The Google Online Marketing Challenge

In 2008, a collaborative partnership between Google and academia launched the Google Online Marketing Challenge (hereinafter Google Challenge), perhaps the world’s largest in-class competition for higher education students. In just two years, almost 20,000 students from 58 countries participated in the Google Challenge. The Challenge gives undergraduate and graduate students hands-on experience with the world’s fastest growing advertising mechanism, search engine advertising. Funded by Google, students develop an advertising campaign for a small to medium sized enterprise and manage the campaign over three consecutive weeks using the Google AdWords platform. This article explores the Challenge as an innovative pedagogical tool for marketing educators. Based on the experiences of three instructors in Australia, Canada and the United States, this case study discusses the opportunities and challenges of integrating this dynamic problem-based learning approach into the classroom.

Managing E-Health in the Age of Web 2.0

The use of Web 2.0 internet tools for healthcare is noted for its great potential to address a wide range of healthcare issues or improve overall delivery. However, there have been various criticisms of Web 2.0, including in its application to healthcare where it has been described as more marketing and hype than a real departure from previous medical internet or eHealth trends. Authors have noted that there is scant evidence demonstrating it as a cost efficient mechanism to improve outcomes for patients. Moreover, the investments in Web 2.0 for health, or the wider concept of eHealth, are becoming increasingly significant. Hence given the uncertainty surrounding its value, this chapter aims to critically examine the issues associated with emerging use of Web 2.0 for health. The authors look at how it not only distinguishes itself from previous eHealth trends but also how it enhances them, examining the impact on eHealth investment and management from a policy perspective, and how research can aid this management.

How Much is Too Much?

A marketeer’s point of view is presented in this chapter. Although legal restrictions safeguard processes and restrict annoying intrusive techniques, protecting customers, it can be argued that responsible privacy practices in the marketing profession will add value for consumers. As businesses compete with greater intensity to provide the customer with control over areas such as product offerings, services provided, and account management, privacy standards, being an important part of the customer-company relationship, formulate the grounds upon which businesses compete to provide greater customer control.

Exploring the Potential of e-CRM in SME Marketing Practice

Despite such constraints, it is posited that by exploring the components of e-CRM in the unique context of SME business and marketing practice that a natural synergy exists between e-CRM and SME marketing in the creation of value propositions. Specifically this is addressed through the two contributing constructs of SME marketing; namely entrepreneurial marketing and network marketing (Carson & Gilmore, 2000).

Mobile Marketing Management

Mobile marketing is a new form of marketing communication using mobile communication techniques to promote goods, services, and ideas. The marketing instrument provides anytime and anywhere interaction, location and situation dependency, targeted addressing of consumers, and inherent measurement of campaign effectiveness. Based on case study research and empirical studies this chapter examines marketing objectives, types and implementation techniques of mobile marketing. Moreover two instruments for mobile marketing are provided: The campaign type implementation toolbox supports the development of campaigns on a tactical level and the campaign type selection toolbox enables a purposive planning of mobile marketing campaigns on a strategic level.

21st Century Learning Opportunities for SME Success

This chapter informs SME (small and medium enterprise) owners, developers, consultants, and academics with the reasons, means, and possibilities afforded by 21st century technology in helping SMEs to improve their operational efficiencies and discover more effective marketing strategies for their products and services. With the rapid development and broad-based integration of web-based technologies across domains of communication, marketing, e-Commerce, and training, SMEs can benefit greatly by using these inexpensive tools to their advantage. SMEs typically underutilize opportunities to enhance their efficiencies by using more complex e-Business systems, and in so doing under develop the talents of their workforce for innovation and success. This underutilization is not just because of ignorance of technological capabilities, but also from a lack of exposure to leadership and HR development training. Knowing the need to learn must be a strong foundation before technological development can ensue. This chapter provides a synthesis of research and literature across several related, but seldomly connected fields - including, organizational theory, leadership, adult development and learning, 21st century learning, distance learning and human resource management. In developing this chapter, the authors are attempting to communicate the need for SMEs to both develop leadership and technological program developments to implement the changes needed to compete in a marketplace that reflects rapid change and imperfect information.

A Business Model Framework for Second Life

This chapter provides a framework to analyse the marketing and promotion advantages of Virtual Communities. Virtual Communities offer companies the possibility to carry out a new products and services promotion and to develop trustful relationships with customers. The key element in the use of Virtual Communities for these purposes is the wide amount of customers that can be reached. Virtual Communities present the aptitude to generate social influence and knowledge sharing among customers. As a consequence, it brings out the increasing number of skills, competencies and “knowledge profiles” of each customer involved in the virtual environment. The framework is consequently applied to Second Life in order to analyse three different business strategies that companies usually implement by using this platform. The first strategy allows companies to perform the placement of their products/services in a dynamic form. The second strategy provides companies the possibility to have a better knowledge of customers’ needs in order to develop products and services that satisfy customer’s expectations. Finally, the third strategy allows companies to develop high brand awareness.

Marketing a Blended University Program

This case study describes a successful marketing effort to recruit prospective graduate students for a blended program delivered to a culturally diverse urban and suburban adult nontraditional population. An effectiveness evaluation analyzed and measured program and per class enrollment from the marketing plan from inception through the first three years. The authors detail a plan grounded in simple marketing principles and revealed through analyses based on memoranda, documents, program enrollment data, and planning and meeting notes. A collaborative team developed, implemented and analyzed how the effort increased enrollments by over a third in less than two years.

E-Novation Curriculum (Communication and Education)

Generic labelling of consumers does not demonstrate sophisticated marketing and does not reflect the level of analysis that can be done to target appropriate or one to one marketing. On an ethical level, marketers need to focus on permission based marketing and apply co-creation models which have the potential to address the bottom line and shareholder returns without compromising the interests and wellbeing of consumers. Emotion remains the key brand response from consumers, but the new online research environment offers opportunities for marketers to apply analytical diversity and the use of creative and lateral thinking (Cooke & Buckley, 2007), rather than just intrusive marketing practices enhanced by technological capabilities. Improved practice, together with ethics, should be represented in marketing and business training and in the profession. All of this is influenced by technology and its flawed or decent application reflects human intervention as always. How much protection or care then should marketers exercise towards consumers in their environments especially since consumers are deemed to be more sophisticated? Educative systems should also ensure that sustainability practices are a promise of future marketing.