Seounmi Han Youn

How did Volkswagen know that the resurrected Nick Drake song "Pink Moon" would build brand loyalty among a whole new generation of drivers? Why is it that Nike can tell consumers to "Just do it" and they listen in droves?

Great creative campaigns? Yes. But the reason the approaches work so famously to sell products? Superb market research.

"Students often come into my Research Methods in Marketing Communication class expecting the subject to be dry and dull," says Seounmi (Katie) Han Youn. "What they find is a fascinating blend of psychology, sociology, cultural studies, and statistical analysis. Some students come out of the class with a whole new niche interest for their careers."

By learning how to create and conduct surveys and focus groups, students give muscle to strategic and creative concepts. Through hands-on class projects and extensive real-world case studies, they practice measurement techniques that are quantitative (with the help of sophisticated computer programs) and qualitative (with plenty of exercise in interviewing and interpreting responses).

Professor Youn draws on her years of experience as a marketing project manager working with global clients in Seoul, Korea. "A large European company came to us, for example, hoping to launch a specialized detergent," she says. "We had to determine whether there was any demand for this detergent. We had to illuminate how the Koreans clean their house, what their rituals are around cleaning."

Today's sophisticated technology allows marketing research to pinpoint consumer "drivers" with astonishing accuracy. Emerson students get the chance to learn professional analysis software and role-play in the state-of-the-art Focus Group Interview Room.

"Emerson is so cutting-edge," says Professor Youn. "We approach marketing and advertising not as stand-alone disciplines, but as integrated communication strategies. We are always examining up-and-coming technologies because they are what students will face and influence when they graduate."

Professor Youn's own research interests are equally on the edge. She explores how new trends in interactive advertising, such as advergames and blogs, affect consumers, especially with regard to information processing.

Katie Youn's Links

• Pr. Youn's Faculty Biography