Students giving presentation in conference room

ABERDEEN, S.D. – Local business owners recently sat down in a conference room to hear fresh, new ideas for marketing their organizations.

This was no ordinary pitch session – it took place on the Northern State University campus, with ideas coming directly from students in Dr. Hannah Walters’ marketing management course.

And the business owners were impressed.

“The group did fantastic,” said Fallon Helm, owner of Revive Day Spa. “Dr. Walters has brought this class to the next level with the details, follow-up and informative reports on business analysis.”

Students formed small groups to present to the businesses. Besides Revive Day Spa, others participating were Budget Blinds, Dakota Event Center, Dempsey’s, Kusler Klinics, Lager’s Inn, Mazatlan Mexican Restaurant, Natural Abundance Food Co-op and One-Legged Pheasant.

Fun to Hear Student Ideas

DEC Director of Sales Rachael Cramond said it was fun to hear what the students came up with for ideas and who the business should target.

“It was a great experience!” Cramond said. “I liked being involved with the students.”

Helm said the students’ ideas were helpful – specifically, the fresh ideas around social media were enlightening. An alum of the NSU School of Business, she said it was a pleasure to come back and see the school prospering.

“The business program appears to be thriving!” Helm said. “The campus continues to develop, offering a welcoming invitation to all.”

Gaining Real-World Experience

NSU senior Abberly McLaughlin said she’s gotten to work with local businesses in three of her upper-level courses. The highlight of this kind of assignment, she said, is gaining that real-world experience.

“Just honestly getting the experience and being able to put this on a resume, and being able to say that we’ve done this before,” said McLaughlin, from Cambridge, Minn. “Or even in the future, if we open our own businesses, to be able to just have that experience.”

Dr. Walters said throughout the marketing curriculum, NSU students learn terminology, classifications, methods and trends – all standard topics at any university.

But at Northern, they also get opportunities above and beyond that.

“What sets NSU marketing students apart is the experience and learning that occurs outside of the classroom,” said Walters, assistant professor of marketing. “With the cooperation of these small businesses and their owners/general managers, this project has, most critically, enabled marketing students to apply course material in order to improve thinking, problem solving and decision-making.”

To learn more about studying marketing at Northern, visit the NSU School of Business online.

About Northern State University

Northern State University is a regional university that offers outstanding academics and exceptional extracurricular activities at an affordable price on a safe, welcoming campus. Northern State recently announced its Educational Impact Campaign, with a goal of raising $55 million for a new South Dakota School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, new athletic and recreation fields, and an on-campus regional sports complex. Once the campaign is complete, NSU will be the recipient of more than $100 million in privately funded building projects and scholarships within a decade. To learn more, visit NSU Admissions.

Pictured left to right: NSU students Jong Hyun Roh, Abberly McLaughlin and Jen Tirado.