Video – Flexible MBA for Working Professionals – Hybrid MBA in San Diego
Gregg explains why she was glad to find CMU. Flexible Programs. Instructors from the real world with a lot of industry experience.
Advice? Don’t put it off. ”My MBA has given me added skills for my toolkit that have made me a more valuable employee.” Gregg describes how it helped her grow professionally in ways she could not imagine.
Businesses do not operate internally. What happens in its external environment plays a large role in how a business both offers its products/services and plans for future growth. Some of the main external factors include:
Competition – How others companies in a business’ niche compete with its products/services.
Economic – How do the current economic conditions (i.e. the recent U.S. recession) play a role in a business’ strategy?
Social – How are the demographics of your niche changing, and what impact might this have on your business? How are behaviors and sentiments towards your niche evolving, and how will that change your strategy?
Political – How do changes in government policy, including new laws and regulations, impact how you operate?
Technological – How does evolving technology change your means of production? How do technological modes of marketing your product (i.e. social media) change your operations?
A business’ external environment is complex and constantly evolving. But paying attention to these factors and monitoring them on a regular basis is vital for future growth. If you don’t pick up on what’s happening around you and how it’s impacting you, both positively and negative, how will you react to market changes and be able to beat your competition in the long-term?
This video clips comes from one of our online MBAcourses on strategic management from a highly qualified and nationally renowned professional in business sustainability. Ms. Petro is an Adjunct Professor with us at California Miramar University, a 2010 Outstanding Professor of the Year award recipient, and one of the reasons why our on-campus, Our online MBA programs and Hybrid MBA programs have just been recognized by the San Diego Business Journal as one of the Top 10 in San Diego County for the second year in a row!
Transcript of the Lesson
The firm’s external environment is comprised of the following components: the remote environment, the industry environment and the operating environment. That’s really the underpinnings of this entire chapter. Let’s talk about that remote environment. Again, here’s what it looks like: you have an organization impacted by three: remote, industry and operating. We’re going to start with that larger box – the remote environment – before we move inside.
When we’re coming up with opportunities and threats for an organization, because we’ve just talked about strengths and weaknesses, we’re going to be talking about economic factors. What is happening out there in the economic environment? Didn’t many organizations get caught on their strategy, not being able to implement it effectively during this last U.S. recession?
Then we’ve got social factors. Are you taking into consideration how the demographics of your country is changing, and what the impact could be on the products and services that you provide?
Political factors. There are some organizations, such as Biotech, that are impacted far more by politics and regulation than, let’s say, a service industry such as consulting.
Then you’ve got technology factors. Knowing what we know about the proliferation of technology and the desire for less technological obsolescence, what is that impact on how you deliver what you’re delivering? For instance, if you are a training organization and you’ve got demographics that say the next generation is coming up going, ”I don’t want to receive information that way;” you need to deliver it in a different way. It’s the technology factor that would come into play as well.
In this week’s MBA Mondays blog, we’re highlighting another important and innovative international brand: CNS Breathe Right Nasal Strips. We’ve all seen them, whether having used them ourselves or having seen famous celebrities and athletes sport them on TV. Their international success is due in large part to the product’s groundbreaking nasal decongestant properties, which have helped it gain a strong foothold in its niche (kind of like Kleenex in the facial tissue industry).
Their effective treatment of congestion and popularity among athletes – particularly the National Football League – has helped them rise to popularity and expand into international markets. Breathe Right Nasal Strips are still very popular today, the go-to brand that people both consciously and unconsciously grab for over the competitors, and it is because they essentially created the market and are the trusted name in nasal decongestants. Their hold on the global marketplace is a great example for students of our online MBA programs and Hybrid MBA programs that business success is not rooted in complexity; rather, what entrepreneurs should do is find something that a lot of people need (i.e. nasal decongestion) create a product or service that is not already being offered (i.e. nasal strips), and find a vehicle for your product to be marketed and talked about in the mass media (i.e. Jerry Rice and other athletes).
