Skyline, Summer 2011

Skyline students: Welcome to Effective Green Marketing! On this page you will find the latest class syllabus, assignments, readings, and resources.

Important Class Links:

Class Syllabus – includes assignments and links to class presentations and/or videos.

Class Workgroups – Find your group members here.

Green Marketing Books – Find your assigned book and a link to it on Amazon here.

Competitive Analysis of a Green Company – Final Project worth 25% of your grade.

Class Forum - We set up a discussion forum for the class

 

 

Green Marketing Class Syllabus

WEEK 1

Learning objectives: Comprehend and apply effective marketing techniques. Understand what makes for an effective marketing strategy and plan. Learn how to create a compelling brand for yourself and/or your green business.

Jun 21

  • Homework:

Jun 23

  • Class Session
    • [download id="11" format="1"] (click for the presentation)
    • The workgroups will be announced.
    • Books will be chosen by each student for book reports. See [download id="22" format="1"].
    • Review and discuss marketing plan templates.
  • Reading Assignments
  • Homework
    • Think about the brand for your workgroups and pick one during the next class session with your group
    • Think about your business and/or personal brand, and answer the questions on “Guide to Creating a Brand.” (see website for questionnaire). Be prepared to discuss your brand during next class session.
    • Answer the following questions about your website (even if you do not have one yet):
      • What is the primary purpose of your site?
      • Is it easy for visitors to contact you? Are you generating leads with your website?
      • How are visitors supposed to find you? What searches do you come up for in Google?
      • What three things would you like to improve most on your website?

     

WEEK 2

Learning objectives: Learn how to set up a professional website that generates quality leads. What’s the importance of your brand, personal or business.

Jun 28

  • Homework
    • Make a list of tools that you need to expand your business. Assess what you have and what you need.
    • Begin to plan your website content through an outline or wireframe

 

Jun 30

 

WEEK 3

Learning Objectives:  Learn the value of social media and how to generate business through the use of it.  Develop an understanding of successful customer relationship management strategy and tools. Practice lead generation through personal contacts.

 

July 5

Class will be at Green Drinks San Francisco.
www.sfgreendrinks.org
111 Minna
5:30-8:30pm

Homework: collect at least 5 business cards at Green Drinks and bring them to next class session

 

July 7

  • Reading Assignments
  • Homework
    • Set up a CRM database (in Insightly, Zoho, or Excel) and add at least 10 contacts or prospects relevant to your business or job hunt
    • Create a facebook, twitter, or LinkedIn page for your business or personal brand. Highlight your skills, experience and strengths. Share with your network, and ask for “likes”, “follows”, “friends.” Follow

 

WEEK 4

 

Learning Objective: Learn how to develop content that will build trust and generate leads for your business. Create an understanding on how to engender customer loyalty and make real business connections.

July 12

  • Class Session
  • Reading Assignments
  • Create at least one new page on your website with content that will help build your brand.

 

July 14

  • Class Session
  • How to develop a memorable personal brand. Each student should give a 1-minute presentation with his/her mission/vision statement.
  • Reading Assignments
  • Continue work on your website and marketing plans.

 

WEEK 5

 

Learning Objective: Effectively present the value and benefits of green and discover how to win customers. Understanding whether your career path is as an employee or an entrepreneur in the green economy.

 

July 19

  • Class Session
  • 1 Minute Presentation: Each student must present the one thing that they’ve learned so far that will make them more successful
  • “Marketing Tactics Worth Stealing” by Tiger Adolf, BPI regional director Western region, and Ed Thomas
,Vice President, Utility and Government Services, EGIA. See Ed’s profile here: http://www.utilityexchange.org/about.html#staff_profiles
  • Workgroups meet to discuss any issues with website or marketing plans.
  • Reading Assignments
  • Create a list of 5-10 prospects for your services or as job leads and add them to your CRM.
  • Write/re-write your personal and/or company bio. Bring a printed copy to class
  • Create a communication that you can send to your database (newsletter or announcement)

 

July 21

  • Class Session
  • “Selling Yourself (to an employer or to prospects)” by Guest Speaker Leonard Adler, Founder of Green Jobs Network, http://www.greencollarblog.org/net_impact/
  • In-class project. Mock interviews:  practice interviewing/sales skills within your workgroups.
  • Reading Assignments
  • Continue working on your marketing plan. The first draft is due by next class – bring a copy on July 26th.
  • Create an elevator pitch for your business or your services. Try using the Harvard Business School elevator pitch tool: http://www.alumni.hbs.edu/careers/pitch/



WEEK 6

 

Learning Objective: Use techniques taught in class to get and track quality leads and take your business and career in energy efficiency to the next level.

 

July 26

  • Class Session
  • Marketing Plan review – the first draft of your marketing plan is due today. We will review in class.
  • Public Relations, Guest speaker, Chip Wood, http://www.linkedin.com/in/fwood
  • Each student will present his/her elevator pitch (3 min. limit). Feedback will be given.
  • Reading Assignments
  • Final projects due. Finish work on Book Reports, Marketing Plan and Competitive Analysis.

 

July 28

  • Class Session
  • Finalized marketing plans are due via email on August 1st by 12:00pm. Bring a printed copy to next class. 
  • Prepare a slide or a half page of market stats for your business or career idea. Ideally this “slide” will be part of your marketing plan. You will present on Tuesday at the start of class. Print this page/slide out so we can put it up on the overhead machine.

WEEK 7

 

Learning Objective: Bringing it all together – the Effective Green Business Marketing toolkit.

 

August 2

  • Class Session
  • Students present market stats for business or career ideas.
  • “Putting Best Self Forward” by Guest Speaker Renn Vara, Co-Founder of SNP Communications.
  • Marketing plan swap. Be prepared to critique a classmate’s marketing plan in class and present your observations.
  • Homework
  • Do an analysis of the marketing plan that you’ve been assigned and assign it a grade and provide written comments as if you were an instructor. Create a written copy to hand to your classmate and send an electronic copy to the instructors.
  •  Post completed book report for the book you chose at the beginning of the course to wwww.greenmarketingclass.com. It should be in the format of the provided instructions (see website for format). MUST BE POSTED BY NOON on August 3rd.

 

August 4

  • Class Session
  • Presentation Day…. All students present……..Topic to be announced
  • Give marketing plan critiques to fellow classmates.
  • Give borrowed books back to Celia.

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