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Dean's Letter
An Unbeatable Combination
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Extraordinary customer service and a solid
marketing plan are two keys to success
for any business. In this issue of State of
Business we learn how companies can
achieve both. Our cover story features
Frank Blake who, ever since taking over as
chairman and CEO of The Home Depot in
2007, has made customer service his mantra
and in doing so has returned the company to
its previous prominence.
Transforming companies is also the vision
of V Kumar, the renowned Richard and
Susan Lenny Chair and director of the Center
for Excellence in Branding and Customer
Management at the Robinson College. |
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VK,
as he is known, has won seven lifetime
achievement awards, five from the American
Marketing Association. He is a pioneer of the
Customer Lifetime Value concept, a forward-looking
metric that shows companies which
customers will most likely generate future
profits. You will read about VK’s career and
also see abstracts of some of his most
recent studies.
Featured in our "First Person" section is Ken
Bernhardt, assistant to the dean, Regent’s
Professor and Taylor E. Little, Jr. Professor
of Marketing. Formerly the marketing
department chair, and one of Robinson’s
most visible faculty members, Ken has
long shared his expertise with various
organizations throughout the city of Atlanta.
In a separate story we look at one of Ken’s
creations, the Marketing RoundTable, which
brings together CMOs from top companies
throughout Atlanta.
Sports marketing is viewed through the
eyes of roundtable member and executive
director of marketing and sales for the Atlanta
Braves, Derek Schiller. Coach Bill Curry
returns with his column - this time focusing
on how wise leaders are able to manage
interruptions without being distracted from
their primary obligations.
In his column "Rajeev Reports," our noted
economic forecaster responds to questions
about the college’s Economic Forecasting
Center, which recently celebrated its 10th
anniversary under his direction.
We hope you will enjoy reading this issue and will take advantage of additional
Web-exclusive content.
Sincerely,
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Copyright © 2011 J. Mack Robinson College of Business/Georgia State University
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