Spring Semester

Well, the spring 2011 semester is now in its fourth week. A big welcome to our 20 new MBA and Master of Not for Profit Management students this semester! I am excited about what is in store for this semester...maybe not so excited about the amount of homework I'll have, but I am excited about the concepts I'll be learning and that in just a little over 3 months, I'll be graduating (wow, lots of stuff to finish before then!).

My classes this semester consist of the capstone course Strategic Management with a co-requisite of Management Simulation and Business Ethics...a good healthy dose of everything business related. So far, I'm really enjoying these classes; granted, I did just get swamped with project assignments in Strat, but I feel like I'm learning and that's a good feeling. I'm not sure how this semester will unfold, but I'll just take one week at a time...and in some cases, one day at a time.

I hope to post little blurbs on here to keep everyone connected with things going on at ORU. For example, right now is a great time to begin working on getting an application in to join us next fall - especially if you qualify for scholarships. Our scholarships are not guaranteed but are awarded based on the availability of funds, the type of scholarship, and the date in which students are accepted. So don't wait too long before beginning the process. It is terrible to miss out on free money if you qualify for it. The application is online at https://webapps.oru.edu/gradapps/business/. Happy spring semester!

Finding a Need and Filling it...Airport Security Style

We hear it on a semester basis - that one of the keys to successful product implementation is to find a need and fill it. Sometimes marketers can create a need and fill it, but some only need to be creative enough to find a need in the market and then do something about. Marc Carey is one such individual who has done this.

During the holiday season, a time of air high travel for Americans, scanners considered intrusive by some travelers were set up at airports while at the same time a more thorough pat-down was approved for TSA members to use. This created a stir all over the radio waves, television, newspapers, social media...some argued that other forms of security could be used, that some should not have to take part in either one of the security options, that this was violating the rights of travelers, and some even said that it would hurt the air travel industry. Instead of joining in on the speculations and complaints of new security procedures, Mr. Carey decided to take action and create a product that would allow travelers to pass through the scanner while still retaining a form of privacy. Thus entered Scannershirts into the market.

These Scannershirts have a special ink printed onto the shirts in areas that flying travelers want to keep to themselves. When they pass through the scanner, the areas on the product where the ink has been printed will show up as blurred on the monitors that TSA members review. According to Scannershirt's website, TSA is okay with certain areas of the body being blurred.

The demand for this product skyrocketed as people began to hear more and more about this choice in the privacy of traveling. Marc Carey didn't just create a product that fit a need though, he chose to create his product solely in the United States in order to create more jobs. In addition, 20% of his net profit from sales will be going to the children effected by the 9/11 attacks. Mr. Carey realized there was an open market for his scannershirts and combined with his American patriotism, created a product that helps other Americans and also protects the privacy of travelers who fly.

While this product may seem trivial to some, to others it gives a deeper sense of security. Travelers can now fly free of the worry of someone peering too deeply into their screened image while knowing that their physical safety is being protected on a higher level. Considering the amount of travel I do and the hours of business learning I have done, I found this product to be innovative, creative, and one that fills the demand of protection for personal rights while still maintaining a high level of security during air travel.