Objectives

The objective of the project is to answer the following questions:

• In what ways do the brand equities make Hobsons a marketplace leader in the education space based on the specific area in which you’ve interned?

• In what ways that this can be improved to better serve the needs of our internal and external clients.

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Define Brand Equity

Brand Equity have slightly different meanings in different fields. In accounting, Brand Equity refers to the monetary value of a brand as an asset. In marketing, the term is mainly defined as "the power derived from the emotional value and recognition that a brand has earned over time, translating to higher sales volumes and higher profit margins over competing brands".[1] In another word, brand equity is a combination of brand loyalty (a measure of the strength of consumers' attachment to a brand) and brand image (a description of the associations and beliefs the consumer has about the brand). [2] Positive brand equity can increase profit margin, expand distribution channels, and broaden platform for product line extension.[3] Hobsons defines Brand Equity as the “core values that are essential to the Hobsons brand, they guide our communications, culture, and processes, and reflect how we are seen.” In summary, brand equity can be defined as a guidance for corporate behavior, an image that a company presents internally to the employees and externally to the public, and a potential profit generator.

 

The brand equity that I choose to focus on are:

• Innovative
  We are constantly looking for ways to make our clients successful, by evolving our current solutions or inventing new ones.

• Partner
  We treat our customers like valued partners. Their success is our success; their goals are our goals.

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Introduction to Product Knowledge and Enablement Team

 

The team I am working with is the Product Knowledge and Enablement (PKE) Team. By its name, we work with knowledge about the product. Figure 1 summarizes the four core functional components of the PKE team. The division is mainly based upon the target audience/learner and the modality of training product. Although divided into the four sections, the four fields complement one another.There are two points that need to be clarified. First, product knowledge—the knowledge that we are working with is only of the product. Although many people know the team through their on-boarding, but different from general on-boarding trainings, which introduce corporate culture, cyber security, or role-based skills, we aim to let the employees experience the products from the customers' perspective. Such trainings are called experiential training. The benefit is that no matter what role the employee will perform in the future, they will be able to empathize with the customers. We collect, store, and manage the knowledge about the feature, usage and functionality about the product. Second—enablement-- although many people mainly know as internal trainers, we also support the clients with learning materials and help content.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Figure 1 PKE team function

 

 

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Creating Blended Learning Solutions

For employee and client training, we create Blended Learning Solutions. The concept of blended learning was developed in the 1960s with the invention of PLATO (Programmed Logic for Automatic Teaching Operations) -- the first generalized computer assisted instruction system. PLATO increases the scale of teaching by freeing instructors from traditional class when one teacher could only teach a certain and usually small number of learners at a time.[4] The high expense of implementing such system delayed the generalization of the learning solutions for 30 years, when the CD-ROM was wide-spread in the 1990s and started to play a dominant form of technology-based learning. Although CD-ROMs were able to offer high-quality sound and video trainings when the 56-k modem bandwidth internet was not, CD-ROMs could not track the learning progresses, which is always required by military and aviation industry.[5] As the speed of Internet increased, online learning management system came into existence for facilitating learning progress tracking. In 2006, Blended Learning Solution was defined as “the combination of face-to-face instructions with computer mediated-instructions” [6], which is reported to be more effective and efficient than traditional classroom learning. The effectiveness is reflected by the increased learner satisfaction and higher level of student engagement.[7] [8] The digital learning technologies also free teachers from repetitive and time-consuming instructions while streamlining their instructions and improving the delivery quality. Facilitated by information technologies, blended learning saves travel expense for distance training, and also allows for more flexibilities for student to time and pace their own learning solutions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Figure 2 blended solution created by PKE

 

Figure 2 summarizes the learning solutions created PKE. One of the major tasks of the PKE team is to deliver product experiential trainings, which are mainly targeted at employees who basically have no previous knowledge or experience with the products, including new employees, current employees who used to work on one product but need to work on another, and employees who need refreshing trainings. As part of the on-boarding process, product experiential training aims to let the employees experience the product just as the clients would. Just so, no matter what function they will perform later in the company, they will be able to understand clients’ needs from their perspective. For each Hobsons’ product, there is usually a four-day in-class training and synchronous virtual training facilitated by WebEx.

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Learning Management System is implemented both as supplementary tool for instructor-led learning and gradually as an instructor-monitored e-learning platform where instructions are delivered by videos. Unlike the four-day trainings that provide thorough and detailed introduction to all the features and functions of the products, the instructor-led videos are segmented into modules, with each introducing a core function of the product. The LMS used by PKE is Litmos, a SAAS/Cloud platform for employee training customer training, channel training, and compliance training. Trainers can upload overview, slides, activity checklist, and assessment quizzes, through which instructors are able to track and monitor students’ learning progresses. Students and instructors are also able to post questions and answers to discussion board. Different from Canvas and Blackboard, Litmos allows users to create learning paths, which is a list of courses that users need to take. Courses can be re-used in various learning paths, which saves efforts in copy and pasting the same content. After completion of a course/ learning path, learners are able to obtain certifications as proof.

