The Department of Marketing Management and Coca-Cola launched the 2018 second-year practical student project at the beginning of August. This project serves as a reinforcement of the relationship between the two parties, which started in 2015 with one of Coca-Cola’s brands, Appletiser. 

 

The main purpose of the project is to provide students with the opportunity to apply marketing theory and to practice skills in solving real marketing challenges for an industry partner, in this case Schweppes. For this year’s project, the students are tasked with developing an on-premise marketing communication campaign for Schweppes with a specific focus on experiential marketing, social media and other integrated marketing communication tools. This practical project exposes the students to the realities of industry, which will prepare and equip them with skills needed in the world of work.

 

Appletiser and Schweppes’ Senior Brand Manager, Ms Serena Ramiah-Chetty, gave an intriguing guest lecture to the students, during which she noted that the Schweppes brand is a world leader in mixers and the fifth most popular beverage brand in South Africa. The students listened attentively, asked many questions and gained a lot of insight about the Schweppes brand, which they can use in their marketing communication campaigns. Schweppes also supplied students with sample products for a role play activity, which requires the students to work in groups to do a blindfolded taste test of the different Schweppes products. Students are required to record and capture their team mates’ reactions, identify any differences between the different Schweppes products and post it on Instagram under the hashtag #schweppescomes2tuks2018. 

 

The UP-Schweppes project kicked off on a high. With enthusiasm at heart and a Schweppes drink in hand, the second-year Marketing Management students are ready to put their marketing knowledge into practice and mix it UP with Schweppes during 2018.

 

Senior Brand Manager of Appletiser and guest speaker Ms Serena Ramiah-Chetty (front row, middle) posing for a photo with second-year Marketing Management students and their lecturers

 

Students showcasing their target market’s profile in a poster