Integrating Sketchnotes into Teaching Marketing with Case Study Analysis

Case studies constitute a popular pedagogical technique utilized in marketing classes. While widely adopted, they do not necessarily serve all students’ needs, especially those of visual learners. This paper reports on a teaching innovation in which sketchnotes – underexplored beyond their application to new product development – are integrated into a case study analysis for a marketing class. Sketchnotes comprise rich visual notes built from a mix of drawings, shapes, handwriting, letters, and other visual elements (e.g. lines and arrows). These notes improve students’ cognition and learning, as they involve both visual and verbal cues, activating multiple brain pathways. Presented herein are learning goals for the sketchnotes case study assignment, an example application involving two case studies in a consumer-behavior class, the assignments’ outcomes, and related assessments. Data regarding the outcomes of the application to the two case studies, along with example sketchnotes, are shared. Students utilized diverse, engaging, visual representations when analyzing the case studies using sketchnotes. However, while the students were successful in using sketchnotes to identify the case study problem and situational variables, the identification of solutions and recommendations needed development. Implications for the improvement of students’ engagement and creativity in marketing classes are also discussed.