Engaging with both differently.

You can't have it both ways'. At least that's what I've been told by many an Academic, institution and navel gazing commercial organisation. What is it that I can't have? Apparently you can't spread your jam on one side of toast as a 'proper academic' and still keep your lightly bronzed breaded organic companion from landing jam side down as an active 'commercial player'.

Well you can.

And for those of you who know me best, it should come as no surprise that I fully intend to disprove this theory. Yes you can have your toast, jam and all, and eat it. You just need to engage with both differently.

Looking ahead to Spring 2012, hey you've got to plan ahead, I'm a busy woman. I will be running the Durham University MA and MSc course on Integrated Marketing Communications. Not a rehash of the 1990s version of a pre-suffixed 'eMarketing' or 'online communities', as a boom for electronic and international marketplaces, but something more digital, more social and attune to the delights of consumer-generated content, as it becomes more mobile and live.

In preparation I'll be curating 'stuff' from across the interweb; from regions as diverse as commercially active case notes, academic publications, and with a poised ear to the sounds of the Twitter-arti.

In various ways I'll be seeking to push this knowledge together amongst students who are already successful business entrepreneurs in their own right. This means, I'm going to have a lot to live up to. My course runs for the whole of the Spring Term, so far blithely billed as 'Integrated Marketing Communications', or as I like to reframe; this social media thing, it's hard to ignore isn't it.

Anyway in the run up, I'll be experimenting with all kinds of content and will share these as appropriate. As reader's here you are very welcome to post suggestions for my opening lecture and workshop. Not to mention shine the spotlight on appropriate guest speaker contenders. There's already some in place, but there's always room for more. All of these will be put to good use and are very welcome indeed.