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The e-learning website is a fully autonomous on-demand learning product, which mainly supports the clients. Similar as the LMS, courses are divided based upon product features. The video tutorials are also bookmarked with hyperlinks to certain functionalities or features for fast access to on-demand information. The following image is an example of one of the learning modules. After completion of each module, learners are able to take assessments both as enhancement of learning and as proof of completion of learning. In many cases, a corporate client does not need to understand every feature of the products (for example, a college planning counselor does not need to know about district course planning). As a result, such division facilitates fast and easy access to ad hoc trainings and certification, accelerating clients’ training processes. Figure 3 shows the interface the on-demand training webpage.

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Figure 3 Naviance On-demand Training Websites

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Form the community of inquiry

PKE is also dedicated to form the community of inquiry (CoI). The community of inquiry is defined as any group of individuals involved in a process of empirical or conceptual inquiry into problematic situations, first introduced by C.S. Peirce and John Dewey concerning the nature of knowledge formation and scientific inquiry. The concept emphasizes the social quality of knowledge formation, emphasizing that knowledge must be embedded in a social context and require intersubjective agreements among all stake holders.[9] Based on this understanding, we believe that product knowledge should not be subjective and only be created and dominated by any individuals. Thus we are dedicated to bring all people who work with the product to share their questions and understandings about the product. The stakeholders include but not limite to employees from all departments, clients, and prospects.

 

 

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Figure 4 Naviance On-demand Training Websites

 

 

To form the community of inquiry, PKE has been running online learning pages, discussion forum, and internal knowledge exchange workshops. Figure 4 presents examples of PKE’s practice.

 

The hiWire learning and Q&A pages are internal platforms. Each product has its individual page. On product learning pages, employees can find information about upcoming training opportunities, self-learning materials, new release notes, product sandbox account, and so on. On product Q&A page, people from all departments can post questions and answers to all sorts of questions concerning a product. To ensure all questions be answered timely, the PKE team members all subscribed to email notifications, and whenever a question is posted they will be able to follow up either by answering the question, or assign the question to subject-matter experts. The questions and answers on the online discussion forum are important for knowledge formation, modification, and dissemination. Amber, the instructional designer of Starfish, said in our interview that she would document information from the Q&A page every now and then, and add them to the help-contents and training materials.

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Similar external platforms as hiWire are Salesforce and Naviance Help Community, which is not only used for online discussion, but as a tool for knowledge management. Knowledge management is typically defined as " a discipline that promotes an integrated approach to identifying, capturing, evaluating, retrieving, and sharing all of an enterprise's information assets."[10] On the Salesforce knowledge base, the PKE team stores, manages, and share product information. As a complement, we are documenting the meta-data of the documents (e.g. date of creation and modification, source link, document type, etc.), which would facilitate creation of taxonomy and better content management.[11]

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Physically, PKE has been organizing Power Hours, which is cross-departmental knowledge sharing sessions led by subject-matter experts from different departments at Hobsons. Such sharings reduce organizations’ dependence on single experts or silos, increases the speed of knowledge flow, and reduce the vulnerability of knowledge loss due to an absent of employees. The cross-training also improves the value of individual employees and emphasizes Hobsons’ cross-team cooperation culture.[12]

 

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Perfecting Instructional Design

In the meantime, PKE is constantly perfecting Instructional Design.

 

To better understand learning needs and behaviors, we are implementing learning analytics including Google Analytics and Vimeo stats. With the combination of Vimeo and Google Analytics, we are able to understand the user behaviors such as whether and where they pause, resume or skip a video; the user demographics such as country, age, gender, language, and even interests of users; and even the keywords searched by the users. These information are valuable sources for rating effectiveness and accessibility of our web-content.

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To increase the efficiency of content publishing, PKE has been exploring and implementing new technologies such as MadCap, a topic-based authoring software which allows for single source content development. In technical communication, topic-based authoring is a modular approach to content creation where content is structured around topics that can be mixed and reused in different contexts, it is defined in contrast with book-oriented or narrative content, written in the linear structure of written books.This authoring approach is popular in the technical publications and documentation arenas, as it is adequate for technical documentation. Tools supporting this approach typically store content in XML document format in a way that facilitates content reuse, content management, and makes the dynamic assembly of personalized information possible.[13]

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Finally, standing on the shoulders of the giants, we have been constantly conducting research on instructional design theories and apply them into our practice. Over the summer, I have read over 60 journals and book chapters covering a wide range of topics including learning needs assessment, instructional design models, ID principles, learning analytics, knowledge management, and distance learning. Every time I read a good article, I will share it with teammates through hiWire with a short summary and the hyperlink. Other PKE team members would all do the same. With the knowledge that I have learnt over the summer, I proposed a list of content that should be included for further instructional designer trainings to my advisor Kacy Cutler, who obtained her master’s degree in Instructional Design and act as the whole team’s subject-matter expert and hub for research resources. The combination of theory and practice promotes constant improvements and understandings about the gaps that need to be filled.

