Georgia State marketing class gets real-world working experience

by Megan Urry, Signal & Urbanite

Students in Dr. Hiram Barksdale's GSU Marketing 4900 course are working with a local entrepreneur as part of a semester-long project to give students real-world experience in their field of study.

The class is currently working with Sue Sullivan, a chef who developed a hot sauce called "Hot Squeeze" and has successfully marketed it in a number of food stores across the east coast. Sullivan hopes to take her product to the next level -- - and now she has the help of Barksdale's students to do so.

"We're gaining this real-life experience working with her with this hands-on approach," says marketing senior and project participant Armond Dowdell. "It's a lot of experience; it's fun…everybody's learning something in a different aspect."

The class started working with Sullivan at the beginning of the semester, dividing themselves into teams devoted to several areas of marketing. The six teams - which include research, media and public relations, amongst others - have worked together up to this point to come up with various marketing strategies that they think will help distribution.

Now that the semester is [coming to and end], the teams are implementing those ideas and continuing to practice the ones that work.

"It's a lot of experience…we go out and do everything, we meet with [Sullivan about our ideas], and she ultimately gives us the thumbs up or thumbs down," Dowdell says.

Hot Squeeze is currently in most Whole Foods markets, where Dowdell and his classmates have held a handful of tasting events for customers. The group has also gotten creative and made menus using the sauce. So far their efforts have worked - Dowdell says they saw a boost in sales shortly after holding these events.

Some students, including Dowdell, plan on continuing to work with Sullivan after the semester ends. They have ideas to work at sporting events and bigger venues to expand her consumer base and get her product out to its target audience. Even more than that, they are creating contacts and getting an education outside of the classroom - where the real work is.

"She's enthused about working with us," Dowdell said. "She gives us a lot of positive feedback, because I think we offer her a lot of insight on different perspectives...overall it's been a good experience."