MKTG 3250 Summer 2019 Marketing Strategy Course Winners

This summer, MKTG 3250 students worked as teams to put together a marketing plan for Abby's Butter, Inc. This included research on the external environment, a SWOT Analysis, identifying the target market, then putting together tactics with a budget and timeline.

The class was given insight into the company dynamics by UNCC alumni and Senior Brand Manager, Aaron Kircher. His sister, Abby, who started the company also gave guidance.

Winning team members, Jessica Richardson, Jaden Janvier, Dejah Denis, Autumn Carney, and Macy Pegram are pictured below with Abby and Aaron. Hear more about their team experience by reading their thoughts below.

What class(es) or experience prepared you most for this course?

Marketing Research definitely prepared me the most for this course. The methods of market research and all the other useful tools when it comes to conducting market research that I learned in that course made completing this project easier. Marketing Research, Social Media Marketing, along with my writing courses really gave me the experience needed to successfully complete the Marketing Competition. - Dejah

Marketing Concepts helped introduce how to write a SWOT analysis and what to include. Global Marketing and Consumer Behavior had a project that essentially required us to do an External Environment Analysis. These ended up being two sections of the marketing plan and helped make sense of why we learned about them in those classes. It really helped tie everything together! - Jessica

The courses that prepared me most for this course include MKTG 3222: Marketing Research, as well as other writing intensive courses including COMM 3160: Business Communications, which helped build my writing and presentation skills. -Jaden

What was the most challenging or rewarding part of MKTG 3250?

The most rewarding part was definitely winning the competition. My team and I dedicated a lot of our time on a daily basis to complete and perfect our project. Seeing the fruits of our labor play out successfully in our favor was a feeling that I can’t describe. We all came into the class nervous, and left the class confident. Winning gave me the reassurance I needed to know that I can actually be successful in my field upon graduation; that I actually have what it takes to become a successful marketer. -Dejah

The most challenging part was getting everything done and done right by the due dates! Another challenging thing was despite all of our "great" ideas that we brainstormed together we had to realistically budget and finance them which was eye-opening! The most rewarding part was seeing everything come together and seeing how a good team operates! -Jessica

The most rewarding part for me was being recognized by a real company for our creative ideas. It made me feel confident about my transition from Marketing student to Entry-level Marketing professional -Jaden

Additionally, Jessica says "Going forward I feel more prepared for a marketing career because of this experience. Working with a real company and using data from them as well as conducting our own research, pushed us to come up with realistic ideas. I also feel like I have a greater sense of how to create and implement an idea in a corporate setting."