What Thought Leaders are saying about “The Digital Marketing Landscape: Creating a Synergistic Customer Experience” by Jessica Rogers PhD
Author: drjrogers
Digital Marketing
Many of you know I had been working on a project here at SNHU going back to 2017. Now that we have a few terms under our belt and data on the success of implementation.. its time to celebrate the MS in Marketing with Digital Marketing Concentration!
Our Marketing Programs here at Southern New Hampshire University, offer so much! I am so proud of the work we have done and feel we are providing our students with experiences that add to their employability as well so many unique opportunities to showcase their learning’s.
Our Masters in Marketing program is designed with a very strategic approach.
Firstly, We have connected our program to industry
We stay current within industry and business environments; and our courses evolve with the needs of business. We have aligned our programs and courses with skills employers want. We utilize an advisory board of high level individuals in the field to ensure we are addressing current skills gaps in the industry. This Advisory board helps drive discussions around content learners should understand for success in the workplace
2nd We have embraced the importance of Industry Certifications
We have identified opportunities for students to add to their resume through external certifications. We know these industry certifications provide students and their employers with added value. Within many courses, students will see Certifications and credentials – and the associations who promote them such as the American Marketing Association, Google, Hubspot, and Hootsuite for example..
3rd Coursework is aligned with deliverables students will encounter in the workplace.
Projects and assignments within the program, are designed to help students make connections between course content and their world. Project-based learning is evident throughout the program, activities are hands on, and meet employer demands. And importantly, Content in the courses is relevant to both students employability and their advancement in the field.
4th Our faculty have extensive real world experience. They are in the field, and can bring those experiences to students in class. These experiences play a huge role in learning and application of concepts.
Visit our program pages here:
Associates Degree- Marketing https://www.snhu.edu/online-degrees/associate/as-in-marketing
Bachelor’s Degree- Marketing https://www.snhu.edu/online-degrees/bachelors/bs-in-marketing
Master Degree – Marketing https://www.snhu.edu/online-degrees/masters/ms-in-marketing
In the master’s in marketing online program, students learn how to:
- Analyze and interpret qualitative and quantitative data to align marketing plans to an organization’s strategic goals
- Create integrated strategies for maximizing opportunities through the use of marketing theory and practices
- Distill information through diverse media to inform, negotiate and persuade stakeholders
- Develop international marketing strategies that address the commercial, political, legal and cultural environments in a global economy
- Certify marketing practices comply with legal environments, regulatory standards and ethical practices
- Manage a brand in cross-functional environments to ensure the creation, capture and delivery of value
Marketing is Important. It transcends all borders of an organization.
Listen to this Hubspot Podcast, where I detail the above points.
To read it: https://academy.hubspot.com/education-partner-program/professors/jessica-rogers
GEN X, Overlooked again
The “Slacker” generation is all gown up, and is a marketers dream.. yet why are they overlooked with the focus going to Millennials?
Generation X has been relatively ignored by marketers, despite their influence and spending power. Baby Boomers and Millennials alike have been a source of media fascination and marketer focus, while Generation X sits on the sideline.
Coming of age within distinct time periods shaped members of different generations in ways that influence values and preferences. Because of these generational differences, marketing strategists would be wise to consult research on generational differences when tailoring strategies to specific age cohorts. Marketing strategists target younger consumers because of their comparative openness and malleability in comparison with older consumers. Yet, what about the values and preferences of Generation X in contrast with other generations, as well as the brand loyalty of Millennials and Generation X (having some similarities)?
The Myth
Generation X is overlooked in part because of its size, with Generation X (65 million) being smaller than the Boomers (77 million) and the Millennials. Interestingly, the year span for Generation X is less than the typical 20-year span that makes up the other generations, which speaks to its smaller size.
Marketers also have ignored this generation, in part due to its “slacker” reputation that has been perpetuated by cultural references and even within academic research. Other myths about Generation X are that these individuals are cynical, resentful, rebellious, and will buy anything; such myths possibly underlie a lack of research-based marketing attention to this segment. Very few researchers have examined marketing strategy in relation to Generation X, and there are none, to my knowledge, any examining Generation X females in relation to social media use, marketing strategy, or brand relationships other than my own.
