Dissertation Support Requested

BEGGING - I AM UNDER DEADLINE
(I know you know what that's like!)

IRB Protocol number 10303

Study: Business Coursework &/or other preparation for an Applied Arts career in Marketing

Hello!

        I am begging for a total of 40 minutes of your time! Openly asking if you or anyone you know would be willing to contact me to do

·         a survey (17 questions in 2 parts),

·         an interview (conversationally about 15 to 20 questions),

·         and to share some images (as you deem significant) …

… as part of my dissertation.

            Criteria is that they graduated from one of 42 AICAD accredited schools (http://www.aicad.org/) as an illustration major. There would be an informed consent form (all individual results are confidential) and your total commitment, all inclusive, is –planned for under 50 minutes. Respondents will receive aggregate level results (confidentiality assured).

            I am a doctoral candidate at Argosy University School of Business, with a BFA from UArts in Illustration, and as an educator of 30+ years, a university professor for much of that, I sense something of a potential  gap in curriculum.  The research seeks to confirm suspicions that may exist, further the conversation about what constitutes success, and otherwise shed light on the relationship between right and left brain paradigms, applied arts and business. This is intended as foundational research.

            Research is later intended as regards this consideration and other applied arts.  Further research may also venture what business can learn from the arts and vice versa.  What inherent default boundaries of thinking and behavior occur based on these right / left-brain considerations.  Cultures generally and specific to business, to the arts, and any role education plays in exacerbating such divisions, pro or con (and more).

   Thank you,

   Frank Davis

professorfrankdavis@gmail.com, 727 527 4623

*It does not matter what year you went or which AICAD school it was, which include:

Alberta College of Art and Design Art Academy of Cincinnati Art Center College of Design Art Institute of Boston at Lesley University California College of the Arts California Institute of the Arts Cleveland Institute of Art College for Creative Studies Columbus College of Art and Design Corcoran College of Art and Design Cornish College of the Arts Cranbrook Academy of Art Emily Carr University of Art and Design Kansas City Art Institute Laguna College of Art and Design Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts Maine College of Art Maryland Institute College of Art Massachusetts College of Art and Design Memphis College of Art Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design Minneapolis College of Art and Design

Montserrat College of Art Moore College of Art and Design New Hampshire Institute of Art NSCAD University (Nova Scotia College of Art and Design) OCAD University Oregon College of Art and Craft Otis College of Art and Design Pacific Northwest College of Art Parsons The New School for Design Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts Pennsylvania College of Art and Design Pratt Institute Rhode Island School of Design Ringling College of Art and Design San Francisco Art Institute School of the Art Institute of Chicago School of the Museum of Fine Arts School of Visual Arts The Cooper Union The University of the Arts Watkins College of Art Design & Film

Business Nightmares, by the grace of Sara Z

There's a new strip in town, and I'm delighted to share this related business item: comics with more vitality than Dilbert! Sara Zimmerman has an "all in" attitude balanced with a light and airy posture. Great stuff to add to your "business menu".

............Enjoy ! ..............

http://unearthedcomics.com/comics/business-nightmares/

Why doesn't anyone ever blame Bad Management!?

Why does everyone in the media blame the union? Goodbye Twinkie, Ding-Dongs and other Hostess "treats" (that possibly may still be exhumed millenia from now without any wear or harm ... it's not the unhealthy products I'm sorry to see go, it's the working class jobs)...

CEO, Mr. Gregory F. Rayburn only holds a masters degree from U of Alabama. I say only because you might think he was a divinely educated businessman extraordinaire, having been in leadership, if not the very top, of so many companies! But about the "so many" companies ... although often having multiple "jobs" at any one of these companies, his resume shows no less than 2 companies between 2000 & 2002, 3 companies from 02-04 (including giving away WorldCom/MCI to Verizon), 3 companies from 04-07 … and one company each in '09, '11 & '12. Associated with the "sin" industry of gambling through Diamond Resorts Corporation as well as being the former CEO of the New York City Off Track Betting Corporation, he was also with the discredited Arthur Andersen LLC as a partner. The man can NOT hold down a job OR, apparently, make any meaningful positive difference. He appears to be a profiteer, blithely skipping from one disaster to the next. As a sort of “cherry” on his sundae, he is also a Member of the American Bankruptcy Institute. http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/person.asp?personId=508078&privcapId=598750&previousCapId=333920&previousTitle=AMERISTAR%20CASINOS%20INC

Can "Job Security" make a comeback?

