Midland University Marketing Students Embracing Opportunity to Work with Professional Organizations
Dr. Nick Schreck believes you learn from experience. It’s a big reason why the Midland University Assistant Professor of Digital Marketing has been connecting his students with outside organizations to expand their knowledge beyond the classroom.
“At Midland, we place an emphasis on experiential learning,” Schreck said. “At many places, you’re going to read a textbook, listen to lectures, then take a test on what you’ve learned. But we’ve found these activities are not reflective of skills employers need. We want our students to be immersed through activities and practice what they are learning about. It’s important to understand the career goals of students, and make sure they get these personalized experiences.”
Over the past several years, Schreck has been working with outside organizations, both large and small, to provide students with these relevant experiences and give them a leg up when they enter a competitive job market.
His students have worked with professionals from sports teams like the Pittsburgh Penguins (NHL), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (NFL), and the Sacramento Kings (NBA), to name a few. But their interactions have expanded to agencies such as Nike, Spotify, Sour Patch Kids, as well as several local organizations.
Schreck said the opportunity to reach out to larger sports organizations came in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic. “A lot of local companies were trying to figure out their own next steps and weren’t in a position to help students,” he said. “When I started reaching out to professional sports teams, they had time on their hands (during the pandemic) and wanted to help students. They’ve been very receptive and want to help the next generation.”
Andi Perelman serves as Vice President, Digital for the Penguins. She worked on her own with Midland students through a variety of projects and believes both parties can receive something beneficial by working together. “It’s great to work with college marketing students and hear some of their new ideas,” she said. “We are always looking to market to younger fans, and hearing how students communicate, perceive the brand, and use different social media networks is helpful as we build marketing strategies for the future.”
Melany Davis was one of those students who had the opportunity to work with Perelman. “Being able to work with Andi has been something I will be forever grateful for,” Davis said. “She talked about her current situation in marketing with the Penguins and gave us an opportunity to brainstorm and come up with ideas to add to the classic Pittsburgh Penguins experience.”
Davis viewed the opportunity as a great learning experience, giving her a peek inside what a marketing strategy looks like on a professional level.
“I learned that marketing is so much more than just posting a picture on social media,” she said. “I enjoyed the process of figuring out problems and finding solutions on how to fix them. The project helped me with my brainstorming abilities, as well as learning about all the different components it takes to run a successful social media account.”
When working with these organizations, students are tasked with helping with a marketing campaign. “Typically, the team we are involved with will give us a goal or objective to work with,” Schreck said. “Students will develop a marketing plan based on the tools they have and make a pitch to the business. Our students have come up with some really cool ideas.”
Perelman said integrating students into the marketing world while still in college is vital in providing them with the skills and experience needed as they potentially enter into a marketing career. “I would encourage students to get involved and start taking steps toward their future careers,” she said. “It’s never too early to start building a brand or working on a digital passion project. Sharing my experiences and failures might be helpful for students as they look to make their first steps into the sports business world. The more we share, the better the business, and the content, will be.”
Whether through internships, practicums, or a class, viewing a career through the wisdom and knowledge of a professional is an invaluable experience for students. “Anytime you can connect with a professional, something meaningful is going to come from it,” Schreck said. “When we present our final projects to these organizations, we are getting great feedback, which is allowing our students to feel confident in what they are doing. That level of confidence is important and can make an impact right away.”
