Introduction

Welcome to the WordPress Blog of Kaleb Ode. I’ll be graduating from Western Washington University this quarter with a Recreation and Marketing double major.

As a Recreation professional I know that my industry isn’t always well known for its effective digital marketing. I, like any aspiring professional, need to be able to effectively market my ideas, products, services, and self. While I suspect that I can teach myself to be a digital marketing expert this class will keep me accountable to that learning while serving as an excellent catalyst for my final quarter.

I am most interested in the certifications that are incorporated in to these class. However, I suspect I will find other sections of the class much more useful. I also want to learn about current trends and being able to spot trends that matter and will last.

Reading Evaluations
Reading #1: Knowledge and Skill Requirements for Marketing Jobs in the 21st Century

The reading suggests that technical skills should be more greatly incorporated into curriculums and I agree. I believe that one of the reasons that so many businesses fail, or at least have poor advertisements, is because they do not utilize tools that would be effective for them. A recreation professional may collect surveys to evaluate their programs, but SPSS helps them determine what is actionable. I don’t want an academic program that teaches me the foundations without the tools. Sitting around listening to people talk at me does not prepare me anywhere near as well as experiential learning. As one Marketing Professor once said to me, “Professors are not teachers. Professors profess.”

Reading #2: US Interactive Marketing Forecast

The first statement of this reading puts forth a prediction that, if correct, is only one year away from being reality. Frankly, I’m surprised that TV advertising is still as big as it is, but that’s coming from a 22 year old who only watches TV for the NFL and MLS. TV advertising will only remain relevant for as long as content is exclusive. There are certain events that many will prefer to watch live. Sporting events are the most obvious to me while others can’t stand to miss an episode of their favorite TV show. For me, I would much rather wait for a show to complete a season, or end entirely, so that I can watch it whenever I so well please.

The article provides an encouraging growth rate for anyone looking to enter this industry, but that growth rate is not all that well founded. It’s based off of expert opinion; a phrase which we’ve seen turn sour in big business before such as after the housing bubble collapse. While these numbers don’t present the same sort of threat as speculations regarding continually growing housing proves they should be taken with a grain of salt.