GOODMAN BMA PROJECT HELPS CHICKEN WING CHAIN FLY ABOVE THE RADAR WITH STUDENTS By Tiffany Mayer
Students from the Brock Marketing Association worked with Wild Wing in St. Catharines by analyzing their marketing tactics and suggesting ideas to better attract student patrons.
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hen the local franchise of a national chicken wing restaurant wanted Other ideas included selling more Niagara wine and beer, offering vegetarian to attract more student diners, it didn’t enlist the help of a fancy and vegan food options, and emphasizing promotions to better compete with marketing firm. neighbouring restaurants selling chicken wings at lower prices. Wild Wing could also Instead, Wild Wing in St. Catharines turned to their prospective beef up its menu by adding Brock Badger-themed wings. customers for help. The business asked the student-run Goodman Brock Marketing Delivery was also suggested so students without a car or easy access to Association (BMA) for ideas that wouldn’t leave the restaurant winging its marketing, transportation could enjoy Wild Wing’s fare. all the while giving students real-world experience to cluck about on their resumés. The BMA’s findings and ideas were presented virtually to the company at the end “It’s a benefit to both sides,” said Emily Sleegers, BMA President and third-year of the term. Business Administration student. “The goal isn’t to give them an exact plan of what Gina Lambrinos (BA ’19), Social Media Co-ordinator for Wild Wing Hospitality Inc., to do but to inspire their marketing and give them ideas of what they can do. It’s a is a Brock alumna and knew about the opportunity to work with Goodman students on win-win on both sides because the company has nothing to lose.” the company’s marketing issues. Some of Lambrinos’s favourite projects when she was The project, which ran through the winter term, was one of four tackled by the a student involved helping community partners with their marketing and social media. BMA this past school year. Most BMA projects help non-profits or local startups, Being on the receiving end of advice this time, Lambrinos said the BMA was able Sleegers explained, so working with an established national brand like Wild Wing was to do research and offer insight that would have been difficult to do on her own. She’s a challenge the student group readily accepted. already tapped into some of the students’ ideas, including drafting a promotional plan Goodman students in all years and programs gathered weekly under the guidance for the entire chain, not just the St. Catharines store. of two project managers to analyze Wild Wing’s current marketing tactics, where “When I suggested reaching out to Goodman, I did this because of the positive they fell short, and what it could do to get more students through the door at its outcome that I had as a student, knowing that I accomplished a marketing strategy and Glendale Avenue location. opportunities to ensure success of a company’s product or business,” Lambrinos said. They continued collaborating and working remotely on the project when Brock’s “I would gladly recommend other businesses work with Goodman BMA because of the campus was closed amid the COVID-19 pandemic. external resources and new perspective the project managers and group had to offer.” The BMA determined early on with a survey that there was little recognition of the The BMA helps students flourish as much as it helps businesses grow, Sleegers noted. Wild Wing brand among students. To change that, the project group suggested Wild Sleegers, who’s in her final year of marketing at Brock, got involved with the club Wing connect with the Brock University Students’ Union about bringing a food truck in her second year to gain practical experience that would help her during co-op to campus for events, and sending its mascot up the escarpment once in a while, too. placements. “One of the bigger (suggestions) to gear toward students is for the local location Joining the BMA made her resumé stand out, but it did something else for Sleegers, to connect with Brock,” Sleegers said. “They need to bring (Wild Wing) to students who wrapped up her term as club president in April. to get more students engaged.” “When I first joined in second year, I was always the quietest in the room. I was The BMA also found missed opportunities on social media where the local franchise so shy. The fact I went to these meetings was a big thing for me,” she said. “It gave could post more frequently, host competitions, and better use hashtags to get specials me a chance to grow and come out of my shell. It’s a very good club for personal and important information in front of more eyes. The suggestion: hire a social media development and growth.” co-ordinator who reflects the target market.
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