Transcript of the Video
[Speaker 1]: We believe Breathe Right has great potential. [Speaker 2]: Our product has appeal in many different markets. [Speaker 3]: We look for where the biggest prize will be. [Husband]: First ever decongestant more powerful than a stuffy nose, it’s Breathe Right nasal strips! Come on honey, my allergies keep me up every night; how is this gonna help? [Wife]: The same way it helps my snoring every night. [Narrator 1]: Until you try for yourself, it’s hard to believe the instant nasal congestion relief that comes from Breathe Right strips. Nasal congestion limits airflow; but Breathe Right’s patented reflex action gently lifts open nasal passages to help you get more air. Breather better, sleep better, with Breathe Right. [Marti Morfitt, CEO, President and Director, CNS]: Inventor of the Breathe Right strip, Bruce Johnson, who had severe allergies and difficulties sleeping, had invented the Breathe Right nasal strip. Our Chairman, who is by training a neurologist, but by calling an entrepreneur, fell in love with the product, dropped everything, and he and a marketer and the inventor spent three years turning this product into a business. [Dan Cohen, Chairman, CNS]: The inventor brought it into us, under the guise of, “Could you test it?” But he was really looking for somebody to license it. It was one of those nice, life insights, when you look at something and you know, “Hey, this is huge!” When we first began marketing the Breathe Right strip, what was so gratifying, particularly as a physician, were literally the thousands of letters and phone calls we received talking about how much better people slept at night. It was interesting that almost all the letters began with, “Thank you, thank you, thank you;” just three thank you’s, and it was, “I haven’t gotten a good night’s sleep like this in ten years.” [Marti Morfitt]: The first few years were really all about testing, clinical testing; ensuring that the product worked; developing a basis for claims; getting FDA approval for that; and then taking it to market. [Narrator 2]: The Breathe Right strip opens the nasal passage, making it easier to breathe through your nose. Pro football players discovered a way to enhance their game. The National Football League’s Herschel Walker was the first to use the strip in front of a national TV audience. San Francisco 49er superstar vide receiver, Jerry Rice, was next. [Nick Naumann, Senior Marketing Communications Manager, CNS]: Jerry Rice, his utilizing the strips, really was a big PR generator for us. It got a lot of pick-up, both domestically and internationally, and one of the things we immediately did was contact his agent to sign him to become an endorser so we could use him in advertising, promotion and consumer trade promotion. [Narrator 2]: With a significant amount of NFL players using the strips, CNS took advantage of the free publicity. [Marti Morfitt]: The Company at that time had done a very effective job of getting press kits in the hands of news commentators and sports commentators and the sports press, so when the people on television were asking, “What is that funny-looking thing on his nose?” – The press reporters all had the answers and how it translated into an effective consumer product for the masses. [Jerry Rice, Former Wide Receiver, San Francisco 49ers]: I’m looking forward to a great season and I think we have a team that can really go back to the Super Bowl. [Narrator 2]: Breathe Right strips are used by athletes hoping to play their best; snorers hoping for a good night’s sleep; and allergies, sinus and cold sufferers looking for a drug-free relief from nasal congestion. All over the world, users have the same reaction! [Kevin McKenna, Vice President, International – CNS]: I have to say that every time you have the opportunity to put a nasal strip on someone who’s never used it before – no matter what the country, no matter what the culture or the language – the response is always the same, and it’s in perfect English: “Wow!”
As you know, we really care about our Military servicemen and women, veterans and Military families at California Miramar University. So this week we are giving the CalMU Small Business Spotlight Award to San Diego’s own The Pathfinder Group, a truly remarkable company dedicated to helping Veterans make the best possible transition from service back to society. They act as a link between employers and Military Veterans to help the former find great candidates for jobs and the latter land the jobs they want. They know and understand that Veterans need appropriate information of the choices available to them when they separate from the Armed Forces. They aim to make the transition simple and are the only military recruitment firm that creates military staffing and HR solutions.
Matt Brogdon is the man behind The Pathfinder Group. He is the Founder and President of the firm, an Air Force Academy graduate and a former Army Armor Officer. He is an expert in military recruiting and has been working for over 12 years connecting Military Veterans to companies, universities and schools across the country. Matt is often referred to as an expert of San Diego military talent acquisition, and he is a remarkable individual who has made a substantial impact on so many lives; it’s very heartwarming.
