News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
A Tennessee Tech marketing management class spent the semester creating ideas to help a local merchant grow its share of the marketplace.
Sherrie Cannon’s class of 24 students split into groups and created new marketing concepts and promotional strategies for Jamie’s Eats and Sweets.. Owner Jamie Lankford said the outside ideas were critical in growing the shop’s social media presence and enhancing the in-store experience.
“Sometimes, you just kind of feel like you’re failing at everything, other times you feel like, ‘I’ve got this under control, I’ve got this covered, we’re totally fine,’ so getting to listen to the outside perspective from like 24 different students, you got to see what you were doing right and what you weren’t doing right to kind of get a pat on the back in some places and a kick in the pants in the other one,” Lankford said.
Lankford said the students’ professionalism stuck out to her the most through the experience. Lankford said she has numerous promotion ideas inspired by the class that she plans to deploy over the coming months. She said the experience was so helpful that next year, she plans to start an internship program for Tech marketing students.
“Everything we got was things that we could use,” Lankford said. “I have an entire binder of things that I can go back and look at and read if I’m feeling stuck or out of ideas.”
She said one student’s idea has already been put into action and was a major success. The eatery’s 21 Days of Christmas Giveaway proposed by the class boosted social media following and engagement, Lankford said.
“Sometimes, whenever you’re looking at your business yourself, it’s hard to see what could be different or what could be better,” Lankford said.
Lankford said one student with graphic design experience even designed a new logo for the restaurant. Several other projects included drone footage of the restaurant for social media and newly designed menus for catering weddings and other events.
“Things that we had already kind of talked out, now was kind of the kick in the butt that I needed to finally get it done,” Lankford said.