Job security is an interesting conversation. I'd like to see that come back (it certainly is a corporate social responsibility expression), but I wonder how it can given how our culture has lain bear how disposably companies treat employees (and, therefore, why should employees feel any loyalty ... which we continue to not feel). Beyond a case by case basis, it makes for an interesting business meditation: by what ingredients can job security be re-introduced?

Michael Porter; a hero disappoints.

or, the danger of the disingenuous subject matter expert (would YOU have caught this lie?)

6/3/2012 2:05:20 PM

I just took pause from my all-day work in front of the computer to have lunch … and as is my habit set myself up in front of the TV and turned on some news. Fareed Zakaria was on (I really like Fareed’s show), and Michael Porter was about to speak. As a student of business, imagine my joy (Porter’s hardly if ever on TV … first time I’d ever see him on TV)!

For the uninitiated, amongst contemporary business literature Porter’s caliber would rank analogously with, say, the Rolling Stones (were business academics rock and roll). He has essentially helped Harvard Business School maintain its vaulted pantheon position, as faculty, as serial author, etc. And I must confess, I cite him regularly (as I variously am either learning or agreeing him.).

When he and Fareed began speaking, it was on the topic of where American business was headed (certainly fascinating). Unfortunately, it appears that Porter may have taken too much grant money from corporate sources (my conjecture)! More than once he cited Americans as not being productive enough!!! Just go to Google images and put in “American productivity chart” (https://www.google.com/search?tbm=isch&hl=en&source=hp&biw=1024&bih=614&q=american+productivity+chart&gbv=2&oq=American+productivity&aq=5S&aqi=g1g-S9&aql=&gs_l=img.1.5.0j0i24l9.1547.7094.0.11250.21.13.0.8.8.0.78.842.13.13.0...0.0.aEFu6vXy1Yo). While I didn’t check each and every chart you can readily see that most if not all say, as they should, the same thing. What that same thing tends to be, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Bureau of Economic Analysis and others, is SO the contrary as to make one ill! Americans are setting records for productivity!

Now, does Michael mean productivity compared to wages elsewhere? Something like that is all I can think of. But honestly, that was the one silver lining of all the off shoring, I don’t want us to lose our minimum wage (it isn’t high enough as it is!). To make matters worse, he hardly looked Fareed in the eye, looking mostly down and to the right … generally a sign of being disingenuous.

What, it begs the question, would prompt such “marketing” (possibly propaganda)? He spoke of a study ... I'll have to keep an eye out for this study!!! If corporations could suppress wages more, somehow extract even greater ROI, then America becomes that much more attractive. Well, that's the simplistic easy thing, isn't it? Corporations have broken the middle class back - there IS no more low hanging fruit!!! How about corporations fulfilling the promise of America shifting from a manufacturing economy to a knowledge economy? Come on, Michael, you’re an old academic – don’t you want to champion corporations promoting, underwriting, etc. our knowledge economy? Why would you help "them" try to squeeze blood from a stone? Is it not time to reinvest? "Americans not being productive enough"? Have you gone mad? This so very much erodes your leadership credibility.