The thought of starting the firm struck Matt seeing his father struggle to find a job after he retired from the Air Force, taking him a few years to find the position to suit his talents. In 2009 Matt started The Pathfinder Group to make the Veteran transition simpler, enable Veterans to identify the right opportunities for themselves, and help the companies, schools and universities find the best Veterans candidates for their organizations.
Their commendable work has paved the way to Inc. Magazine’ 2012 GrowCo Conference as a Military Entrepreneur Delegate. We salute their hard work and dedication to our servicemen and women, and their success in helping Veterans readjust to society and excel in their careers. All in all, though, The Pathfinder Group is helping pave the way for Veterans to find and flourish in their careers and, with such great success in doing so, we are honored to give them this week’s Small Business Spotlight Award.
This year employers expect to hire 17.4% new MBAs, up from 11.7% in 2011 according to the Graduate Management Admission Council’s (GMAC) 2012 Survey of Corporate Recruiters. And are overwhelmingly interested in hiring MBA candidates that have recently graduated and are ready to put their new degree to use. Because many graduates of online MBA programs and Hybrid MBA programs have gained work experience during business school, they have had the benefit of applying their studies to their jobs and now have the confidence to really advance their careers.
MBA programs give you an advantage in both your personal and career development. You learn invaluable leadership skills as you fulfill course requirements, like group projects and presentations, which are meant to mimic real business situations. A second strong advantage to a traditional, hybrid or online business degreeis the business connections and relationships you form with classmates and professors. Alumni networks from business schools help you build your career by offering services that aid in relocating if necessary, or give advice on a corporation’s strengths when you are on the job market or looking to change positions.
With an online MBA, however, you will likely be recruited while still in school at a salary that averages $90,000 per annum upon graduation, depending on location. With students who chose a specialty, job offer opportunities are slightly higher, as are those in manufacturing. Further, if you are interested in pursuing a career in either the services or products sector you may earn an impressive 75% higher salary than your fellow graduates.
If you are still working full-time, then the online MBA programs or Hybrid MBA programs are definitely great options that allow you to take advantage of the freedom they entail. The costs overall are less than traditional MBA programs; but the important aspects of MBA training, like group work, are included via online technologies like video chatting and/or conference calls. You will keep in close contact with professors and classmates, ensuring that you continue to reap all of the benefits of traditional programs, while gaining the valuable work experience to really propel yourself into the upper echelon of whatever career path you embark on.
This week’s MBA Mondays video showcases our mission here at California Miramar University: to provide affordable, personalized and high quality education aimed to take business theories and concepts and apply them to the real world. Our talented and highly qualified faculty are experts in their fields and have the business experience necessary to help set our students on the path to true business success.
We were ranked as one of the Top 10 MBA programs in San Diego County by the San Diego Business Journal, and are especially known for our reputed online MBA programs and Hybrid MBA programs. We also offer a revolutionary Doctor of Business Administration program, as well as other Masters and Bachelors courses, that are all geared to help our students succeed in their careers.
In addition, as our campus is adjacent to the Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego, and with our gratitude and respect for our Military servicemen and women and veterans, we are proud to be VA Approved and offer GI Bill benefits. And to support Military families, we also offer a 50% discount on tuition for Military spouses.
At the end of the day, where else can you get a reputed traditional or online business degree for as little as $11,505? Yes… you read that right. And that’s what it’s all about, because we believe that college education should be accessible to all!
Transcript of the Lesson
[Jeanie Foster, Direct of Admission]
Welcome to California Miramar University. If you’re looking to increase your earning power, gain new skills and advance your career without breaking the bank,come on in to CMU and see what degree programs we have to offer.
[Ilana Herring, Director of Marketing]
CMU believes the university should revolve around you – the student; not the other way around. CMU is geared for working adults who want to earn their Masters in Business Administration on their own schedule. You can do your work at your own pace and we are open year-round.
At CMU you never have to wait for a new class to get started. CMU provides personalized service. Here you are not just a number, our professors and faculty know each student by name and we care about your success.
[Bonnie Engel, CMU MBA Student]
I love the freedom and the flexibility of being able to go online 24/7.
[Jonathon Smith, M.D., CMU MBA Student]
After retiring from one career and beginning another one, I find that here at CMU I get all the tools I need to be successful in my new career.
