MKTG 490 Promotion Project – MWF 3:10 to 4 p.m. – CRN 23425

Course Overview:
This is an experiential learning course in which you and your classmates become a marketing agency working for a real client. Over the course of your project you will plan and implement a promotional event and an associated advertising and public relations campaign designed to achieve your client’s objectives. In addition, you will manage a budget, conduct market research, make agency-style presentations to sell your ideas and communicate your outcomes to your client, and produce materials that document the implementation and results of your campaign. This course can help you improve your skills in marketing, HR, operations management, public relations, oral and written communication, event planning, time management, and teamwork. All students admitted to the course are expected to strive for excellence. This course requires substantial effort, but the rewards are great!

Who can take this course?
This course is open to business students of any concentration as well as non-business students (e.g., digital marketing, promotions, public relations, broadcasting, and communications majors).

Why should I consider this course?

• It fulfills up to 3 Broadening/Experiential credits required for business majors or may be used to fulfill the 3 upper division elective credits for Marketing concentrations. It also may be used to fulfill 3 elective credits for the Promotion and Advertising minors.
• Developing marketing strategies for today’s consumer marketplace is exciting and challenging. This course provides an opportunity for you to synthesize what you have learned in various courses. You will put your skills to work for a real client. You will have a chance to interact with business executives and see what it’s like to actually “do” marketing.
• Prospective employers value teamwork, communication skills, a sophisticated understanding of your area of interest, and evidence of project completion. By the end of the term, you will have practical marketing experience and a finished project to talk about and take to job interviews.

How do I get permission to enroll?
Submit a hard copy of your current resume and cover letter to Connie Lipsker by Friday, Nov. 15 at 5 p.m. (You can drop these off with the business school administrative assistants.)

In the letter, please indicate the following:
1. Which project areas (project coordinator, promotions, advertising, public relations, market research, communications) are your first and second choices
2. Why those areas are particularly attractive to you
3. Any experience (work, volunteer) or qualifications (including coursework) you have in those areas

Course enrollment will be capped at 16 students per project; therefore, it is in your best interest to put together a solid resume and cover letter. You will be notified by Dec. 6 whether you have been accepted into the course so that adjustments to your spring schedule can be made, if necessary.

The primary purpose of the application process is to make sure that students have course preparation in order to benefit from and contribute to the course and its outcomes. I will be looking for students who have coursework and perhaps some work experience related to marketing research, advertising, promotions, personal selling, graphic design, digital marketing, public relations, and communications. If you plan to take any of these courses concurrently with the Promotion Project course, you should find many opportunities in the project to apply the concepts you are learning. The project work is demanding (but fun!), and the expectations regarding the quality of work are very high. Therefore, we will also be looking for students who have good academic records and who have demonstrated a commitment to hard work.

Project Areas: These areas represent the organizational structure that has generally been used in the past. It may be reconfigured to better suit this project, as needed.

• Project Coordinator/Budget Director—overall team leader and liaison with instructor and client, oversees the budget and use of project funds (Note: the Project Coordinator is elected at the beginning of the semester. Please indicate in your cover letter if you are interested in this position.)
• Market Research—oversees pre- and post-campaign research design, data collection, and analysis
• Promotions—oversees all facets of any promotional event(s), including logistics and sponsorships
• Advertising—oversees design and placement of advertising for the campaign, including social media
• Public Relations—oversees media coverage and publicity, charity initiatives, prize donations, and correspondence
• Communications—oversees the layout and content of the marketing proposal and recap presentations made to the client as well as producing written documents.

Reflections from past Promotion Project students:

• “This project has given me the opportunity to learn what a classroom setting couldn’t offer me.”
• “Seeing all of our hard work come together on the event day was so exhilarating. Despite a few mishaps, I was so proud that we had the strength and determination to pull off an extremely successful event.”
• “Being in this agency has been an excellent opportunity to expand and fine-tune talents that have been four years in the making.”
• “This is an experience I will remember for the rest of my life.”
• “Through this project, I gained valuable experience, made new friends, and created life-long memories.”
• “The Promotion Project was the best way to wrap up my college career. It gave me a chance to take all of the knowledge I had gained in the classroom and apply it in a practical setting.”

