Dr. Andrea Dixon, Divya Kaur, Joanna Schilling, and Randy Sadler, Chief of Marketing for Ellison Surface Technologies.

The two-quarter capstone experience is the culmination of the 48 credit-hour MS-Marketing program, and takes place during the winter and spring quarters. Unlike traditional classroom learning where the problem is identified in advance and students work through the solution, the capstone requires students to diagnose the problem situation and then solve it using their academic foundation. The capstone projects simulate the business environment the students will face as graduate

M.S. Marketing Capstone Projects 2008

American Sign Museum
The goal of this capstone is to create a comprehensive marketing plan for The American Sign Museum. After two-1/2 years at its present leased space in Walnut Hills, the museum has purchased a larger building in Camp Washington where it plans to relocate later this year. Extensive marketing research will be conducted in order to determine how to best promote the opening of this new space to local as well as regional markets. Targeted segments will be identified and a strategy developed to promote to each. The museum's expanded capacity to serve as a venue for receptions and banquets as well as seminars and corporate events is considered a key ingredient to maximizing the potential of the new space.

Anneliese von Oettingen School of Ballet
The Anneliese von Oettingen School of Ballet is a non-profit organization that has been active in Cincinnati since 1948. With 2008 being the 60th anniversary milestone for the school, the school's directors would like to look for solutions to increase awareness of the school and to attract new students to the school. The main goals of this initiative lie in creating a marketing plan and public relations guide that will summarize ideas that the school can work on to create awareness, attract students, and create buzz in the media.

Cincinnati Museum Center
The Cincinnati Museum Center (CMC) projects focuses on understanding CMC customers through market research. Over the next 5 months, the student consultant will be performing focus group sessions and administering quantitative surveys to hundreds of Cincinnati area residents. This research will help CMC better understand its customers' family entertainment and education needs. CMC will also gain a clearer picture of who walks through their doors. The student consultant will use the market research data and findings to prepare a marketing plan that applies what was learned through the market research to better serve and reach CMC customers.

Cincinnati Park Board
Cincinnati Parks has identified an opportunity to increase revenue generated from its rental facilities. The project will focus on the development of a marketing strategy to capitalize in this opportunity. The strategy will include conducting research to identify the target market as well their needs, behaviors, and preferences. The student consultant will then determine the most effective communication strategy to reach the target market. The communication strategy will include updating the current website and promotional material as well as developing new media. This “hands-on” learning experience will provide the student an opportunity to apply learning from the program while utilizing analytical and creative thinking skills.

CMC Property Management, LLC
CMC Properties is the largest private landlord in the Clifton area, owning and/or managing over 1000 apartments in 6 different properties. Through their detail-oriented, hands-on approach to property management and outstanding customer service, CMC continues to grow and work toward their mission to simplify the lives of their customers. The Capstone project will assist CMC in its continued efforts to better understand and serve its target market and, in the process, develop a branding and marketing strategy that will further promote CMC as the area's premier property management company.

dunnhumbyUSA
Every year dunnhumbyUSA develops significant new strategic initiatives to deliver double-digit growth for the current fiscal year and beyond. The student consultant will be working alongside a cross-functional team to construct a market entry plan for two of these dunnhumbyUSA initiatives. While these initiatives are confidential at this stage of their development, both will take dunnhumby's offer into new high-growth areas where their capabilities are likely to provide game-changing insights for clients in marketing roles in leading CPG companies.

IndieVizuals
IndieVizuals.com is an online video community targeted towards the teen/tween market. The website is a safe and educational avenue for amateur filmmakers and musicians to share, collaborate, and learn about the process of making videos. Inviting users to post their “home-made” videos, IndieVizuals embraces creativity and motivates learning. The student consultants will develop a plan to promote the site and develop an action plan for the 2008/09 period. In this dynamic work environment, the student consultant will be engaged in multiple marketing functions ranging from strategic partnering and sponsorships, in-depth market research, media buying, and PR.

Procter & Gamble PetCare
The student consultant will be collaborating with multiple functions within P&G's Pet Care Division to identify market trends and develop an innovative product for the IAMS/Eukanuba brands. The P&G Global Upstream Marketing Organization designs product initiatives for IAMS and Eukanuba globally, focusing on a 1-3 year time horizon. For this project, the student consultant will have the opportunity to work with members of the Research & Development, Finance, Product Supply, Consumer Research, and Customer Development Organizations.

Procter & Gamble PetCare
This project is to increase product trial at Point of Marketing Entry and Point of Change through interactive marketing. This project is an opportunity to understand the role of interactive marketing within the marketing model at one of the world's best marketers. Reaching Pet Care's strategic target, driving awareness and conversion, and driving the business is a unique challenge not just for Pet Care, but in the CPG space overall. In the industry interactive marketing is still considered a ‘new' medium with new metrics and is still being proven against traditional marketing methods. Understanding a “who” and reaching them effectively through interactive marketing is a skill which is broadly applicable.

