Mark Jenson
Mark retired from the Hubbard School of Journalism and Mass Communication in 2024 after serving as a Senior Lecturer for seven years. Prior to that he was an Adjunct Faculty member at the University of Minnesota for 15 years while working full-time in the ad agency business. His work experience includes 35 years of building brands at ad agencies in Chicago and Minneapolis. He has led marketing communication efforts for an all-star list of companies including Andersen Windows, Catholic Health Initiatives, ConAgra, General Mills, HealthPartners, Johnsonville Sausage, Kraft, Land ‘O Lakes, Marvin Windows, Medtronic, Pillsbury, Polaris, and Tropicana.
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Life In The Advertising Business
During Mark Jenson’s 35-year career in the advertising agency business he worked with many top brands/companies, including: Health Choice from ConAgra, Betty Crocker and Nature Valley from General Mills, as well as various Kraft brands, Land O’ Lakes, Totino’s from Pillsbury, and Tropicana. In the window business he worked on Andersen and Marvin Windows, and he contributed to Polaris Snowmobiles and Berkley Fishing products. He also worked on several service brands like Taco John’s, Grand Casino, Norwest Banks and HealthPartners and Medtronic. Mark will share stories from his career, including how some now-familiar products launched to great success.
How Brands Are Reaching Consumers Today
This lecture will explore how brands reach consumers today versus in the past. How has digital advertising evolved and changed brand building? We’ll focus on some successful brands in the past and how they have changed their campaign approaches for today’s consumers. Disney, Coca Cola, McDonald’s and more will be discussed.
Super Bowl Ads
We’ll take a close look at some of the most powerful and effective Super Bowl ads of the last 50+ years. Why were they effective? What made them notable and special aside from the fact that they aired during the Super Bowl? We’ll also go behind the scenes to see how one of the most famous ads of all time – Apple’s “1984” commercial — was developed.
Successful Minnesota Brands And Campaigns
This lecture provides a review of some of the most famous brands and campaigns that have been born right in Minnesota. Among others, we’ll examine how Gold Medal Flour, Green Giant, Land O’ Lakes and Wheaties were launched and continue to have success. It’s a trip down memory lane and a close-up view of what has made those brands successful through the years.