The #1 key to a profitable brokerage operation is differentiation- that's the message from Dr. John Drea in this day long marketing session. Successful companies achieve higher margins by differentiating what they do from their competitors and a price premium through relationship building. Yet we live in a time where there have been numerous disruptions to achieving differentiation, ranging from a pandemic to capacity problems to finding the right workers among Generation Z. Join Professor Drea (author of TIA's Marketing Transportation Brokerage Services course) as he guides attendees on:
How to develop marketing plans that withstand disruptions
How you can create opportunities by segmenting differently than competitors
How to develop, implement, and measure strategic promotions
Schedule of Events - January 2024 Marketing Sprint:
**This schedule is subject to change based on the needs of TIA and the instructor.
Week 1:
Tuesday, January 16, 2024: Access to the course, onboarding, and an on-demand Primer Video from the instructor
Wednesday, January 17, 2024: Access to Module 1 & 2, Discussion Forum Post #2, Workbook Reflection #2
Thursday, January 18, 2024: Access to Module 3, Discussion Forum Post #3, Workbook Reflection #3
Friday, January 19, 2024: Live Facilitated Discussion w/ Instructor - Project Q&A (1.5 hours)
Week 2:
Monday, January 22, 2024: Access to Module 4, Discussion Forum Post #4, Workbook Reflection #4
Tuesday, January 23, 2024: Virtual Instructor Office Hours For Project Feedback
Wednesday, January 24, 2024: Access to Module 5, Discussion Forum Post #5, Workbook Reflection #5
Thursday, January 25, 2024: Live Facilitated Discussion w/ Instructor - Project Q&A
Friday, January 26, 2024: Peer-Reviewed Projects & Peer-to-Peer Discussion Forum Feedback Due
Week 3:
Monday, January 29, 2024: Live Facilitated Discussion w/Instructor & Recap of Course
About the Instructor: Dr. John Drea
Prior to joining Illinois College in 2014, Dr. John Drea worked for 30 years in public higher education, including nineteen years at Western Illinois University where he served as a faculty member, department chair, and Associate Dean. He is the author of over thirty refereed publications, and his work has appeared in Harvard Business Publishing, Transportation Journal, the Journal of Personal Selling and Sales Management, the Journal of Services Marketing, Transportation Research Forum, the Journal of Transportation Management, and many other outlets.
He is also the author of two 3PL textbooks, and four computer-based business games used in colleges. Dr. Drea has been the recipient of numerous teaching honors, including the Society of Marketing Advancement's Distinguished Teaching Award, the American Marketing Association's Instructional Innovation Award, the Marketing Management Association's Teaching Excellence Award, and several awards from WIU. Dr. Drea administered TIA’s Certified Transportation Broker Program from 2003-2016, and he was the 2010 recipient of TIA’s Industry Advancement Award.
Dr. Drea has done consulting with multiple pro sports teams, logistics, market research, and higher education.