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Marketing Monthly

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Paul Busch receives the Regents Professor Award

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The Texas A&M University Board of Regents, at their meeting held on Nov. 3, 2011, granted our distinguished colleague Dr. Paul Busch the designation of Regents Professor. This award recognizes his outstanding contributions in the areas of scholarly research, teaching, service to the institution and the marketing profession as well as administrative contributions. Paul is one of two faculty members selected from the College Station campus of the TAMU System for 2010-2011 award. Congratulations to Paul on his being selected for this richly deserved and prestigious honor and recognition.

November 2011: Vol. 6, Issue 10

Board of Regents Chairman Richard A. Box, Regents Professor Paul Busch, Ann Busch, and Regent Phil Adams

You may notice the change in the look of the MM masthead. Texas A&M has unified its brand university-wide, so Mays Business School (MBS) is no longer using the Mays logo. The ATM with the MBS identifier is the new logo.

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Advertising Students Continue Their Winning Ways!

American Advertising Federation—Houston 2011 Student Conference and Advertising Competition

Lisa Troy accompanied 26 students to Houston on Nov. 4-5 to participate in the American Advertising Federation—Houston’s annual student conference. During this two-day event, students from a 4-state area met to compete in a day-long advertising campaign competition for a real-life client. Rather than competing against other schools, students were assigned to teams with members from the other schools based on their backgrounds (e.g., marketing, design, copywriting, media planning). The teams were charged with developing a one-year, $1M, multi-media advertising campaign to increase sales of Sunkist orange soda to teens in Texas. Out of over 20 total teams, marketing students Chelsea Bielitz, Chrysah Pederson, and

The Aggie Advertising Team at the American Advertising Federation—Houston 2011 Student Conference

Clint Anderson receives his (transparent) trophy

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Advertising Competition Winners

Chelsea Bielitz and Chrysah Pederson show off their trophies

Mike Albrecht, Chief Development Officer of Love Advertising in Houston spoke to Lisa Troy's MKTG 347 class. In addition to describing various jobs in advertising, he also discussed what advertising agencies are looking for in a candidate and what strengths Aggies can capitalize on to obtain jobs in the industry.

Clint Anderson led their teams to first, second, and third place wins. The following day students participated in resume reviews and panel discussions from local advertising agency executives.

Although they did not participate in the advertising campaign competition as a single team, the Aggies did join together to develop and submit a Texas A&M name tag, winning third place out of the 20 participating teams for the most creative name tag reflecting this year’s conference theme of “Take No Prisoners.”

Marketing major Kelsey Smith (right) has her resume positively reviewed by the creative director at Six Foot Advertising at the

AAF-Houston Student Conference

“Take No Prisoners” name tag

Nov. 11, 2011: Steve Moore, Chief Marketing Officer of Texas A&M spoke to the Aggie Advertising Club on "Marketing Implications of Moving to the SEC.”

Mike Albrecht and Dr. Lisa Troy

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Advertising Club Trip to Dallas

Lisa Troy accompanied a group of Aggie Advertising Club students to Dallas on November 11. The group visited The Richards Group and Slingshot, participating in tours and listening to professional presentations at both agencies. A good time was had by all. At left: back row l to r: Arturo Lee, Erik Batista, Patrick Mauldin, Rafik Massoud, Lisa Troy, Ruben Gonzales front row: Macie Becker, Lauren Barre, Kelsey Smith

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Guest Professor, AT&T

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Three AT&T executives with students in MKTG 436.

Congratulations, Clarissa!

Ms. Clarissa Means (at left) has been promoted from Senior Office Associate to Lead Office Associate.

Clarissa joined the Department of Marketing in 1998 and has been in her current position since 2004. In recognition of her outstanding contributions to the Department, earlier during the year (spring 2011), Clarissa was recognized with the Mays Business School Star Performer Award. Congratulations to Clarissa on her promotion to Lead Office Associate.

Advisors’ Corner Pre-registration has begun for the Spring semester, and Leslie has been busy meeting with students and answering their questions.

Charles Futrell’s MKTG 436 class enjoyed a visit from three AT&T executives. Jason Cardwell, Director of Sales, was the main speaker. Tina DeGrant, SR. Staffing Manager/Recruiter and Justin Rathbun, Retail Sales Manager, New Braunfels, TX were also on hand to answer questions.

Jason Cardwell, Director of Sales, AT&T

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Center for Retailing Studies

John Mackey, co-CEO of Whole Foods Market is an ambassador for conscious capitalism. This group of CEOs practice “conscious leadership,” rejecting an exclusively profit-driven view of business. They seek win-win strategies that offer value in multiple dimensions for all stakeholders.

Whole Foods Market is a leader in the movement “Conscious Capitalism.” John Mackey, co-CEO, says “poverty, not wealth is the problem.” Capitalism is a mutually beneficial exchange system that has lifted billions of people out of abject hardship. Capitalist societies are freer, wealthier, healthier and happier. By abandoning outmoded operational structures that emphasize shareholder profits above all else, companies can generate emotional, social and financial value. He describes Whole Foods Market stakeholders as SPICEE (Society, Partners, Investors, Customers, Employees and Environment.)

