Facing Reality: Student Projects with Real Clients

1
Facing Reality Student Projects with Real
Clients

• Vanessa Gail Perry
• Department of Marketing
• GWU School of Business

2
A Real Challenge

• One of the requirements for this class is a
  semester-long group marketing research project.
  This project must deal with an actual marketing
  problem/opportunity facing a real organization.
• You are required to work in conjunction with a
  firm or an organization, and design and execute a
  marketing research project.
• The project must provide data and information,
  which will directly aid in making decisions about
  the above problem/opportunity.

3
Real Client Project Example

• Local firm Loudoun Magazine
• Goal Expand subscriber base
• Method Focus group and survey research of
  current subscribers and non-subscribers
• Demographic profile of subscribers vs. local area
• Gather data on activities, interests, opinions
• Recommend product improvements

4
Real Compared to What?

• Budget 0
• Deadline Semesters end
• Logistics Client meetings and data collection
  involved travel
• Human Resources 10 students out of 45
• Skills Limited technical capabilities

5
The Real McCoy

• What students did
• Conduct focus groups
• Analyze qualitative data
• Develop survey instrument for mail and internet
• Analyze secondary data, e.g. Census
• Use survey data for market segmentation
• Prepare a research report
• Present findings to client

6
Reality Bites

• It was a little manic, verging on insane at one
  point."
• --Simon Cowell, American Idol judge
• Additional data analysis after semester
• Hours of meetings and work sessions
• Were learning goals achieved?

7
Keeping It Real

• Graduate vs. undergraduate students
• Course learning goals
• Consider all stakeholders
• Students
• Client
• Faculty member
• School