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© 2010 Theresa B. Clarke
James Madison University marketing and iMBA students recently passed the required exams and demonstrated proficiency in necessary subject areas critical to gaining competence in Google AdWords. Google awarded these students with an AdWords Individual Qualification with specialization in Search Advertising. By passing the examinations in this globally recognized program, individuals are qualified to effectively manage Google AdWords campaigns using the latest tools and best practice techniques. Three of these students, Nicole Bandy, Keri Miner, and Shay Meadows also passed the Google Analytics Individual Qualification (GAIQ) exams.
I am so very proud of these students from my MKTG 490 (Google Online Marketing Challenge) and MBA 678 courses at JMU. Congratulations is extended to:
Nicole Bandy (GAIQ)
Joshua Baugher
Dan Carr
Mollie Delp
Lindsay Hayes
Shay Meadows (GAIQ)
Keri Miner (GAIQ)
Brandon Trautman
Learn more about about how to become individually qualified in Google AdWords.
My Strategic Internet Marketing students at James Madison University recently completed a major course assignment using Google AdWords. The primary learning objective was to acquire hands-on experience using AdWords to drive traffic to any one of their own web pages and any one of their own blog posts of their choice.
Through this assignment, students developed skills in paid search (pay-per-click marketing). With a total account budget of $25.00 (their own money by the way) and a window of 14 possible days, students had an opportunity to learn how to structure accounts, create campaigns and Ad Groups, develop and manage keyword lists, utilize effective matching options, test ad copy using A/B testing, modify keyword bids, assess account performance, adjust daily budgets, utilize keyword tools, and much more. Students were also treated to an informative presentation about Search Engine Marketing from JMU Alum Lindsay Crone.
I want to recognize a few students from my Spring 2013 Internet Marketing class for exceptional performance in a few key areas from this assignment.
- Highest CTR: Evan Duso
- Highest Number of Clicks: Rachel Sturm
- Best Budget Management: Mandy Gassman
- Best Ratio of Clicks to Avg. CPC: Michael Baker, Vanessa Escobar, and Amanda Glover
- Best Overall Optimization Efforts: Heather Terk
With permission from Dr. Val Larsen, I am republishing an e-mail message sent to all of our marketing majors.
This message was originally sent on April 29, 2011 on behalf of the JMU Department of Marketing. Two years later, Dr. Larsen is sharing it again with our current students.
I sense that many students, not just JMU Marketing Majors, would benefit from reading the contents of his letter.
Dear Marketing Majors,
We have had several reports this year of students accepting job offers, then reneging on their acceptance of the offer when given a subsequent offer by another firm. This behavior is unethical. Being true to one’s word is fundamental in business ethics. Accepting a job and then reneging is not a victimless act. It damages the firm that extended the offer, the recruiters from that firm who hired you, and your fellow JMU students.
After you accept the job, the firm will discontinue its search and inform other candidates that the position has been filled. Restarting the search will cost it both money and time. The recruiters who hired you are injured because they will be less trusted by their superiors to exercise good judgment when making personnel decisions. If still trusted enough to carry out the new search, they will face the burden of conducting a new search while still carrying out their regular duties. Other JMU students will be damaged because the company will have a less favorable view of JMU graduates. Indeed, some firms have stopped recruiting at JMU altogether after having a JMU graduate accept a job, then renege and accept another offer.
If your acceptance of a job is conditional, you should disclose the conditions when you accept the offer. After accepting an offer, you should inform other employers who are actively considering you that you are no longer available. Your acceptance of a job offer is the first major act of your business career. If your first major act is unethical, you throw your integrity into question and mark a path for yourself that, if you continue on it, will result in your being a person others do not trust or respect.
Dr. Val Larsen
Interim Head, Department of Marketing
In a Bloomberg Businessweek guest post about reneging on an accepted job offer, Roxanne Hori, Associate Dean of Corporate Partnerships at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, shares this advice:
It is a very small world. Reputation is key. Demonstrating the ability to commit goes a long way. Demonstrating the inability to commit goes a longer way. Be mindful of your professional brand today and it will pay dividends down the road.
The Direct Marketing Educational Foundation (DMEF) is accepting applications for their amazing summer internship program. The Marketing EDGE Internship Program is open to undergraduate rising juniors and seniors nationwide attending accredited four-year colleges/universities. The next program will begin on June 10, 2013 and end on August 2, 2013. A one-week educational training program will directly follow the internship. Internship locations are to be determined.
To apply and learn more, visit the Marketing Edge Summer Internship Program. Email careers@directworks.org with any questions; Subject Line: Marketing Edge Summer Internship Question.
Today my MKTG 470 students were treated to a presentation from a very special JMU Marketing alum ~ Lindsay (Matt) Crone, Senior Creative Editor at The Search Agency.
Lindsay shared information about her career path since graduating from JMU in 2008. Her presentation included many useful tips about searching for jobs, positioning yourself professionally within social media, and discussing key skills during an interview.
She highlighted some of the integrated online services offered by The Search Agency such as SEO, affiliate marketing, comparison shopping, landing page optimization, paid search marketing, social media marketing, and display advertising. She also gave many useful tips about running successful Google AdWords campaigns.
On behalf of my JMU Marketing students, thank you Lindsay! We appreciate your willingness to share your time and expertise wish us.
For the first time in JMU Google Challenge history, a professor from another institution participated in our MKTG 490 guest speaker series. But this is not just any professor, it was Dr. Jim Jansen.
Dr. Jansen’s teams have placed in the top 1% of the Google Challenge during every year that he participated. In the most recent Google Challenge, three of his teams made it into the top five for the Americas region. This is no easy feat given that there were 11,000 students in 86 countries competing in the 2012 Challenge. According to Google, the 2012 competition was “the most competitive and diverse pool of teams yet.”