[Dr. Dominic Mwenja, President]
Our nationally accredited associate bachelors and masters degree programs offer curriculum that is vigorous and challenges our students to combine their theories they learn in the classroom with real life business experiences.
The faculty at the California Miramar University brings real life business and consorting experiences to the classroom, which enriches the learning experience for all our students both online and those in the hybrid program. We at California Miramar University believe that college education should be accessible to everyone and that is why our nationally accredited degree programs are among the most affordable in the country.
[Holly Taft, CMU MBA Student]
Let’s face it. Things are really hard now with the economy, and that’s why I chose CMU. It was just too affordable to just pass out.
[Jeanie Foster, Direct of Admission]
Thank you for spending time with California Miramar University. I invite you to visit our website or call our admissions department to find out more about our affordable, quality, year-round education.
This week we are awarding the California Miramar Small Business Spotlight to San Diego’s own Active Network. Active Network is a technology and media company that is essentially grounded in event and facilities management. They put registrations for recreational and/or cultural activities on the cloud, thus simplifying the registration process for consumers and expanding the participation of the events.
They started their first chapter of their success story in 1998 in a small office with less than 50 employees. But because they have built software that has made it much easier and more convenient to organize events and activities, today Active Network has grown to a team of 2,917 employees touching millions of people around the world.
Besides the U.S., the company has a strong presence in Austria, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, New Zealand, Singapore, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom. Led by CEO Dave Alberga and President Matt Landa, Active has acquired many companies till date including Eteamz, LeagueLink, Sierra Digital Inc, Myteam.com and Class Software, to name a few.
On May 25, 2011, Active Network went public on the New York Stock
Exchange, a major milestone for the company. They have achieved remarkable growth of about 300% in last 4 years. Their revenue in 2007 was nearly $102 million, and it catapulted to$270 million in 2010. In 2011, their revenue increased to $337.4 million, marking a 21% increase from 2010 and a nearly 300% increase from 2007, according to Hoovers.
For some more numbers that demonstrate why’ve we’ve chosen them for our CalMU Small Business Spotlight award, let’s take a look at recreational activities in the U.S. Active conducted a survey through Survey.com in 2010, which found that 73& of households surveyed participated in pain recreational/community activities. Based on their internal research, they concluded that their market encompasses over 1.8 million registrations annually in the U.S., which totals more than $110 billion in registration spending. Blow away? Yep, though so.
They are also a very large job provider and they hire from undergraduates to post graduates, very notable for our students in our online MBA programs and Hybrid MBA programs. They are the perfect example of how creating a fun work environment and inspiring employees to keep them motivated will truly foster business success.
Active Network – thank you for creating the ideal business (role) model for future entrepreneurs.
This week we have chosen True Religion Apparel, Inc., for our CalMU Small Business Spotlight Award. I know most of you have heard of them, and many of you regularly wear their designer jeans and other apparel, and it’s for good reason.
They have taken jeans and all of the casual stereotypes sewn into them and have made them fashionable again. Instead of just throwing on a pair and going to school or heading to a friend’s house, they have become the ideal pants to wear out on a weekend night: not too casual, not too formal, and the perfect amount of comfort. So for students in our Hybrid MBA and online MBA programs, and for business people in general, here is a look at this week’s CalMU Small Business Spotlight.
True Religion was founded in December 2002 by Jeffrey Lubell and Kym Gold. They now have around 900 branded boutiques and specialty stores in 50 countries on 6 continents (say that 5 times fast). The flagship store is located in Manhattan Beach, California, and was their first retail store, opening in late 2005. In a span of decade True Religion Apparel have created a milestone in the denim and fashion industry and is showing no signs of slowing down. Let’s take a look at some of the numbers…
Jeffrey Lubell is truly a visionary who started a small business in fashion apparel, but geared it to a more high end market to really help bring casual wear back in style. Its annual sales have surpassed the $400 million mark, with sales for the fiscal year of 2011 totaling nearly $420 million.
However, according to Forbes, if we look at its sales from March 31, 2011, to March 31, 2012, True Religion’s sales are closer to $433 million, highlighting its current increase in consumer popularity. That’s because their reported 2012 First Quarter numbers are eye-opening, with sales skyrocketing nearly 14% to reach $106.8 million. There’s no wonder why the brand has become such hot activity on Wall Street in recent months.