Questions? Contact Connie Lipsker
lipsker@gonzaga.edu or 313-7042

If you are interested in discussing courses in a particular discipline or need help registering for classes in a particular discipline, consider contacting the discipline leader. Below is a list of discipline leaders with their email and office location. A list of office hours is available here.

Students may design an interdisciplinary concentration of courses related to their individual goals and interests.* This concentration must include twelve credits of upper division courses approved by a faculty advisor.

To apply for an “Individualized Study” concentration, a student should do the following:

1. Work with an advisor to identify 12-credits (or more) of coursework that will combine to create learning outcomes for the student.
2. Write a definition of the topic of the concentration and provide an explanation of what the student will learn both broadly and specifically from the 12 credits of coursework. Be sure to list the courses that will comprise the concentration.
3. Email copy of No. 2 to the student’s advisor and copy the associate dean to create an electronic copy. Advisor will also keep hard copy in the student’s advising file.
4. Complete a Change of Major/Concentration Form indicating all majors and concentrations. The form is available here. Attach the description of the individualized study proposal from No. 2 and forward to advisor for email approval. Advisor should forward the form and description to the associate dean for final email approval. Associate dean will forward form and description to the Registrar’s office.
5. If an alternate course selection is chosen after the initial course list has been approved (in No. 2 above), complete a substitution form for each new class in the individualized study concentration. The substitution form will allow the new course(s) selected to count toward the concentration. Here is an example of the information needed on the substitution form: in place of Gonzaga’s required business concentration course I will substitute BMIS 443 Tech for Web/Mobile-based Bus from GU because this course is part of my Individualized Study concentration in Project Management

Note that the concentration will be listed on the student’s transcript as “Individualized Study.” It will not list the name or topic of the concentration. Also, note that the other rules for concentrations apply to the individualized study concentration, including:

1. Only one course may be double-counted between two concentrations in all but the international business concentration, where no double counting is allowed.

2. A course taken to fulfill a concentration requirement may not be double-counted to satisfy a requirement in the Broadening, International, or Experiential area for the Business Administration major.

*This blog post is based on the 2019-2020 catalog. Future catalog may not have this provision.

Please visit your advisor to be cleared to register, review your mid-term grades, and talk about your future. A list of faculty office hours is available here. Tips from the Registrar are available here.

Frequently asked questions about registering for Spring 2020 courses include:

1. I want to get “signed in” to a closed section of a course. What should I do? Answer: Contact the instructor either via email or stop by their office hours. If you email, you could copy the discipline leader on the email.

2. How do I declare my major/concentration or change my major/concentration?

3. I need an experiential course. Which Spring 2020 classes will fulfill that requirement?

4. How do I know which classes I need?

5. How do I change advisors?

6. What are the internship options?

7. I want to study abroad. How can I get courses at another university approved to count for my Gonzaga courses?

8. I plan to take classes at another university this summer. How can I make sure those classes will transfer back to Gonzaga?

9. I am a senior and plan to take business ethics. I thought I had to take BUSN 480 and BUSN 485, but I only see BUSN 480. Answer: BUSN 480 (2 credits) and BUSN 485 (1 credit) have been combined into BUSN 480 (3 credits).

10. Can I take any section of BUSN 480 that I want? Answer: The 10 a.m. section is restricted to Finance concentrations. All other sections are open to registration for all seniors.

11. When is my registration window? Answer: You can find this information under the Registration tab on Zagweb.

In the Spring 2020, one section of BUSN 480 will be designated for finance students. Students are encouraged to sign up for the sections with their designations. Other students should sign up for any of the open sections.

Do you need to take an experiential course to complete your degree requirement? Experiential courses are those that give you hands-on experience with the curriculum. Here is a list of Spring 2020 courses that will count toward your experiential requirement (if you have one):

1. Internships. For details on how to get an internship and get credit for it, click here.

2. BUSN 470 Multidisciplinary Action Projects: There are two sections of this course offered in the spring:

Section 1: This section is team-taught by Dean Ken Anderson and two others. Students work in small teams to tackle projects for actual clients. The class has several projects each semester.

