Every year the Strategic Marketing Internship Program at the Porter County Career and Technical Center picks a local business and all the Marketing students become a Marketing/Advertising Agency for the business. For the past 20 years students in this program have had the opportunity to practice their communication and promotion skills by presenting a college level project to a client. Just a few of the past projects have included First National Bank, NIPSCO, Val’s Pizza, Front Porch Music, TaKE 7 Productions, and Porter County Tourism.
The business chosen this year is Homenclature, a business, soon to open in Valparaiso. Homenclature isn’t new to Northwest Indiana; just to Valparaiso. Amanda Snider, the owner of Homenclature, has had a store in Munster for five years and a very impressive website.
The Marketing students had the challenge of deciding how Homenclature can become known in Valparaiso as a Chicago style furniture business at Indiana prices. Not only did they need to determine how to bring customers to Homenclature’s business which will be located at 360 S. Campbell Street, but to decide how to educate the public on what the customer might see when walking through the doors.
When a business is chosen for our yearly promotion project, the owner of the business, in this year’s situation Amanda Snider, the owner of Homenclature met with the Marketing students and discussed her business. Students then are charged with creating a promotional plan for the business. A few weeks after the owner meets with the entire class of marketing students the owner returns and groups of students or individuals present suggestions both orally and in written form while being videotaped. The owner of the business along with members of the Marketing Education Advisory Board play back the video and choose the best team or individual who created the most convincing promotional plan.
The Marketing program would like to thank Amanda Snider for providing an opportunity for the marketing students to show their knowledge of promotion.
Would you like to have free promotional advice and be our business for next year? Contact Mrs. Judy Commers, Porter County Career and Technical Center’s Marketing Teacher by e-mail: jcommers@valpo.k12.in.us or by phone 219-531-3170.