Marketing Monthly - December 2011

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Marketing Monthly

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MS Marketing Students Win Award

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The Whoop Group Prevails!

Texas A&M University was one of seven universi&es that par&cipated in the Chevrolet Campus Promo&ons program (through EdVenture Partners) this fall. A team of seven MS-‐Marke&ng students in Marke&ng 660 (Marke&ng Consul&ng) created an in-‐class working marke&ng agency, The Whoop Group, which was responsible for researching, execu&ng, and evalua&ng an integrated marke&ng campaign. The campaign’s overall goal was to increase awareness among the Millennial target market of three Chevrolet vehicles (Cruze, Equinox and the extended-‐range electric vehicle Volt) and the GM College Discount Program on the Texas A&M campus.

The MS-‐Marke&ng students planned and

executed two on-‐campus events that allowed Texas A&M students to interact with Chevrolet vehicles.

Prior to the events, The Whoop Group students developed and administered research surveys to learn more about the target market. Students compared this pre-‐event research with post-‐event data to determine whether there was a change in opinion of the Chevrolet brand along with vehicle percep&on and considera&on.

At the end of the semester, students quan&fied their success and gave a formal presenta&on to the client, summarizing their campaign and results. Par&cipa&ng universi&es competed for performance awards, with the MS-‐Marke&ng team winning the award for outstanding quality of photos and videos taken at the events. All seven students received GPS systems for winning the award.

December 2011: Vol. 6, Issue 11

Whoop Group students (l to r): Whitney Pearce, Kristen Howarth, Kris&na Casey, Aaron Lopez, Savannah Smith, Kathryn Hazard, Vidya Iyer

One of the event photos.

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Marketing Student Saving the World… One Girl at a Time

Read more about Lauren and her awe-‐inspiring story at: h[p://maysbusiness.tamu.edu/index.php/ray-‐brings-‐joy-‐to-‐ugandan-‐girls-‐through-‐her-‐nonprofit/

Ray’s involvement is helping two different groups of Ugandan women: the women making the jewelry and the girls she’s sending to school with the money earned.

Two years ago, Lauren Joy Ray ’13 recognized a need as she walked down the dusty streets of Uganda’s Acholi ghe[o. Rows upon rows of handmade paper jewelry filled the streets, but there were no customers to buy it. With a heart as big as her smile, Ray bought a suitcase full of jewelry she knew she could sell at home. Li[le did she know that suitcase marked the beginning of her current nonprofit, Be the Joy…

Read more about Lauren and her awe-‐inspiring story at: h[p://maysbusiness.tamu.edu/index.php/ray-‐brings-‐joy-‐to-‐ugandan-‐girls-‐through-‐her-‐nonprofit/

Venky Shankar has been invited as Faculty Fellow for the 2012 AMA/Sheth Consor&um, to be held at the University of Washington, Sea[le ,in June 2012. He has been an invited Sheth Faculty Fellow ten &mes since 1999.

Kelly Haws has been invited to serve on the

Editorial Review Board (ERB) of the Journal of Consumer Psychlogy ( JCP). Her invita&on from the new editor, Connie Pechmann, states: “I have carefully reviewed your vita and your prior service to JCP and SCP and I have considered the recommenda&ons of leading scholars. This invita&on reflects your high stature in the field, your ac&ve research program, your publica&on record and your past service to JCP and/or SCP.”

Sanjay Jain has been invited to serve as an

Associate Editor in the Marke&ng Sec&on of Management Science.

Ram Janakiraman received an honorable men&on from the 2011 Decision Sciences Journal Best Paper Award for his ar&cle “The Impact of Geographic Proximity on What to Buy, How to Buy, and Where to Buy: Evidence from High-‐Tech Durable Goods Market.” His paper was recognized for its excep&onal managerial significance, high level of intellectual s&mula&on, and academic contribu&on. Ram notes that this research was made possible, thanks to a Marion R. Withers Retailing Research Grant from the Center for Retailing Studies.

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Congratulations!

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Advisors’ Corner Leslie has been preparing for the December commencement by clearing our 50 degree candidates. She was assisted this semester by two of our MS-‐MKTG graduate students, Nathan Schulman and Heather Robinson, who were both tremendously helpful in the advising office.

Department of Marke&ng December graduates Clinton Anderson and Sterling Smith received the Cer&ficate in Adver&sing during their last MKTG 347 class with Dr. Lisa Troy.

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Center for Retailing Studies

Aggie 100’s #1 Company Hires December Grad:

Kelli Ann Spencer, a Zale Scholar, marke&ng major and CRS student worker, begins her career with Tranzon Auc&on Resolu&ons in January. With a growth rate of 276% the Cypress-‐based auc&on company took top honors as the fastest growing Aggie-‐owned business in the Mays’ Center for New Ventures and Entrepreneurship Aggie 100 compe&&on, which announced award winners in November.

Kelli Ann met Kelly Toney, Tranzon’s founder and ’92 Aggie grad, last year. The pair kept in touch. Kelli Ann assumes a newly created posi&on of marke&ng strategist with responsibili&es to grow recogni&on of the small company and drive new business. Tranzon specializes in the sale of commercial real estate and industrial asset auc&ons.

