After the first day in class with Joe, I knew this class was going to be good -- not only we we allowed to be creative and to generate ideas that seemed far-fetched, we were able to embrace the phenomenon of social media, and come to understand how it can benefit ourselves and our businesses. Having a personal interest in the subject didn't hurt either, and I felt like everything covered in the class was completely relevant and useful, which is more than I can say for some of the classes I've taken at Seattle University.
I think one of the biggest takeaways for me is that marketing, specifically utilizing word of mouth strategies, is fun, and that I have fun doing it. With business and with my current career, I can't say that I'm all that enthused about where I'm slotted to end up (sitting in my little corporate cubicle with a pricey SU MBA); however, this class really spurred my interest to see what else is out there that might actually play to my creative strengths and permit me to actually use my brain in a non-robotic manner. I'm sure it isn't all fun and games, but I think that working in marketing and working with people that are excited about particular products brings a spark of life back into work.
Secondly, I think a valuable lesson from this course is to be honest and true to yourself, no matter what. Obviously when you help market products for a company, it is illegal to lie and cheat the system, but it's amazing to note how many people still do it. It is important to make a name for yourself honestly, so that you can have a reputation of integrity and trust with your clients and with your employer and co-workers. People who are dishonest usually get caught, and it can do a whole lot of damage. When your company's products and profit are at stake, you better make sure that you've got your ducks in a row. The consequences of misbehaving are far too grave, especially when the whole world is watching on the internet.
Finally, I learned that every product has a story, and it just needs to be told correctly. With my individual project, I was working with a family business that has produced a great product, but its story wasn't up to snuff. Some people knew about it, liked it, and talked about it, but it wasn't enough to make an impact. Great marketing is all about creating a conversation, and if this family can get the conversation started about their winery, they will be off to a great start. They just need to learn to tell their story in a better way, and social media supplies great tools to do that.
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