Rising Sun, Indiana and the Historic Downtown Program
Rising Sun, Indiana is a charming riverfront town. However, there is a sentiment that the community and surrounding areas do not appreciate the town as it is. The perception is that residents of all ages believe their “downtown is dead.” One concern is there are not enough services offered in the downtown business district to make it “worth the trip.” The other is competition with surrounding communities to vie for event attendance. The student consultant will be working on a marketing and development plan (including background research) to address these concerns.

The Center for Holocaust & Humanity Education
The Center for Holocaust and Humanity Education promotes tolerance, inclusion, and social justice based on lessons learned from the Holocaust. Established in 2000 on the campus of Hebrew Union College in Clifton, CHHE developed its own non-profit organization in July 2006 and provides many educational and outreach programs to the local community. This Capstone Project will involve the development of a communications plan which will promote brand recognition and increase awareness for CHHE's community outreach and educational programs.

The United States Playing Card Company
As a part of the organization's Specialty Markets Sales division, the U.S. Playing Card Company operates a retail gift and outlet store. The store, located onsite at the headquarters in Norwood, Ohio, has been in operation for five years. The primary challenge facing the store at this time is the need for higher visibility in the community. The project entails finding innovative ways to promote the store in order to drive interest and increase foot-traffic. A focus will be placed on high impact advertising and promotions with a limited budget.

Tri-State Habitat for Humanity ReStore
Habitat for Humanity TriState is a single, nonprofit corporation comprising eight Habitat for Humanity chapters within Butler, Clermont and Warren counties in Ohio; Boone, Campbell and Kenton counties in Kentucky; and Dearborn and Ohio counties in Indiana. The Habitat for Humanity TriState ReStore is a building materials recycling center for the TriState area with proceeds enhancing the construction of homes for Habitat for Humanity families. The Re-Store requires a marketing plan which will identify the target consumer, analyze reach opportunities to reach the target, maximize advertising spending, and evaluate the retail footprint of the store. The marketing plan efforts will directly help the TriState ReStore increase its sales which will in turn will help Habitat support its basic mission of building more houses for those who are in need.

U.C. College Conservatory of Music Preparatory Department (CCM)
The University of Cincinnati's College Conservatory of Music (CCM) Preparatory Department is in need of a strategic marketing plan to attract new students into their introductory ballet programs. This newly developed marketing plan will then be used as a template to develop a marketing plan for the entire CCM Preparatory Department's other programs once the Capstone is completed. The ballet market is a saturated and declining market and competition for the limited number of participants is fierce. A strategic marketing plan is needed to analyze the market and implement a plan to increase enrollment and visibility of the program.

Western & Southern Financial Group
Western & Southern Life, a member of the Western & Southern Financial Group, is currently catering to a wide spectrum of the US population and the current business need of the company is to expand into the middle market for the life insurance category, typically defined as households with a combined annual income of $30,000 to $100,000 – by trying to analyze the current marketing trends, and using appropriate recommendations to implement the right strategies to target the segment better. The initiative to achieve the end result for the business need would revolve around analyzing and understanding the consumer base for the life insurance policies sold by Western & Southern.

Accelerated Technologies Inc.
Accelerated Technologies Inc. (ATI) is currently experiencing sustained growth in the rapid prototyping industry in the Automotive, Industrial and Consumer Products/Electronics segments while experiencing minimal growth in the Aerospace, Medical, Academic and Government/ Military sectors. The project team will develop a marketing plan for the client that delivers maximum growth potential in light of their current market position. The consultants will determine the most profitable and attainable markets for the company to target as well as develop and execute marketing strategies to reach new target market segments.

Ballet Tech Cincinnati
Ballet Tech Cincinnati is an exciting and growing ballet company which has moved from the suburbs to the Kennedy Heights area. The consultant will work towards defining BTC's target markets to help attract new attendees. In addition, the consultant will design a new marketing strategy for positioning and promoting to the defined target markets.

Blue Ash/Montgomery Symphony Orchestra (BAMSO)
Blue Ash Montgomery Symphony Orchestra suffers from low name recognition and awareness of their offering. Among those who do know of BAMSO, there is a perception of it being a community/volunteer orchestra. BAMSO is comprised of paid professionals and is challenged with making this distinction known in the community. BAMSO hopes to achieve, through this partnership with the University of Cincinnati, greater awareness of their organization in the community and increased attendance.

Cincinnati Bell Retail
Cincinnati Bell has challenged UC marketing students with redesigning the wireless retail experience to meet customer needs. A team of two graduate business students will map out the retail experience levers that could improve customer satisfaction. As a no-contract company, Cincinnati Bell relies on outstanding customer service to keep customers. This initiative marks a fresh look at the role the retail atmosphere plays in overall satisfaction and turning subscribers into brand apostles.

