This summer, students in two sections of MKT 606: Marketing Management took their classroom learning far beyond textbooks, partnering with real organizations to tackle real marketing challenges.
Led by adjunct faculty member Brian Jud, the experiential program paired student teams with six clients: The Granby-Simsbury Chamber of Commerce, Mommy Bear Childcare, TLC Book Design, Balance Massage & Wellness Center, Secure Hands Solutions, and the New Britain Public Library. Each client was assigned two competing student teams (one from each section) to develop and present a full marketing plan.
Over the seven weeks, the clients first introduced their businesses and goals through virtual presentations. From there, the students worked in teams, acting as marketing consultants to develop strategies, campaigns, and actionable solutions. During the final week, students presented their proposals virtually and submitted comprehensive written reports.
The results impressed the clients beyond their expectations:
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Balance Massage & Wellness Center owner Cailin McBee summed it up: “Wow! I’m excited to get started.”
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Tamara Dever of TLC Book Design said she left the presentation bursting with ideas: “I went to bed with a yellow notepad and wrote three pages of notes. Kudos to both teams for scrambling my brain.”
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Granby-Simsbury Chamber Executive Director Ray Lagan commended the students’ preparation: “I believe both groups understood the Chamber and did their homework. I’m very thankful for the time and talent both groups put forward.”
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Viktor Sjoberg from the New Britain Public Library shared that he had already begun implementing the students’ ideas, including a “What’s the Buzz” campaign.
For the students, the project provided an invaluable opportunity to apply marketing theory to real-world organizations, while clients walked away with creative, ready-to-use strategies. “The feedback was universally positive,” Jud said. “It was a successful project for both the students and the client companies.”
With additional organizations already lined up for future classes, Jud plans to expand the program and continue building these powerful hands-on learning opportunities.