Local business owners were all ears for students presenting ideas on how to get their brand’s awareness out there.
As part of the evolving school system that prepares Alberta students for a technology and innovative-based future, Grade 8 students from Lawrence Grassi Middle School have looked beyond traditional ways in order to take real world risks, overcome barriers and learn to revamp from the process.
The Advertising 101 course is an inventive thinking environment, which brought forward four Canmore businesses – Olde Tyme Candy Shoppe, UNLTD, Beamer’s Coffee Bar and Rocky Mountain Bagel Company – to partake in the practicum.
The students, in groups of two, interviewed business owners and created a series of ad placements based on the predetermined needs of the potential client. Some of the young marketers used techniques learned outside of school such as video editing and Photoshop, used for image enhancement, to further engage potential clients to choose their final product.
Kevin Milliken, owner of Olde Thyme Candy Shoppe, listened to the five groups pitch their brand awareness presentation for his business and was receptive by the creativity put forth.
“The kids impressed me with their passion for what they were doing. I could tell they were all enthusiastic about it and they gave it thought,” Milliken said.
Milliken underlined a greater need for an online presence during his initial interview with the groups.
“Myself being over 30 or 40, whatever this technology cut off age is, I’m not good at the website organization and what they brought forth was interesting and I can use it with them,” Milliken said. “Maybe they can help me upgrade my website. Like one boy said, ‘my website was old fashioned for what’s available.’ ”
Overseeing the students’ learning process is teacher Sonja Howatt, who highlighted modern education moving away from ‘memorizing information’ and preparing youth for an exponentially changing world with the skills the need.
“The beautiful thing in this learning process is that we’re trying to get away from students getting the right answer all the time and we want them to be able to take learning risks,” Howatt said.
“Working on this advertising project, it was trying to make it something that was worth their while … and it was authentic and relevant.”
The businesses selected one group each at the end to be given a ‘contract,’ which may use the group’s ideas.
Howatt said the assignment gives the groups the chance to reflect on what they learned through the process, what aspects went over well and where they need improvement.
“If students are worried about getting the one ‘right’ answer, they are not prepared to take risks and try a different way, to be more creative or to try to persevere and figure out the math problem,” she said.