For those in academia you may recognize the old saw about how public schools do not “abuse” the financial aid system the way private institutions do. I am a Professor of Business of some years and actively teach for both kinds of Universities. There may or may not be an imbalance here, and both advantage monies every way they can (they, after all, each “have a business to run”). One thing is very certain, however, the public “research” schools (some, not all ... but as much their public blemish as the private schools have theirs) … are increasingly showing their stripes as paid for and bought.
I am happy to report, I can assure you, I do not teach for any schools that are bought : )

Operations Marketing and American Airlines [6 of 6]

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Operations Marketing and American Airlines [5 of 6]

A New B2B


This recommendation would require significant research on Americans part and would necessarily result in an out of industry strategic alliance, or network of the same. There is a significant well-established niche sub-industry within the education industry, made up of workshops, seminars, conferences and trainings that may or may not yield professional credits (yet are nonetheless significant events in their own right).

So far, the airlines have been a feeder for this phenomenon. With such detachment comes freedom of responsibility. Yet, what could come of taking some responsibility? This much of the idea only has the carrier collaborating more closely in networks it picks and chooses. American Airlines would suddenly have a voice as to location, time of year and the like. While there is no illusion that American could call such shots in a vacuum, at this level alone they have lower operation costs (by choosing optimal times and locales) and increased consumption by a prized demographic (professionals, further enticed by packages of accommodation, auto rental etc.). Partnerships with certain accrediting bodies may also prove lucrative as relationships develop (“the official airline of Notre Dame, Duke, Villanova, etc.”). There may be many moving parts to this idea, and yet it seems that every moving part is an opportunity.



The Child Agenda

The essential idea here is to bring to bear subject matter expertise on making flight child friendly. This necessarily includes matters of developmental appropriateness on one spectrum end and sourcing the lowest cost amusements at the other. The most radical suggestion here, however, is sacrificing the back row, cordoning it off as a space for newborns and toddlers (with parents and guardians, of course). This would include an unobstructed view and audio/video monitoring for the staff (and security), and would be made to be as comfortable and sound proof as possible (stocked with a variety of necessities as well as niceties).

The seat or two (or three) that may be lost may be offset by raising the ticket price of the child somewhat (for the privilege of specialized accommodations) and slightly on all else (justified by way of the assurance that the flight will be unmarred by screaming children). Such benevolence in the ad campaigns that follow would show AA as accommodating and caring beyond its competitors.



Conclusion

Given the relative thoroughness of the review of the Marketing Operations for American Airlines in particular, its industry and industries generally, it is the opinion of this writer that said operations are muscular and well attended as they are.

The only concern is that the DNA might be too conservative to seek chance taking. There is no talk of blithely actuating anything with naïveté. AMR has both a regional as well as commuter line through which to pilot projects. Heck, it now has a NY affiliation with JetBlue (where it might leverage piloting through them somehow). There is ample resource to gather data and run numbers. However, at this level the tendency is to let others pioneer. The payoff is tried and true, it never costs them much to let others do the innovating (or so it seems). Still, what if the payoff is significant and lasting, then it has cost them that, and they remain undifferentiated.

In addition, one understands that during this economic downturn, it may be prudent to put such an effort off until better times, a rationale that makes sense.

Nonetheless, between fuel being a diminishing resource (with no clear answer yet in sight) and the industry being as unstable as it is, differentiation could be huge. Each year sees mergers and acquisitions, (not to mention the dozens of carriers that come and go each year), being relatively undifferentiated from Continental, the only other legitimate legacy airline in the US, may eventually prove a fight to the finish. Positioning for a win in advance may prove very wise indeed.

Operations Marketing and American Airlines [4 of 6]

Areas for Improvement, Identified Potentials


While there is always room for improvement, American Airlines is ostensibly doing everything right. If one were to run a SERVQUAL process and analysis, one imagines a few minor patterns might percolate to the surface (perhaps there's a series of airports where the plants are not being watered properly, or maybe there's a reason of the country where people are forgetting their name badges more than elsewhere). However, overall the carrier is a model of the industry. Naturally, this is a good thing, until you are in a position seeking a way to push the envelope; then it seems there is nowhere to go.

Large corporations are rarely as nimble as small to medium-sized businesses or startups. Given the size of American Airlines, one has reason to expect that nothing will be happening overnight. Yet as we look back at the steady progression into the 21st century, we see that American Airlines has evolved at a relatively brisk pace (albeit consistent with its competition). To ask of this carrier a quicker pace, a greater risk or even an out of character creativity may seem ludicrous at first. Nevertheless, American has been such a compelling success that it has "filled its space", and in order to effectively differentiate itself it will need to "create new space".



