Debating Data Sharing, Security Post-Snowden

Photo: npr.org

I was in my car listening to NPR this morning when I heard a segment on Edward Snowden and the NSA leak scandal. This segment, which featured an interview with the agency's chief technology officer, seemed highly relevant to the field of IT management.

The NPR report focuses on how Snowden obtained classified information. Apparently, the U.S. government had created an information-sharing protocol so that members of various agencies could review data from other organizations.

As the report noted, an investigation into the Sept. 11 tragedy determined that information sharing could have proven useful in the days that preceded the terrorist attack.

In response to the Snowden scandal, government agencies are beefing up security and protecting sensitive information. The overarching question is whether these reforms will inhibit the type of file sharing that could prove useful in thwarting future attacks.

This conundrum exists in the corporate world as well. Companies must consider the level of security they employ to protect financials, internal communication, marketing strategy, etc. At the same time, it can prove beneficial to have a system in place where employees from different departments, or a cross-functional team, can access such information.

Here is the link to the NPR segment. It is well worth the listen.

Making the Pitch: Advertising and Demographics

I have been thinking quite a bit about targeting marketing, particularly from the perspective of identifying and going after the ideal demographic group(s). I am putting together a pitch book for my blogging/social media services and, in the process, have been paying considerable attention to how other businesses approach marketing.

This weekend, I happened across two marketing moves that I want to highlight.

The first example comes from the legal profession. While at the Taste Carolina Wine Festival on Saturday, Chad Garrett, a Greensboro, N.C., lawyer, had a booth where he was handing out hangover kits to attendees that included Alka-Seltzer, Advil, and a business card.

Garrett's specialization? Cases involving DUI offenses and traffic tickets. Given that hundreds of people were sampling wine from nearly 20 vendors, there was a decent likelihood that some of them would overdo it. If they were pulled over they would have conveniently had Garrett's business card in their goodie bag. Opportunistic? Sure. Brilliant? Absolutely!

This morning, I noticed that Wake Forest University took out a three-page advertisement touting its business school in the upcoming in-flight magazine for U.S. Airways. Specifically, the article promotes the university's program for working professionals. Hannah Sherk wrote a sharp piece, entitled "The Wake Forest Way," that promotes the school's academic philosophy, engagement and long-term financial benefits for graduates.

There are several reasons why Wake Forest might have elected this tactic to market the evening program. Nearly 40% of U.S. Airways' travelers are considered working professionals, based on the airline company's official media kit. U.S. Airways also claims that more than 3.2 million people will have the opportunity to see the article when it runs next month.

Apparently, U.S. Airways allotted space in the October edition to feature one executive education program. By seizing the opportunity, Wake Forest presumably kept other programs (Kenan-Flagler, Fuqua, etc.) out of the magazine. You could also argue that, by advertising the Wake Forest brand, the university hopes to draw attention to the other programs in its business school (full-time, MA, etc.)

It is unclear exactly how much the ad cost Wake Forest; U.S. Airways typically charges about $22,000 for a four-color, full-page advertisement, but they could have promotional rates for specialized content.

I did have some questions about the targeted marketing of the article.

Evening students work and live near the school's Winston-Salem and Charlotte campuses in North Carolina. A high percentage of U.S. Airways travelers would be unable to participate. The campaign would also fail to reach working professionals who do not fly, or those who use Delta, United or another carrier.

I do have one theory for the broad marketing pitch. Could Wake Forest be planning an online/distance learning program for working professionals? It isn't that far-fetched; Wake Forest announced on Thursday that it will be joining Semester Online by offering a bioethics course. And there is scuttlebutt from people who have been to see Farrell Hall that Dean Reinemund may be cooking up a game changing strategy for the program.

Only time will tell if this theory pans out.

Is Business School Turning Into Drunken Debauchery?

Photo: www.designinstruct.com

John Byrne, editor-in-chief of C-Change Media, just posted an article on his LinkedIn page that is sure to get the attention of business school students, administrators and prospects.

Byrne pieces together a number of recent articles and events to make the case that MBA programs are becoming more like raves and less relevant as prep for C-suite jobs.

There is "a growing feeling by many that MBA programs have devolved at many top schools into two years of boozy partying, hookups and travel - with a job search thrown in," the article asserts.

Apparently, platinum programs such as Harvard Business School are gaining reps for "decadent, alcohol-infused parties and lavish travel."

Jeffrey Pfeffer, a professor at Stanford University, told BloombergBusinessweek that the MBA experience can be easily summed up as "booze, cars and houses."

Any thoughts on this? Is there a class divide in business school? Have MBA programs disintegrated into a big social scene?

Survey: Whom Do You Trust for College Information?

