With stacks of yellow sticky notepads in hand, 56 Vancouver Island University students from Professional Selling (Marketing 362) descended on the Nanaimo campus with one goal – to use the tools they were given in the course to raise money for charity.
After forming five teams, they spent time developing a marketing strategy and plan for success. For the challenge, they are given fewer than 90 minutes to sell sticky notes on campus in an effort to raise as much money as possible. And while teams are graded on their ingenuity, planning, execution and of course, final results, the underlying goal is to do the best they can for the charity they choose to represent.
“The students realize very quickly that the challenge isn’t about selling a sticky note. Most people walking across campus don’t need a sticky note,” said VIU marketing professor, Duane Weaver.
“What they realize is most people want to help students so it comes down to details. People value different charities so the charities they choose matters. Where they set up to sell and what unique tools they can utilize to reach more people while following the rules of the competition are also what determine success.”
The teams with names like Wolves of Fifth Street, Team Smiles and International Flavour can only sell on campus to real people – no soliciting donations from friends and family if they can’t come in person. At the end, it was team Sales Force 1 that raised the most money – $2,042 for the Make A Wish Foundation.
It was the most money any one team has raised in the nine years Weaver has been doing the challenge.
Raffaele Bavaro was the Sales Force 1 team captain. He says the planning stage was the most difficult part.
“It took many hours to come together and create a plan that we thought would be the most effective. Our team’s main strategy was to be open, honest and energetic about truly helping to make a child’s wish come true,” said Bavaro.
The five teams together raised $3,242.87 which went to BC Children’s Hospital Foundation, B.C. SPCA Nanaimo branch, Haven Society and Make A Wish Foundation.
Since the challenge began, VIU’s Professional Selling students have raised more than $30,000 for charity.
VIU offers a wide range of business and management programs. For more information, please visit www.viu.ca/business/BBAMarketingMajor.asp.