Diversifying the Business and Marketing curriculum
Contact Details
Case Study
Background
Diversity is an issue facing the marketing industry particularly as marketing communications is predominantly led by white males working in the west. Organisations are starting to address this publicly for the first time. For example, Proctor and Gamble have launched their ‘creativity as a force for good’ campaign. Improving diversity in marketing is therefore an authentic activity that links directly to real-world practice. It is recognised that brands, advertisers and we as educators have a responsibility to speak to inclusivity. We also need to reflect the diverse nature of our industry by showing that some of the best award-winning and most creative ideas are found outside of the west.
Activity
The Business School uses an approach called ABL (Authentic Business Learning) to bring business and marketing education to life, mirroring professional practice, in addition to working with organisations on live projects. Our teaching is applied, action-oriented and often case study based.
Whilst the business school is highly diverse from a student and academic perspective I noticed after completing diversity training that my case studies were international but they didn't always reflect a diverse range of cultures and ethnicities. I have since made a conscious effort to include a wider range of case studies from the Middle East, Africa and South East Asia.
We are fortunate to have digital marketing databases which give us access to global cases. For example, on my module “Digital Marketing and Social Media” students compare cases from different cultures in the same category. They are encouraged to find lesser-known cases from other cultures. This can be challenging for students but we see improved analytical skills as a result of the activity. International students are more engaged as they have the opportunity to highlight excellence from their own cultures. In addition last year in a live project, students helped the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra use digital and social media to reach a more diverse audience.
Improving diversity and representation is our responsibility and something that our industry is crying out for. Using this diversified approach also highlights opportunities to our students, showcasing careers that they might have felt were closed to them.