Increasing Customer-centricity Recommendations

With all due humility, here is a small list of actions that clearly live outside of American Airlines "box". These ideas have all been written up elsewhere before at some length. Here, with an eye toward increasing customer centricity, are the recommendations.



iPad® Surveys

In a previous document, this author spelled out in quite some detail the logistics for this idea. For current purposes, the essence of the idea is to preload iPads and replaces the current paper surveys handed out on certain flights. The rationale is several folds; it can make the survey a more fun experience (given all the digital opportunities for interaction not afforded by paper), several planes worth of iPads donated by Apple may compel some co-branding or some mutual advertising, the data has already been entried, etc.

Referencing the previous document once again, the inspiration is in no small way tied to the nature of the survey itself. The example given fully explored a digital experience while in flight, and asked for consumer feedback. Moreover, the payoff for completing the survey is the opportunity to sneak peek various immersive experiences that American airlines might consider exploring.

Operations Marketing and American Airlines [3 of 6]

All airlines have had to cut back. You may not receive the kind of meal you may have had once upon a time, but what you receive will not only be a choice (kosher fare, the departure location cuisine, vegetarianism and the cuisine of the arrival location tend to be standard), but also, one designed by a master artist chef.


Your flight attendant today is no longer window-dressing, indeed, by contrast, they are invisible more than before, but if you need him or her, they arrive quicker. Professional small talk replaces chitchat, they no longer pretend to be your friend, and they are there to serve you.

In the earlier decades, the business model more closely resembled that of other, more rudimentary mass transportation models, and now we have a half century of evolution on this score, elevating and reflecting that which is particular to flight.



Current Marketing Communications (echoes of Segmentations)

As one of arguably two (and possibly three) legacy airlines from a recently emergent empire, (a new status for the US), positioning itself not only to embrace all its consumers domestically, but everywhere, becomes a clarion opportunity for American’s marketing. However conscious of this, they at least intuit the need to embrace more than just business class, and have proactively moved on that front.

Americans main conduit, perhaps predictably, are the mainstays of outdoor, print, TV and online; with budget monies recently shifting from TV to online.

It was not so very long ago when marketing communicated as a broad-brush stroke, all at once. While American and the rest of the industry were juggling the balls in the air of global recession, (response to) war on terror and escalating fuel costs, social media inserted itself as one more ball in the air, so utterly transforming how corporations were to interact with consumers. Deftness applied, American moved in this direction with a degree of accomplishment. This now unpacked audience has found magazine articles appealing to an African-American audience celebrating a black female principle among AAs upper management, as well as “dude trips” in a man’s health publication. Other publications, as well as sub pages on its company website, catering to the Latino community. There are sub pages for a variety of demographic, including the LB GT community. American has allied with conventions for seniors, charities against cancer and everywhere else it seems it can speak to a group.

Along with external segmentation, internal industry based segmentation has moved apace simultaneously. To better meet consumer needs, the company evolved to include both a regional as well as commuter line (as previously referred to). Consistent with the larger movement in the industry, code-sharing arrangements and the strategic alliance of OneWorld were committed to, leveraging well over a dozen other carriers. As recently as 2010, perhaps by way of the intimacy lessons of social media, to serve better its New York market, American announced a new alliance for that market with Jet Blue. With similar motivation, a new partnership with British Air and Iberia found recent approval.

Meanwhile, American continues to attend to standard segmentation established long ago, its AA Flagship Lounges and Admirals Clubs as well as members of Aadvantage.

Operations Marketing and American Airlines [2 of 6]

E-commerce is also a wealth of information gathering. Here process, experience (ease of use) and results rule the day, for the consumer. Meanwhile, every nuance of a profile has already been digitized and is updated with each use; an extraordinary resource of data.