Section 2: This section is taught by Dr. Stevens. It will work on a project for the Inland Northwest Farmers Market Association. Student teams will work with members of the organization, farmers, customers, and other key partners to pilot projects that are important to the growth and diversity of our famers markets throughout the region.

3. ACCT 471 Forensic Accounting Lab: This course is also called the “Justice for Fraud Victims Project.” It is a joint program with members of the community (law enforcement, prosecutors, and local certified fraud examiners) to investigate real cases of suspected fraud that are referred by local law enforcement. Enrollment is by application only. For information, contact Dr. Weber at weber@gonzaga.edu.

4. BFIN 429 A, B, C: This class on portfolio management runs across three semesters (one credit per semester) and typically begins in the spring of a students’ junior year. year. Registration by instructor permission. Contact Dr. Barnes at barnes@gonzaga.edu.

5. BUSN.494 Small Business Consulting: This class requires an application process. Contact Dr. Todd Finkle at finklet2000@yahoo.com for details.

6. MKTG 490 Promotion Project. More information on this class and how to apply is available here.

How do you know if you need an experiential class?

If you have one concentration, you need to take 1. an experiential or international class and 2. a broadening class
If you have two or more concentrations, you need to take 1. an experiential or international class but you do not need 2. a broadening class (because your second concentration provides that).

If you have an accounting major and no concentration, you do not need to take a broadening, experiential, or international course beyond what is required in the accounting curriculum.

If you have an accounting major and one or more concentrations, you need to take 1. an experiential or international class but you do not need 2. a broadening class (because your accounting major provides that).

If you have a concentration in Entrepreneurship and Innovation (and no other concentrations), you need to take 1. an international class and 2. a broadening class.

If you have an International Business concentration, you need to take either a Broadening, Experiential or 200-level of higher language course.

This is a list of office hours in the SBA

Please note an awesome new course offering for Fall that will be taught by Aaron Sanchez, ’02. This course has a MKTG 310 pre-req and requires an application to register, as outlined below. The first class is FRIDAY, AUG. 30.

MKTG 489 Content Production

Learn how to produce professional-quality digital content. In this course, you’ll learn the production process from an advertising industry veteran, giving you an up close look at how agencies and production companies take an idea and turn it into a live product. Specifically, you’ll make a series of audio podcasts about Gonzaga alumni and their careers and lives after leaving GU. (Course Prereq: MKTG 310)

Schedule: The in-person portion of this course takes place over three weekends. Attendance at these sessions is required.

Session 1 (Friday, Aug 30, Saturday, Aug 31)

Friday: 4pm – 7pm Saturday: 10am – 4pm

Session 2 (Friday, Sept 27, Saturday, Sept 28)

Friday: 4pm – 7pm Saturday: 10am – 4pm

Session 3 (Friday, Nov 22, Saturday, Nov 23)

Friday: 4pm – 7pm Saturday: 10am – 4pm

Does this course meet any requirements?

This course will fulfill the 3 upper division elective credits for Marketing concentrations. It also may be used to fulfill 3 elective credits for the Promotion minor or the Digital Marketing minor. This course also meets the experiential requirement for business majors or the broadening requirement for single-concentration business students who aren’t in marketing.

Why should I consider this course?

• If you are interested in advertising agencies, this course will help you understand what happens when an idea goes from being an idea to a final product. The production process that applies to podcasts also applies to film, social media, and print productions.
• In this class, you’ll learn how to structure a narrative and tell a story from beginning to end in a creative way. You’ll learn how music, editing, and sound design can shape a story.
• We’ll study industry-leading podcasts, learning what makes them so popular. You don’t need to be a fan of podcasts, and you may not be one after the course. But, you’ll learn more about the sector of media that’s growing faster than any other.
• Students in this course will get to meet about 45 different GU grads and learn how they built their careers after leaving school. The insights students will gain from the alumni will help them on their own career paths.
• Students will leave the class with three professional-quality productions and an ad campaign that they can put on their resume and possibly their portfolio sites to show to prospective employers.
• One of the most important modern marketing skills that professionals say students should master is content marketing. (See this infographic for one such example: https://online.maryville.edu/blog/11-modern-marketing-skills-for-business-innovators-to-master/.)

