It starts with the customer, not the product, not a slogan nor a campaign. All of the Media Management Center classes have a customer orientation, and the marketing faculty sets that theme.

While most marketing classes teach the four P’s — price, product, promotion and place — Professor Paul Wang frequently refers to the three C’s — customers, company and cost. He illustrates them with a pyramid and puts customers at the pinnacle. Wang, director of Integrated Market Research for the Center and associate professor at the Medill School of Journalism, mixes stories, cinema and group exercises with dynamic lectures in his Advanced Executive Program classes on Customer Marketing.

While many brand programs focus on the slogan, Professor Bobby Calder focuses his classes in Media Marketing on brand relevance — that is, relevance in the hearts and minds of the customers. Calder, Kellstadt Distinguished Professor of Marketing at the Kellogg School of Management, is an expert in consumer marketing. He conducted the Impact Study for the Media Management Center’s Readership Institute. His research shows the enormous impact that brand plays in building and maintaining an audience, whether they are newspaper or magazine readers, TV viewers or Internet users.

Perhaps the best way to describe the Media Management Center’s approach to marketing is to never use the word marketing. But we want our participants to leave with a marketing mindset. That is why we focus on customers and brand.

Creating customer awareness is more than demographics, psychographics and data. Wang wants his executive students to think about developing insight into customer lifestyles, interests and motivation. To win their hearts and minds, you must understand what is in their hearts and minds.

Effective media branding is not more marketing. Before you can effectively brand you have to have a mindset that helps create relevant, differentiated content. Then you have to have a concept that goes beyond brand perception.

 

			Paul Wang Associate Professor Integrated Marketing Communications Medill School of Journalism Northwestern University Bobby Calder Marketing, Brand Management Kellogg School of Management Northwestern University Advanced Executive Program More Center News