Generation X and social media
Researchers have suggested that wise marketing strategists will value research findings over myths and stereotypes about Generation X when developing strategy to attract and retain consumers from this generation. Understanding the values and priorities of a demographic such as Generation X ( females in particular) is essential to segmentation processes, or group-specific marketing strategies . Marketing executives who participated in interviews expressed that segmentation in online marketing was a vital part of any firm’s marketing strategy, and that social media platforms represented an important vehicle for interacting with and learning about different demographic groups.
It is therefore important for researchers to explore social media use among Generation X individuals to enhance marketing effectiveness to this generation.
Social media are an integral part of many GenXers’ day. Neilsen suggests that GenX, not Millenials, are heavy users of social media. Their most recent report showed Generation X spending approximately 7 hours per week on social platforms, with females taking the lead by spending 25% of their time on social media. Marketing to youth, women, and digital natives is a lucrative strategy, given that these major segments have been researched and proven to be highly probable for gaining brand advocacy and because they are the most influential segments in the digital era. It is also worth noting that females tend to be the gatekeepers as to what products and services make their way into the home. This is because of the comprehensive process women typically use to research purchasing decisions, social media included.
The Gap
Marketers have largely ignored Generation X, despite their influence and spending power. This spending power translates into a higher ability to purchase products and services, making this target demographic a valuable audience for marketers. Further, the female demographic within Gen X is a viable focus for academic research, given that they are the main purchase decision-makers for households, regardless of whether they are the end user. It stands to reason, then, that brands need to understand how to effectively create and curate social media content to best serve this segment of the population that is both under-served and has enormous potential.. ..latchkey or not.
Research thoughts
In an era of post-truth, where opinions are misconstrued as facts, it is vital for both consumers and brand leaders to be more responsible in generating branded content so as to be more truthful and honest. Social media content allows brands to tell a brand story. Also contributing to this brand story is content created and shared by consumers (Rogers, 2015). It then becomes imperative for both users and brand leaders to create a brand story that would be close to the truth, while at the same time, nourishing the established relationships between brand and customer commitment to the brand.
Results of my recent research provides a preliminary model for the processes of social exchange theory in the context of social media use. Spending power of the consumers has the potential to either make or break a brand. It is ostensible that researchers may undertake further studies in order to achieve extensive knowledge on how the interplay of user engagement and brandloyalty is mediated by perceived costs and benefits, as well as other factors that impact brand content and online consumerism.
Journey to Mindful Leadership: Part 2
Here we are just over 2 months since I started my Journey to Mindful Leadership. It has been a great few weeks of reading, reflecting, and now sharing! I covered some ground on a few books, a few courses from my employers catalogue of course offerings via HR, and a certification via HarvardX on Leadership.
I am not offering a full review of all 5 books I read over the past two months, but rather pulling a few themes from my readings that really resonate with me, and are key takeaways as I strive to be a more mindful leader.
The Books:
- Leadership and the New Science – Discovering order in a chaotic world
- Re-framing Academic Leadership
- Employee Engagement- How to motivate your team for high performance
- Ego vs EQ
- Emotional Intelligence 2.0
Relationships
In many organizations, we are quick to respond to new threats or new problems by applying “old solutions” to organizational issues. I am sure many of you have encountered a myriad of business problems and often end up frustrated in the quest for solutions. This frustration can lead to fear in an organization thus creating more aggression.
Instead of perpetuating this cycle, what if we were to look internally to see one another as the “resources” needed, and engage the existing creativity within an organization? Fostering relationships and nurturing growth and development should be at the top of any leaders to do list as well as becoming a better listener and respecting each persons uniqueness. “Effective leaders encourage people to bring their best talents and selves to work” , they do this by:
- consistently promoting openness and transparency;
- empowering their people;
- ensuring groups and committees function effectively as a team;
- providing support, coaching, and care;
- understanding the importance of hiring the right people in order to develop ‘fit’.
Leaders must consider the fundamentals: knowing how to listen and speak to one another; facilitating free access between employees throughout the organization; being open with information; honoring collaboration; encouraging speaking truthfully to one another. For this to truly work and occur organically, there should be the understanding of both the network of relationships and the resources required to support the work at hand. Think of self organizing and one of my sons favorite “toys”: Kinetic Sand. Please do take just a moment to just watch the movement here – it is mesmerizing- and think of this self organizing as your organization….