How can I register for this course?

If you are interested in registering for this course, you must submit your resume via email to the course instructor at aaron.sanchez@gmail.com. Your resume should display relevant coursework, volunteering, or jobs that have prepared you for this course. Previous work in production is not a requirement.

Any questions about the course may be directed to Aaron at aaron.sanchez@gmail.com.

Gonzaga’s School of Business offers one-credit classes to all students each semester. The classes described below involve travel out of town and come with an additional fee. Scholarships are available.

These classes can often serve as general electives in a student’s pursuit of a degree. Registration is open to ALL MAJORS. The classes are listed on Zagweb.

Boeing
Sunday, Sept. 8 and Friday, Sept. 13 (with travel to Seattle on Thursday Sept. 12)

Microsoft
Friday, Sept. 20 (with travel to Seattle on Thursday Sept. 19)

Details on each class are below.

TWO IMPORTANT NOTES

• These classes meet on Fridays. This may prevent you from registering on Zagweb because of the overlap with other classes you are taking. To register, call the Registrar’s office at 313-6592.
• Participation in the class is not an automatic excused absence from your Friday classes. Be sure to discuss your involvement in the class with your Friday instructors. You will be provided a letter that confirms your participation in the course.

BUSN 259 Value Chain Analysis at Microsoft

This course has a $150 fee. Scholarships are available.

What’s your area of expertise? How will you apply it when you reach the workforce? Organizations will need your subject-matter expertise, but also will require you to span boundaries between departments. Gone are the days of staying in your comfort zone. Today’s workers need to understand how the whole organization works and be willing to step up to new challenges.

To address the skills needed to have a boundary-spanning career, a one-credit skills class is being offered at Microsoft.  Students in this class will roam the 88 acres of the Microsoft campus with the Chief Technology Officer himself: Gonzaga business school alum Stuart McKee. Also joining us will be Max McKee, recent graduate from Gonzaga in Computer Science and new hire at Microsoft, who will share his experiences as a recent graduate making the leap into full-time work at Microsoft. Stuart’s grandfather and Max’s great grandfather Archie Sherar also graduated from Gonzaga – in 1933.

Students will learn about the need for boundary spanning skills, image management, and how the various operations of a business work together to create value. McKee invites you to open your mind to the latest and greatest innovations in the world of technology.   This is an unscripted tour inside one of the most recognizable companies in the world – from finance to product engineering to facilities management – we will discuss it all. Topics and discussions will range from the inner workings of the business world to the newest technology that is not on the market yet. Course content and facilitation will help you develop skills to thrive in a large in a large organization where spanning boundaries between departments and combining expertise is the norm.

Buses will leave Spokane at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 19. We will be staying at a hotel near Microsoft. We will spend Friday at Microsoft and return to Spokane around midnight.

Dr. Molly Pepper and Dr. Mary Heitkemper

BUSN 270 Project Management at Boeing

This course has a $150 fee. Scholarships are available.

This includes a trip to Boeing in Renton, WA. This one credit hour course provides students an introduction to how The Boeing Company executes and manages aerospace projects through an immersive visit to their production facility near Seattle, WA.  Students will be provided a one-of-a-kind opportunity to view commercial aircraft being assembled on a production line before they take to the sky.  In addition, students will receive a brief introduction of skills necessary to manage a wide range of projects at The Boeing Company including: project planning, task scheduling, and project reporting.

Also included will be a hands-on experience with implementation of a project and a cross-talk with Boeing employees designed to give students a chance to learn from a company filled with inquisitive, energetic, enterprising and talented people.

Open to all Majors, however will be especially beneficial to those students who are in Business (Finance, Management Information Systems or Operations and Supply Chain Management) or Engineering degree paths.

Class meets from 6-9 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 8 and Friday, Sept. 13. Buses will leave Spokane at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 12. We will be staying at a hotel near Boeing. We will spend Friday at Boeing and return to Spokane around midnight.

Instructors: Dr. Mirjeta Beqiri and Dr. Danielle Xu