Conscious Capitalism was co-founded by Mackey and Dr. Raj Sisodia of Bentley University, who also spoke. They advocate the embrace of free markets, competition, profits and trade. They recognize, however, that companies wield enormous power, and an obligation, to do good in the world. Sisodia says, “Southwest Airlines gives people the freedom to fly, REI connects families with nature, Google bridges the world with knowledge.”

Mary Beth McEuen, vice president and executive director of The Maritz Institute, urged retailers “to clarify your brand promise and what you stand for.” In a world characterized by uncertainty and volatility, people are looking for organizations that care and contribute to society in meaningful ways. No longer is it good enough to focus on what a company delivers in terms of products and services. What people want is to

know what an organization stands for. They want to be a part of something bigger that has meaning.

McEuen, says organizations must express their brand promise through meaningful and motivating experiences for every group of stakeholders -- starting with employees. “One of the most powerful engagement strategies is recognition. Recognition is about celebrating people as they strive to deliver on the brand promise. Recognition focuses on what is right, and builds confidence and positive emotional contagion,” emphasized McEuen.

Friday speaker Katrina McGhee, CMO for the

Susan G. Komen Foundation, says cause marketing’s dramatic increase reflects businesses’ and consumers’ desire to do good in the world. However, too many companies “choose a flavor of the day.” Such diffusion of support hurts retail brands. To effectively use cause marketing retailers must be authentic, relevant, committed, and creative. Create products that reflect their brands, and connect with customers on a deep, personal level. Generic, do-good programs will not generate a meaningful relationship between the retailer, consumer and cause.

Retailing Summit Recap

JCPenney Tour “Mall vs. Off-Mall Stores”

“The evolution of an American

brand.” That’s how Post Oak Mall jcpenney manager Veronica Fry described the 108 year-old-retailers reinvention of itself. Fry hosted nine retailing students on a tour that started at the local jcpenney mall-store and moved on to the new format off-mall store in Cypress, Texas. “We work with what we have, making the store look great for the customer” Fry said about the College Station store, which opened in 1987. Students seeking a store operations career with the Plano-based chain would work in the restyled department stores. These feature brightly-lit floors, wide aisles, elevated signage, perimeter check-out, and more square footage. Over 200 stores presently offer Sephora shops inside jcpenney; all stores will eventually offer the cosmetic selection.

Fry acknowledges that many students associate jcpenney “with where their grandmother shops.” To change this perception –and help with recruitment –in 2010 jcpenney launched MNG by Mango, a high-quality,

affordable runway fast- fashion line which is popular in Europe. Like Sephora, customers shop Mango in an exclusive shop-within-a-shop, which in Cypress featured black-lacquered chandeliers and wood floors. Students liked the contemporary apparel.

Tess Rihovsky, a graduating senior in Marketing, who is applying for a merchandising position with jcpenney, said, “The trip was an excellent opportunity to delve deeper into the workings of one of America's largest fashion retailers. I enjoyed the behind-the-scenes glance at how things currently run at the store level as the company changes. jcpenney is trying to reposition themselves as a more fashion-forward company in the minds of their consumers. This change was previously purely conceptual to me. But, after seeing firsthand what they have already implemented, I have a clearer picture of the kind of company jcpenney intends to be in the future."

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Center for Retailing Studies

MNG by Mango® Animal Print Dress, Belted

MNG by Mango® Knit Military Jacket

News & Updates

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The Center for Retailing Studies at Mays Business School is hosting H-E-B day, February 28, 2012 on the Texas A&M University campus. Over a dozen high-ranking H-E-B executives, including presidents, vice presidents, and directors, will address over 2,300 students in more than 20 classes during the one-day period.

The center is partnering with the 106 year old San Antonio based retailer for this inter-disciplinary educational event which gives undergraduate and graduate students the opportunity to gain business insights from leading industry professionals.

“The H-E-B executives enhance the classroom curriculum by discussing day-to-day solutions for real world workplace challenges,” said Cheryl Holland Bridges, director of the center. Known as an industry innovator, H-E-B continues to evolve by introducing new store formats like Joe V’s Smart Shop which features discounted, fresh groceries for moderate income customers. After Hurricane Ike, it was the first grocery store to reopen giving its customers access to fuel, food, water and medicine. “Speakers coordinate with their hosting professors to customize content for

each class based on what students are studying.” By addressing classes across different majors including marketing, agri-business, management, horticulture, information systems, and others the event communicates to students that a $13 Billion grocery company encompasses all business fields.

The day also functions to introduce students to careers at H-E-B. Texas A&M University is the company’s top university partner and has served as a pipeline to talent for many years. Recruiter Carmen Marin says, “Texas A&M is a natural fit for H-E-B. We share the same values of history, tradition, loyalty & service. Aggies who begin their careers with H-E-B have done incredibly well, and are emerging as leaders in our organization.”

