WVU Marketing Communications Today

The landscape of higher education has experienced major changes, but it is set to undergo a sweeping transformation in the years ahead. A smaller Gen. Z cohort, combined with increased talent demands in the industry bring both threats and opportunities for academic instruction. Who will survive, and how will they thrive? In this week’s episode, we tackle two compelling opportunities: how marketing professionals should evaluate the role of higher education in their career ladder, and how schools should borrow from the B2B playbook to competitively market themselves for the future. Take a listen with our esteemed guest, Chad Mezera, Assistant Dean of Online Programs for the Reed College of Media at West Virginia University. Chad literally “wrote the playbook” on online education, and has turned WVU’s higher education programs into award-winning, innovative online degrees.

About our Guest:

Chad Mezera is the Assistant Dean of Online Programs for the Reed College of Media at West Virginia University (WVU). In this role, he oversees all online courses offered by the college and leads the online programs support team. Before coming to WVU in 2005, Mezera led the internal corporate communications function of a major government IT solutions provider. Prior to that, he planned and executed national and regional marketing campaigns for a non-partisan think tank focused on developing and teaching best practices in federal, state and local government.

WVU Marketing Communications Today: Horizons is presented by the West Virginia University Reed College of Media, which offers renowned online master’s degree programs in Marketing Communications.

In this episode, Brian Hunt explains, in the clearest possible terms, the total scoop on CTV for marketers. We learned its benefits and drawbacks, the differences between CTV, OTT and linear television, and why CTV is an essential medium for us to be experimenting with today. Career hint: Data science majors can write their own tickets in this field! Join us for the details of how television is becoming more digital, targetable and measurable as a marketing communications channel.

About our Guest:

Media industry veteran Brian Hunt is Head of OTT and CTV Advertising Sales for Sinclair Broadcast Group.

In this role, Hunt is responsible for the monetization of multiple premium connected TV and over-the-top digital video services for the company, including CompulseOTT, a data-driven ad platform and the fastest-growing digital product in Sinclair’s history. His responsibilities also include oversight of Sinclair’s rapidly growing local broadcast inventory and national platforms for NewsON, featuring over 300 local broadcast stations, as well as STIRR, Sinclair’s direct-to-consumer advertising-supported OTT service. Hunt also oversees the OTT and CTV ad sales for Bally Sports regional sports networks and The Tennis Channel.

Prior to his role at Sinclair, Hunt was Corporate Vice President of TEGNA’s Premion OTT Division as its first employee. During Hunt’s tenure at Premion, he oversaw Sales, Publisher Relationships, Contracts, Operations and Strategy.

Prior to TEGNA, Hunt held a variety of leadership positions in the industry. He was the Senior Vice President of Viamedia, a cable ad sales representation firm where he established and renewed key partnerships including Centurylink, Google Fiber, Verizon Fios, Time Warner and others. Hunt spent over 15 years at NBCUniversal as Senior Vice President of Affiliate Sales & Marketing in the Cable Distribution Group and other key NBCU positions.

Hunt has a BS in Finance from Southern Illinois University, M.B.A. from Fontbonne College in St. Louis, MO and an Executive Management Degree from Harvard Business School. Hunt lives in the New York City suburbs with his wife and three children.

WVU Marketing Communications Today: Horizons is presented by the West Virginia University Reed College of Media, which offers renowned online master’s degree programs in Marketing Communications.

It’s time to look in the digital mirror. Do you like what you see? What does your “digital-first impression” say about you? And why should you care? Whether it’s your company website or your social pages, your web presence makes a bigger difference than you think. In this episode, our guest Andy Crestodina makes the case for investing in your digital presence right now, to make the impact you want tomorrow. He also shares tips on how your digital content must adapt to stay competitive, engaging and relevant. Join us!

About our Guest:

Andy Crestodina is a co-founder and CMO of Orbit Media, an award-winning 40-person digital agency in Chicago.

Over the past 20 years, Andy’s provided guidance to 1000+ businesses. He’s written hundreds of articles on content strategy, SEO and Analytics. He’s also the author of Content Chemistry: The Illustrated Handbook for Content Marketing.

• Top 10 Online Marketing Experts, Forbes
• Top 50 Marketing Influencer, Entrepreneur Magazine
• Top 25 Content Marketers, Express Writers/Buzzsumo
• Top 10 Social Media Influencers, Social Media Explorer

WVU Marketing Communications Today: Horizons is presented by the West Virginia University Reed College of Media, which offers renowned online master’s degree programs in Marketing Communications.

Some changes are so subtle you don’t recognize them when they are happening, but then – BAM - you get a wake-up call. That is what our guest, Jay Baer, says about the customer experience. Today CX is all about how you make the customer feel and brands who succeed in the future will excel at understanding, meeting, and exceeding the expectations of their customers. Join us as Jay lays out the roadmap for what you should be doing now to meet the future needs of your customers. Jay is a marketing and customer experience expert and 7th-generation entrepreneur. He is the author of 6 best-selling business books and the founder of 5 multi-million dollar companies. His newsletter, thebaerfacts.com is also chock full of tips and insights on the convergence of marketing+CX.

