The 2014 Douglas College Marketing Practicum Students Dazzle Clients Again

Wasim from last year’s 2013 Marketing Practicum Wave at Douglas College. Photo by Allan Schroeder.

For the last couple of years, I’ve had the opportunity to work with Douglas College and their Marketing Practicum students. And every year, we raise the bar just a little more.

This year, I had an opportunity advise the students on things that I think I know a thing or two about, including best practices for running and maintaining a website, social media, and one thing that I’ve gotten quite heavily into, which is video production. And while I’ve been able to spread my knowledge across nearly 9 groups of students (working in Trios), I was tasked with bringing three of those groups up a notch thanks to a partnership with Envision Financial and Douglas College.

The three groups were tasked with evaluating client needs, and matching them with actionable marketing strategies that included everything from traditional marketing methods, to the latest online methods through social media. I was very excited to be working with all three groups, which represented great organizations including SUCCESS, Tri-City Transitions, and Eagle Ridge Hospital Auxiliary Thrift Shop. But the most rewarding part of the semester was watching the students take on a task of creating a concept, a script, and helping to shoot the amazing videos below.

Most of the students had little to no experience with video production, which is why I was so extremely pleased with their level of hustle, and their ability to create within constraints. Each group had exactly one day of shooting, and two production days each with me, and I have to say, I couldn’t be more pleased with the end results in such a short period of time.

The students were then put to the test in their final presentations, facing both the benefactors of this program, Envision Financial and their management, plus the heads of the organizations they were assigned to assist. Under the watchful eye of Gail Tibbo and Christina Cawkell, the program’s instructors, the students definitely excelled in the spotlight.

I’m looking forward to seeing what the students come up with for me to help them shoot and edit next year.