MBA 745: Reflections on Module 2 Concepts

An integrated communication program is a good tool for promoting a plan, program, or product. Promotional tools, of which there are traditionally four, can be used within a integrated communicational program. What are these tools and how effective are any of them separately or collectively in strengthening marketing communications?

The four promotional tools include advertising, personal selling, public relations, and sales promotions. Each one has it’s individual strengths, but they work best collectively. By having an integrated marketing program, each aspect of the product promotion conveys the same message. Customers are not confused about the product they are purchasing.

Should one of the intended objectives of a marketing communication program be effective word of mouth promotion? If so, how? If not, why?

Word of mouth continues to be one of the strongest methods of advertising. People always trust the word of a respected friend over that of a television commercial or advertisement of some type. The company needs to constantly convey the same message about their product so that word of mouth. Some companies will actually hire people to give word of mouth testimonies, visiting places such as internet message boards to give their “plug” for the product.

Is there a danger in a mature organization such as Hopkins Printing in using one type of system for its knowledge management needs? Why or why not?

It depends… if the knowledge management system uses standardized open formats, it may be able to interact with many other systems. If this is the case, then one tool can be successful in managing data and information. If the system is a legacy and proprietary system, then it may limit the growth potential of the business.

What significant use would knowledge management provide during the Mature stage of the lifecycle of an organization?

It is very important to have a constant eye on the customer. Regularly reviewing their wants and needs so that the business can adapt to meet them is important. Knowledge management tools can assist the business in reviewing these purchase patterns and creating products necessary for the customer.

August 26, 2007 | Filed Under MBA 745 | Leave a Comment 

MBA 745 – Reflections on Module 1 Concepts

Consider your own leadership traits. Do you more closely fit with the creative nature from MBA 715, the organizational nature of MBA 725, the growth nature of MBA 735, or the mature nature of MBA 745? Explain your response.

I am definitely more of the creative type. I do my best in “uncharted” territory. Thinking outside the box and coming up with new ideas are areas where I am most comfortable. This type of thinking will also be be beneficial in the mature stage if the business. Being able to creatively repackage or innovate old products is important during the maturity phase as well.

Reflecting on your personal past experiences, discuss an idea you developed, only to have it fail after the implementation. Why could you not sustain it after the implementation?

The only thing that comes to mind initially is some database programming I did at one time. The software, while functional and working, was too difficult to use. It did the job that was necessary, but the learning curve was not easy enough to make the tool worthwhile. Since it was not easy enough to learn, long term usage failed.

Think of the products/services of your current organization. How can the products/services be enhanced to appeal to larger segments of the current markets?

The biggest way we try to improve our products is by identifying new markets. Our products are fairly mature and not much can be done to redesign the base product. What we do is come up with new packaging configurations for the accessories that come with it. By finding out what accessories our customers want with the product, we are able to rejuvenate the sales of our product.

August 19, 2007 | Filed Under MBA 745 | Leave a Comment 

MBA 735 – Reflections on Module 6 Concepts

I have survived! This entry will wrap up my last week of MBA 735, the growth phase of a business. It’s been a good class, particularly because we got into a lot of the mechanical portions of the business… finance, capital budgeting, HR and so forth. Next up will be MBA 745, the Maturity stage of the business. Just one question to address this week…

What are the key leadership characteristics needed to lead an organization during growth?

The number one characteristic, in my opinion, is that a leader has a good understanding of him or herself. A leader needs to know where their strengths and weaknesses lie. When a business moves into growth, particularly rapid growth, there are very few leaders who are “jack-of-all-trades”. A good leader will know when they need to hire in the expertise necessary to perform well through the growth phase. This will allow the leader to focus on his or her skills. The leader also needs to be skilled at bringing together those who are in various waves of change… agricultural, industrial, knowledge, and judgment. A growing business will have many waves represented, and the good leader will get them all performing well together.

August 4, 2007 | Filed Under MBA 735 | Leave a Comment