Student teams in Adjunct Professor Maddie Melton’s promotions management course pitched their project results to their client, ENACTUS, a student organization at MNU. The presentations represented an entire semester of work by the marketing and design students.

ENACTUS is an international organization that promotes entrepreneurial action to enable progress worldwide. Last semester, MNU’s ENACTUS club wanted to learn how it might serve MNU students with clothing, hygiene and other needed resources through a community closet. The idea came from previous marketing research conducted by MNU students that showed affording purchases for clothing and everyday needs can be difficult for many. Some students come to MNU from a climate where warm winter clothing isn’t needed. Once in Kansas, they realize they need much more than they brought to college. Others have no transportation readily available or are busy with jobs and extra curriculars that make shopping difficult. The community closet would answer many of these needs largely through donated inventory.

The course matched groups of promotions management students with graphic designers. The teams then determined how the effort could take shape. Everything from a name for the “store” to operating procedures, potential locations, processes for obtaining inventory, and branding assets were created.

Each team presented their plans to ENACTUS leaders and ENACTUS Sponsor and Assistant Professor of Business Tricia Sinclair and Assistant Professor of Graphic Design Brian Merriman in early December. ENACTUS club members then spent several days considering which team’s plan they would pursue.

The plan they chose is called The ‘Neer Locker (Neer is a term often used for MNU’s mascot, the Pioneer).

“We value how the name gives a great insight into what the store offers,” Sinclair said on behalf of ENACTUS members. “This is very important in the awareness stage because people will have a good idea of the store’s purpose after hearing the name.”

Sinclair said the team’s quantitative goals for store visits and sales were also on target.

“Overall, we believe that this team had the best understanding of our purpose with the community closet,” she added. “It is evident that each member cares about this cause and wants to make the community closet a reality.”

ENACTUS club leaders and students agree that choosing the final team’s project was difficult and that they will use components from each team’s presentations as they continue planning toward serving their fellow students. More photos from the presentations are on MNU’s Flickr account.