When I finished explaining the syllabus and the progression of the assignments in the writing course, a student raised his hand and asked, \u201cSo basically, we\u2019re creating a marketing campaign?\u201d<\/p>\n
I told him I find that definition too limiting.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s easy to put something into a broad category like \u201cmarketing.\u201d Anything placed into an advertising box could easily fit into a box labeled \u201cknowledge\u201d or \u201clearning\u201d or \u201cart\u201d too, yet each label puts a different spin on the contents.<\/p>\n
Marketing makes people think of \u201cbusiness\u201d and \u201cmoney\u201d and\u2014unfortunately for marketers\u2014it paints the contents of the box as a product with a price tag. For many people, there is an air of selling, which quickly jumps to hyping, which easily leads to the dishonest con or the inauthentic \u201csell out.\u201d<\/p>\n
Yet everything is advertising. Everything we do is an evolution of ideas. Each and every one of those ideas\u2014your alarm clock, your toothbrush, your frying pan, your car\u2014only succeeded and became part of our daily lives through successful sharing, which means some form of promotion had to occur.<\/p>\n
One could reach a negative opinion of the contents of my course just as quickly with a label like \u201ccreative.\u201d If the lessons of my course revolve around \u201cvoice\u201d and \u201cwriting,\u201d just as many people will distrust the subjectivity and risk of the art and entertainment worlds. Then my \u201cWall Street\u201d course easily becomes a \u201cHollywood\u201d seminar.<\/p>\n
Even the words \u201cknowledge\u201d and \u201clearning\u201d and “research” lead too rapidly to university stereotypes. The academic world and its elites and ivory towers and confusing study results also make certain eyes roll.<\/p>\n
Yet creativity and research are as significant to ideas as advertising and funding.<\/p>\n
When I went to college, I wanted to understand all the parts of ideas. NYU\u2019s Tisch School of the Arts<\/a> accepted my application, but I quickly went to their equally recognized Stern School of Business<\/a> and asked if I could double major.<\/p>\n