UC College of Business Master's Students Put Marketing Skills to Work
Consulting with businesses gives University of Cincinnati capstone students taste of marketing in practice vs. simply in theory
Business Courier of Cincinnati - by Dan Monk Senior Staff Reporter
February 23, 2009 – Brian Garry couldn't be happier with his new marketing guru, Mike Sanders.
"Mike is like a golden boy. He's knowledgeable in a lot of different areas," said Garry, owner of Green City EcoStruction.
Sanders is one of 20 students now doing capstone research projects in pursuit of their master's of marketing degrees at the University of Cincinnati College of Business. Sanders' background includes an industrial design degree and career experience at Procter & Gamble Co. and the design firm LPK. Sanders also owns his own business, a small furniture store in Northside.
Garry is a three-time Cincinnati City Council candidate whose 25-year-old construction company specializes in sustainable building techniques. He's planning to open a retail outlet in Over-the-Rhine this summer. Sanders is helping to write the marketing plan for the Green Depot, which will serve as a showroom where Garry can demonstrate the advantages of geothermal heating systems, wind turbines and solar panels.
"A lot of people are pretty uneducated to what these things can do and what makes sense to them. But Brian has been doing this for 25 years. This is the type of knowledge he brings," said Sanders.
That sharing of knowledge is what UC's marketing capstone program is all about.
A capstone project is an independent study course in which students explore in-depth a topic related to their field. Professor Andrea Dixon started the MS-Marketing program in 2005, and she started doing capstone pro¬jects three years ago. Dixon uses the experience to turn students into consultants. She invites local businesses to submit problems they want solved. Then, she guides students through a 400-hour research project to solve those problems.
Past students have developed marketing plans for the American Sign Museum, now under construction in Camp Washington, and refined marketing plans for Procter & Gamble Co., Western & Southern Financial Group and Cincinnati Bell Inc. More than three dozen projects have been completed. Four dozen companies submitted proposals for new capstone projects this year, up from 43 in 2007. In the future, Dixon hopes companies that benefit from the research will help fund its expenses. But for now, the capstone program doesn't cost local businesses anything.
"It helps us build stronger, deeper relationships with the business community," she said. "We value the relationships it brings."
Setting UC apart
It's also a point of difference in attracting new students. Dixon said UC is the nation's only masters-level marketing program that uses its capstone project as an "integrated learning experience," which means students are required to incorporate skills learned in their degree program into their consulting assignments.
"They translate very quickly what is marketing theory into practice, and they're able to impact an organization," Dixon said. "It allows them to own the cutting-edge disciplines that can make them an effective marketer."
For some students, the capstone experience leads to a job offer for the company with which they're consulting. Others use the experience to bolster résumés.
This year's capstone projects include the Cincinnati Ballet, which has asked Kurt Myers to build its audience of young professionals. Myers, a candidate for a master's degree in marketing, is developing online surveys and focus groups to enhance the ballet's marketing message and make sure it's using the right media to reach younger demographics.
"I like the direction he's going. I'm really pleased so far," said Missie Santomo, interim director of marketing for the ballet.
Another capstone project involves Binita Pradhan, who is helping Premier Lease & Loan Services, a subsidiary of American Financial Group, develop a purpose-driven marketing campaign. Purpose-driven marketing involves campaigns that produce a public benefit, generating goodwill for the company that launches the campaign. One example would be the P&G initiative in New Orleans, where its Tide brand did laundry for hurricane victims.
"It's much more than marketing from a sales point of view. It's giving back to society," said Pradhan, who holds an MBA from a university in her native Nepal.
Understand how decisions are made
Sanders sees the potential for societal benefits from his Green Depot project, but he also expects it will enhance his skills as a marketer and designer.
"I get to understand how decisions are made," Sanders said. "I get a good understanding of how to communicate things and what different designs mean to people. I can take the consumer insights that I get and visualize that in a product."
For Garry, that product is research of Cincinnati's nonprofit sector, where residential development projects are advancing despite the rough economy. Sanders is interviewing nonprofit executives to gauge what kinds of energy-saving construction techniques make the most sense for this market segment. Then, he'll recommend ways of targeting that market.
Sanders has completed the first of three phases in his capstone project, and Garry feels certain he'll get something of value in the final result.
"Mike is just very smart and intuitive," he said. "He's very organized, together and motivated. He brings a lot to the table."
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