Wake Forest Sets Date for Farrell Hall's Official Debut

Photo: jaffeholden.com

Wake Forest University students are already enjoying the school's newest building: Farrell Hall.

Outsiders will get a chance to check out the state-of-the-art facility on Nov. 1, according to a notice I received late yesterday.

I'm very interested in this. When I ran the business school's official blog, I was among the first people to report on plans for the then-unnamed project. (It beceme Farrell Hall after the late Mike Farrell pledged a huge sum to assure its construction.)

My report was in April 2010. At that time, Dean Steve Reinemund pledged a fall 2013 opening even though he had raised just half of the funds. Needless to say, he met both the fund-raising and construction goals.

It will be interesting to witness what the Winston-Salem, N.C., school did to improve education (and leisure) at its business school. (The groundbreaking was held in April 2011.)

Photo: www.flick.com

Based on information from the school, the building is a 130,000-square-foot facility that cost about $55 million. There's space for 1,300 students, including 18 classrooms and offices for 170 faculty and staff. A full-service cafeteria meets a need that had long gone unmet at the business school.

School administrators seem particularly proud of the 400-seat auditorium that was funded by the Broyhill Family Foundation. They are already showcasing the venue, hosting retired P&G CEO Bob McDonald last week (here is a video of his talk so you can see the auditorium).

Students can lounge in the spacious Founders Living Room, and there's outdoor space to mingle when the weather cooperates.

Which Famous Economist Can You Relate With?

Photo: www.ncipl.org

Need something to do for, say, 20 minutes or so? You can take a short quiz and find out which famous economist you agree with the most.

The University of Chicago's Booth School of Business runs the IGM Economic Experts Panel, which includes economic blogs and regular polls that involve well-known economists such as Eric Maskin, Raj Chetty and Austan Goolsbee.

The poll covers a wide range of public policy issues in an effort to either reach consensus or stir up debate among the economists.

Chris Said, a fellow at Insight Data, crafted a 105-question quiz that mimics the economist polling. You take some time, answer the questions and - voila - you can find your ideological soul mate (in a sense).

Curious? Click here to take the quiz and find your economic theory doppelganger, then feel free to share your results in the comments section below.

Google Goes Old-School with Snail Mail Advertising

Image: www.thinkprogress.org

I just received a form letter from Google (GOOG), one of the biggest beneficiaries of Web advertising, encouraging me to make better use of its online advertising services.

I found it quite ironic that the online juggernaut spent money on snail mail in an effort to get me to "give it a go," as the mailer exhorts. (After all, this blog is part of the Google suite of online services). 

Adding to the humor, Google is offering its AdSense clients a promotion that provides a $100 advertising credit to people who spend $25. Google is actually discounting a service in hopes of luring more business. (Its a very traditional marketing gimmick for a tech firm.)

Google, you are becoming so old-fashioned and traditional in your advanced age.

"You might be surprised at the number of people who are searching Google for exactly what you have to offer," Brett Willms, a member of the company's AdWords team, wrote in a form letter included with my offer.

I am moderately surprised at Willms' assertion about Google search. More importantly, I am significantly surprised that Google is kicking it old school with snail mail, a form letter and a promotional campaign for online advertising.

I am far from naive; Google must advertise to drum up business and spread the word about new products and services. In fact, the company was among the 50-biggest advertisers last year, with a projected budget of $340 million, according to Ad Age. That represented a roughly 66% spike from 2011. The company reportedly spent just $56 million in 2010.

The bulk of Google's spending involved online ads, though television spots made up roughly one-third of its marketing expenditures in 2011, according to Kanter Media. Beyond that, its typical ad strategy has featured newspaper and magazine ads. So mailers seem atypical.

So what does this all mean? One could assume that postal delivery is poised for a comeback now that the powerhouse such as Google is making use of traditional mailers. I find that highly unlikely.

Maybe this was the only way they could reach me? Nope. Google clearly has my email ... they probably know everything there is to know about me.

I would surmise that Google is getting to a saturation point in terms of its online reach, particularly as it pertains to marketing AdSense. A company can only send so many online messages, or display pop-up boxes, before they turn someone off to the product or service. 

My best guess is that online ad spending is slowing down for some reason. Google warns about advertising's cyclical nature in quarterly regulatory filings. So this postal campaign could be another attempt to mine revenue with a more traditional form of marketing.

A mailer is a more passive way of pitching a product, meaning it isn't as "in your face" as a pop-up ad. That is the major head-scratcher for me. Why is Google employing an antiquated form of communication to market to a web-savvy customer? And why are they sending out letters, when a hefty percentage are likely to end up in the bottom of a recycling bin?