNDERSON OF HALF BROTHERS BREWERY
Macy Francisco, Nicole Polejewski, Mariah Shroyer, Wendy Reinhardt Kapsak, MS, RDN President & CEO of the PBH Foundation, Bri Erickson, Molly Frank, Dr.Sandi
Shares of Half Brothers to MRKT 305 students, for their project of creating a marketing plan.
Luck, Marketing Faculty (Zachrey Jung, not pictured).
HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS LEARN ABOUT MARKETING
2018 RED RIVER VALLEY BUSINESS COMPETITION
UND Marketing club led students through an activity where they learned and created a brand building strategy for a candy bar.
Barry Wilfahrt, Chamber of Commerce (Judge), Eric Rudolf, COO Quomo (Judge), Winning Student Team - Nordensol, Barry Horwitz, Interim Director Center of Innovation (Judge), Dr. Steve Light (Interim Dean CoBPA), Rob Warren (Lead Organizer).
If you would like to contribute to the success of UND marketing students consider investing in scholarships, programs, or faculty. Contact a member of our team to learn more. Kim Woods,’82
Associate Vice President
College of Business & Public Administration 800.543.8764 701.777.4106
kimw@UNDfoundation.org
S OCI A L ME DI A
TAKEOVER By Dr. Sandi Luck Assistant Professor
In my Social Media Marketing class, I have 8 teams of students who are each working closely with a local small business and almost ready for the “social media takeover.” The students have already done the initial research of the company, met with the owner/manager, researched the competitors and the environment, and most importantly studied the brand. We focus on the brand image in one class to show the importance of how brand carries through in the content of each social media platform. The business product or service along with the target audience determines the voice of a brand on social media. The students are given an assignment to assume the brand is a person and consider what type of language it would use and what types of things it would share online. They are to focus on the tone of the voice, the language, and the purpose. Are they entertaining or are they educating their audience? And how will they engage their audience? The students wrote and scheduled content and the posts went live after Spring Break. We take pride in having a great business community who allows the UND Marketing students to have “real life” experiences.
THE GROUNDBREAKING CEREMONY FOR THE LAS VEGAS STADIUM Cami Bennett front row, second from left
E X P E RIE NCE W I T H BR A NDING
OPENED BIG DOORS Cami Bennett knew in her heart that she had found her
UND opened up many doors for Bennett. As a student
new home when she came to Grand Forks, ND, in August
employee for the athletic department, she helped out at
of 2009. Bennett, a softball player recruited by UND, loved
games and prepared graphics for various athletic events.
the atmosphere and the people of Grand Forks. Though she
When she graduated, UND’s athletic department was
initially was unsure of which major she wanted to pursue,
so impressed with her skills that it opened up a full-time
this quickly changed when she realized that she had some
position for her. Bennett was in Seattle at the time working
ideas on how to improve her team’s travel apparel.
her second summer as an intern for the Seattle Mariners.
Bennett offered to help her coach design the team apparel for the upcoming year. The coach took her up on her offer, and her apparel was a hit. Bennett’s team and the parents loved the new apparel. That’s when Bennett knew she
“When I got the call, I knew that I wanted to go back to UND and that it was the best decision for me,” she said. This would give Bennett the opportunity to not only work at a place she loved, but also to pursue her MBA.
wanted to become a graphic designer, so she declared her
Bennett worked for athletics at UND for a little over
major as marketing with a minor in graphic design.
two years and appreciates the people that helped her.
“Having experience working with new branding and a logo gave me a step up.” CAMI BENNETT
One person that was instrumental in her growth is Kyle
when the nickname changed. “So many people applied
Doperalski, her boss. She says that Doperalski really helped
and were probably more experienced than me, but being
her professional development. “(He) empowered me to do
someone who was familiar with working with new branding
more and would give me the platform to do so,” Bennett
and a logo gave me a step up on them,” she stated.
explained.
