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University helps young marketers aim for success

The University has joined forces with an award-winning fashion retailer to challenge students to make their mark in business.

Our Business School and Steve Cochrane, Managing Director of fashion store Psyche in Middlesbrough, devised a competition which was open to sixth-form college students from the Tees Valley to Wearside. The sixth-formers worked in teams to examine perceptions of Middlesbrough and devise a marketing strategy to attract customers from outside the region to Psyche. The teams were mentored during the four month competition by students from the University’s MSc Marketing Management.

Three teams – from Prior Pursglove College in Guisborough, St Mary’s College in Middlesbrough and Eston Park School, Normanby – were selected as finalists to present their ideas to a panel of judges.

The team from Prior Pursglove was chosen as the winner. Team members Rachael Hayton, Katie Greene, Emily Symington and Jordanne McMullan, presented a pitch focusing on a loyalty scheme aimed at women, with an online forum for members, exclusive access to sales events, beauty events and live window displays.

Rachael said: ‘Our Wear Your Beauty campaign and Beautiful Woman loyalty scheme aims to highlight that beauty comes from the clothing people choose to wear, not how they look physically.’

On the judging panel were Psyche’s Steve Cochrane, º£½ÇÖ±²¥ Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Learning & Student Experience) Professor Caroline MacDonald, º£½ÇÖ±²¥ Business School Dean Alastair Thomson and Evening Gazette Business Editor Sue Scott. The winning team received £1,000, with £500 going to the students and £500 to their college.

The aim of the competition was to encourage the sixth-form students to develop their skills in enterprise and business, leadership and teamwork, communication and presentation, negotiation and creativity.

Stunned by the quality of work Noel Dennis, Principal Lecturer in Marketing in the University’s Business School, said: ‘The competition really engaged the students, while also helping to expose new business talent, which is essential to the regional and national economies.

‘I was stunned by the quality of work presented by the three finalists. Their professionalism and presentation skills were superb. All participants have great future potential in the world of marketing, should they choose that path.’

Steve, whose business Psyche has earned numerous retail awards, added: ‘I’m always keen to get involved in anything which could encourage more young people to get involved in business. More partnerships between businesses and academia should be encouraged, it’s key to helping nurture the area’s business talent.’

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