the MSMI Intelligencer report

May 2023

Writers’ Strike

You may think that the current strike by TV and film writers will only affect your personal viewing of favorite shows or flicks. But it actually impacts a wide range of media, advertising and marketing activities. Even if the strike ends soon, the effects will be seen later in the year.

Why are the writers striking? Some say it’s the fear of AI but many cite the growth of streaming because writers have discovered that the “large upfront payments they’ve come to accept in streaming deals pale in comparison to the money they made with the broadcast and cable networks’ longer-running shows with more episodes per season.”

“If the strike is prolonged, viewers will begin to notice a dip in new TV series, though that will not become apparent until the end of the year. Reality series. as well as international shows, will begin playing in heavy rotation.” (Source:NYTimes article: Writers Strike ) Soap operas are quickly running out of episodes and popular late-night shows hosted by Colbert, Fallon and Kimmel are running re-runs to show solidarity with the Writers Guild Association (WGA).

Running reruns is a huge concern for advertisers and brands as viewers lose interest and shift their viewing habits and behaviors. In the past, live sporting events, news and reality shows get a boost from this shift. Although it’s easier to react and reallocate ad dollars on digital platforms, it’s much harder with broadcast. Commitments are made months in advance. The major upfront for network buyers and sellers is happening right now. (To learn about the “upfronts” click: what-are-upfronts)

And, if you are in the process of interviewing at media companies or media agencies for analyst positions in Marketing Science, Audience Insights or Programmatic, it is important to know about these issues, events and their impact on the industry. It’s great to engage in discussions on how this strike is impacting a company’s strategy and plans going forward. To stay current, here is additional information: Ad Age Writers Strike

Responsible Business Leaders

Therese “Gabe” Santos Yuzhe Zhao

Ai-Ling Woo Liz Ostler, Celeste Mergens, Mahita Beeram, Ally Callaghan

At the end of April, a record number of MSMI students received their Responsible Business Leadership certification. Students needed to complete four out of six sessions on leadership, decision making, sustainability, data ethics and more. Now, they are ready and eager to use their newly acquired leadership tools and skills and create a positive impact as they tackle the business challenges of today and tomorrow. Congratulations to: Rihanna Bakkar, Gizem Basara, Mahita Beeram, Bearose Beltran, Nikunj Beriwal, Chih-fei Chan, Radhika Chopra, Sayan Datta, Bowen Fan, Afreen Ghadiali Henali GunderiaJiahua Huang Masashi Kanazawa, Kevin Liu, Valentina Longcroft, Valeria Maxera Arshdeep Oberoi, Shiyang Qi,Vidushi Rai, Abhyas Ramadugu, Janvi Ramavat Therese Gabe Santos, Keyuri Savalia, Mausam Shah, Rashi Shah, Jiaqi Kiki Shou, Hasrat Sohi,Chenxin Wang, Qinyi Yvonne Wang, Ai Ling Woo, Qimuge Zhang, Yuzhe Zhao and Junfeng Zheng.

And, in recognition of her outstanding work with this program and her faithful devotion to all the students in RBL program, Ally Callaghan received the Gabelli School of Business Cura Personalis Award,

Awards!!

Another winner from the MSMI program, Bearose Beltran, received the Graduate DEI Belonging Award for her outstanding work in helping provide mentorship opportunities for over 60 high achieving students from diverse backgrounds through cultivating partnerships with five New York high schools. Cheers to her tremendous effort and dedication.

Also receiving awards were many of our distinguished faculty acknowledged below for their outstanding work and important research. And, for her unfailing pursuit of excellence, Aida Lahood, Marketing Area Program Manager received the Dean’s Magis Award. Not to missed, Christina Sakowski, Associate Director of Specialized Masters Graduate Advising received the Gabelli School Unity of Heart and Mind for her deep compassion and commitment to students.

A big round of applause for everyone!

Career Forward

Now is the time to drive forward on career opportunities. It’s a good time to connect and work with Laura Bassin (bassin@fordham.edu) at the CDC on your resume, your interview skills and to acquaint yourself again with all the tools that are offered on Career Path.

To further assist you, the Marketing Area recently announced the addition of four Alums-In-Residence. If you wish to meet or speak with any of them, you must make an appointment first by Clicking Here. Please do not reach out to them directly because we want to be mindful of their time. Their backgrounds and areas of expertise are provided below — just click on their name:

Marc Hanson, MBA Management, Marketing ‘02, Senior Director Commercial Marketing, Beverages Portfolio

Alex Carlin, MSMI ‘18 UX Researcher at Google

Chenyi Li MSMI’21, Strategic Analytics Spotify

Hana Kalaie, MSMI’20 Product Markeitng Manager, Amazon Business

Also in June, don’t forget to sign up for the Tableau workshop with prof. Ankur Jaluria. Now, as you begin your Applied Project, it’s a good time to brush up on your Tableau skills or learn some advanced techniques. TableauSignUP (if you already signed up, no need to register again)

Dates: Tues. June 13 Part 1  from 6 PM - 7:30 PM  Homework assigned
Tues. June 20 Part 2 from  6 PM - 7:30 PM  Homework due

Location:  LC  Room TBD

If you didn’t get a chance to hear Alison Smith speak on Networking, we did circulate the link. If you did not receive, please let me know.

And, finally, if you are reading this, please take a few minutes to complete this survey MSMI EVent Preferences. We need to hear from you in order to provide more experiences and career workshops to assist you. There’s still time to schedule more events but we need feedback on what will help you the most. And a big thanks to those of you who already completed the survey. With your feedback, we were able to schedule the “How to Network” session.