Recently, Bennett moved to Las Vegas, where the team will
Through her employment at UND, Bennett was given the
be moving in 2020. Bennett’s favorite part of being in Vegas
opportunity to attend the MLC Connect sports graphic
on the Raiders staff so far has been the ground breaking
design conference, which was a huge stepping stone for her
ceremony for the new stadium. The ceremony brought
career. Bennett was so happy to connect with other people
everyone together to welcome the Raiders to the city and
with the similar professional interests, and she even met
pay tribute to the lives lost in the Las Vegas shooting.
someone that helped lead her to her job with the Oakland
Bennett said the ceremony was very moving. “It was not
Raiders.
just about sports, it was about people. I felt like I was part of
When Bennett graduated with her master’s from UND, she came across a job posting for a graphic designer with the Raiders. Under the posting, she recognized a name from
something bigger,” she explained. 58 flood lights in memory of the victims were released into the air with the Las Vegas strip in the background.
the conference, so she decided to reach out. The contact
Bennett will always have a special place in her heart for
told her to apply, and before she knew it she was the
UND. She felt that she was part of something special, which
Senior Graphic Designer for the Oakland Raiders. Bennett
continued for her when she joined the Raiders team. The
believes that part of the reason she got the job was that her
Raiders team will join Bennett in Las Vegas in 2020.
employers knew she was working on the branding at UND
CONNE C T ING T HE CL A S S ROOM
TO THE REAL-WORLD When Izzy Waite walked through the doors of UND in the fall of 2015, she brought many talents with her.
what she’s learning in the classroom to the professional
Waite, a West Fargo native, attends UND on a Track and
helpful, because it’s helped me paint a better picture of
Field scholarship. Ironically, if you asked her in February of her senior year of high school what her plans were for college, she would have said playing college volleyball. Last minute, Waite realized she wanted to compete in college track and field, and UND opened a new door for her. After one semester of being a dietetics major at UND, Waite had another change of heart. Always having a love for design and being very creative, Waite decided to change her major and take on a double major in graphic design and marketing. Waite says that it’s great for her that UND has so many majors to choose from, so she could ultimately find
world. “It’s the first time I’ve been able to use my graphic design skills in a marketing setting,” she says. “It’s been my future.” Waite says that she loves her professors and their use of hands-on learning. “That’s one of my favorite things about UND. They can find ways to take what you’re learning and push it into the real world,” said Waite with a smile. One project that Waite enjoyed working on was a marketing plan for Half Brother’s Brewery. Waite’s class developed marketing plans and presented their ideas in a professional setting to the owners of Half Brother’s Brewery. The owners picked their favorite marketing plan and incorporated it into their business, again demonstrating how classroom learning
the right fit for her.
connects with real-world businesses.
On top of her school and practice schedule, Waite also
Waite continues to compete in high jump and javelin at
has a graphic design internship with the UND College of Business and Public Administration Dean’s Office. Waite has been working hard to learn and use UND’s new brand identity standards and feels that the internship connects
UND and is in her junior year. Her ultimate goal is to work in package design and notes that working with UND’s brand identity now will help her build her skills as she moves toward that goal.
CULT UR E A ND
BRANDING
By Dr. Jen Stoner Assistant Professor
In UND’s Winter Alumni Review, I made a case for why brands are important. Now I want to talk about why academic research in branding is vital. First, to reiterate what I wrote in the Alumni Review, brands are extremely influential and important. They are a valuable asset to companies and a powerful signal for consumers. Therefore, the more we understand them, the better informed both companies and consumers can be. Secondly, the world of brands is changing at breakneck speed. Tools like social media and “big data” are relatively new concepts that companies are scrambling to understand. Academic research is in a position to explore not only the immediate impacts of these tools but also long-term implications for the brand and society as a whole.
“The world of brands is changing at breakneck speed.” DR. JEN STONER Another trend brand managers are currently facing is global mobility. People are moving around the globe more than ever before. How can brands understand the cultures that resonate with consumers when culture is becoming a more fluid identity? For example, many generations of my family have lived in Pennsylvania, and I strongly identify as Pennsylvanian. Why then when I moved to the Upper Midwest did I find myself drawn to Old Bay, a seafood seasoning from Maryland? My research has found that when consumers feel culturally distinct from their environment, they can spontaneously expand their definition of “home” in order to fulfill a desire to connect with their home culture. Unknowingly, when I saw the Old Bay package in a store, I began seeing my home less as Pennsylvania and more as the broader Mid-Atlantic region of the US. This spontaneous expansion allowed me to connect with home by purchasing Old Bay. Understanding how consumers perceive their culture can help marketing managers gain insights valuable for formulating marketing strategy. My research findings highlight the importance of marketing managers understanding not only consumers with the same cultural heritage as their brand but also related cultural groups. It is unclear what next big thing will turn marketing on its head. Regardless, academics, like myself, will eagerly dive in alongside practitioners to answer new marketing challenges arise.