No one can lead an any organization by spectating and ignoring the network of relationships thorough which all work is accomplished.
Engagement
Employee engagement is defined by Kruse as the “emotional commitment an employee has to the organization and its goals”. As leaders, we are responsible for the engagement of our teams. Driving engagement stems from:
- Communication- do team members feel that there is frequent two way communication?
- Growth and Development- do team members feel like they are learning new things and advancing career?
- Recognition and Appreciation- do team members’ feel appreciated and that their ideas count?
- Trust and Confidence- do team member trust the leadership and have confidence in the organization future?
I have focused on this with my faculty in a variety of ways previously- but am being more intentional of late. For example I am facilitating more opportunities for two way communication and asking that my faculty take a more active role in this endeavor. I am also actively seeking out the goals of my faculty who are willing to share, and helping them work towards those goals. I have made efforts to recognize faculty who go above and beyond for students as well as those who truly embody our brand values.
Self Reflection and Seeking Feedback
Not knowing how actions affect others is one of the biggest mistakes a leader can make. As Leaders we have to develop greater awareness of how we behave and present ourselves. We must recognize our moods and impulses and how they impact others. We should watch closely how actions impact others immediately, and then use that information as a guide for how our emotions affect a wider circle and for longer periods of time than one might imagine.
We also need to help one another by offering feedback and help one another notice when we may fall back to old behaviors. I have found self reflection far more challenging than asking for and acting on feedback. It is essential, as leaders, to not ignore feedback that may be negative or feedback that we do not like. This feedback is essential in a quest to avoid missing important information, and to keep your ego in check.
Next Steps
Scheduling time for daily introspective is a priority for my Journey. This time for meaningful reflection practice will help me focus on what is truly important, nurture my own career passions, and those of my team. I need to slow down and be present.
In what ways do you incorporate a daily introspective for a more mindful leadership journey? Meditation, keeping a journal? Comment Below ….
The Journey to Mindful Leadership
It has been a blissful 10 months since completing my PhD! No writing, hard deadlines, or questioning my sanity. And my bound dissertation is a daily reminder of the important of life long learning. I have had a nice break, but now its time to jump back in to learning..
I have set some lofty goals over the past few years, and here we are again. As my career has evolved from the days of Sales, to Director of Marketing, Adjunct Professor, Dean, to everything in between…I have really focused on simply working hard, doing my job, and continuous improvement. It never occurred to me that Leadership Skills are (somewhat naturally) developed over time when in the right environment-surrounded by the right people. Until now, as I reflect back on my career and anticipate the challenges and opportunities to come.
The Goal
A few months ago, I began to research leadership topics and curate leadership books to read for the purpose of helping inform and energize myself. The goal was to really hone in on the skills I have, those I need to develop, and to identify these skills in others I work with in order to better define them in myself. So, for the next few months, I will be reading, reflecting, and writing
In my masters programs (I completed an MS Marketing and an additional 18 hours of MBA courses), there was focus on effective management skills and a deep dive in to all genres of business. However, I know I never differentiated management and leadership. My goals were to become a CMO for a Fortune 500 company ( I had my eye on SC Johnson and P&G, with my runner up being The Dallas Stars), yet I do not think I fully understood leadership in my 20s. I think I more aligned leadership with power, and did not define the type of power (more on that in another post). Then, later in life, my PhD courses were not leadership focused either. Yet, I found leadership qualities in many mentors I had though my years of study. And here I am now, in a leadership role.
It has taken me being surrounded by leaders and managers to really understand the qualities that I appreciate and admire, the qualities I possess, and those qualities I hope to embody.
The Leadership Books
The books I have curated are below. I am focusing on Higher Education, yet many main stream leadership books transcend. It may take some time to completely digest them, and I have more awaiting my purchase on my ever growing Amazon List! And, of course I am always open to suggestions, so feel free to comment below at the end of the post. You will see evidence of several themes in my selections thus far.
Joy, Inc.
