Question

Topic: Career/Training

Looking For A Student For A Real Marketing Project

Posted by rzasa on 1/14/2016 at 5:18 PM ET 250 Points
I am a few months away from launching two new products to the market. Looking for students that would be interested in creating a marketing strategy, videos, website for product (already have a website) and create other related material. In exchange for this I could create a scholarship for the student or your school. We would also entertain the idea of a full time hire of the student after graduation if they were the right fit for our business.
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RESPONSES

  • Posted by mgoodman on 1/15/2016 at 1:35 PM Accepted
    Why a student? Are you thinking that you'll get higher quality of thinking and marketing skills? Or is quality not as important as "cheap/free?" Is the quality of your marketing not very important to the success of your product launches?

    My suggestion: Take the money you would put into the scholarship and hire a qualified marketing consultant for the project. The chances of a successful launch will be significantly greater than what most students can deliver. And if you don't think you can afford a consultant, how will you afford a successful launch?
  • Posted by Gary Bloomer on 1/16/2016 at 10:48 AM Member
    "Why a student?" My thoughts exactly. Heed Michael's advice.
  • Posted by rzasa on 1/16/2016 at 5:06 PM Author
    Not about the money. I have seen marketing consultants or "experts" take a lot of people's money and the results were poor. Once you sign the contract you have to pay them and have very little control over the final products quality, timing and strategy.
  • Posted by Gary Bloomer on 1/17/2016 at 7:49 AM Accepted
    "Not about the money." No. Because here, you have a resource worth tens of millions of dollars that you can access for free in the guise of the time and expertise of the contributors. And similarly, I've seen people in search of marketing advice come to this forum, and seen them demand, lecture, and patronize while giving the scantiest amount of detail and expecting contributors to hand over the keys to the kingdom. So, what's your point? And those contracts? Has anyone been holding a loaded gun to your head while you've been pen in hand? Somehow, I doubt it.

    So once again, why a student?
  • Posted by Jay Hamilton-Roth on 1/17/2016 at 8:57 AM Accepted
    Why not simply contact college and/or high school teachers in your area who teach business/marketing and pitch them your idea?
  • Posted by mgoodman on 1/17/2016 at 7:31 PM Moderator
    Just because you "have seen marketing consultants or 'experts' take a lot of people's money and the results were poor" doesn't mean that's the wrong approach. I've seen clients who don't know what they want, don't ask the right questions, and hire consultants ... who get more than they deserve. But that doesn't mean all clients are ignorant of the requirements of a consulting relationship, or that all consultants over-deliver.

    You need to understand what success looks like for you and then make sure the consultant is reputable, understands what you need, and is committed to delivering a quality result on time and on budget.

    In any relationship, it's important that each party understand what's expected of them, and that each party upholds its end of the agreement. Don't automatically assume a consulting arrangement that had "poor results" was solely a function of an inept (or unethical) consultant. The client plays a role in achieving a successful outcome too.

    It starts with the client understanding his/her own objectives, doing the research to find the right consultant, and then making sure the consultant has access to all the relevant information. I suspect that as many project failures are a function of the clients' shortcomings as the consultants' ... perhaps even more.

  • Posted by Shelley Ryan on 2/24/2016 at 5:55 PM Moderator
    Hi Everyone,

    I am closing this question since there hasn't been much recent activity.

    Thanks for participating!

    Shelley
    MarketingProfs
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