Theatre/grill provides new benefit for marketing majors

Marketing majors in Dr. Scott Cragin's Marketing Strategies course are getting a rare opportunity this fall. The students are partnering with Andy Williams' Moon River Theater and Moon River Grill of Branson, Mo., to create a marketing plan for the business.

"It is very rare that as a class you can get an opportunity to work with a business that is in operation and anytime you can do that, it's a great tie into what they are doing in class," said Stu Dunlop, marketing professor helping with project coordination. "It's one thing to study; it's another thing to see how it's applied. This is an application project."

While going through their budgets the theater and grill noticed that they did not have a formal marketing plan in place. A connection was established between the school's marketing department and Williams' theater through Dunlop's wife who saw it as a benefit for the school and the theater.

 "The benefit for students is the opportunity to work with a real organization and generate a real plan that can have real benefits for that organization," said Cragin.

Through Blackboard and trips to the theater, the students are coordinating with the marketing manager to complete the project. Students are developing a marketing plan, presenting their findings and gaining experience for their future careers.

Marketing strategies is intended to be the capstone marketing course to combine the information learned in previous marketing courses.

"We have actually changed some of the prerequisites to encourage students to make it the last marketing course they take, so that they can apply the other knowledge they have learned in their other marketing courses to this class," said Cragin. "It is designed to bring it all together and allow you to apply the tools that you have learned."

Cragin identified two ways to teach the course: case-analysis or working with an organization. Case-analysis presents the concepts of creating marketing plans through textbooks; whereas working with organizations gives students the ability to gain experience for resumes. Previous semesters have used the case-analysis method because no business connections had presented themselves.

"In this case, you are looking at implementation and looking at how you interface with the marketing research that's been done," said Dunlop. "You don't always get that opportunity if you don't have a hands-on project because implementation is something you can't really experience unless it happens."

At 7 p.m. on Oct. 15, Missouri Southern students are able to enjoy the Andy William's Variety Show for $20, a discount from $39. Those interested in reservations should contact Becky Wiley at 625-9371. Additional discounts for hotel and the Paul Revere and the Bill Haley's Original Comets are available.