Marketing Communications Today Blog

During the pandemic, we’ve all been watching with horror as stores close and shopping behavior has turned upside down. Amazon’s sales are up 40% in the last 12 months. What’s the future of retail, we have to ask? Join us for an engaging discussion with Paul Leinwand and Samrat Sharma from PriceWaterhouseCoopers’s as they discuss the future of consumer markets and where the consumer shopping experience is headed. Paul Leinwand is global director of the Strategy& unit of PwC based in Chicago and teaches strategy and management as an adjunct at Kellogg Graduate School of Business. Samrat Sharma also works at Strategy& and has an MBA from Carnegie Mellon.

Cyndi Greenglass: Can you describe what you mean by the store of the future?

Samrat Sharma: You know, this is a great topic, we're having a ton of discussions with a lot of our clients today. As difficult as disruption can be, it often nudges us. We were already going through a trend where the store was being redefined to be more omnichannel, to be more experience rich in a really fusing the physical and digital world way. If at all, the pandemic just accelerated that. So, what does that mean? In a practical sense, it means technology will continue to revolutionize or enable both online and physical retail, forcing a real change, a real shift in business models, but, primarily driven by the consumers because what consumers like you and I are really looking for is a frictionless, completely tech enabled experience. The retailers and, quite honestly, the manufacturers, are trying to respond and serve the consumers where they meet the consumers, where they want to be met. As a result of that, traditional channels will continue to blur as retailers and manufacturers both embrace this whole direct to consumer model. The fulfillment experience will become an increasingly critical point of differentiation, execution and as a result of the pandemic health and safety, will continue to be a key component of the loyalty that any retailer will be able to drive in the future.

Each semester the WVU Marketing Communications online programs is excited to welcome a new group of individuals into the MCNetwork. The WVU Marketing Communications graduate student population consistently varies in their levels of experience and expertise, with some just completing their undergraduate studies to those holding senior leadership positions at the world's most elite agencies and brands. Each student brings a unique style and perspective to the program.

Meet some of the students who will be joining the WVU Marketing Communications Network this summer semester:

Associate Lecturer, University of Wisconsin-River Falls
Marketing communications consultant
M.S. Integrated Marketing Communications

At the conclusion of each semester, the WVU Marketing Communications Programs are excited to celebrate our graduates. Meet the members of the class of Spring 2021 who have successfully completed their studies!

M.S. Integrated Marketing Communications 2021
Social Media Specialist, Seattle University Marketing and Communications
Seattle, WA

Why did you choose to pursue a WVU Marketing Communications Graduate Program?

Design thinking has been around a while, and it sounds alluring, but there’s still some confusion about what it means to marketers. Roger Mader sets us straight in this podcast, explaining the skills and tools of design thinking that apply to marketing practice, and how it can be used to improve marketing results. In short, he describes a process for predicting your customers’ future needs and interests, and serving them better than the competition. Join Roger, Managing Partner at Ampersand and professor at the School of Visual Arts in New York, to hear where design thinking can take marketers, on the sub-series, Marketing Horizons.

Cyndi Greenglass: Could start by grounding us all in here, what is your view, what are the specific skills or attributes of design thinking for marketing and marketers?

Roger Mader: I recently spent a year with Subway, one of my clients who I advised on innovation as their chief marketing officer globally. I was asked because design thinking is so closely aligned with the core competencies of marketing. Design thinking begins by understanding your customer by using deep empathy to understand what the needs of your audience are, so that you can conceive products that will better serve what they need.

In honor of Mother’s Day coming up, the WVU Marketing Communications Online Programs wanted to take a moment to highlight a couple of our mothers currently working toward their master’s degree. Meet Katie and Whitney:

What does Mother’s Day mean to you?

Mother's Day means hitting the pause button, pulling back and reflecting on all that I've gotten to do with and for my girls this year. It's a moment to be thankful for the opportunity to be a mother and gives me pause to think about all the women out there that have that hope.

There are many highly talented and skilled people in the marketing communications industry. The fully online master’s degrees in Data, Digital and Integrated Marketing Communications sets your ideal career in motion. Hear from our students why they chose to grow their career with a master’s degree, online.

In STCM 421, I was introduced to data analytics by my professor Dr. Fraustino. I was amazed by what all could be done with data especially in the world of media. I finally understood why I was receiving certain Instagram advertisements that always felt so personalized to me, and I loved it! I began to learn more and more about data analytics and wanted to be a part of this growing industry. In the spring of 2020, I was deciding if I wanted to continue my education or go into the workforce and I was presented the opportunity of working for EcoCAR. This gave me the opportunity to stay at WVU and enroll in the Data Marketing Communications program. Through this program I expected to gain a better understanding of data analytics and how to use this information effectively for communication purposes. Perhaps collecting data on a consumer base to creating a new marketing campaign for them. This is just one small example of what I expect to learn through this program. What is most important is learning data visualization, so I can let other people within a company understand what the numbers mean and what to do next. I’ve always been a person to go off the beaten path. Many of my peers form my hometown when into the same trades or degrees. I wanted to do something that I found passion in, and for me that was media. That passion has now evolved to include data. This is a growing field that shows no signs of slowing down, and I want to be a part of this movement. Data can be used in any industry, so the job opportunities are endless.

I selected this program because I felt as if I was at a point in my career where I was getting comfortable. There wasn’t any room to grow in my current position because I have a traditional communications background, and I lack the digital and analytical education needed to move into the marketing organization. I was intrigued by WVU's “learn it today, apply it tomorrow” curriculum approach, and I applied because I believed the courses outlined would shape me into a more 
well-rounded marketing professional with experience beyond just social media. I’ve already been able to apply my learnings when working with our marketing team, and I’m hopeful that after I graduate, I could make the career switch. It’s taken courage to step out of my comfort zone, but I’m confident that this program will continue giving me the skills and confidence I need.