Local not-for-profit organizations are benefiting from student experience and students from real-world experience, thanks to an innovative class assignment designed by a University of Winnipeg faculty member.
Each semester, Dr. Lam An, an assistant professor in the Department of Business and Administration, has her marketing students apply what they’re learning in the classroom to nonprofit organizations in Manitoba that need marketing help.
“Students see that their skills can be directly applied, and not just to exams.”
Dr. Lam An
The partnership is a win-win: students gain real-world experience (and sometimes a job offer), while organizations receive comprehensive, free marketing research they can use to expand their reach or deepen its impact.
Dr. An, who came to UWinnipeg two years ago, says the idea for the assignment came from his time as an undergraduate in the United States. Universities there often have a small business development center on campus.
“These centers use university resources to provide free help to start-ups, such as business planning and financial advice,” said Dr. An. “As an undergraduate marketing student, I benefited greatly from working with them.”
Dr. An knows firsthand how fruitful these partnerships can be. During his graduate studies, he got a job with a company after providing them with a market research project.
“Anyone can say they’re a great marketer or communicator, but employers want concrete evidence these days,” explained Dr. An. “Showing them how I think and how I solve a business challenge helped me get a job.”
building bridges
Each semester, Dr. An selects a non-profit organization for her students to partner with. In the winter quarter of 2023, it was the Manitoba Conservatory of Music and Arts (MCMA), conveniently located in UWinnipeg’s Bryce Hall.
Past partners include Recreation Manitobathat promotes recreation and parks, and ToyBox Manitobawhich offers learning and wellness activities for children.
“Most organizations have similar issues: brand awareness, how customers have changed during COVID or are not coming back post-COVID, and what communications to use to reach customers,” said Dr. An.
One of the first things students learn is that nonprofits often operate on a tight budget.
“Students often think that every company has an unlimited budget,” said Dr. An. “I want to show them the reality of these organizations. Some have a part-time 10-hour-a-week marketing person.”
Many organizations naturally focus on delivering products or services, leaving few resources for marketing.
“Everybody does all this promotion, but they don’t know what market segment they’re targeting,” explained Dr. An. “They don’t get a return on their money because they don’t know what their customers really want.”
The MCMA wanted to improve brand awareness and enrollment in its high-quality music education programs. They asked for help communicating with students and parents about practical things like parking and class times.
Students got to work generating a market research report covering topics such as industry trends, focus groups, surveys, and search engine optimization. Getting research like this from a professional marketing firm could cost thousands of dollars.
Dr. An says not all of the report may be applicable, but organizations can implement the recommendations incrementally or synthesize the findings into a solution that works for them.
The program draws praise
“Opportunities like this for nonprofits like the MCMA are essential,” said Heitha Forsyth, MCMA Executive Director. “As a community organization with limited resources, this partnership allowed our team to continue to meet the needs and demands of the people we serve, while the students’ work helped us outline, understand and grow how we are perceived in the community wider”.
Dr. An says the students enjoy seeing the difference their work makes in the day-to-day operations of a real organization.
“Students see that their skills can be directly applied, and not just to exams.”
He will continue to run the commission this fall and is currently seeking additional organizational partners.
“I’m new here in Manitoba so I’m running out of connections,” she said with a laugh.
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