Grit
Start With Why
Reframing Academic Leadership
Leadership and the New Science: Discovering Order in a Chaotic World Discovering Order in a Chaotic World
The Essential Academic Dean: A Practical Guide to College Leadership A Practical Guide to College Leadership
The Academic Deanship: Individual Careers and Institutional Roles
A Guide to Leadership and Management in Higher Education
Challenges in Higher Education Leadership
Women Leaders in Higher Education
Inclusive Leadership in Higher Education
The Leadership Gap: What Gets Between You and Your Greatness
Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead
Carrots and Sticks Don’t Work: Build a Culture of Employee Engagement with the Principles of RESPECT
People Skills: How to Assert Yourself, Listen to Others, and Resolve Conflicts
Strengths Based Leadership: Great Leaders, Teams, and Why People Follow
Ego vs. EQ: How Top Leaders Beat 8 Ego Traps With Emotional Intelligence
Ego Is the Enemy
The Lords of Strategy: The Secret Intellectual History of the New Corporate World
The Focus
Leadership books are a great resource to help identify the leadership skills I have and those that I need to develop. However, I want to take this one step further to bring the content of the books I am reading to life.
The focus of this series is to Identify:
Skills I Have,
Skills I Need to Develop,
Skills I See in Others to Better Define Them in Myself
I am so fortunate to work alongside many leaders. From them, I have learned – and am learning. It is through them I see leadership skills in action and it is through interactions with them I can really define and develop those skills in myself.
Spectate, Cheer, and Constructive Feedback
I hope you will sit along the sidelines, but not just spectate. But, instead cheer me on through this journey and when needed- offer constructive feedback (LinkedIn, Twitter, G+.) This is a learning experience for me, and I truly want to harness my uniqueness, become a more effective leader, and be a leader who inspires others to be better and more mindful as well.
My call to action to you is to subscribe, or follow/connect with me on my social channels and offer feedback and commentary. As a community we can learn from one another and support one another through discussions such as this.
HubSpot Education Partner Podcast: It’s Bigger Than Social Media
SNHU Marketing
It took me six years, 22 weeks and two days to finish my PhD! Southern New Hampshire University recently posted an article on my journey as well as my thoughts on our new Digital Marketing concentration. I am very excited our students will be benefiting from HubSpot’s Educational Partner Program in courses that are not only user-friendly, but also aligned what employers want , and include industry certification prep.
Read the article here: Spotlight on SNHU Marketing Faculty Lead Dr. J | SNHU
From the Archives: Almost any brand can be Pinteresting. Here’s how!
By Jessica Rogers, {grow} Contributing Columnist
I’m not crafty. I do not scrapbook, do DIY projects, or tackle anything that involves a glue gun.
However, I recently created a “Laundry Room Makeover” board on Pinterest and completed the renovation. Pinterest was a wonderful source for before and after pictures, detailed tutorials, names and reviews of paints, and even lists of where to find the products and their prices.
I must point out many of these, if not all, were not brand sponsored! For example, like other Pinterest users I posted all the materials used in my after photos. This is an amazing opportunity for brands to increase brand recognition by way of social sharing or “pinning.”
This story is played over and over across the globe. Pinterest is the ultimate source for creative (P)inspiration.
Why use Pinterest?
Pinterest marketing specialist Piqora found that one “pin” generates an average of 78 cents in sales. Pins are 100x more viral than tweets and Pinterest Board pages can rank on Google long after the original post.
Like any social platform, Pinterest might not work equally well for all brands. However, Pinterest can be a great way to share valuable content with your target audience and showcase your brand personality.
Pinterest is obviously the home room for the visual content from clothing designers, photographers, and makeup artists. But the platform can be utilized by non-creatives like real estate agents, marketing thought leaders posting relevant articles, even parents posting ideas about home schooling their children. Almost anyone can be more Pinteresting….
Are pins really content?
Absolutely. But keep in mind the importance of “delivering the right message to the right person at the right time.” Platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and of course Pinterest have a specific demographic of users and can be optimized accordingly. What is often overlooked is the importance of relevant and timely content for these platforms.
What should you pin?
- What does your target audience of client base want to learn more about? What moves them? What interests them? Find pins related to those topics. Become your follower’s go-to resource.
- Regularly visit the What’s Popular section of Pinterest to see what is trending and what really resonates with Pinterest users.
- “How to” pins are very popular. Find tutorials your audience can use and pin them, or create your own. Including before and after images.
- Infographics are a great way to share a large amount of information in an attractive, inspiring way.
