March 30, 2011

The Design & Merchandising Program's 2011 Distinguished Speaker, Aaron Magness, Zappos' Senior Director of Brand Marketing and Business, will talk on Monday, April 11th at 6 PM in Bossone's Mitchell Auditorium. Magness' work in retail has been with brands that focus on customer service. He joined Zappos in 2008 and now oversees brand marketing, public relations and video/blogs as well as business development.

Zappos is the largest player in the online shoe market today, with sales of more than $1 billion annually (including accessories and clothing).  The company has fiercely loyal customers who brag about how easy it is to use the company's website, how friendly its phone customer service reps are and how quickly they deliver product. Magness' talk will address the power of the customer in determining any company's success due in large part to the rise of social media.

Through discussion and presentation of everyday experiences at Zappos, Aaron will demonstrate the greater role of customers in shaping their own shopping and purchasing experiences, and creating a relationship with brands. The event is free and open to the public. For more information please visit www.drexel.edu/westphal.

After Magness’ presentation, Design & Merchandising seniors will present their capstone business plan projects.  Presentations by all graduating seniors will be shown, including those that have been part of the Nina Henderson and Baiada Center competitions: Bubbles and Brew, College Closets and Hava Java.