I don’t know about you, but I know what I’m wearing this Friday night
In this week’s CalMU Business Spotlight, we have decided to feature none other than the San Diego Business Journal. We’re not playing favorites because they ranked us in the Top 10 MBA Schools in San Diego for our on-campus, Hybrid MBA and online MBA programs. Rather, the SDBJ is the premier source of business news and insight, connecting the San Diego business community together through its myriad events, engaging content and business awards. Here’s some more about them and why we have given them this week’s CalMU Business Spotlight.
The San Diego Business Journal highlights the community of business. From the corporate CEO to an MBA student, the Journal connects individuals and companies to current business events that make San Diego an exciting city for entrepreneurs and business professionals.
Readers learn of the latest high-tech companies and new innovations that are peeking over the horizon. People can read about the best CEOs and their business philosophy. Venture companies will learn about innovative new companies that need an angel investor to bring an exciting new product into the market.
Creative middle-managers are highlighted for their innovative style. That manager might be the right individual that a company seeking help needs to complete a critical management team.
Companies considering a move to San Diego can learn about this business community’s culture and discover the right person to close a great real estate deal or provide capital goods.
Meet the bankers at the SDBJ who can help a company grow. Meet the head of a licensed security company who can manage a portfolio. Meet the experienced business traveler who can brief a new business about Hong Kong and suggest how many big bulls to carry. Meet the chief chef of one of many fine San Diego restaurants where you and your family can enjoy a fabulous Sunday dinner.
MBA students appreciate the Journal’s varied content and featured businesses. By reading these pages carefully, a student can find a treasure trove of hints about the qualities a San Diego business owner seeks when hiring a new employee.
Learning about the San Diego business community will help an MBA student answer this critical question: If I hire you, what value will you bring to my company?
The SDBJ is opens up a world of unlimited possibilities, ideas and directions. Each issue offers a new revelation of what makes San Diego California’s best city for business. From glossy color layouts to no-nonsense analysis, the San Diego Business Journal gives the reader news, features, tips and opinions found in no other publication.
The San Diego Business Journal offers insight, vision and perspective to individuals and companies who need to understand San Diego business today.
Many people have business ideas, but few actually turn those ideas into a successful business. In order to turn your business idea into a reality, there are several steps that you’ll need to complete. Once you complete these steps, you’ll be able to enjoy the fruits of your labor and watch your idea grow into a successful business.
Do Some Research
One of the most important parts of the process is doing some research on your business idea. Once you come up with an idea, you’ll need to find out if anyone else has already done the same thing in the past. For example, if you have an idea for a new product, check to see if someone else is already selling it. If you want to open a business in your area, check to see if there are any direct competitors in the region.
One of the most important things to remember is to be unique. When you are filling the needs of people (potential customers) and doing/offering something that someone else isn’t, you will ultimately stand out and be able to corner a segment, or hopefully myriad segments, of your niche.
However, there will inevitably be others who have similar products and/or services as you, so to simply put it, you need to do yours better. There are a ton of Mexican eateries around San Diego, but why do I end up going back to the same three or four? Because they hands down make some of the most mouth-watering food on the planet, and also because they have certain dishes that nobody else does.
After doing thorough research of the market and evaluating how your business fills the needs of your prospective customers, and after tailoring your idea to ensure that it’s unique and will truly makes peoples’ jaws drop, it’s time to strategize.
Create a Business Plan
The next part of the process involves creating a business plan, which is a document that outlines your strategy and what makes your business unique. It should include financial projections, sales projections and other information about your business. The purpose of creating a business plan is so that you’ll have written ‘evidence’ that youcan show to potential investors or business lenders to convince (sales term for ‘prove’)them to fork over the money you need to build the business.
You may also want to include some information about yourself in the business plan itself to show your level of credibility. For example, if you recently participated in one of our accredited online MBA programs, include that on your resume in the business plan so that investors will see that you know what you’re doing.
Seek Out Funding
After a business plan has been created, you’ll need to pursue some kind of funding. If you have enough of your own money to move on, you can skip this step. Otherwise, you’ll need to apply for business loans or find investors to get on board.