About our Guest:

Jay Baer is a Hall of Fame keynote speaker who teaches business growth through customer experience and marketing innovation. He is also a popular virtual emcee and event host, New York Times bestselling author of six books, and founder of five, multi-million dollar companies.

Filled with real-world case studies and examples, Jay’s entertaining and engaging programs teach companies how to turn customer experience, customer service, and marketing into their biggest business growth advantage.

Jay has advised numerous iconic brands such as including Caterpillar, Nike, IBM, Allstate, The United Nations, and 32 of the FORTUNE 500. He is the Founder of Convince & Convert, a strategy consulting firm that owns the world’s #1 content marketing blog and the world’s top marketing podcast.

Known for his fun plaid suits, meeting planners can select the very suit Jay will wear to their event through his custom app!

WVU Marketing Communications Today: Horizons is presented by the West Virginia University Reed College of Media, which offers renowned online master’s degree programs in Marketing Communications.

Early in the pandemic, David Meerman Scott saw marketers struggle to take their in-person events virtual, and concluded that we were approaching the problem from the wrong mindset altogether. He published a 6-minute video explaining the right way to reimagine events for the virtual world. On our podcast, David not only provides a 7-point set of action steps to liven up your virtual and hybrid events, but he also shares what it will take to create the successful events of the future. Join us for an instructive 30 minutes!

About our Guest:

David Meerman Scott spotted the real-time marketing revolution in its infancy and wrote five books about it including The New Rules of Marketing and PR, now in a 7th edition, with more than 400,000 copies sold in English and available in 29 languages from Albanian to Vietnamese.

Now David says the pendulum has swung too far in the direction of superficial online communications. Tech-weary and bot-wary people are hungry for true human connection. Organizations have learned to win by developing what David calls a “Fanocracy” - (the subject of his Wall Street Journal bestseller) - tapping into the mindset that relationships with customers are more important than the products they sell to them.

He is a massive live music fan, having been to 804 live shows since he was 15 years old, is passionate about the Apollo lunar program, and he loves to surf but isn't very good at it.

WVU Marketing Communications Today: Horizons is presented by the West Virginia University Reed College of Media, which offers renowned online master’s degree programs in Marketing Communications.

Are your models annoying or delighting your consumers? Marketers have been using machine learning for years to help create advanced models, but that is not going to cut it in the future. Too many personalization efforts today rely on algorithms that are turning people off. And our attempts at automated personalization engines are forcing consumer audiences to simply tune brands out.

In this episode, we explore the connection between models, analytics, and even Eric Clapton with our guest, Stephen Yu. As a songwriter, musician, and master modeler, Stephen brings a unique perspective to data science and a cautionary message as well: Those who rely solely on automated analytic solutions will be the first to be replaced by the machine!

About our Guest:

Stephen H. Yu is a world-class database marketer with a proven track record in comprehensive strategic planning and tactical execution, effectively bridging the gap between the marketing and technology world with a balanced view obtained from over 30 years of experience in best practices of database marketing.

Currently, he is President & Chief Consultant at Willow Data Strategy. Previously he served as Practice Head, Advanced Analytics & Insights for eClerx, and VP, Data Strategy & Analytics at Data Axle. Earlier, he was the founding CTO of I-Behavior Inc.

WVU Marketing Communications Today: Horizons is presented by the West Virginia University Reed College of Media, which offers renowned online master’s degree programs in Marketing Communications.

In this special edition of Marketing Horizons, hosts Ruth Stevens and Cyndi Greenglass review the 2021 marketing trends they believe will have a significant impact on marketers in the year ahead. Some fads have already faded, but some new ones will continue to disrupt and drive business results in 2022. And a bonus: Are you thinking about how to uplevel your career this year? Ruth and Cyndi also give us a preview of the exciting careers emerging for marketers.

WVU Marketing Communications Today: Horizons is presented by the West Virginia University Reed College of Media, which offers renowned online master’s degree programs in Marketing Communications.

Direct marketing —an approach that uses all types of advertising media to motivate a response, which is tracked and stored in a database—is fast becoming indistinguishable from modern marketing today. Join us as Ron Jacobs, one of the preeminent authorities on this topic, explains the evolution of direct marketing thinking and where it’s headed over the horizon. Hint: Some marketing challenges are not likely to be solved anytime soon, but Ron says new tools and technologies are on the way.

About our Guest:

During the last 35 years, J&C founder, Ron Jacobs, has been blazing the trail and establishing the best ways to interact with consumers. Through honed tactics and techniques, Ron has defined the best ways to start, manifest and sustain relationships with customers. He shares his insights and strategies as the author of many articles and books, through works with clients and organizations in the U.S. and around the world, and across the globe as world-renowned public speaker. Ron Jacobs literally wrote the book on direct marketing, which is now the basis for modern relationship and response marketing.

WVU Marketing Communications Today: Horizons is presented by the West Virginia University Reed College of Media, which offers renowned online master’s degree programs in Marketing Communications.