VISION

VISION – What we want to be

The University of Tennessee College of Business Administration will make the investments in time, talent, and treasure necessary to be the premier “go-to” university in the nation in training individuals to understand the Shopper Marketing dynamic and to become leaders in understanding this relatively new discipline. We are focused on strategic issues related to collaboration for shopper marketing (1) insights, (2) strategic planning, and (3) supply chain execution. This forum is dedicated to the exploration and resolution of challenges associated with contemporary shopper marketing strategies and tactics, supporting the advancement of industry practice and the dissemination of shopper marketing knowledge to students at all levels. We are a focused, collaborative group of leading thinkers and performers engaging in open dialogue about and development of best shopper marketing practice.

STRATEGIES – How we intend to get there

Collaborative Meetings – events to bring together businesses, faculty, and students for open dialogue
A Shopper Marketing Executive Summit each Fall for senior leaders to set direction
A Shopper Marketing Forum Conference each Spring open to sponsors and a wider audience

TRAINING – bringing what we know to student bodies and involve them in the research process

MBA Marketing concentration with CPG/Retail focus emphasizing shopper marketing
Executive education program focused on shopper marketing
Extended campus with on and off campus assets – data analytics lab, simulated and actual retail settings, be able to see state of the art and envision possible future

RESEARCH – develop new knowledge that is relevant in a scholastically rigorous way

Leverage corporate relationships and faculty expertise to identify critical shopper marketing problems and phenomena worthy of investigation
Leverage world-class faculty and doctoral students to conduct cutting edge, relevant research
Disseminate research results to industry and the academic community

MEASURES – How we know when we are there

Satisfaction level of sponsor organizations, deans, faculty, and students
Growth in CPG/Retail interested MBA student enrollment and placements
Number and quality of UT-lead research projects and publications focused on shopper marketing
Number of news articles citing the UT shopper marketing efforts
Extent to which major sponsor organizations’ and industry’s issues are addressed

CORE VALUES – What we believe in

Science – Smart people collaborating with sound research processes generates insights
Value Creation – Our job is to help create value for our sponsors, students and society
Supply Chain – manufacturers, retailers, brokers, and agencies all help create consumer value
Ethics – shopper marketing should positively affect consumers, the economy, environment and society
Demand and supply integration – balancing demand and supply management is paramount
Globalization – shopper marketing knowledge should be generated and applied globally
People – we rest on the knowledge, interactions and well-being of our people and those to whom we connect