The Marketing School of the Year is Green
“SO why should DLSU win the Marketing School of the Year?”
This was what the 42nd Agora Awards panel of judges asked us as I wrapped up the presentation of De La Salle University’s portfolio for our nomination in the category.
The question was very straightforward, but I had to pause for a second to summarize the last 15 minutes worth of my script within the next minute or so. And then, as I saw myself on the laptop screen wearing the Archer jacket with the logo of DLSU sprawled across the green Zoom background, the answer stared at me right in the face:
DLSU is the green school. Green is not just our favorite color or a branding element of our university. It represents who we are as a university — a global education and research institution committed to advancing Filipino society starting from the grassroots level. Our direction, especially at the Department of Marketing and Advertising (DMA), for promoting green marketing reflects our dedication to nurturing future leaders who care about the environment and our people through responsible and sustainable marketing practices.
The judges smiled, and we, the administrators of DMA, already felt victorious as we had poured our hearts into this presentation.
Last Jan. 19, 2024, we earned the Marketing School of the Year award, a historic win given the recent addition of this category in the 42nd Agora Awards.
The DLSU mission statement reads: “A leading learner-centered and research University bridging faith and scholarship, attuned to a sustainable Earth, and in the service of Church and society, especially the poor and marginalized.”
Our department has aligned all its programs and efforts with the university and college’s sustainability-oriented direction, even partnering with UN PRME (Principles for Responsible Management Education) to help achieve the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.
Social engagement is a big component of Lasallian education as one of our core values is communion in mission. We have carefully integrated into our syllabi various opportunities where students can extend a hand beyond the four corners of the classroom. Our outputs for major subjects mostly involve helping NGOs and other vulnerable groups in society.
Through the DLSU Center for Business Research and Development (CBRD), headed by Dr. Luz Suplico-Jeong (a former Agora Awardee for Outstanding Achievement in Marketing Education), and the Marketing and Advertising Research Sub-Center (MARS) headed by Asst. Prof. Nelson Guillen Jr., we offer consultancy services to Filipino SMEs to help their business thrive.
Over the past three years, we have increased the number of doctoral degree holders in our faculty as well as publications in Scopus-indexed journals. Thanks in great part to our former Department Chair, Dr. Reynaldo Bautista Jr., another former Agora Awardee for Outstanding Achievement in Marketing Education. The trend continues to improve with our current Department Chair, Dr. Rayan P. Dui.
Members of our student organizations, JEMA and AdCreate, have won international competitions. Moreover, both undergraduate and graduate students have been able to present their research papers at international conferences, raising the research productivity index of the green university.
With the help of our Board of Advisers, who hold executive leadership positions in their respective companies, we stay abreast with industry best practices and the latest trends and developments. This helps our students gain a competitive advantage as we have first-hand knowledge of the training they need to succeed as professionals.
Through the continuous professional development of our faculty members, the collective successes of our students and stakeholders, and our active participation in social engagement activities, we hope that we can use education as a tool for social transformation from the ground up.
To quote Dr. Dui from his acceptance speech, we “enjoin everyone to extend a collaborating hand with De La Salle University through our research programs and initiatives, and our industry/academic partnerships. The marketing industry thrives in and is propelled by innovation and positive change. And we achieve these by looking toward our next generation of practitioners. We hope that this award serves as a beacon for more fruitful partnerships between the academe and the marketing industry.”
As we heard being echoed at the 42nd Agora Awards, “Viva Agora, Animo Agora!” We carry this honor to mean that our kind of marketing is green — Lasallian and for sustainability.
Noel Sajid Murad is a full-time assistant professor of the Ramon V. del Rosario College of Business (RVRCOB) at De La Salle University (DLSU). He is a holder of the J. Romero & Associates Academic Chair in Advertising and the current Practicum & Thesis Coordinator of the Department of Marketing and Advertising. He is also the secretary of the Philippine Academy of Management (PAoM).