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How PKE contributes to Hobsons’ brand equity?

To answer this question, I will discuss how PKE follows the equity as our guidance of behavior, how it influences our internal and external image, and how our work may generate future profits. The equities I focus on are "innovative" and "partner".

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Following the principle of innovative, the PKE team has been exploring and implementing cutting edge technologies for creating blended learning solutions, forming community of inquiry to encourage knowledge formation, modification and dissemination, as well as researching on the best practice of instructional design. This does not only increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the instructions, but also builds our image as an innovative educator, which can increase customer loyalty and satisfaction. Although the implementation of e-learning technologies seem to be expensive, the e-learning solutions are reported to be able to save costs. Mike Mitchell, director of Cisco Media Networks, reported that Cisco saved more than $100 a year by leveraging e-learning to educate its workforce and partners.[14]

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In terms of partner, PKE has been practicing the principle both internally through the employee trainings, and externally through client training and help-contents.

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Internally, through the product experiential trainings, we let new employees experience the product through the customers’ perspectives. For example, employees are asked to solve a certain problem that the client would face using the product. According to Allison Gardner, manager of the PKE team, experiential trainings facilitate better understandings about the clients’ confusions and pain points. As a result, no matter what department they are working with, they will bear customers’ needs in mind. In the meantime, the cross-departmental trainings, knowledge sharing, and online discussion forums cultivate cross-team collaboration. So we are not only practicing the principle of partnership, but also promoting it and constantly reinforcing our image as strategic partners. Such cross-departmental trainings are able to improve the quality of employees and reduce waste caused by poor conduct of business. For example, according to Panopto[15] “For a typical $1 billion company, every year poor sales preparation results in $14 million in wasted sales and marketing expenses — and $100 million in lost sales opportunities.”.

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Externally, partner lead the PKE to boost our client power by customized training and help content. For example, the Naviance on-demand training websites facilitate fast index to specific functional trainings and certification. According to Loginova, “Customers often lack the knowledge and skills to transfer their needs into concrete product specification. Thus they always feel frustrated and information overloaded when using a new product. Consumers without general knowledge about the brand and the product would have difficulty in expressing their preference and goals of purchasing a certain product, which can lead to regrets after making a purchase.”[16] Thus well-developed customer training materials can build our image as a solution provider instead of a box-shifter. As such, we increase customer satisfaction, which would ultimately translate into future renewal. More importantly, through our research on learner behaviors, we may be able to identify new opportunities in the market. According to Handshaw, “Customers training design helps achieve business-focused outcomes by identifying both learning and non-learning solutions to performance problems. By doing so, designers are also able to better at allocating their time and resources delivering the right solutions to performance challenges.”[17]

 

Recommendations

The above analysis shows PKEs’ accomplishments in the development of training curriculum and implementation of cutting-edge learning technologies. However, even though I mentioned that PKE is using Google Analytics and doing indexation of the knowledge database, these two activities are still in its infancy. For example, we do not really understand the implications of the GA data (e.g. what does it mean if the learner only finish half of the video, does it mean they can already predict the content or does it mean they cannot follow and give up half-way?). The required areas of expertise required for leaning analytics include knowledge about teaching and learning, education technologies, and assessment & evaluation. Without scientific interpretation about learner assessment and instructional evaluation, it may lead to unrealistic goals for training and ineffective design of instructions, which can further result in waste of resources and decreased learner satisfaction.[18]

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The second recommendation is to increase the size and diversity of the PKE team.

“Today’s learning professionals are faced with more challenges than ever before. Not only are they expected to work as expert instructional designers, they are also expected to be training facilitators, adept in the use of different e-learning authoring tools and learning management systems (LMSs). It is clearly unreasonable to expect these diverse talents to exist in only one person.”

-- Handshaw, 2014

Currently there are only 6 people in the team, with each person in charge of one product. While Allison and Kacy work as the macro-level manger and resource hub, each team member is in charge of one product, and has to work on the documentation, curriculum development, course delivery, help content management, learner experience research, etc. —all these tasks on their own. It is recommended that the PKE team increase the diversity and scale of the team for better performance. For example, by hiring a new UX designer, the designer can better understand learner behavior and improves learning experience. With knowledge management expert, all the product new release and previous training and help contents can be better organized for timely updates.

 

[1] “How to Build Brand Equity.”

