Archive for the ‘Marketing’ Category

By Sudio Sudarsan ’05, Thunderbird MBA

Most of the greatest sports brands today are American: Nike (sportswear), Super Bowl (sporting event), Tiger Woods (sports personality), ESPN (sports channel), and the New York Yankees (sports club). Yet at least one powerhouse sports brand from India has earned its place among the world’s best. The Chennai Super Kings have differentiated themselves in the upstart Indian Premier League (IPL) and become a cultural phenomenon. As a branding veteran who specializes in consumer insights and technology, I would give the Super Kings full marks in every facet of the complex branding process, especially the potential to build equity by capitalizing on the emotional relationship the club shares with fans who derive strength and a sense of identity from their affiliation with their team. Read my full article in the Huffington Post.

A group of Thunderbird students have focused on the online dating market in the United States for their recent marketing research paper. The research focused on two brands, Match.com (Match) and OkCupid. The goal was to explore options for Interactive Corporation, the holding company for both dating sites, to simultaneously grow the online dating market and increase visibility and profitability of newly acquired OkCupid.
The students analyzed the product, promotion, placement and pricing as well as segmentation, targeting and positioning of each brand. In the end, they recommended a dual-branding strategy – one that differentiates the two brands and positions each to reach its optimal target market. Specifically, the students recommended that OKCupid emphasize the mobile app market, expand the focus from getting dates to building friendships, and build popularity by bridging the gap between meeting online and meeting in person by using promotional events to create buzz.

Follow this link to see the full corporate marketing article by Thunderbird students Noah Emery, Kate Gillette, Megan Groves, Roger Li, Christian Lorentzen, Ullas Rameshappa and Amanda Roberson

An organization’s tagline is an important driver of brand recognition. Just like those referenced in this image, a successful tagline resonates with consumers, and is easy to remember. It’s time we harnessed the power of Thunderbird in a powerful, memorable tagline as well.
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An organization’s tagline is an important driver of brand recognition. Just like those referenced in this image, a successful tagline resonates with consumers and is easy to remember.
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As global CEO of public relations and communications firm Burson-Marsteller, Mark Penn follows a simple formula to help his clients get the results they want: Numbers + creativity = strategy. Penn used the approach in the 1990s to help U.S. President Bill Clinton win re-election. The same formula has worked for Burson-Marsteller clients in dozens of countries. “I encounter a number of CEOs and others who want to operate by their gut,” Penn said Nov. 11, 2011, during a keynote address at the inaugural Thunderbird Global Business Dialogue in Glendale, Arizona. “They have great ideas, they have an inspiration, and they don’t want to be bothered by the numbers.” He also meets people at the other extreme who are completely numbers driven. “What I try to preach is, you’ve got to have the right combination for long-term renewal and success,” he said. Download the full podcast here from Thunderbird School of Global Management. | Podcast: Global Reputation Management (37:39)

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By Thunderbird Professor Emerita Gillian Rice

Companies are discovering Muslims as consumers. According to Nazia Hussain, Director of Cultural Strategy at Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide, Muslim consumers total almost 1.8 billion people worldwide. The halal market, which refers to that which is permissible according to Islamic law, is worth $2.1 trillion. I am co-editor, with Özlem Sandıkcı, of the Handbook of Islamic Marketing (Edward Elgar, 2011). This new book provides a timely, critical, and multidisciplinary approach to the intersection of Islam, consumption and marketing. Why the burgeoning interest in Muslim consumers? A number of social, cultural, political and economic developments are responsible.
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Marketing professional and entrepreneur Carol Schuster ’83 has worked with major clients such as Coca-Cola, Dupont and DHL in a global career that has spanned more than 25 years. But she still describes herself as a beginner. “I try to look at everything I do as a beginner,” Schuster said Oct. 7, 2011, at Thunderbird School of Global Management in Glendale, Arizona. Being a beginner, however, does not mean setting aside the importance of experience, education and expertise. Schuster said the key is to remain teachable and flexible. “It is really about curiosity,” Schuster said. “It’s a mood you have about something.” | Video: An Experience Beginner (2:40)
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By Karen A. Brown, Richard Ettenson and Nancy Lea Hyer

Have you ever noticed that some projects benefit from high-profile status that draws participation and support while others seem to languish somewhere in the back row? If you have observed this phenomenon, you aren’t alone. Our interviews and observations over a 10-year period have uncovered a huge gap in the “common body of knowledge” associated with the project management profession. Too many project leaders get so caught up in the usual tools and metrics that they fail to consider their roles as marketers within their organizations. | Read the full article in Sloan Management Review (Summer 2011).
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By Sundaresan Ram, Ph.D.

Companies entering developing markets need salespeople with technical skills and business savvy. But they also need adventure seekers willing to embrace local customs, withhold judgment about customer behavior, and celebrate failure. Regardless of their education or experience, salespeople without these cultural skills will stumble when they hit the ground in rugged markets such as Brazil, Russia, India or China. So here is a quick guide for assembling your next global sales team and laying the groundwork for long-term success in any unfamiliar market. | Video: Building a Global Sales Team (2:08) | Podcast: Go local for global sales success (15:00)
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Marketing professionals often view their organization’s finance department as the “Ministry of No Way,” while finance professionals view the marketing department as the “Ministry of Fluff.” Thunderbird Professor Richard Ettenson, Ph.D., has seen the often fractious relationship that results when the two sides try to coexist. Despite his background as the Thelma H. Kieckhefer Research Fellow in Global Brand Marketing at Thunderbird, he lays much of the blame on his own colleagues who manage brands and generate leads for their organizations. | Video: Making the Business Case for Marketing and Branding (35:47)
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