Day One of Mktg 491

Every quarter, the first day of classes is something like Forrest Gump's box of chocolates because you never really know what you're going to get. This time around, however, you've hand selected 3 chocolates (well... classes). You know what the outside looks like, thanks to the course description, but what will be on the inside? It could be chocolate ganache, marshmallow and caramel (my absolute favorite), coconut, or some awful creme. Coming into Mktg 491 I knew the outside of the chocolate looked quite tasty, but wasn't sure the inside would measure up to my favorite marshmallow and caramel combo. Luckily, Joe Barnes has the ability to make learning fun, relevant, and hip. I never expected that a 6-8pm class to be able to hold my attention. It probably helps that I'm a marketing major about to interview for a social media job, but this is the kind of class that I wish all my classes were like: interactive, dynamic, and fun. Yeah, I say that now. I'll keep you posted as the quarter continues. Either way, on the first day (when you usually just learn about the syllabus), I gained a new perspective on word of mouth marketing. Instead of talking, we, as marketers, should be listening. Listening! In listening to customers (not just hearing them) true conversations can form around a brand and in turn those conversations will help build relationships. Building relationships = buildings sales... and who doesn't want that? To conclude, I've read the first 5 chapters of Word of Mouth Marketing by Andy Sernovitz. What a great read! This book is full or great one-liners. My favorite from today being: "You can't fake love-or positive word of mouth." Love it! And I'm not faking it. Seriously, I tweeted it this morning. This book is the introductory self-help book for marketers who are looking to dip their toes into the pool of word of mouth marketing. Join me, jump in, and enjoy the swim.