[2] Lisa Wood, “Brands and Brand Equity.”

[3] Dennis A. Pitta and Lea Prevel Katsanis, “Understanding Brand Equity for Successful Brand Extension.”

[4] Coordinated Science Laboratory., “CSL Quarterly Report for June, July, August 1960 (Report).”

[5] Aitken, Visual Basic 6 Programming Blue Book.

[6] Bonk et al., The Handbook of Blended Learning.

[7] MacDonald, Blended Learning and Online Tutoring.

[8] Vaughan, “Student Engagement and Blended Learning.”

[9] Lipman, Thinking in Education, 20.

[10] Michael E. D. Koenig, “What Is KM?”

[11] Ibid.

[12] Chris Kuczewski, “Cross-Departmental Training: A Major Advantage, Rarely Taken Advantage Of.”

[13] Kelly K., “MadCap Flare 101.1: What Is Topic-Based Authoring?”

[14] Phillip J. Britt, “Elearning on the Rise.”

[15] Panopto, “Sales Training vs. Sales Enablement — What’s The Difference?”

[16] Loginova, “Brand Familiarity and Product Knowledge in Customization.”

[17] Handshaw, Training That Delivers Results.

[18] Lias and Elias, Learning Analytics.

 

Bibliography

• Aitken, Peter G. Visual Basic 6 Programming Blue Book: Fast-Paced Learning with Cdrom. Scottsdale, AZ, USA: Coriolis Group Books, 1998.

• Bonk, Curtis J., Charles R. Graham, Jay Cross, and Michael G. Moore. The Handbook of Blended Learning: Global Perspectives, Local Designs. 1 edition. San Francisco: Pfeiffer, 2005.

• Chris Kuczewski. “Cross-Departmental Training: A Major Advantage, Rarely Taken Advantage Of,” June 3, 2014. https://demo.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=099ee433-ea1b-4568-a340-a30c6fcbe03d.

• Coordinated Science Laboratory. “CSL Quarterly Report for June, July, August 1960 (Report).,” September 1960.

• Dennis A. Pitta, and Lea Prevel Katsanis. “Understanding Brand Equity for Successful Brand Extension.” Journal of Consumer Marketing 12, no. 4 (October 1, 1995): 51–64. doi:10.1108/07363769510095306.

• Handshaw, Dick. Training That Delivers Results : Instructional Design That Aligns with Business Goals. Saranac Lake, NY, USA: AMACOM Books, 2014. http://site.ebrary.com/lib/alltitles/docDetail.action?docID=10862192.

• “How to Build Brand Equity: TIPS FROM THE TOP: Each Month, Those in the Know Share Their Experiences.” The Kent and Sussex Courier, Tunbridge Wells Ed. October 26, 2012, sec. News.

• Kelly K. “MadCap Flare 101.1: What Is Topic-Based Authoring?,” January 10, 2013. http://www.madcapsoftware.com/blog/2013/01/10/guest-post-madcap-flare-101-what-is-topic-based-authoring/.

• Lias, Tanya E., and Tanya Elias. Learning Analytics: The Definitions, the Processes, and the Potential, 2011.

• Lipman, Matthew. Thinking in Education. Cambridge University Press, 2003.

• Lisa Wood. “Brands and Brand Equity: Definition and Management.” Management Decision 38, no. 9 (November 1, 2000): 662–69. doi:10.1108/00251740010379100.

• Loginova, Oksana. “Brand Familiarity and Product Knowledge in Customization.” International Journal of Economic Theory 6, no. 3 (September 1, 2010): 297–309. doi:10.1111/j.1742-7363.2010.00136.x.

• MacDonald, Janet, Dr. Blended Learning and Online Tutoring. Abingdon, GB: Gower, 2012. http://site.ebrary.com/lib/alltitles/docDetail.action?docID=10218485.

• Michael E. D. Koenig. “What Is KM? Knowledge Management Explained.” KMWorld Magazine, May 4, 2012. http://www.kmworld.com/Articles/Editorial/What-Is-.../What-is-KM-Knowledge-Management-Explained-82405.aspx.

• Panopto. “Sales Training vs. Sales Enablement — What’s The Difference?” Sales Training vs. Sales Enablement — What’s The Difference?, December 16, 2014. https://demo.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=a2da8492-0e48-486a-9106-e976be4249e4.

• Phillip J. Britt. “Elearning on the Rise: Companies Move Classroom Content Online.” EContent Magazine, November 15, 2004. http://www.econtentmag.com/Articles/Editorial/Feature/Elearning-on-the-Rise-Companies-Move-Classroom-Content-Online-7236.htm.

• Vaughan, Norman. “Student Engagement and Blended Learning: Making the Assessment Connection.” Education Sciences 4, no. 4 (November 27, 2014): 247–64. doi:10.3390/educsci4040247.