WIMI Classes
WHARTON INTERACTIVE MEDIA INITIATIVE COURSE DEVELOPMENT
The emergence of new forms of interactive media has created a completely new and ever-changing marketing and media economy that demands new mindsets, new business models and new skill sets. To prepare Wharton undergraduate and MBA students for the demands of this new environment, and to draw prospective students to the Wharton School for the study of interactive media, the Wharton Interactive Media Initiative is continuously developing courses that will train students in several critical aspects of interactive media to deal with these global, macro-issues: • The importance of the data generated through interactive media in holistic decision-making
• The transformation process: understanding the shift from traditional business models and marketing strategies to those dominating the interactive media world
• Fundamentals of interactive media that build into advanced learning required to master critical issues brought about by disruptive, interactive business models
• The interdisciplinary nature of marketing in the emerging interactive media environment: Courses developed by the Wharton Interactive Media Initiative will introduce students to varied perspectives needed to succeed in the new economy
With these principals in mind and the ability to be responsive to the changing interactive media environment, the Wharton Interactive Media Initiative offers the following courses, for the Fall 2009 term to introduce students to issues facing today’s professionals and give them the skills and insight needed to distinguish the students in the new marketplace.
MKTG394 – Interactive Media Marketing (Fall 2010)
This course will examine the marketing implications as media converges and marketing adjusts from its original one-to-many model, to its present transition into a more customized, individualized approach. Interactive Media Marketing will begin by looking at the traditional content models and the forces creating change. The second section examines the transition from traditional to interactive media an the impact of Web 2.0 on companies dependent upon media to build and foster brands. How do companies use interactive media to connect with customers? How does a brand manager measure success in this marketplace? What is the framework for evaluating opportunities and trade-offs in a field which is not yet standardized? Students will also consider the evolution of Web 2.0 companies and the challenges they face - how do they market themselves in a crowded, highly competitive environment, what elements are necessary to ensure adoption and growth, what is their value proposition. Finally, the class will examine frameworks to evaluate opportunities in fields that don't yet exist. The Fall 2010 syllabus is available here.
MKTG668 – Monetizing Emerging Interactive Media (Spring 2011)
Essentially a primer in the business of interactive media as it relates to emerging marketing strategies, this course will examine disruptive media in the new game: mobile, search models, video-on-demand and social networks. By exposing students to a careful blend of academic research, contemporary case studies and innovative start-ups, this course will create a solid foundation in emerging strategies, help students become conversant in the lexicon of interactive media, understand its revenue models, and identify new careers opportunities in the changing environment. This course will also serve as a prerequisite to classes that develop deeper study on its individual platform topics and pricing models. The Fall 2009 syllabus is available here.
MKTG775 – Managing the Value of Customer Relationships (Fall 2010)
As the concept of "customer relationship management" becomes common parlance for virtually every kind of company, it is useful to take a step back to better understand the various different behaviors that underlie and motivate the development of formal CRM systems. These "behaviors" include customer-level decisions, firm actions, and the delicate but complex interplay between the two. Accordingly, the course is comprised of three main modules: (1)understanding the sources and dynamics of customer value, (2)how firms create and enhance customer value, and (3)strategic/tactical considerations in managing the value creation/extraction process. The course content will be rigorous but not excessively analytical, "real-world" practical but with an eye towards relevant academic work and narrowly focused on CRM-type issues but with broad coverage of industries/applications in which they arise. The Fall 2010 syllabus is available here.
MKTG890 – Advanced Study Projects: WIMI MBA Research Team Projects (Fall 2010)
Technology has created a completely new and ever-changing marketing and media economy. Hundreds of millions of interactive media users have migrated to various digital platforms and spend hours a day engaged in media behaviors that barely existed a short time ago. Hundreds of millions of marketing dollars have followed, usually in search of one-to-one marketing on global scale. But few standards exist in the buying and selling of emerging media, and traditional marketing concepts like ROI and POP are pulled in directions as varied as the platforms. The class will examine the business of emerging platforms and, through project work with WIMI Corporate Partners, class speakers and real world examples, examine how digital currency is taking control of the business conversation. By the end of this class, students will be experienced in critical issues driving the evolution of digitally-oriented business and increase their skill sets with the new tools needed to succeed in a fast-paced, multi-platform environment. Students will also be introduced to some of the most innovating companies in the interactive media space and prepared for possible careers in the industry. The Fall 2010 syllabus is available here.
INDEPENDENT STUDY -
Yes, the Wharton Interactive Media Initiative offers independent study for one CU credit. Projects must be research-driven and align with the WIMI Executive Summary. Projects may be interdisciplinary. For more information information contact Steve Ennen, ennen@wharton.upenn.edu
CORPORATE INVOLVEMENT -
It is important to note that the WIMI Corporate Partner structure is designed to elicit input from leading edge and respected firms that have shown support of the Wharton Interactive Media Initiative and can clearly communicate the real issues confronting businesses and the skill sets needed to deal with them. This input will increase Wharton’s ability to train students in the execution of interactive media strategies and ready them for immediate success upon graduation.