“When so many senior officers from a major corporation make a commitment to come to campus from all over Texas, it really says something,” said Bridges. “H-E-B is making a huge investment in Aggie education.”

FACULTY: If you would like an H-E-B executive to speak to your class, please contact Regina Gomez (rgomez@tamu.edu) .

News & Updates

CRS Executive Speaker John Turner, Associate Dean for Student

Development at Lone Star College-Kingwood, spoke to Dr. Janet Parish’s Services Marketing students about his experiences as an event manager. John had a successful career (about 17 years) in event management across multiple industries. Much of his experience was in the non-profit sector. Event management is an important topic for many service-based businesses. John has an undergraduate degree in Marketing and PR and a Masters in Higher Ed. He is currently pursuing his doctorate in Higher Ed at Texas Tech. John Turner with his twin sister Dr. Janet Turner Parish

Mark Your Calendars--February 28 is H-E-B Day!

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Center for Retailing Studies

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News & Updates

A New Winning Tradition

Following up on our students’ great success during TAMU’s first invited opportunity to compete last year in the YMA Fashion Scholar-ship Fund (FSF) National Case Competition, Sheri Rosenfeld, our FSF mentor flew in from New York City to personally interview our five Aggie finalists for this year’s FSF competition.

Students competing in this year’s case competition were required to: • create their own online retail business • conduct a competitive SWOT analysis • develop a merchandise plan

• a sales & profitability plan • a marketing plan • a customer retention strategy

Please note that this case competition is done individually. The following are our 2012 FSF Finalists and the online retail businesses they created:

Chelsea Sauder –The Work5, a men’s apparel store

Katherine Eichhorn –Easel, an apparel boutique featuring trendy, cohesive looks for family portraits

Therese Rihovsky –Couture Moments Handbags, a couture handbag/accessories store for photographers

Alexandra Adama --Code Smartie Kids, a children’s apparel store merging the worlds of retailing & eduction

Kailah Gonzalez –Loquendi, a customized bedding store

Dr. Sandi Lampo, Katherine Eichhorn, Kailah Gonzalez, Alexandra Adams, Therese Rihvosky, Chelsea Sauder, Sheri Rosenfeld (our YMA-FSF Mentor from New York)

xTax Competition Marketing Department student worker

Steven Mancilla and his team recently competed in the xTax competition.

The competition is an annual event hosted by PricewaterhouseCoopers at approximately 50 universities across the nation. This year, 19 teams, each composed of two PPA tax track students and three undergraduate Mays Business School students competed against each other at the local level.

PwC’s xTax Competition is based on a fictional tax scenario, consisting of a fictional company and country. Each team is given 2 weeks to analyze the provided information regarding taxes and other state regulations in order to arrive at the best option for a business plan proposal. Steven’s team placed first in the local competition here at A&M, and his team received $1,000 for winning. Congratulations, Steven!

In November, the video of their presentation will be sent to Washington, D.C. to be judged against the winning teams from other universities. Only five teams out of the 50 will be selected as finalists for the National Competition. Each finalist team will be granted $10,000 along with a trip to the Capital to compete for the national title.

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Venky Shankar in the Windy City Venky Shankar moderated a panel of marketing practitioners on the topic “The Impact of Mobility, New Technologies, and Media on B2C Marketing” at the recently concluded MSI Trustees Meeting in Chicago. The outcomes of the discussions inform the MSI Research Priorities, a publication that guides new research in marketing.

Dee Fike, JCPenney’s Austin District Manager, spoke with MKTG 321 Honors students about some interesting strategies that jcp is employing to try to reach a younger segment of the market. Dee has been with the company for over 22 years and has worked in a number of areas for jcp including merchandising and store management. She was accompanied by the local store manager, Veronica Fly, another longtime jcp (almost 22 years). Veronica also has served in various positions within the company including buying, recruiting and store management. She spoke briefly to the students about career opportunities with jcpenny.

News & Updates

CRS Executive Speakers

Steven’s Team Wins Big in xTax Competition!

Steven is a sophomore business administration major with aspirations to the PPA program.

JCPenney managers, Veronica Fly and Dee Fike

On a Personal Note…

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On a Personal Note…

News & Updates

We want to include your news items in the next issue. Please submit them to Laurie Marshall at lmarshall@mays.tamu.edu,

Steve McDaniel is the proud new grandpa of the cutest baby in the world. (“What are the odds?” he says.) Addisyn Grace Hand was born October 26, 2011 at 12:04 AM. She was 6 lbs. 5 oz., and 20 inches long. Addisyn’s parents are Steve’s daughter Sarah and her husband Marine 1st Lt. Stephen Hand. Addisyn missed being the world’s seven billionth baby by five days, but she is obviously content just being the world’s cutest!

Ethan Robinson has been staying busy doing All-American Boy activities. He earned his first Cub Scout badge, the Bobcat Badge (at left), and participated in the Veteran’s Day Parade (above, at center). Ethan was also recently invited to lead the pledge of allegiance at the beginning of the November Bryan ISD school board meeting, along a few other members of his Cub Scout Pack.

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