Consumer Insights students have a unique internship-like experience within the classroom.

Imagine taking a course where one of your most important responsibilities is to create content for posting on NKU-themed Instagram and TikTok pages. Or a class where you work at a big company like Kroger to study what Gen Z is looking for in an ideal employer.

These classes are a reality at Haile College of Business, shaping the career landscape for students at all levels. NKU’s marketing department has her two unique classes this semester, Digital Storytelling and Content Creation, and Consumer Insights, to bring students into the field and reveal their passions.

Professor Kimberly Roush is teaching Digital Storytelling and Content Creation, a special topic class for students for the first time this semester. Students in the class were assigned to create Instagram and TikTok accounts representing NKU students from scratch and filled with direct posts from marketing students. The @norse_life_ account on both platforms showcases what it’s like to be Nordic with content ranging from mini vlogs of everyday life to goose memes.

“One of the things we noticed on a lot of NKU social media, which is specific to business colleges, is that there is a lot of really great content, but we wanted something by students, for students. It’s a student’s perspective on student life at NKU, ”said the professor.

Roush associated this project with class content. This is because it shows how important it is for businesses to have a strong digital presence and create fresh content every day. For students who want to pursue digital marketing as a career, many companies now require content creation experience, even for entry-level positions, Roush noted. In this class, students will have concrete evidence of their work and will be able to showcase their work in an ideal portfolio for future employers.

Kayla Draper, a senior marketing major, jumped at the opportunity to take the course after hearing about Roush’s plans to develop a digital marketing class. Draper said social her media is already an integral part of the lives of so many students, and the ability to manage accounts adds relevance and fun to her relationship with the university, she said. .

“Social media is everywhere, and being able to get some experience with some of the software for it, actually developing content has been a very good experience,” says Draper.

Dr. David Raska provides Consumer Insights for his nonprofit. This is a marketing class where a student can gain internship-like experience during his first semester.

The Underground Agency is a non-profit organization founded by Raska that does marketing and branding for business clients such as Kroger and PepsiCo. According to Raska, the Agency is 100% employed by his students and does not exist outside of the classroom. All of The Underground Agency’s clients are former students who have had their own experience at some point.

Consumer Insights students become “newbies” and complete an onboarding training to get an overview of The Underground Agency before they start collaborating with their current client, Kroger.

For Raska, this partnership is extremely valuable. Because the student can gain one important thing – confidence. Professors say that students come in with an interest in marketing, but may not be sure what they actually want to pursue as a career, and may not have a specific idea of ​​what they are good at or where their passions lie. He said he would leave with knowledge.

“Many of my students come to the agency and are confused. They feel lost.

For many students, Raska said the light bulb quickly goes out about all the career possibilities this experience could bring. Throughout his training process, Rookie sits in his seat and meets former students who are now his managers or vice presidents of the brand.

“They realize, ‘Oh my God, that could be me.’ Some of them give me hope and a little bit of motivation,” Laska said.

Senior Marketing Measure Alex Trimpe proves the idea that Consumer Insights can shed light on previously dark career paths.

“This was my first time taking a class at NKU and it really showed how a professor can and can be a powerful mentor. [give] specific career skills. Many of the skills I gained in that class have done astronomical things to my confidence,” said Trimpe.

These career skills from Consumer Insights are the same as those from external internships and co-ops, but students can keep the jobs they need to be financially stable. Collaboration between students in the same field and the ability to be mentored by a professor are two additional factors that make the course invaluable to students.

Whether it’s digital storytelling and content creation or consumer insights, students get dressed and leave the classroom. Marketing professors aim to help students find their way through the post-graduation weeds, and students like Trimpe and Draper are good at it.

“I definitely found a love for content creation,” says Draper. “Marketing is a very broad major, so it’s fascinating, but it’s also a little scary, so [it’s important] I can be confident that I can prove that I know these things, and I can show you something for that.