Indiana Marketing Educators' Update
A Newsletter for Marketing Educators	January 2001

In this issue...

Marketing In Service Workshops
Using Computer Presentations To Make Commercials
How to Write Great E-mail
Repetition Is Key To Your Message
Financial Knowledge Is a Life Skill
Voice Recognition Two-Day Workshop
Tech Camp 2001
Carmaker Hopes to Rejuvenate Image With New Ad
Virtual Business
Customer Survey Limitations
Entrepreneurship Shapes the Economy
Learning From Thomas Edison

Marketing In Service Workshops

The Indiana Department of Education, Office of Career and Technical Education, Business Technology and Marketing Education, provides a number of professional development opportunities for Marketing Educators along with a number of national conferences. The following is a list of 2001, spring and summer professional development opportunities for marketing instructors.

February 7, 2001- Financial Knowledge for Investing Workshop. Participants will receive a copy of the CD ROM and learn how to access a TVM calculator, portfolio calculator, rate of return calculator, and market indices. Location is Ball State; 4:00-6:30 p.m. See registration information for details. Great opportunity for materials to infuse in marketing classes!

April 17, 18, May 1, 3 - Hospitality, Travel, and Tourism In Service Workshops. This one-day in service workshop will benefit teachers who are interested in implementing a Travel and Tourism or Hotel Lodging component into their existing high school course offerings or as part of an already existing vocational program in marketing or business. See registration information for locations and details.

June and July, 2001, HBA Summer Institutes.–The HBA Summer Institutes have been designed to fulfill the unique needs of hospitality secondary school educators. This five-day intensive hands on workshop will provide secondary school educators with materials to teach students the latest and best in hospitality practices. Individuals participating will receive a national certificate from the HBA certifying them as a highly-trained professional hospitality secondary school educators. If you are teaching or are planning to teach Lodging Management or Hospitality, Travel, and Tourism courses, this workshop is for you! For further information go to http://www.doe.state.in.us /octe/bme—click on Professional Development.

June 11-15, 2001, 3 days during the week-Indiana Marketing Educators’ Academy. Marketing Teachers will receive training on competency-based mastery learning. They will also develop their own curriculum for their marketing course. A certified national trainer, Judy Commers, a certified national trainer, will provide instruction. An excellent opportunity for new marketing teachers and those “seasoned” teachers who are looking to make changes in their classes. Contact Barb Beadle if you have questions or download an application form, which is due March 31, 2001. For further information go to http://www.doe.state.in.us/octe/bme—click on Professional Development.

June 18-22, 2001 - In Basket, Minibasket, and Internet Workshop. Participants will develop projects for use in marketing classes. Emphasis will be placed on incorporating high-end technology including use of the actual businesses and will include problem solving and critical thinking. Honorarium paid for those selected to attend. See enclosed registration form.

June 28-July 1, 2001 –MarkED Conclave. Cleveland, Ohio. A national professional development conference for teachers of marketing, management, and entrepreneurship. For information and registration info. See attached buff flyer

July 27-29, 2001 –The National Marketing Education Association (MEA) will be hosting their annual conference in Indianapolis, Indiana at the Sheraton Indianapolis Hotel & Suites Keystone at the Crossing. The Conference will feature training in the following areas: Sports and Entertainment Marketing, Hospitality Marketing and Management, and E-Commerce. Take advantage of this opportunity to attend a national conference right here in Indiana. For more information refer to http://www.doe.state.in.us/octe/bme—click on Professional Development.

Using Computer Presentations to Make Commercials

Nissan Shrum, a business teacher at Hickory Middle School, sharpens her students’ multimedia and selling skills by having them create multimedia commercials. From travel agencies to amusement park commercials, students create slide shows that entice the consumer (the class) to buy their product. Shrum says students get excited about the project and go the extra mile bringing in photos to scan and background music to play during the commercials. Students assist in the grading process by evaluating each other’s commercial presentations. Shrum says that “the project goes over so well, other computer classes are invited to watch the commercials.”

How To Write Great E-mail

Craft effective e-mail messages by remembering GREAT:

Repetition Is Key To Your Message

Repeat your basic message to increase the chances that you’ll “sell” your idea.

