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Kelley School of Business Indiana University Bloomington
Kelley Direct Online MBA

7 Insights About Using Analytics to Better Understand and Improve Your Marketing

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Institute on Business Analytics April 4-5, 2014

The Institute for Business Analytics at the Kelley School organized the Kelley Forum on Marketing Analytics to bring MBA and MS in Business Analytics students – such as my Kelley Direct classmates and myself – together with Kelley faculty and marketing analytics experts from all over the country in Bloomington, Indiana to share ideas and to network. Executive Associate Dean Ash Soni made a great observation about the significance of the event to open the forum, “When we can get 100 people together at 8 a.m. on a Friday morning to discuss analytics, you know we’ve come a long way in this field.”

Here are some of the insights about using and applying analytics for marketing from the presenters:

1) Businesses must adapt to the new consumer mantra: IWWIWWIWI

What does that stand for, you ask? “I want what I want when I want it.” Michael Wilhite, SVP of Capabilities at 84.51°, described how always-online smartphones enable consumers to search for anything they want, make purchases at any hour of the day, and complete most of the tasks from wherever they are instead of waiting until they get in front of a desktop. The consumer is used to instant gratification, so even short delays are perceived as inconveniences now. (more…)

Gaining a Competitive Edge in China: An On-the-Ground Perspective

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In October 2015, I traveled to Beijing along with thirteen fellow online MBA students from Kelley Direct to gain a better appreciation of how to successfully do business in China. This in-person portion of the Global and Domestic Immersions program represented the final module for a nine-week course focused on international business strategy; the lessons from the classroom were reinforced through a series of lectures at Peking University and numerous company visits across the city.

 

One of the most impressive things about Beijing (and China in general) was the spirit of entrepreneurship and growth coming from everyone we met. Contrary to our expectations of the Chinese business environment being highly controlled and inefficient, we instead found ourselves in a country where the default mindset was that anything was possible.

Innovation in China

The Chinese market is really one where innovation rules. But it is not the kind of innovation that we think of in the United States. In China, “zero to one” innovation (meaning the development of totally new, untested products) is unnecessary and likely destined to fail given the reliance upon the relatively conservative state for funding and support. In China, the preferable model is the “one to ten” model (or even the “ten to one thousand” model”) where a proven idea can be ramped up and sold in extremely high quantity very quickly. (more…)

The Best Part of Getting My Online MBA was Learning How to KISS

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I know what you’re probably thinking, you’re about to read a juicy story about how an online MBA student learned to kiss in grad school. Sorry to disappoint, but this post focuses on the more academic side of things. KISS, a common acronym in business, is short for Keep it Short & Simple. In other words, it means being succinct and to the point in your communication.

Learning how to KISS is possibly the most valuable skill I learned while getting my MBA through Indiana University’s Kelley Direct Program. Since graduation a little over a year ago, I’ve been reflecting on what lessons stood out and have helped accelerate my professional growth & development. It is clear that being able to effectively communicate with my colleagues what I am thinking, doing, and have planned has become an invaluable asset as well as enabled me to efficiently achieve my business goals. (more…)

How an Online MBA Strategy Course Helped Student Kash Faheem Land a Job with Apple

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Developing Strategic Capabilities (C562) is one of our online MBA students’ final courses. It brings together the concepts from all the previous classes and enables the students to apply what they learned in a practical way. Students form groups of four or five and pick a strategic business unit (SBU) of a publicly traded company they want to investigate for the term. The student groups are tasked with delivering four written reports that identify and analyze the company’s core values, corporate structure, long and short-term goals, financial performance, and competitive landscape among many other metrics. Then in their final deliverable, they provide their recommendations for the company.

Kash Faheem, a dual-degree MBA/MS in Business Analytics student, saw this as a great opportunity to learn more about Apple, a company he knew he wanted to work for in the future. That’s why he recommended that his group analyze Apple’s iPhone SBU for this course.

 

Using MBA Coursework to Land the Job 

Having failed at getting an interview by going through Apple’s career website earlier, Kash applied again through the Kelley Graduate Career Services’ (GCS) MBA job board after his course was over (our online students have access to the same job board that our in-residence MBA students use). This time he got the interview and he was well-prepared.  (more…)

10 Ways to Make the Most of Your Next Networking Event

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Networking events are an essential part of any job search and career management in general. Some people are naturals at navigating these events and come out with five great leads and maybe a new poker group. But for others, these functions come with lots of anxiety and are full of awkward moments and monotonous small talk.

Whether you’re a seasoned veteran or new to the networking game, here are 10 ways to make the most of these events. (more…)

Why a Global Immersion in Greece Has Been the Most Rewarding Experience in My Kelley Journey

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My Kelley Direct Greece study abroad course was not an academic exercise. Our focus and motivation throughout the term came from the desire to make a difference for a real business in Greece, not to get an A in the class. This one-of-a-kind experience could not have been delivered within the boundaries of a classroom. This project enabled my fellow Kelleys and me to apply the knowledge we had gained from our Kelley online MBA courses.

