GFCB Marketing

What's Happening In Marketing

News from the Marketing department at the Gordon Ford College of Business:

Brittany Kittleman, Top Marketing Senior, also wins Robert W. Jefferson Outstanding Senior Award for GFCB

April 23, 2010: At the annual Gordon Ford College of Business Awards Banquet, students and faculty were honored for their acheivements. Brittany Kittleman, winner of this year's top marketing Senior Award was also honored as the 2009-2010 Robert W. Jefferson Outstanding Graduating Senior for the entire GFCOB. Mr. Allan Hall of the Marketing Department was honored with the Faculty Student Advisement Award for the GFCOB. Pictured above left: Kittleman and Dr. Robert Jefferson. Above Center (left to right): Dr. Patricia Todd, Dr. Rick Shannon, Ms. Brittany Kittleman, Mr. Allan Hall, and Dr. Joanna Phillips Melancon at the awards banquet. Above Right: Brittany's Grandmother, Sara Townsend, Mother, Kae Kittleman, and Dr. Jefferson after the awards banquet.

2010 Top Marketing Senior Awarded to Brittany Kittleman

The Marketing Department has named Brittany Kittleman the 2009-2010 Outstanding Marketing Senior. Kittleman's impressive academic record paired with her participation in the Honors program, many extracurricular activities, and a study abroad program, makes her an exemplary marketing student. Congratulations to Brittany, selected by the Marketing faculty out of an impressive group of nominees, including: Josh Coleman, Brittany Harrell, Danielle Hayden, Brooke Martin, and Sarah Millay.

Introducing New Concentration and Course Offering in Marketing: Social Media Marketing

April 2010: Starting in Fall 2010, the Marketing Department will offer a Social Media Marketing concetration to students. This new concentration focuses on the promotional aspect of Marketing, specifically effective use of new, non-traditional media outlets for marketing communication purposes. As part of the concentration, a new Social Media Marketing course will explore the use of social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Blogs, etc. for marketing purposes. Other courses in the Social Media Marketing concentration include Integrated Marketing Communications and Marketing on the World Wide Web, in addition to the required classes and electives for all majors. This concentration is now one of three specializations available for marketing majors. Students can also choose a strategic marketing concentration or a sales concentration.

Students Selected to Represent WKU at National Collegiate Sales Competition:

February 2009: On February 12, Sales students competed for the opportunity to represent WKU in the National Collegiate Sales Competition held annually at Kennesaw State University. Student presentations were judged by a panel of local business people, including Michael Gill, President & Founder of Mike’s Cycle World, Tommy Adams, President of Charles M. Moore Insurance Agency, George Sowards, President of the Sowards & Associates Insurance Agency, and Emmet Roche, Sales Manager for HeathCo LLC. Chris Derry, Sales Executive-in-Residence of the Marketing Faculty, will escort the winning students to the competition which is held just outside of Atlanta, Georgia March 5-8.  Participants include (from left to right): Cameron Gover, Krista Jakobi (primary participants), Professor Chris Derry (Faculty Advisor), Ashley Askren, and Joshua Shuck (alternates). The Marketing Department is very proud of our representatives and wishes them the best of luck! 

NBA's Director of Marketing "Socializes" with Students:

December 2009: Dan Opallo, the National Basketball Association's Director of Marketing, took time out of his busy schedule to visit Western Kentucky University and speak with the GFCOB about the use of Social Media such as Facebook and Twitter in business and marketing. Opallo spoke with Marketing classes early in the day, and then gave a presentation to students from across the University. Opallo highlighted the ability to reach new and attractive target audiences and to form relationships with consumers through the creative use of these social networking platforms, and discussed the campaigns that had been successful with the NBA.

"Goal-oriented" Students Meet with Predators' Executive VP of Marketing

October 2009: On October 29th, Students in Honors Basic Marketing and Sports Marketing with Dr. Rick Shannon, as well as Honors Sports Marketing with Dr. Craig Martin, had the opportunity to visit with Nashville's NHL franchise, the Predators. Students met and talked with the Predators' Executive VP of Marketing Derek Perez, who discussed the ins and outs of promoting a major sports franchise. Students then stayed to watch the Predators play before heading back to WKU. The Predators emerged victorious, beating the Chicago Blackhawks 2 to 0.

Marketing Students "Horse Around" this Semester

August-December 2009: Students taking Integrated Marketing Communications with Dr. Joanna Phillips this semester applied their knowledge of marketing to help a local non-profit organization. Rainhill Equine Facility is a sanctuary for abused, blind, disabled, or abandoned horses owned by Karen Thurman. As part of the Integrated Marketing Communications course, students work in teams structured like mini-advertising agencies to develop strategies to increase awareness and donations to Rainhill using advertising, public relations, and sales promotion tactics. Karen Thurman invited the classes to Rainhill in October where students met some of the 4-legged stars of Rainhill, including Secret Pattern (know by her friends as Patty), a daughter of Secretariat who injured a leg early in her career. At the end of the semester, Thurman selected the campaign she felt would work best for Rainhill. The winning group, pictured above (far right) was Cameron Lackey (Account Executive), Zach Redman (Account Planner), Clayton Heien, Matt Koenig (Creatives), and Alyssa Blair (Media Planner), whose campaign encouraged individuals to take a different perspective on horses and "Bet on These Horses...Save a Life." Rainhill will be rolling out the students' ideas this semester. To learn more about Rainhill, visit their website here. Photos by Brian Melancon.