Legal Issues
Set up a legal entity for your business such as a corporation or LLC. You may need to get a patent or copyright for a product that you plan on selling. Consult with a lawyer to make sure that you do everything according to state and federal law.
Get Started
At this point, you can successfully turn your idea into a reality. While this is just an overview of cultivating a business idea and countless other tasks are involved, it is meant for motivation to get your creative juices flowing! (Especially for students in our Hybrid MBA and online MBA programs!)
This week’s CalMU Small Business Spotlight is on San Diego’s own Square Peg Packaging and Printing. They are a great example of recognizing an industry deficiency, creating a business idea to fill in the gaps and then cultivating that idea with a very unique business model and enthusiastic vision of prodigious proportions. This is why we have chosen to highlight them this week, and why they are a good case study for students in and graduates of our Hybrid MBA and online MBA programs and our Leadership programs.
BUSINESS MODEL
Their name sums up their services quite well. Square Peg designs, manages (via supply chain), and distributes packaging materials for myriad businesses. Basically, they’re all about branding, and they do a very good job in their specialty. But what makes them stand out from other companies who do the same thing?
First, they recognized that businesses were wasting time, money and brand continuity by going to multiple vendors for their printing and packaging needs. By creating a business model and hiring innovative minds that specialize in both aspects however, they were able to include all services under their umbrella and enables companies to get everything done from the same people. This not only ensures that the business’ vision and message is consistent throughout all of their products, but it also saves businesses money because they are only going to one vendor instead of two or more, makes businesses money because their brand identity is uniform throughout and thereby stronger/more recognizable, and enables businesses to focus more on their operations and ultimately generate more revenue.
Second, they don’t just stop there. They also offer business analysis consulting that includes industry research, sales strategy, marketing plan (like establishing an online presence and everything involved in branding), and product positioning in the market. But Square Peg doesn’t just stop there like most consultants; they will also execute everything – and very successfully – if their clients wants them to. So not only do they offer a unique service in the industry; they’ve also gone five steps beyond and have incorporated business analysis, strategy and execution as services as well.
BUSINESS GROWTH
This innovative approach to printing and packaging has done wonders for their success over the past 5 years. When they were founded in 2007, they were a smaller operation and pulled in a revenue of $122,030, according to Inc.com. However, as they increased their scope and expanded their services, their revenue did the same. Just 3 years later in 2010, they pulled in $7.4 million, a whopping 5986% 3-year growth that earned them the #34 spot on Inc.’s 500 Fastest Growing Private Companies in the US. Now that is impressive.
So now you see why we were very impressed with Square Peg Packaging and Printing and decided to award them with the CalMU Small Business Spotlight. They are a great example for students in our Hybrid MBA and online MBA programs and Leadership programs to find what’s missing, develop a unique strategy to fill the void, and then go the extra mile to set your businesses up as the one-stop destination for everything in your niche.
While we are known for our online MBA programs and our Doctor of Business Administration and Masters in Leadership courses, our Hybrid MBA program is also what sets us apart from other universities. A Hybrid MBA contains both on-campus and online components for completing your MBA degree, providing a well-rounded graduate school experience that fosters both in-class instruction and discussion and an online component to keep other responsibilities you have and hone your time management skills.
Have you heard of a Hybrid MBA? What are your thoughts on the mixed in-class and online components for MBA instruction?
Transcript of the Video
[Question 1: Why choose CMU?]
[First Speaker:] We’re all out there to get ahead, and CMU was the right opportunity at the right time for me.
[Second Speaker:] The opportunity was right. It was also a course that I got to participate in and it wasn’t just online.
[Question 2: What do you think of the faculty?]
Faculty here is awesome. They are knowledgeable, they know their subject and they know how to teach. Absolutely helpful, couldn’t have been better. Really sent a message to me that this was a school serious about teaching us business in the real world and have all the time for me as a student.
[Question 3: How would you grade CMU as a university?]
[First Speaker:] Definitely an A, A+.
[Second Speaker:] B+.
[Third Speaker:] I’d give them an A.
[Fourth Speaker:] I’d give them an A; they meet my needs as a university offering courses that I am interested in at times that are convenient for me.
[First Speaker:] I just think that the personalized education is really amazing.
