Professors, as well, are always learning about current trends and technologies that they can bring to the classroom.
Dr. Marat Bakpayev, LSBE’s Assistant Professor of Marketing had the unique experience this past summer to be selected to participate in the Association of National Advertisers Educational Foundation’s Visiting Professor Program (VPP).
"It's a 360° immersion into the world of marketing and advertising provided by industry practitioners that aims to connect advertising professors with the most up-to-date changes in the industry," said Bakpayev. “Typically, the VPP would be in New York City, but with the pandemic, it was virtual.”
The weeklong event included keynote speaker presentations from senior executives of IBM, McCann, Facebook, R/GA, and Ogilvy. Breakout sessions, moderated by industry professionals, focused specifically on classroom teaching challenges, how the industry can better connect with academia, and how to better advance professors’ educational goals as a community. This year’s VPP topic centered on how the coronavirus experience has transformed the advertising and marketing industry.
“I definitely learned a lot about new campaigns and brands,” said Bakpayev. “One particular campaign that I liked was IBM's COVID-19 response.
"Also there was a big focus at the VPP on data regarding how advertisers move from historical-cultural data in ad creation that is culturally relevant to the use of personal data gathered from people’s experiences, which drives the creation of personalized messaging.
“I share my learning experiences with students so they learn not only from books but also from the actual most recent campaigns. This is in line with my personal philosophy of always giving students something practical and industry-relevant. Participating in the VPP also helped me in my research through exploring ideas that ad agencies are working on.”
Bakpayev made numerous industry connections through VPP. One, Rian Durham, Account Director at New York-based digital agency Situation, will be presenting in Bakpayev’s Marketing and Graphic Design (MGD) classes this month. “The MGD program benefits as I get exposure to different agencies and campaigns; there are possibilities for guest speaking, networking, and more.”
The AEF’s Visiting Professor Program enhances professors’ understanding of current developments and practices in advertising and marketing to inform their teaching and research. Participating professors represent diverse backgrounds and disciplines, such as advertising, marketing, communication, and Sociology. The VPP is also a forum for professors to exchange learning, to create long-term relationships, and to become part of the AEF’s professor community. Since its inception, more than 800 professors have participated in the program.
Photo of Manhattan: By Dmitry Avdeev