Clemson students win first place in national marketing challenge
January 9, 2012
The team members are Jessica Byrd, a senior graphics communicationsmajor from Fort Mill; Evan Duggar, a senior in marketing fromSimpsonville; Paul Hargrave, a senior in marketing from Charleston; andBlair Bolen, a junior marketing major from Fredericksburg, Va.
They are led by James Gaubert, a senior lecturer whose Marketing 398class worked in groups to come up with entries for the challenge andvoted for the winning team’s project.
Their entry, titled “Chevrolet Sonic: Kick Normal to the Curb,” wasbuilt around a program to build awareness of the vehicle among ClemsonUniversity students. It included plans for a kickoff event on Bowmanfield; targeted marketing plans, including social media and guerillamarketing strategies; and research into students’ perceptions of thevehicle.
Photo: The Clemson team that won the Chevrolet Sonic Marketing Challenge are Evan Duggar, left, Paul Hargrave, Blair Bolen and Jessica Byrd. image by: Clemson University.
“I applaud the four students whose entry won the competition,”Gaubert said. “They represented Clemson well in Detroit. I believe hardwork and professionalism throughout the semester resulted in thevictory.
“It is a testament to the synergistic results that can emerge fromClemson’s Creative Inquiry groups that tap into students’ skill setsfrom different majors and strengths,” he said.
“I still have to pinch myself that we actually won,” Duggar said. “IfI had the chance, I would do it again. That’s saying a lot because wespent a lot of late nights together working on this case, but it wasworth every second. “
Byrd said, “We had an amazing group that put in over 110 percent tothis campaign and I think we did an amazing job. I would definitelyrecommend to any student interested in this field to get involved -nothing is better than real-world experience.”
“The thought of securing a win for Clemson University and themarketing team was our drive as we made every effort to put together apolished presentation,” Hargrave said. “The presentation was the productof countless hours of brainstorming, design, and rehearsal, driven bythe marketing and graphics coursework taken during our time at theuniversity.”
Bolen’s participation “was especially exciting for me since my greatgrandfather opened a Chevrolet dealership which is still owned andoperated by our family today, over 91 years later.
“Our team did a great job working together to come up witha interesting and innovative plan specifically designed to reachMillennials,” he said. “I am very pleased that the executives atChevrolet thought so highly of this project which we poured so much timeand effort into.”
The Clemson team’s winning entry is posted on the EdVenture website at http://www.edventurepartners.com/awards.asp.
Creative Inquiry
Creative Inquiry is a uniqueprogram that gives Clemson University undergraduate students theopportunity to work on research projects that span disciplines andmultiple semesters. Students work in teams with faculty mentors, takeownership of their projects and take the risks necessary to solveproblems and get answers. Creative Inquiry participants develop criticalthinking skills, learn to solve problems and hone their communicationand presentation skills. For more information, go to www.clemson.edu/ci.
edVenture Partners
EdVenture Partners programs blend academic theory with practical, hands-on application,creating a real-world marketing and learning experience forstudents and educators. Students grapple with real business challenges,and provide creative and innovative solutions to client’smarketing, brand building, research, sales, public policy, communityaffairs and recruiting objectives and needs.