Other methods of data capture include e-mail databases, postal databases, databases based on frequent flyer membership, platinum and gold card membership, executive lounge membership and associations with blogs, forums, other social media and mobile apps.

Classically, a small variety of senior vice presidents (operations, marketing, etc.) have their departments generating reports and charts constantly, based upon the information generated. What is been spoken of as far as that which produces the new information, the new variable. However, historical patterns for the industry itself, for this carrier in particular and for other relative constants such as food and fuel costs fluctuations, these are all well established. Although no software can be absolute, one imagines a constant striving for algorithms that will arbitrage all of these variables against each other. Whether or not such software is in the process of existing, it remains the task of these upper managers to best leverage the knowledge outcomes of all these syntheses.



Customer Centricity as it is

Once upon a time American was the first institution to establish a frequent flyer program. Although unprecedented, let us really contextualize this larger consideration.

Imagine the air travel elegance of the 1950s and 60s, most all men in suit jackets, women in beautiful period dresses. Please also notice the dozen or more ticketing agents jostling behind the counter, and all the beautiful flight attendants on every plane. Of course, a half-century later, this image has shifted. While many would argue for the worse, (nostalgia tends to filter for that which we wish to hold on to), let us pause for a moment and consider the pluses that have evolved over the years.

Consumer dress has downshifted to a more casual look, however this has utility of purpose, and comfort goes a long way on a many hours long flight. Simultaneously, the behavior shift of these individuals has likely been for the better. Consistent with an increase in need is the imagining that passengers these days are significantly more orderly. Contributing factors would include, at a minimum, the war on terrorism, the absence of cigarette smoke and a decrease in alcohol consumption.

A half-century ago ticket counters were significantly manual, and as mentioned “fully” staffed. One can easily see the enormous potential for error with all this physical paperwork. Moreover, in such narrow confines, the jostling of baggage and bumping into each other likely had been more frequent.

Gone is the sexist “Coffee, Tea or Me” days (with their “mile high club” implications), as we find not only both genders yet also a wider age spectrum attending to our needs as well.

There is less leeway for anything short of professionalism on the front lines, and carriers such as American Airlines are fully aware of this. There may only be a small handful of agents behind the ticketing counter, but chances are every one of them is willing to jump through hoops to make sure that your needs are fulfilled with a smile (not a double meaning smile, a professional smile). Chances are they are not bumping into each other either, and that their areas are immaculate. Now this company puts its employees through constant trainings (agents every six weeks!).

Operations Marketing and American Airlines [1 of 6]

“You cannot expect successful buy in without accommodating participation”


-Frank Davis



Introduction

The idea of doing a review of the marketing operations for American Airlines in this, the spring of 2011, seems in many ways as much about the business climate of the time as anything else. That the technology that has grown, the geopolitical instability across the world, the United States ‘reluctance to take on the mantle of empire has indelibly affected. What has happened with fuel, the continued growing nonchalance of the consumer perspective (shifting air travel meaning downward to just another means of transportation), globalization and so on, has metaphorically moved the industry from the caliber of a Tiffany's to Wal-Mart.

Like everyone else, American Airlines finds itself making every effort to do more with less. No different from other airlines, American has razor thin margins. And in keeping with its own stature as a legacy airline, like Continental, Lufthansa, etc, American has done its level best to continue to communicate itself as an airline of professionalism, if not accessible sophistication.

For the record, American Airlines is actually one aspect of AMR, (which represents its stock symbol, not an acronym), along with a Chicago-based regional expression, American Connection, and its commuter line American Eagle. As the fourth-largest airline on the planet, American has been flying since 1934. American has its headquarters in Fort Worth, Texas, and the Dallas-Fort Worth hub is the largest in America. As part of the relatively recent branding phenomenon, the major-league sporting arena in Dallas is the American Airlines Center (with naming rights to a center in Miami also). American celebrated 40 years of transcontinental flight this year (2011). By all indications, the DNA of American Airlines is essentially conservative; by approach, by operations, by expression, etc.



