This past winter, I jumped at the chance to be a guest lecturer in Professor Chris Allen's M.B.A. course "Marketing for Managers" at the University of Cincinnati. Chris and I worked together on several projects during my tenure as Global Marketing Officer at P&G, and I have great respect for him as an academic and as an advisor. Chris asked me to share with the students what I had learned about branding and marketing throughout my career. A wide-open brief ... which is always fun!
I started with a few stories about my projects with Professor Allen, and then shared with the students "What I Believe" about marketing. Things like: Great marketing strives to make a positive difference in people's lives, and the importance of a winning mind-set because consumers buy brands that have inspired people behind them.
The core of my discussion with the students was what I had learned, the main principles, and I then challenged the class to provide examples from their studies/experience that affirmed or refuted the principles. Brand marketing is dynamic and a lifelong learning journey, so one reason I so love working with students is to listen and learn from their fresh thinking. And the UC students provided plenty of that.
