Written By: Paige Fielding, Jillian Curry, Skye Montgomery, and Taylor Costa

If you’re like us, being an SCC major was an exciting but scary prospect. We loved the focus but were still overwhelmed by the broad range of career choices. We knew we needed to try and hone in on specific careers we might be interested in pursuing, like public relations, research, or marketing (to name a few). Some of these classes are required for this exact reason, and marketing is one of them. Up until taking a marketing course, we really didn’t know anything about marketing except having a very general idea of what it was. I always pictured a marketing firm in the middle of a big city, with a bunch of stylish 30-somethings working inside, and collaborating together on which billboard to put up for the new Chanel perfume. The reality is that you can use the skills learned in marketing in whatever career path you choose.

A huge reason why we are advocates for taking a Marketing course is that it teaches you how to be a smart consumer. On average, we see 11,000 advertisements a month on the internet alone (Sanders, 2017). We can all fall prey to marketing ploys, and we often do without even realizing it. How many times have you been convinced to buy something just because it was marked 50% off? Or chosen an item on the drive-thru menu because the photo looked good? Most of us are subconsciously aware that we’re being marketed to all the time, but knowing the tactics that companies use can be incredibly helpful. Being an informed consumer can save you money, and save you from spending money on companies with dangerous business practices.

Along with being applicable to the real world, the concepts learned in Marketing will prepare you for the rest of your Chapman classes and your career.  We learned quite a few things in this course.  For example, a SWOT Analysis helps you identify the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats that your company/campaign has to contend with. This analysis is useful to do in any kind of business, marketing, or advertising venture and being able to do this is extremely impressive to employers. The second concept is something you’ll hear over and over again in regards to marketing, and that is the Marketing Mix or the 4 P’s of Marketing. The Marketing Mix consists of Price, Place, Product, and Promotion. This is basically a template for creating your company or campaigns marketing plan. If you plan on going into any career where a product is being offered and advertised then it can be very valuable to have a plan or understand the plan that your company is using. 

Marketing 305 Powerpoint Presentation.

So now that you’ve taken a marketing class, how can you expand your skill set while using real-world application? Well, the answer is SCC 304 where you can earn up to 1,000 dollars. You heard that right! Want the potential to earn 1,000 dollars while taking a course, then this SCC course is the perfect choice for you. Advertising and Promotions taught by Nick Leighton not only provides one with an understanding of how major concepts of how advertising and marketing works, but you gain hands-on experience.  

The major project of the class is to design sweaters and t-shirts. Your job as a student is to learn basic design skills and make up a mock design on Teespring (an online platform for selling t-shirts). SCC 304 teaches you real-life skills like Facebook Ads and Google AdWords that can turn a simple assignment into a money-making opportunity.

Photo of Jillian Curry and Skye Montgomery in sweaters they designed for SCC 304.

 

While the potential to earn up to $1,000 dollars is definitely a big part of the class, that is just the beginning. SCC 304 teaches you how to use different social media platforms to brand yourself professionally. Each week you will learn about a new social media platform and how to use it professionally and personally. Ever wanted to make your LinkedIn stand out from the rest? Or not quite sure how to make your personal social media accounts look professional? This class will give you the tools you need for success in presenting yourself in a professional way.

This class is one of the most hands-on and tangible learning experiences you can be enrolled in at Chapman University! Almost all companies use social media advertisements for their products. With the skills you learn in MKTG 305 and applying them in SCC 304 you are ready to apply to your next internship or job.

 

 

Sanders, B. (2017, September 1). Do we really see 4,000 ads a day? Retrieved February 24, 2018, from https://www.bizjournals.com/bizjournals/how-to/marketing/2017/09/do-we-really-see-4-000-ads-a-day.html