The Development and Management of a Department of Marketing Advisory Council

Colleges of business administration are under continuing pressure to make their curriculum and faculty research more relevant to the business community. At the same time, resources are either declining or not keeping pace with growing enrollment at many institutions. This article addresses the formation and governance of a department of marketing advisory council based on the experiences of a marketing department at a large midwestern public university. An innovative approach for building trust and commitment with advisory council members, while increasing a department’s human, intellectual, and financial resources, is outlined using relationship-marketing principles as a foundation. Examples of bylaws, activities, annual meetings, and methods of ongoing communication to ensure the success of a departmental advisory council are provided. Finally, some caveats and pitfalls associated with developing and managing an advisory council are discussed.