Specifically, the Global and Domestic Immersions study abroad course tested our ability to think outside the box to solve problems, pushed us to get emotionally involved with the client’s challenges and made us think strategically about the issues our client was facing from both an external and internal perspective. Developing a well-grounded and practical recommendation as acting international SME consultants required us to analyze political, economic, social, cultural and technological factors affecting the company along with research to help fill internal gaps in company’s finance, marketing, sales, operations, and innovation projects. Our recommendation was firmly based on hard facts, empirical evidence, and strong case studies – largely thanks to Kelley’s rich library resources.

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How the Kelley Direct Women in Business Association is Addressing Gender Inequality in the Workplace

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You may have heard talk about gender equality in the workplace. Statistics such as the gender pay gap have become topics of debate in the political realm. Campaigns such as Sheryl Sandberg’s Lean In movement have sprung up all around, providing a platform to discuss and to some extent combat inequality in the workplace. The bad news is that gender inequality still exists. The good news is there’s something you can do about it.

 

Combat Gender Inequality in the Workplace by admitting there’s a Problem

Gender inequality and gender bias are alive and well in today’s workplace. Not just in some remote small town mom-and-pop business, but in everyday workplaces all across the world. I’ve spoken to countless female Kelley Direct classmates who experience the consequences of inequality and bias at work on a regular basis. I myself spent 9 years working in a very female-unfriendly environment (think company-sponsored outings for male employees only, meeting attendees being chosen by gender rather than role, being perceived as aggressive when exhibiting the same behavior as my male counterparts, etc.), and I have the [professional and emotional] scars to prove it. In fact, that unpleasant experience encouraged me to become President of the Kelley Direct Women in Business Association. I wanted to shed light on the issues and provide a platform for my fellow classmates to learn, grow, and problem-solve together. (more…)

Perspectives on Business and Life in Palestine – Why I Went to Bethlehem with my Online MBA Class

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I am not a stereotypical online MBA student. I prefer to spend my admittedly limited free time going to punk shows or helping sea turtles rather than networking to find the next step in my career. That said, here I am, writing an article for Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business. Why? Because my Kelley Direct AGILE study abroad course in Bethlehem was easily one of the most rewarding experiences of my life, and I hope other current or prospective students can find their inspiration, challenge preconceptions and build a better world.

Experiencing Palestine Beyond The Headlines

First and foremost, I want to address any potential criticism or concern about the university’s decision to embark on a trip to Palestine with a class of online MBA students. With an ominous wall slowly constricting one of the most important religious sites in the world and a contentious political climate, Bethlehem is clearly an area in flux. I can attest to the fact that nearly everyone that traveled to Bethlehem with the group had friends, family, and strangers who questioned our thought process, and maybe even our sanity for choosing to do so.  I get it…the news portrays a less-than-flattering image of the entire region. However, what most people don’t realize is that there’s a huge majority of people in the region that couldn’t care less about the politics and religious zealotry, and are simply trying to live their lives peacefully. (more…)

5 Ways Online MBA Students Can Enhance their Virtual Classroom Experience

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First-year online MBA student and management consultant Sri Chatterjee tweeted this picture recently:

 

She was attending a live Economics lecture online onboard a flight taking her back home to Chicago. This, of course, excited her professor, Dr. Steven Kreft, who reached out to share his thoughts:

“There is high opportunity cost when attending a lecture from a flight; you could be sleeping, reading, catching up on work, get disconnected from the world and take a break, but Sri chose to pay for WiFi and attend lecture. That shows that she’s getting value out of class, and committed to learning.”

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Lessons Online MBA Students Learned While Helping a Botswana Business Return to Profitability

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In August 2014, online MBA students Mike Vought, Jason Kuck and Rachel Skiles arrived in Botswana to meet the owners of Dips Motors, their client for the global immersion and leadership course we refer to as AGILE (short for Accelerating Global Immersion Leadership Education). The team was tasked with helping this 25-year-old, family-owned auto repair business overcome its management, accounting and financial woes over the course of this 12-week class. They had the opportunity to meet Mel, the new manager of Dips Motors, at the start of the term. That was when they first learned about this company’s obstacles.

 

Botswana Client Situation

Dips Motors was previously run by Mel’s father. Since Mel took on more responsibility, her family had been struggling with the transition. This was partially because there was very limited strategy. Mel’s father was making business decisions mostly based on his experience when he was running the company. They were also in debt and taking out more loans. It was difficult to fully understand their financial situation because they did not have a transparent and consistent accounting process. Dips was not following a specific accounting method with discipline. (more…)

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