To make it work, follow these guidelines:

Source: Merna Skinner, Exec/Comm, 475 5th Ave. New York, NY 10017

Financial Knowledge is a Life Skill
Elizabeth Clawson, CPA, Executive Vice President, Financial Players Center

Have you had trouble teaching your students about the time value of money? Do your students understand the difference between a mortgage payment and a 401 (k) payment? Are they able to understand the benefits of saving earlier versus later in life? Do you have access to a computer lab? If so, read on.

Financial Players Center, LLC has developed a wonderful interactive financial learning CD-ROM called “Financial Knowledge for Investing”. The CD-ROM program teaches the basic concepts of the time value of money and personal finance using interactive tools. Once your students go through the learning modules, they will be able to fully use the financial tools, which include a Time Value of Money Calculator, Portfolio Calculator, and Retirement Planner Calculator.

Over 80% of American adults are financially illiterate. Illiteracy is a very strong work, yet according to SEC Chairman Levitt it is sadly true. Five years ago a group of CPA’s studied the possible reasons for the illiteracy rates. We found that personal finance instruction is nonexistent or inadequate, and decided to do something about it. At FPC, we created a financial education program using interactive computer learning modules and financial tools. We offer this product to teachers at hands-on seminars. Teachers are then able to return to the classroom and implement a financial literacy program that really works!

This product is used with great success at the high school level in Illinois and Indiana by business teachers—Accounting, Consumer Education, Introduction to Business, Business Foundations, Business Math, Entrepreneurship, Global Economics, Marketing, Computers, Personal Finance.

Why is financial literacy so important for your students? In the near future, your students will become working adults. Many companies have moved from a defined benefit plan (pension) to a defined contribution (401k or 403b) plan. While this provides portability for employees and allows employers to know the limits of their liability, it also provides a new burden on employees. People with limited or no financial experience are now responsible for decisions regarding asset choices and asset allocation for their retirement funds. This sets the stage for disappointing results.

The bottom line is that your students will be making all types of financial decisions every day. Personal Finance education is the key to help your students succeed in the future with their financial plans.

Your students have embraced technology and we have the product that will let you “speak their language” in the classroom and lab—you will have fun using it also!!

We encourage all marketing teachers to take advantage of this unique personal finance program. This program can make a big difference in your students’ lives. Look for the FPC Teacher Training seminars sponsored by the Indiana Department of Education or the Indiana Business Education Association. We are committed to helping Indiana Business teachers enrich their students’ education. For more information on financial literacy, personal finance integration– teacher training, or FPC products contact Elizabeth Clawson, CPA at fpc@net66.com or 217-398-8535, fax 217-239-4345

Voice Recognition Two-Day Workshops

June 7-8, 2001, July 10-11, 2001, July 16-17, 2001—For those interested in learning about voice recognition software, three workshops have been scheduled in June and July. Tentative locations are Seymour, Benton County and Marion. Check out enclosed registration form for location, dates and time.

Tech Camp 2001

July 23-27, 2001—will prepare Business Technology and Marketing teachers for MOUS Certification and Advanced Applications, Web Design, and Programming including Visual Basic, C++, etc. This five day workshop will include three tracks that a teacher may choose from. Check out the enclosed promo and registration for more details.

Carmaker To Rejuvenate Image With Ad Campaign

When something is described as the Cadillac of the class, people generally get the idea it is the best. But affluent younger drivers haven’t been making the same connection when it comes to buying luxury cars in recent years.

Cadillac’s image makers are hoping to change that with a new advertising campaign suggesting that Cadillac is creating cars once again that combine the latest technological advances with stylish design.

Cadillac executives say the brand had its heyday in the late 1950s and early 1960s when its powerful and stylish Eldorado with tail fins was the industry trendsetter. Cadillac’s sales didn’t peak until 1978, however, when it sold 350,812 cars.

But then a number of luxury car challengers arrived from overseas in the 1980s and 1990s including Mercedes Benz, BMW, Lexus and Infiniti. Affluent younger drivers often dismissed Cadillac as an older generation’s status symbol.