[Third Speaker:] This is so much more and they’re getting out of me than I expected.
Video Transcription by GMR Transcription
In an era where the people hold the power and web content merely expresses this, online reputation management plays a critical role in presidential campaigns. Business people and politicians alike could really benefit from higher education, namely a Masters in Leadership, because it gives them the tools they need to help their business/political campaigns at all levels and stages. Three examples of real life issues as evinced in Bush v. Al Gore, Obama v. McCain and Santorum’s recent Google “problem” are presented below.
Old vs. New Online Reputation Management
During the Bush v. Gore clash, Bush used the Constitution against the Florida Supreme Court in response to “stolen” victory allegations. Bush was validated by the ultimate Supreme Court ruling in claiming that the ballot recount was in violation of two constitutional amendments including the Equal Protection Clause.
However, the traditional route in online reputation management might no longer suffice as search engines have become more optimal and people everywhere are quickly learning how to use and utilize them. If, for example, social media and SEO were as big in 2000 as they are now, Gore could have garnered support and momentum by tapping into those channels and creating more viral components of his campaign. Bush could have done the same, which would have created an entirely new scenario for the eventual Supreme Court ruling. Our online MBA explores both the traditional and the new and covers how online reputation management can be effective in all scenarios.
The New SMM: Social Media Monitoring
Social media is infiltrating even the political hemisphere as shown in Obama v. McCain. The figures imply that social media monitoring – connecting to followers on their level – can increase popularity. The use of social media also allows for easy monitoring of voter sentiment and allows candidates to go directly to voters and address them directly. The candidate can then adjust views in response to what preferences the “statistics” are showing, gleaning them an advantage over non-social media users. Obama’s social media presence was very powerful during the campaign, which echoed his ‘grassroots’ ideologies and really gave his campaign a lot of momentum.
Search Engine Optimization is Not Just For Businesses
The most recent candidate, Rick Santorum, who has attempted to take the White House under the Republican vote and failed, was criticized for his conservative and degrading views on homosexuality. This spurred such online antagonism that a site dedicated to associating the Santorum name with a graphic sexual act went viral.
The process is one that is difficult to arbitrate, aptly termed a “Google bomb,” it does not allow for censorship. Many political candidates now choose to invest in search engine optimization to manage their online reputation as the age of digitalization progresses and delineates itself, with the view that the message that they want is the one that is heard. Although Santorum’s Google problem eventually subsided – somewhat – it added to Romney’s momentum and led to him dropping out of the race last week.
One of the things we pride ourselves on is our very affordable tuition. With student loans being a deterrent from some pursuing higher education, we have four ways that we can help you finance your education.
NOTE: And even with our very affordable tuition, online MBA programs are great because they allow you to save money on travel to and from school while enabling you to work during the day and gain that valuable work experience that all employers love. When you add a salary, work experience, affordable tuition, high quality education, experienced and venerated professors, and the ability to study when you want, an online MBA is a great option for all.
Hi, good morning.We’re going to talk about “How do you finance your education for college?” Okay, a few things to keep in mind.
One: at CMU you have the advantage of paying every single month. So instead of having to come up with big lump sum twice a year, you can pay every single month and make it smaller amounts. So that’s one great advantage to paying for your education while you’re a student here at CMU.
Number two: there’s no interest, so whatever the cost of your education is, divide it up, pay it as you go each month, pay it off at the end before you graduate, but there’s no interest. So we as a university finance your education, great advantage to paying for your education when you’re a student here at CMU.
Third point: if you are a Veteran or if you’re current Active duty in the military, we accept the GI Bill and all the benefits that you have. Fantastic benefits with the GI Bill, you can make use of all those at CMU – that’s number three.
Number four: we have a military spouse discount. It’s a 50% discount for all military spouses. It’s a great program, it’s a great option if you’re a military spouse, and that’s reason number four.
So again, the four ways to finance your education at CMU:
Pay each month as you go
Pay small amounts each month as you go and we finance it
Use your GI Bill
And a military spouse discount
Finally, a big difference between CMU and many other schools out there, CMU is a very affordable tuition. So why go into debt, why break the bank when you don’t have to?
Quality education at an affordable price. Check out the tuition structure at CMU and glad having you here as a student.