Cincinnati Taps, Inc.
Each year, Cincinnati Taps, Inc. (CTI), offers classes and produces a show in which regional tap dance groups perform. In regards to the show, National Tap Dance Day Celebration, CTI seeks to increase the audience size while also expanding audience composition to include general community members (vs. just its current base of family members/friends of performers). In addition, CTI would like to increase ethnic diversity of class participants and audience. The group also seeks suggestions regarding funding/in-kind support sources for the annual event.

Ellison Surface Technologies
EST has made limited marketing efforts in the power generation market to date. The capstone project involves developing and executing a strategy to grow the Power Generation thermal spray coating business. This effort will include market research, analysis of market trends, identification of all potential customers, identification of key competitors, prioritization of customer or market segment opportunities, decision-maker understanding, targeting, positioning, and development and execution of a marketing plan that will establish EST as the power generation coating supplier of choice, and generate power generation new business opportunities for our sales force.

Fine Arts Fund
The Fine Arts Fund (FAF) Fun Card is a vehicle for the FAF to communicate with donors, while also connecting donors with the arts in greater Cincinnati, and providing discounts when they attend various arts activities. In order to increase awareness and better understand the needs of donors, the consultants will implement primary research to learn more about Fun Card holders, benchmark other non-profit organizations, as well as companies in for-profit industries, and finally play a role in redeveloping a loyalty program for 2008.

Game Day Communications
The student consultant will create a marketing program to reach hospitality influencers in the Greater Cincinnati market (hoteliers, bartenders, taxi drivers, concierges, bell hops and maitre d's). The program would create information channels to reach these influencers and provide them with “perks” for sharing key messages on behalf of clients.

Life Enriching Communities
Life Enriching Communities is interested in gauging consumer preferences in the target market for its Twin Towers campus, and uncovering perceptions which may be influencing potential residents in selecting senior living alternatives. By conducting a series of focus groups, the project group will identify trends and make specific recommendations to address in repositioning the Twin Towers campus.

The Southern Ohio Chapter of Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
Leukemia & Lymphoma Society has recorded an increase in the number of patients of Latino heritage diagnosed with a blood cancer, including a lack of community resources for their support. Student consultants will develop outreach materials for the Latino population by developing and producing marketing and educational collateral to increase awareness for, and education of, the support services offered by LLS.

Citizens' Planning Committee for the Arts in Pleasant Ridge, Kennedy Heights and Silverton
The Citizens' Planning Committee intends to create a multi-community arts district that will drive new collaboration in the arts and support housing, education, entrepreneurship, arts venues and businesses throughout three contiguous neighborhoods.  The market research study made possible by the University of Cincinnati will test these goals and assure that citizens' voices are heard throughout the planning process.

Proctor & Gamble - Children's Safe Drinking Water
The Children's Safe Drinking Water program is an effort to help address the more than 4,000 children that die every day from diseases caused by drinking unsafe water. In collaboration with the CDC, P&G has developed a low-cost technology called PUR Purifier of Water. Studies show that the PUR sachets can reduce diarrhea illness in children up to 50 percent. P&G has partnered with Population Services International Dominican Republic (PSI/DR) to create awareness about the only Spanish labeled PUR sachets available for emergency relief efforts in the Latin America and the Caribbean.

Proctor & Gamble - Corporate Marketing
The nature of the project is to write, conduct and analyze a landscape survey. This survey will be asking key stakeholders at P&G about their use of digital asset management systems. From the data gathered in the landscape survey student consultants will then deliver a written influence strategy and a written marketing plan to introduce P&G's new universal digital asset management system.

Proctor & Gamble - Consumer and Market Knowledge Team
The P&G Global Tribe Project is to help gain competitive advantages in the global market and utilize consumer communities in more effective and productive ways than present time. The consultants will first form a framework that will lead to successful online community and then apply the framework to Beinggirl.com.

Proctor & GambleP&G - PUR Purifier of Water Brand
Procter and Gamble wants to enhance its corporate reputation in the US by raising awareness of the PUR brand through educational programs. P&G also wants to extend its philanthropic efforts by fostering relationships with governmental and non-governmental organizations.

University of Cincinnati Bearcat Card
Compared to residential students, commuter students are currently underrepresented among UC Bearcat Campus Card (UCBCC) users.  The initiative for the UCBCC is to increase the usage per dollar amount among commuter students. After developing an online survey and collecting data, the student consultant will analyze the data and develop a strategy specifically designed to meet the needs of the commuter students.

Western & Southern Financial Group
The project objective is to assess the viability of Western & Southern Financial Group offering fee-based financial planning services to the middle market.  Focusing on retirement and pre-retirement market segments, consultants will conduct both secondary and primary research to explore and analyze financial planning needs and preferred approaches.  From this research the consultants will recommend an appropriate strategy for providing financial planning services to the targeted audiences.

The MS-Marketing program is honored to partner with the many business and community partners who are participating in the MS Marketing Capstone projects.

If you would like to have your organization's marketing issue considered as a capstone project, contact Professor Andrea Dixon at (513) 556-7113 or Andrea.Dixon@uc.edu.

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