Not “Just a Trend” Workshop

This evening, AMA welcomed special guest speaker Lola Koiki, Director of Product Management at Capital One, and UMD alum. Lola engaged AMA members in an interactive workshop where members learned about what DEI looks like in the marketing space, product management, and the truth behind the buzzwords that surround corporate and campus settings. Director of DEI, Joy Kim, and Director of Events, Fikun Kuku did a great job facilitating and guiding us through the Spring 2025 semester DEI event! Also special thanks to Paisano’s Pizza for sponsoring the food for this event.

Lola opened up the workshop with an ice-breaker, in which members were asked to write down a product or a brand that they interact with frequently or daily that makes them feel seen. Members shared examples such as Spotify's level of customization and personalization associated with their account and items such as a special articles of clothing or specific beauty brands that stand out in inclusion. This was a great way for members to recognize the different things that are important to us as consumers, and how many aspects of our identity play a role in shaping a product. We then jumped right into the activity portion of the event! 

Activity: Map My Morning

In this activity, members were given sticky notes and asked to write down what they did from the moment they woke up till they went to their first class on each note. We then created a 'mind map’ by piecing these notes together and observing and comparing each other’s routines. This activity was a unique way to get a better look at the differences within a single target segment and how brands have to consider these differences when marketing and designing a product. We then used the mind map to navigate potential cases and how we would alter our marketing strategies to fit the scenario best. We acted under the assumption that we were tasked to create a marketing campaign for a coffee product and were prompted to think about how we would target a consumer that has a similar routine, what to take into consideration, how we could make it appeal to that segment, and more.

Analysis

Lola highlighted the importance of understanding your target consumer and ensuring you create a product that addresses the user's needs. The key to understanding your user is first understanding your population, starting wide and then narrowing down, to understand your segments. When you start broad, it gives you more information to work with and a wider scope of your target market. She also touches upon the significance of letting your user educate you. It is important when researching and understanding your user not to ask leading questions, but rather let them inform you of what they need or what their preferences are, so you can best cater to them.

Lola’s Journey in Product Management

After graduating from UMD with a double major in Marketing and Supply Chain Management, Lola worked in sales doing small-scale marketing in real estate taking the time to understand what she did and didn’t like. She then decided to go back to school, getting her Master's degree in Information Systems Management at Carnegie Mellon University. She explains how she feels lucky to have found herself in the product space, as she realized that she viewed marketing in a specific light and there were aspects that she did not enjoy, but she recognized that she had a passion to build and create things, leading her to where she is today.

Lola explains that Product management is all about servant leadership and the idea that you are creating and building something that is useful and that people want, and forming the map between the product and the user. The most important part of product management is understanding your user. Oftentimes we assume that we know exactly what our user wants, but 9/10 times this is not the case, especially when you don’t represent your user. In this space, it is important to take into account the experience of each user, because while it may be difficult to tailor a product for every single person, it tends to be the products that are designed for “everyone” but in reality work for no one, that receive the worst feedback.

DEI in Product Management at Capital One

In her role at Capital One, Lola has always loved that the team is focused on bringing different perspectives to the table, and how that translates to the products they release. Within her team, every experience is evaluated for each product release to ensure that it is something that could be accessible to all types of users. One example of this is screen readers, or visuals accessible to those who may be color-blind. Capital One as a whole, is very focused on hiring diverse individuals in both backgrounds and thought, valuing those with different experiences, levels, and job functions.

AMA would like to thank Lola Koiki for her insightful workshop, and for taking the time to join us today! Members enjoyed learning about how marketing relates to product management, the importance of target segmentation, and understanding the needs of the user. Thank you to Joy and Fikun for organizing and setting up this engaging event!

-Veera Gregersen