First Marketing Symposium a Success

Can MBAs find happiness in marketing careers? Isn't marketing, after all, just about advertising and promoting packaged goods? To dispel this misconception and to show the breadth of challenges for MBAs in marketing, Fuqua's Marketing Club hosted the School's first marketing symposium in September.

Nearly 200 students heard keynote speaker John Bissell of Gundersen Partners, an executive search and consulting firm, describe "new marketing." New marketing, applies the principles of traditional brand marketing, but updates them with technological advances and applies them to almost any modern industry. This was illustrated by the diversity of companies participating in the symposium: Duracell, Intel, Merck, Nike and Northwest Airlines, as well as several consulting and promotion agencies. Spring also participated and sponsored the event.

Second-year students Leanne Fesenmeyer and Elisabeth Starkman designed the symposium specifically as a learning event, not a recruiting one. Drawing on her own experience, Fesenmeyer hoped that participants would see that marketing encompasses the full range of management duties and skills.

Companies were invited from industries selected in a student poll. The organizers also invited companies that have not had a strong presence at Fuqua. Says Fesenmeyer, "We wanted an event where we could learn more about marketing opportunities in an open, honest forum with experienced people."

Second-year Stephanie Safran labeled the symposium "a great success because it provided the opportunity to learn about marketing in different industries."

Dave Lin '97 found the symposium to be excellent, spurring him to re-think his career direction: "While I've had a finance emphasis up until now I have begun to consider a broader scope of interests."