Marketing

1. Summary of Reading (approximately 300 words)
I would recommend beginning your summary with a paragraph that provides a broad overview of the reading’s main purpose. What is the reading about? What is the context? What does the author(s) say is strong or weak in this topic area? What do they say is missing or needs to be addressed? What is the “so what?” or why you should care about this reading? What do they propose to do in the reading to address the issues they raise? This part of the summary can usually be developed by reading the opening or introduction section of the article.
Next, in the second part of the summary section, provide a 1-2 paragraph summary of the reading’s main points or contributions. This part of the summary should not be a list of items or a lengthy detailed summary of all main points. For example, if the author(s) in a particular reading propose a 4-step process to address a certain problem and then discuss three key success factors, list the 4 steps and provide a sentence explaining each step while also identifying and briefly summarizing the 3 key success factors.
For most articles, this section will be 1⁄2 to 3⁄4 of a page single-spaced.
2. Personal/Professional Takeaway (approximately 200 words)
While the first requirement is required so that you can demonstrate you have read the weekly reading and can identify the major contributions, the takeaway section is included to encourage students to think critically about the reading and how it may or may not affect them.
Unless otherwise noted, you should provide one thoughtful takeaway from the reading. What did you like about the reading? What do you find meaningful? What did you not like? What could the author(s) have done better? Are there parts of the reading that you believe you or your organization can apply at work? Are there examples from your own experiences that support, demonstrate, or contradict points made in the reading? Do you see a connection to an article, case, or event?
In the end, there are truly no “right” or “wrong” takeaway. Instead, the key to performing well in this section is to clearly state your takeaway in one or two sentences and then spend several more sentences explaining and supporting your assertion or conclusion. Be specific in your argument and avoid general statements that do not help support your position. Also, while you will typically need to reference a point or section of the reading to provide context for your takeaway, the majority of the takeaway should be your analysis. Be careful not to spend a significant portion of the takeaway re-
summarizing the article. Last, please do not cite other opinions (e.g., online source) as your takeaway. It is your own takeaway, so it is assumed to be your reflective thoughts.