Marketing Project Assists Local Businesses

Nine cadet presenters flank Cool Spring owners Selena and Brad Eisold. – Photo courtesy of Bruce MacDonald.

LEXINGTON, Va., Dec. 21, 2011 – Cadets in VMI’s Art in Business class produced marketing recommendations for two local businesses during fall semester.

Taught by adjunct economics and business professor Bruce MacDonald, the class conducted research related to the recently opened Cool Spring Organic Market and Blue Lab Brewing Co. Cadets studied the competitive retail food market, visited grocery stores, surveyed people who shop in Lexington, and analyzed local competing businesses. Andy Wolfe, creative director of Mariner Media, coached the class in developing classic SWOT – strength, weaknesses, opportunities, threats – analyses as well.

Near the end of fall semester, cadets in the class made presentations to the owners of the two businesses, highlighting the best of their marketing ideas, including logo and label designs, branding suggestions, promotions, and ideas for Web and social media presence, many of which had been developed through the students’ work with Mariner Media.