April 11, 2006 Source: :
http://www.capebretonu.ca/capebretonu_main/newsrel/NewsDetail.asp?NewsID=182 CBU Marketing Students Take Skills and Energy to the Community (Sydney, NS) - Six community groups and organizations are benefiting from the enthusiasm and expertise of a Marketing Strategy Class at Cape Breton University. Groups from the Business 439 class have developed marketing strategies for the Whitney Pier Youth Club; Sydney Curling Club; CBU Alumni Association; the new CBU Bachelor of Tourism Hospitality degree; the CBU Hospitality House Restaurant, and JCI Cape Breton. Presentations to their clients take place this month. The groups recently had a trial run presenting to a judging panel comprised of School of Business faculty Joanne Pyke and Mary Jane Morrison, and Chantel Reid from the Cape Breton County Economic Development Authority. The winning team will receive a $500 bursary. The fourth year course is required to complete a Marketing concentration in the Bachelor of Business Administration degree program. The 30 plus students in the course this year come from across the Island and beyond as well as countries such as Bangladesh, Denmark and Kenya. "When developing this course my concerns were focused on the students and what they could take from the course upon graduation," says Joanne Pyke, professor for the course. "Developing strategic plans, developing portfolios and presenting to clients and other parties can only benefit these students as they venture out into the career world." To get things started, Pyke invited a representative from each organization to class and discussed why they want a strategic plan, where their organization is now and where they would like to be in the future. "The representatives expressed their seriousness and confidence in our senior business students to develop a solid plan which their organization could implement," says Pyke. Mark Sparrow, one of the students working with the Sydney Curling Club, says they had an opportunity to hear from an expert in the curling industry during their research phase. "As six students who have never curled before, the session shed light on many aspects of curling and the industry, and how we can help provide a quality strategic plan for the organization." Sparrow notes some recommendations will include changing a current perception that the club is for members only and developing new marketing to appeal to new clientele, young and old and increase overall awareness of a growing sport in Canada. For Jeff Jerrett and his group, working with the Whitney Pier Youth Club has been an informative venture. "We spent a couple of hours with the club’s director Chester Borden hearing about their goals and objectives and it really helped us form ideas around marketing based solutions for their board to consider." Membership initiatives and retention are key strategy highlights for the group working with JCI Cape Breton. "We looked at the practices of organizations similar to JCI Cape Breton and also conducted research with CBU students who fit the target demographic," says Elizabeth MacRae. She said the group attended some JCI events to get a feel for the organization and have benefited from the overall project. "We have learned a lot about the local business community. JCI is represented by local business people and that has been a great networking opportunity for all of us." Last year, CBU changed its hospitality diploma to a full degree in Hospitality and Tourism Management. The marketing savvy of the students has come at a perfect time. "We are curious as to what recommendations the students will come up with in terms of where and how we should market our new degree," says Ruthanne Geddes, Chair, Department of Tourism Management. Brent Martin’s group found that meeting weekly was key. "Each meeting, we worked on something different in terms of production. We never walked away with uncertainty. The people running this degree program have a strong knowledge of exactly what they want for the program and understand how to go about achieving this." Geddes is also anxious to hear from the students who are developing a strategy for the on campus Hospitality House Restaurant. Students enrolled in the Bachelor of Hospitality and Tourism Management degree program are required to take a course in which they operate an in-house restaurant in order to gain hands-on experience. The restaurant generally operated during the months of November and January, serving staff and faculty of the University. With the transition year, it was an ideal time to look at everything from menus and timing to accommodating larger numbers of students requiring the course. "In our strategic plan, we are aiming to find ways to increase attendance by improving awareness and making the service available to students, as well as faculty and staff. We are also creating a strategy to continue the operation of the restaurant in a way that is flexible to the number of students enrolled in the program," says group member Heather Pertus. ‘We look forward to a fresh student perspective on how to market the program," notes Geddes. "Sometimes in the real world, we know we need to tweak our way of doing business but we often get caught up in the day-to-day flow and don’t take time to strategize. The students provide valuable assistance in making that happen." -30- Media Note: One of the groups will present their plan to the respective organization this week. Presentation to the Bachelor of Hospitality and Tourism Management group takes place tomorrow, Wed., April 12 at 11:00 a.m. in Room CE312 (CBU) Presentations to the CBU Alumni Association and the Sydney Curling Club will take place later this month. Contact:
Kelly Rose
Communications Officer
Cape Breton University
Tel: (902) 563-1638
E-mail: kelly_rose@capebretonu.ca
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