University of Louisville, College of Business
MKT 441 – Market Intelligence and Customer Insight
This course is about using data-driven marketing research to derive marketing insights. A marketing insight is the discovery of a relevant, actionable and previously unrealized reality about a target market as the result of deep, subjective data analysis. My students learn how to gather data and how to make sense of it. We will focus on understanding data relevant to marketers, the types of data available, and different designs or methods of data collection and analysis. This course covers how the marketing research process is carried out conceptually, but spends more time covering analytic techniques and exercises in interpretation.
Comments from Students
“The use of a group project compared to an exam was extremely effective in teaching this course content. I feel like I not only grasped the material but truly learned the content. Professor Barnes’ lectures were not only informational, but also very enjoyable.”
“Professor was committed to details which is great because I learned a lot. He is really helpful and he wants us to learn.”
“Professor Barnes was extremely hands on with making sure we understood the content and could apply it to our own personalized research projects. So it was very personable.”
“I loved the insights. If I am being honest he helped with more of the hands–on learning needed to teach Analytics. It has been more helpful than some of the analytics courses that was supposed to teach me the tips and tricks of the trade.”
“The whole course was geared to help us learn how to effectively do research for our marketing careers, Dr. Barnes was amazing at answering questions and making sure we understood what was going on. Whenever I did ask questions, I never felt belittled and always left the class having learned something new.”
“Learning how to work well with a group that may not be the best. Although there were times where each of us were completing a fair share of work, there were times when this did not happen and I feel that it was worthwhile as this is how things are in the real working world as well”
MKT 301 – Principles of Marketing
The objective of this course is to introduce students to the concepts, analyses, and activities that comprise marketing management, and to provide practice in assessing and solving marketing problems. The course is also a foundation for advanced electives in Marketing as well as other CoB courses.
Comments from Students
“Professor Barnes is one of the most engaging instructors I have had at the University. Even after I decided to drop my Marketing minor, I kept myself in the class because his energy made the content easy to learn.”
“The whole class in general was very informative and Professor Barnes mades every class worthwhile. He related a lot of the material to the real world and events that has been happening. Along with that I don’t think I left a class without taking at least one valuable fact away.”
“Marketing is not my major but this class gave me a really good basic understanding of marketing as a whole.”
“I absolutely love Professor Barnes!! He is honestly one of the best professors I have had at UofL. He is new but is so down–to–earth and really connects with his students. He allows us to go to class online as well, as I have some mental health issues which cause a battle to go to class. He was so understanding and was not a bullshitter. Made each topic very understandable and made sure we grasped concepts. He went out of his way to watch Euphoria this semester which honestly made my damn months it was showing. I really hope he goes far in his teaching career. I am taking him next semester, unfortunately, it is completely online, but that does not hinder the information or learning ability.”
University of Illinois, Gies College of Business
BADM 322 – Marketing Research
Course Objectives: This course explored methods to conduct marketing research supported with data. The course was focused on how to gather the necessary data and how to make sense of it. Students used learnings from course topics to define a research goal, create an effective measurement instrument (e.g., survey, focus group, depth interview), and rigorously analyze the data collected. There was a particular interest in emphasizing how the marketing research process is carried out conceptually, translating often vague managerial concepts to concrete information about a firm’s customers and competitors.
Comments from Students
“Aaron is a fantastic instructor. He is always very well prepared with class materials and well-established examples of how the content relates to real-world problems or our class project. Aaron also recognizes that different answers to the same question from various students can be equally valid, and weighs the accuracy of each answer against each other, and not just his own. Additionally, Aaron is very conscious of how students act, think and execute class work.”
“Aaron is such an awesome professor. I love that he makes us participate, but is so kind and non-judgemental about all of the contributions during class discussion.”
“Very clear on what we need to learn and understand vs other professors who throw out gobs of info when we only need to know 1/4 of it! Very appreciated :)”
“I actually really enjoy this class and I am retaining much more information from this class than any other class.”
“Barnes shows that he cares that the students are learning and he values different perspectives which I can appreciate. I cannot say this about all of my professors.”
“The instructor is using great real-life examples in class which helps me connect the course to the world which helps me learn. He’s also very fun to listen too because he’s not monotoned.”
“The instructor asks the class’s preferences on ways to learn which is very helpful. It engages the class more and gives the class an option to have the teaching methods tailored to the class’s needs.”
“The professor relates the real world to the material very well. This personally helps me understand the significance of what we are learning.”
“Aaron uses so many real-life examples that are so easy to remember because of how deep he goes into them and how relatable they are.”
“Aaron is able to relate the material back to real world situations, with his own personal experience.”
“Classes are engaging with good examples to help understand material.”
“The flexibility of the course is helpful as the instructor tries to accommodate different learning styles.”
“facilitated a wonderful classroom environment”
“fun and passionate about teaching”
“His approachable nature, interactive learning, and how relatable he is makes it a very fun learning environment”
“I really like how interactive the course is!”
“Professor Barnes facilitates discussions and teaches material as best as I’ve seen!”
BADM 320 – Consumer Behavior
Course Objectives: This course examines the factors affecting customer behavior in household and organizational markets and their relevance for marketing management planning and analysis. Through the semester, students engage with an overview of explanations of consumption differences anchored in socioeconomic, demographic, cultural, and psychological processes. Moreover, the course surveys buyer decision-making processes and their implications for marketing strategy.
Guest Lecture Objectives: I guest lectured the section on Emotion and Self-Concept. The class was meant to describe the complexity and diversity of consumer emotions and self-concepts.
Comments from Students
“I loved the variety of videos, discussion, and group presentations. You are a very engaging speaker and I like that you engage with the students in a way that isn’t condescending but rather I feel like we’re all learning together including yourself.”
“I liked how today we were challenged to think critically and put ourselves in the shoes of others. As a marketer, this is important to be able to understand.”
“The slides, examples, and activity were well prepared and helpful for understanding material. Aaron was personable and kept the class engaged!”
“Aaron was very engaging. Related to all the students well, and showed care for the students by trying to learn everyone’s name in just one class. Great professor.”
“I liked how engaging and non-boring it was. I felt like this was a practical skill I need as a marketer.”