Over the past two decades, Cadillac sales have fallen 48%, to 182,151 last year, and are projected to be down another 1% this year. The General Motors Corp. division began examining its marketing approach two years ago and discovered there was “latent fondness” for Cadillac.

Cadillac managers argue the cars continue to be technologically innovative. They cite the On-Star communications system that tracks where the car is by satellite and can provide directions via cell phone, Stabilitrak navigation for easier road handling, and Night Vision technology that helps drivers see farther than the head lamps allow.

And they say dramatic styling changes are also planned for the next three years, starting with the 2000 DeVille. DeVille sales account for about 60% of Cadillac sales. Another objective is to reduce the age of the average Cadillac owner, which now is about 65 years old. Advertising director Kim Kosak says when BMW and Mercedes drivers were invited to drive a Cadillac in recent market tests, their attitudes toward the brand became much more favorable.

Excerpts taken from "Auto Fallin’ in love again.” Used with permission from Marketing News, December 6, 1999.

Virtual Business

There is an exciting addition to the Knowledge matters website. We heard from some of you that you would like a web-based preview of Virtual Business. Well it is done and available now! It is visual, informative and easy to use. There is even an option to print the preview so you can show your colleagues.

When you have a moment, take the preview: www.knowledgematters.com/preview.asp. You will not be disappointed!

Customer Survey Limitations

Beware of relying only on cards customers can fill out to let you know what they think of your service.

You get only extreme views because those who use them are usually either very pleased or very annoyed. And you also need to hear from those who have had a completely normal experience.

Source: Peter Reville, vice president, The Willard & Shulman Group, Writing in Sales & Marketing Management, Bill Communications Inc., 355 Park Ave. S., New York, NY 10010

Entrepreneurship Shapes The Economy

In the past, we earned our income by using our physical labor and skills, but in the next century we will witness the most incredible transformation of work as has ever been recorded. Individuals will not only have to “do more with less,” we will have to dream, imagine, design, and develop what that “more” is to be.

Creating new enterprises, pushing the boundaries and pioneering new technologies will be characteristics of tomorrow’s work world for all of today’s students. This is a place where most of us have not even dreamed of, much less attempted to explore. While today we often hear about employee shortages, tomorrow many young people will need to be able to participate in the creation of their own work opportunities in order to produce an income and a quality of life above the minimum.

It may sound a bit corny to suggest that the very success of democracy rests on the shoulders of a thriving and rigorous market economy, but in truth, it does! Entrepreneurship and the protection of private property rights are the essential ingredients and resources to a robust American and market-based economic system. But the standard of living for most Americans cannot continue to improve if the economy does not grow and expand in significant and productive ways.

We owe it to the students in our schools to be sure that they are prepared to understand how the law of supply and demand works to provide opportunity. They need experiences that show how the American Constitution provides them with protection and economic opportunity. And they need to see the role of competition in making our economy the strongest possible.

Teachers, by nature of their training and experience, often do not have the expertise to provide their students with experiences that teach how the economy works. Many teachers do not have business training and have never worked in their own business, or any business other than education, for that matter. They often do not speak the language of business. Is it any wonder that economics and the opportunities of entrepreneurship do not appear in the American educational curriculum.

...KNOWLEDGE IS POWER!

Learning From Thomas Edison:
Hard Work and Creativity Pay Off

Energize your next class discussion by sharing the following success story with your marketing students.

The inventor Thomas A. Edison made a habit of turning chance circumstance to his own benefit. He had a stubborn streak that made him refuse to be deterred and was relentless in making as much money as possible.

As a teenage newspaper boy selling on the railroad line, Thomas had to estimate how many papers he would sell on a given day because his leftover inventory ate into his profits. In order to minimize his risks, he worked out a deal where he would get to see the main news story before it went to print.

In 1862, he saw the proof of a sensational event regarding the Civil War. He telegraphed the news down the line so that, by his arrival time, mobs of buyers were waiting to obtain the details from his newspaper. Edison had stocked enough, sold all, and reaped the benefits.

Source: The Working Communicator

This page maintained by Barb Beadle.