L IF E L E S S ON S F OR
THE FUTURE LEADERS
Photo Courtesy of Marco
Jeff Gau, Chief Executive Officer for Marco, utilized his
money, find flexibility, and evaluated his strengths. This led
Marketing Degree from the University of North Dakota
him to business and specifically to marketing with a desire to
to begin his career in sales in the 1980’s and has now
work in the sales industry.
transformed a small typewriter and office furniture dealer into a rapidly growing technology company.
While sitting in Dr. Dennis Elbert’s class, Gau met Gary Marsden who was auditing the class and really liked him.
Growing up in Little Falls, MN, Gau was the oldest of four
Marsden told Gau he would teach him the skills needed to
boys. Being the first to graduate, he needed to figure out
run his own company someday. This was the start to Gau’s
how he was going to pay for college, so he enrolled in
first sales position at Marco which led to his recognition as
the U.S. Air Force to focus on earning money. After being
the Most Admired CEO by Minneapolis/St. Paul Business
stationed in Grand Forks, ND, Gau decided that he liked
Journal in 2016.
the community and wanted to pursue his education at the University of North Dakota.
After spending just a brief time chatting with Gau, his inspirational stories and charismatic personality easily
Initially Gau was uncertain on what direction he would like
show why Marco is consistently recognized for customer
to take his career, but he took the time while he was in the
and employee satisfaction. Gau’s leadership style has a
Air Force to think about his career options. He started out
strong focus on culture and building a fun environment while
by considering the things he didn’t want to do, how to make
maintaining high performance expectations.
“Growth companies are much more fun than shrinking companies,” says Gau, with Marco consistently growing about 20% per year. His visionary leadership has continued to place Marco as a Top Workplace by Star Tribune, Fortune Best Medium Workplace, Great Place to Work, among many
JEFF’S ADVICE: - Take the first step as soon as you can.
other recognitions.
- Set a deadline or a goal.
As one of the Top 100 Places for Millennials to Work in 2016,
- Practice, practice, practice.
Gau says, “It is important to always keep the saw sharp; the CEO can’t get too old school.” With over 1,150 employees
- Find a partner.
and 48 locations in 8 states, Gau says they have to work extra hard on the culture and make that part of their strategy for all of their acquisitions. With Marco being in the top of their industry for sales and size, Gau’s philosophy proves to be very successful. Gau emphasized that millennials also need to recognize how they fit into the culture, not just on how companies fit them in, “Here’s the deal – we are still running the company and country. I would encourage millennials to pay attention to Gen X and baby boomers as we are signing their paychecks.” When working to ramp up the company’s presence on social media, Gau’s team asked that he participate by writing a leadership blog. Gau thought, “I don’t know who is going to read it.” Not only is the blog highly read, but even when recently visiting UND, Gau ran into someone that mentioned how much he enjoys his blog. The blog not only is engaging and light-hearted, but it also instills practical lessons in business that are easily digestible and relatable while entwined with fun personal stories. As for life lessons for future business leaders Gau indicates there are two key things they need to know. #1 Know Thyself. – You really need to know yourself and be mentorable. Ask yourself if you know what you’re really good at and also what you could improve upon. Realize you can’t change personalities, but you can modify behaviors. Lack of self-awareness is where people fail as it’s necessary to understand others. #2 If you are going into business, you need to get comfortable with being uncomfortable. – Find things that put you out of your comfort zone. As an executive it is important to get comfortable with public speaking. Gau is taking his own advice as he recently went out of his comfort zone to learn ballroom dancing. “It was always on my bucket list for things to improve,” says Gau.
“I often encourage leaders to try new things and keep their saws sharp and challenge themselves.” JEFF GAU
Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 10 Grand Forks, ND
Department of Marketing College of Business & Public Administration Gamble Hall Room 118 293 Centennial Dr Stop 8366 Grand Forks, ND 58202-8379
S AV E T HE D AT E
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