- Do not always pin your own content. If you do pin your own content, be sure to do it in a way that drives users to your website.
Tips for optimizing your pins
- Add relevant Search Engine Optimization (SEO) keywords in your “About” section. Search engines index this page, so use those 200 characters wisely.
- Utilize humorous of catchy titles to entice folks to follow the board, and include keywords in board titles to make the board more searchable in Pinterest.
- Curate pins that link back to your website, email opt-in page, or product page/catalog
- Pinterest is social, so remember to interact and engage with others. Repin, follow, and make comments.
- I found this Pinterest Master Class to be helpful. It is a series of three videos equaling an hour of content.
*Update: With over 150 Million users, Pinterest is worth a gander. Read more here on the latest stats on this power platform! At the same time I posted my reno on Pinterest, I added a “make me move” price on Zillow…. the rest is history. Full price offer, that led to us building a new home, 2.7 miles down the road.
Photo credit: clasesdeperiodismo via Foter.com / CC BY-NC-SA
5 Attributes of Thought Leaders- Intellectual Takeout
5 Attributes of Thought Leaders
Have you ever asked yourself, what makes someone an entrepreneur of ideas, a so-called thought leader? The ability to invent and spread the word about newfangled concepts? A master of the TED Talk? A magnetic Steve Jobs-like personality?
The Marketing Insider Group defines a ‘thought leader’ as someone who “tap[s] into the talent, experience, and passion inside your business, or from your community, to consistently answer the biggest questions on the minds of your target audience, on a particular topic.” Thought leaders are innovators and forest-for-the trees types, not borrowers, technicians or, as Friedrich Hayek (1899-1992) called intellectuals, “professional secondhand dealers in ideas.”
With tongue in cheek, New York Times columnist David Brooks describes the thought leader:
“The Thought Leader is sort of a highflying, good-doing yacht-to-yacht concept peddler. Each year, he gets to speak at the Clinton Global Initiative, where successful people gather to express compassion for those not invited. Month after month, he gets to be a discussion facilitator at think tank dinners where guests talk about what it’s like to live in poverty while the wait staff glides through the room thinking bitter thoughts.
He doesn’t have students, but he does have clients. He doesn’t have dark nights of the soul, but his eyes blaze at the echo of the words ‘breakout session.’”
Besides being lampooned, the notion of thought leadership has also been widely criticized. University of Reading Management professor Kevin Money and research fellow Nuno Da Camara call thought leadership “meaningless management speak.” Harvard Business Review writer Dorie Clark comments that “it is very icky when people call themselves thought leaders because that sounds a little bit egomaniacal.” According to Tufts University professor Daniel Drezner, we need fewer thought leaders and more public intellectuals. Perhaps, for these academics, thought leadership is a matter of sour grapes, something they cannot achieve, so they roundly reject it.
Whatever the case, thought leaders are highly sought after by business firms and government agencies. High-performing organizations want these people as their executives, consultants and managers, and they are usually compensated handsomely. Why? Because they possess some or all of the following unique attributes:
- Ambition: They want to achieve the most they can with their novel ideas, both for themselves and the organizations they work for.
- Image conscious: Marketing their ideas and producing the perfect presentation matters, since image impacts how others perceive their brand.
- Big thinking: They care more about the macro-level, the larger picture, and less about the small details or technicalities, which others can always work out later.
- Expertise: They are authorities in the areas of inquiry where they generate the most innovative ideas.
- Ability to see aspects others don’t or cannot see: They detect subtle patterns and larger trends where thought followers fail to.
This last attribute—often called ‘aspect-seeing’—is the most important. To illustrate, look at the Duck-Rabbit image, invented by the Gestalt psychologists and employed by the philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889-1951) in his ground-breaking work Philosophical Investigations:
Most people either perceive an image of a duck or an image of a rabbit. The thought leader immediately detects the patterns for both and possibly more. He is adept at seeing aspects of a puzzle or a problem that others cannot.
Is thought leadership something you aspire to? Or is the notion meaningless, icky and/or trendy?
This post 5 Attributes of Thought Leaders was originally published on Intellectual Takeout by Shane Ralston.
http://www.intellectualtakeout.org/sites/all/themes/ito/js/ito-repub.js
Jessica Rogers, PhD. 