Programs in Marketing

CHET VAN WERT

Faculty, NYU-SCPS

Strategic marketing director, consumer marketing, Condé Nast Publications

"The broad and deep expertise our students develop in this field prepares them for success in many marketing environments."

I teach operations and customer service, a subject that is sometimes overlooked but is crucial to creating profitable customer relationships. I’ve worked closely with customer service, fulfillment, and technology departments, and I try to bring to the classroom an understanding of how to do that effectively.

Last year, I invited Paulo Kaiser, a talented operations and technology professional, to coteach the class. Paulo’s experience complements mine, and students benefit tremendously from having both of our perspectives in the classroom. The goal of our class is two-fold: to teach direct and interactive marketers how to work effectively with the functional groups in their organizations that actually deliver on the promises they, as marketers, make; and to give students an understanding of key operational processes, with emphasis on those that affect the customer experience. Through class discussion and a broad range of readings and case material, students gain insight into the ways that operational decisions and processes affect customer relationships and, ultimately, a business’s growth and profitability.

The Internet is transforming all marketers into direct marketers. Web sites invite measurement. They demand that we focus on, and improve, our customers’ experience. Consequently, marketers of all kinds are realizing that they can benefit enormously from the strategic and tactical knowledge that direct marketers have developed over the years. The broad and deep expertise our students develop in this field, including both traditional and online media, prepares them for success in many marketing environments.