Guest Professor Profile: Rich White, Unit Director, H-‐E-‐B

Private label goods are generally much cheaper to produce than branded goods. H-‐E-‐B’s Own Brand products deliver quality, price and value for the customer-‐-‐and profits for the grocer. Rich White, Unit Director of Bryan’s Villa Maria store explains H-‐E-‐B’s investment in its store brand, “Costs are easier to control. Through private manufacturing, H-‐E-‐B owns and operates its own milk, ice cream and bread plants.”

H-‐E-‐B shelf-‐set strategy posi&ons its own brand products in direct compe&&on with na&onal brands like Doritos and Coke. Customers see them side-‐by-‐side, making price differences even more no&ceable. When an Own Brand product delivers on quality, customers buy it over more expensive na&onal brands. This offers mul&ple benefits for H-‐E-‐B. With controlled costs, gross profits on Own Brand products like vanilla wafers, chips, and chocolate chip cookies exceed 33%-‐-‐a huge margin the in the lean grocery business. Own Brand products also build customer loyalty because customers cannot buy them anywhere else. This adds strength to the category.

Rich White literally put his money, or products, where his mouth is. He treated the class to a blind taste test of H-‐E-‐B products versus Sal&ne crackers, Nabisco vanilla wafers and Fritos corn chips. They voted their preferences and predicted prices for each. With votes tallied, the H-‐E-‐B snacks beat na&onal brands in two of three categories. White joked in conclusion, “We’ll work harder on the third one.”

December News & Updates

Kelli Ann Spencer, new hire at Tranzon.

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Center for Retailing Studies News & Updates

CRS -‐ Media Darling With layaway resurging, Black Friday store

openings creeping into Thanksgiving, and consumers spending more, media reporters sought expert analysis of these new holiday trends. Cheryl Bridges, CRS Director and retail veteran, provided comment in newspaper, radio and TV interviews in late November and early December. “Bo[om line, the 2012 holiday season will be very promo&onal,” says Bridges

to the Fort Worth Star. CRS partners jcpenney and The Container Store were also profiled in the same ar&cle with their special offers to a[ract customers.

To avoid overspending during holiday shopping, Bridges suggests buying “must-‐have” items first, and budge&ng for holiday expenses beyond gins, like babysiong, dona&ons, holiday par&es, etc. For more &ps and trends see this recent ar&cle in The Eagle.

MaRe Gillespie (Kohl’s)

BriSany Riley (Macy’s)

CongratulaTons to our CerTficate in Retailing recipients graduaTng in December : James Dixon Lauren Michelle Garza Maoe Gillespie Amanda Peña Bri[any Riley Courtney Wilcox These new grads will begin careers with Macy’s, Kohl’s , and Zale Corp. Lauren Garza

Amanda Pena (Zale Corp.)

Welcome new Zale Scholars Following a compe&&ve applica&on process that considered academic success, leadership and passion for retailing, six students were named new M.B. Zale Leadership Scholars. They begin a one-‐year commitment to serve as ambassadors of retailing for Mays Business School. The Zale Scholars host the center’s many visi&ng execu&ve professors, mentor high school students about careers and university life, and assist in major CRS programs like the Retailing Summit and Zale Lecture Series. Please welcome to the program: Shelby Edmoundson, Allison Miller, Victoria Galindo, Claire McCormick, Kylee Young, and Lindsay Lell.

SRA-‐-‐BeSer to Give Than to Receive

Members of the Student Retailing Associa&on gave generously to Dr. Keith Swim’s annual toy drive. Thirty-‐five dona&ons of Barbies, Hot Wheels, bubble sets, My Li[le Pony, dolls, sport equipment, and board games piled high into Regina Gomez’s office.

Regina, who advises the 75 member organiza&on, encouraged the giving as part of the organiza&on’s service mission. The toys benefit needy children in the Brazos Valley.

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News & Updates

Cheryl Bridges welcomes the new Zale Scholars, and says farewell to seniors who have completed their year of service to the leadership program.

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Marketing Department Holiday Party 2011

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On a Personal Note…

Recent first-‐&me grandparents, Len and Nancy Berry, are grandparents AGAIN. You might remember, their son Jonathan and wife Mimi, of Los Angeles, had son Jacob in late July. Not to be outdone, Len’s son Ma[hew and wife, Beth, had twin baby girls (Brooke and Samantha) in late October. The family resides in Connec&cut where Ma[hew is Senior Director of Fantasy Sports for ESPN. While Nancy and Len were in New England visi&ng the newborns, Len was thrilled to go to “work” with Ma[hew at his Sunday morning show on ESPN. Photos are of the proud parents with Brooke and Samantha and the live studio recording at ESPN.


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News & Updates

We want to include your news items in the next issue. Please submit them to Laurie Marshall at [email protected],

Ryan Macomber, former MKTG IT guy, and MS MKTG grad, recently wed the beau&ful Sara Stone in Round Rock, Texas. Many MKTG Dept. friends were in a[endance—Diane Dowdell, Julie Guidry Moulard and husband Sco[, Garry and Joyce Smith, Clarissa Means, Laurie Marshall, and Jody Trenckman Macomber. Photos of the bride with the groom were unavailable at press &me. Will try to post in January MM.

Emily Robinson recently par&cipated in her church’s Christmas pageant. She is shown here (center) during a vocal break, doing the gestures associated with the song “We Wish You a Merry Christmas.“ (You might no&ce that she is the happiest, most enthusias&c, and focused member of the group…:-‐)

Student worker Stephen Mancillas team won first place in something. Bea&ng out nineteen other TAMU teams.

Documents

Marketing Monthly - December 2011