American Airlines current customer-centric orientation

Upon what Customer Centricity is Based?

Establishing a baseline of customer centricity may be best expressed among Webster's four key approaches as “Marketing as creating and managing markets”. This particular context for marketing is a relatively academic perspective; one of study, measuring, seeking constant feedback, and paying attention to benchmarks, and so on. This makes sense, and American is by no means alone in its industry as this appears to be the industry standard.

In marketing ops speak this is accomplished by way of marketing performance measurement and management; measuring every way possible.

Transaction data (ticketing) yields PNR/Ticket Data. E-commerce builds customer profile databases (name, address, phone number, e-mail etc.). Daily surveys generate database entries as American sees fit, typically demographic and attitudinal feedback. Such surveys are not the domain of passengers alone. Periodically other stakeholders survey as well.

Among the hyper vigilant constants which constitute the pulse of our customers wants, needs and preferences, feedback on key performance indicators, internal strengths and weaknesses and the perception of the external comparative strengths and weaknesses.

Sales are another ripe area for constant pulse taking. Classic metrics here include sales variance and micro sales analysis, expense to sales and market share analysis. These metrics expose gaps, generate ratios and yields comparative information.

Not Making the Change [2 of 2]

Franchise


As the general dialogue of this document unfolds, it is reaching across these subcategories. A chief differentiator between retail and franchise is that in the former every little business expression island is still wholly owned by the larger corporate entity. Imagine creating an even larger built-in disconnect by spinning off independent "plug and play" locations. One imagines the common experience of settling down with your sack lunch only to realize that the drive-through person got it wrong. As these errors occur regularly at the hands of minimum wage earners, this author's self conciliatory mantra to himself has become, “remember, that's why they're working here, and their consequence is both their experience and compensation package” (the consolation is not an elevated feeling so much as a backing off perspective).

Such ineptitude has even spawned the term "McJob” (…now in the Oxford Dictionary, by the way) McDonalds countered as recently as yesterday (April 19, 2011 with a National Hiring Day; and to its credit is among the few who give felons, among the most challenged populations, a second chance). One franchise owner of several stores in Philadelphia reported a need to hire approximately 100, and at one location received over 400 applications in the first four hours alone. Corporations, such as McDonald's, who have come a long way in recent decades to express social responsibility, continue to miss the point in such instances as this recent national, what amounted to a "cattle call" (McDonald’s, 2011).



Elsewhere

There was a passage of time in this author's life when employment was in call centers. Fortunately, there was an ability to rise out of those trenches and become part of management. In many cases, these institutions were multinational brands.

A number of things are notably different here. The interaction with the customer is not face-to-face and we are speaking of a highly scripted, highly controlled environment.

This is not to say that nonsense does not occur here as well, however, having been on both sides of the managerial/employee construct, the highly controlled environment and the scripting certainly helped. What is also true (and I know this as a trainer in those settings), is that when a company chose to honor the humanity of its employees by empowering them through training, coupled with real leadership, transcendent things happened.



Conclusion

People are not disposable. That axiom has to become first and foremost.

There is very little that we manufacture in the United States today, and if we cannot learn to serve each other better, we likely have a very dim future (not everyone will get to participate in the new knowledge economy). The companies that highlight their growing talent efforts at the base of operations, rewarding lower management, embracing and honoring its base employees, they will be rewarded with more loyalty, candor and better customer relations.

As one looks back over this document, only something as blatant as shrinkage falls in the domain of the employee, the rest is management’s responsibility. Now, in an age when business is actively studying and engaging the technology of leadership itself, hardly is there an excuse. Like any mentor/mentee relationship, the mentor cannot keep changing mentees; they need to step up their own game.





References

McDonald’s. (2011). Working Here (Corporate hiring site). Retrieved from McDonald’s: http://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en/careers/working_here.html

NPR. (Producer). (2011, April 19). Caitlin Kelly: “Malled” [Audio podcast]. Retrieved from http://thedianerehmshow.org/audio-player?nid=14089