Students develop marketing plans for local non-profits

Throughout the fall semester, students from the Business Consulting and Practicum course developed marketing strategies to increase awareness for Junior Achievement of Mahoning Valley and Someplace Safe.

Students employed researching and marketing skills to strengthen brands and social media presence. Detailed reports included step-by-step guides and video tutorials for using social media accounts.

On Monday, Dec. 2, they presented their findings and suggested strategies to Michele Merkel, president, Junior Achievement of Mahoning Valley; Nicole Fond, program manager, for Junior Achievement of Mahoning Valley; Alicia Williamson, director, Domestic Violence and Visitation Services; and Marianne Brdek , administrative assistant, Domestic Violence and Visitation Services.

“Like so many community safety net programs, we are really focused on our mission,” Williamson said. “It was great to work with these students, a few of whom did not know who we were before the project. They were able to give us a new perspective and some great ideas.”

Community collaboration is a great way to make an impact according to the instructor and Applied Business Technologies academic program director, Tim McFadden.

“It’s a great way to equip our students with real-life experience,” McFadden said. “Over the years, they have come up with some creative ideas and I know it has been a big help for agencies that spend most of their budget on programs, not marketing.”

Students include (Junior Achievement of Mahoning Valley) Rebecca Batton, Kameron Caldwell, Robert Durey, Jacob Lieberth, and Benjamin Wilcox, and (Someplace Safe) Aris Bender, Nicole Chaney, Moriah DeJacimo, Alynn Grant, Sara Linger, and Georgia Shaffer.

Pictured (left-right), Alynn Grant, Nicole Chaney, Sara Linger,  Alicia Williamson, Marianne Brdek,  Moriah DeJacimo, Aris Bender, and Georgia Shaffer.