Dr. Jim Jansen speaks at JMU.
He is an Associate Professor of Information Sciences and Technology in Penn State’s College of Information Sciences and Technology (IST) and his areas of expertise areas are web searching, sponsored search and personalization for information searching.
I met Dr. Jansen during the awards ceremonies at the Googleplex for the inaugural Google Online Marketing Challenge in 2008. Since then, we co-authored two articles together and are currently working on a third manuscript. I also had the opportunity to serve as a reviewer for one of the chapters within his book entitled Understanding Sponsored Search: Core Elements of Keyword Advertising.
It was Dr. Jansen’s idea that we speak to each other’s classes as part of the 2013 Challenge. On February 15, he visited JMU to share strategies for developing effective AdWords ads. In a few weeks, I will speak to his 48 students at three Penn State Colleges (technology, communication, and business) ab0ut successfully communicating the strategic plan and the final results for the written report component of the Challenge.
Yes, our teams compete against each other in the Challenge, but above and beyond that, we are collaborators in teaching and research. Over the past five years Dr. Jansen and I have shared ideas on how to best integrate the Challenge into our courses. We have some similar, some different, and some complementary approaches regarding how to teach the Challenge experience. One belief we certainly share is that student learning is the #1 priority.
Thank you Dr. Jansen for sharing your time and expertise with JMU!
Below is a listing of some restaurants in Harrisonburg, VA and the Rockingham county area where children can eat free (or at reduced prices). This listing appears to be accurate as of February 22, 2013. If you know of any other great deals, please contact me or provide a comment to this post so I can add these deals to this list.
Sunday: Qdoba
Monday: McNeil’s Grill (formerly known as Hams), Buffalo Wild Wings, Country Cookin’, Quaker Steak & Lube, Ruby Tuesdays
Tuesday: Applebees, McAllister’s, IHOP, Dave’s Taverna
Wednesday: Vito’s Italian
Thursday: Traditions
Friday: No deals today. Boo!
Saturday: AJ Gators
Other:
- Texas Roadhouse has discounted meals from M-Th before 6pm
- Golden Corral $2.99 meals on M-Th, $2.99
- Kids meals at Shoney’s and Great Wraps
- Alberto & Mauricio’s Bistro -one free child’s meal with an adult entree purchase!
Special thanks to Jennifer Baker, Special Education and Student Study Chair at Cub Run Elementary School, for providing the initial list of restaurants to me. Also see CouponDivas.com for some special deals and coupons.
Ketchum is currently looking for summer interns. Send your resume and cover letter to Katherine Watier, VP Online Strategy and Market Insights, at katherine.watier@ketchum.com.
To help my spring 2013 MKTG 470 students improve the quality of their websites and prepare for the end-of-semester peer review, each student is randomly assigned a “blog partner”.
Blog partners are encouraged to work informally together and provide feedback throughout the semester. Partners may want to “pre-grade each other’s blog posts” before they are due or set up occasional meetings to review each others blog. As another option,partners may wish to set up a review schedule and communicate electronically. It is entirely up to each partner team to determine how often they wish to communicate and help each other develop great blogs.
11:00 Section Blog Partners – Godwin Lab:
| Jessica | Alea | Lauren | Kiser | |
| Ellen | Barker | Sarah | Konspore | |
| Laetitia | Biscos | Nicole | Martin | |
| Kristen | Booth | Kevin | Meder | |
| Rick | Brightwell | Lila | Mooney | |
| Bryan | Broscious | Patrick | Nowzari | |
| Grant | Burshem | Heather | Paxton | |
| Morgan | Burton | Hugo | Ramadier | |
| James | Carter | Shelby | Shaffer | |
| Catherine | Crews | Colin | Squier | |
| Frank | Doss | Rachel | Sturm | |
| Vanessa | Escobar | Sangbok | Sung | |
| Brittany | Glenn | Carolyn | Thiel | |
| Amanda | Glover | Josh | Tigges | |
| Jacquelyn | Gray | Elizabeth | Vincent | |
| Natalie | Iannello | Caitlin | Webster | |
| Mathew | Ingham | Shiyao | Yu |
12:30 Section Blog Partners – Showker Lab:
| Megan | Anise | Geoffrey | Harris | |
| Frank | Ashby | Jonathan | Morosini | |
| Michael | Baker | Sarah | Nuzzo | |
| Anna | Bosshard | Vilina | Phan | |
| Caroline | Burger | Patrick | Robinson | |
| Kirsten | Chaney | Kenneth | Salamon | |
| Jenn | Donovan | Nicholas | Scott | |
| Evan | Duso | Rachel | Tacci | |
| Mandy | Gassman | Heather | Terk | |
| Lauren | Hale | Bret Thompson | and Alysa Wilkins |
I am very happy to present the websites from my spring 2013 James Madison marketing students enrolled in MKTG 470. My students purchased hosting plans and .com domain names using GoDaddy.com.
During the next few weeks, my students will begin transforming their WordPress site into a unique creation. At first, they will learn how to establish a site theme, edit their “sample” page and convert it to an “about” page, create new web pages, manage their navigational bar, create permalinks, get their blog started, customize authorship of their blog, work with widgets, add images to their website, and create hyperlinks to images and text. Later in the course, students will explore various plug-ins for search engine optimization and site analytics, change their site theme to reflect their individual personalities, add blog posts, enable social media sharing, engage in paid search to drive traffic to their site, and much more.
I am very excited to help my students hone their technological skills. Below is a listing of my spring 2013 students and their URLs.
