VALDOSTA – Valdosta State business students are helping St. Marys businesses develop marketing strategies. 

Dr. Amy Watson and 44 students in her MBA 7050 marketing strategy course work through Valdosta State University’s Center for South Georgia Regional Impact to help Riverview Hotel, Seagle’s Restaurant and Captain Seagle’s Saloon.

Watson, assistant professor of marketing at VSU, assigned students a project to help businesses identify opportunities to increase sales, enhance their reputation and establish a foundation for long-term growth and success.

Retrina Roberts, a student from Valdosta, worked alongside classmates Emily Martinez, Amaya Hartman and Chikina Miller to develop a plan for Riverview Hotel.

“The purpose of the project was for us to see what we could do, as students to help businesses better withstand their position in the COVID-19 pandemic,” Roberts said. “We were able to use data that would provide a strategy to focus on target marketing and understanding customer experience.”

The groups developed an overall campaign to complete the project during fall semester 2021 and their best ideas were presented to the business owner in early 2022.

In a previously recorded video, Watson, Roberts, Bert Guy, St. Marys business owner, Ginny Samuel, a student from Fayette County, and Rebecca Cruz Alcazar, a student from Gainesville, shared their experiences and their response to the groups marketing strategies.

“Dr. Watson and her students did an unbelievable job and they were really great to work with,” Guy said. “We are planning to bring another team member on to implement these plans. We are an anchor of Downtown St. Marys. We are excited to be a part of the growth here in St. Marys.”

Roberts plans to graduate with a master of business administration in spring 2023. She earned a bachelor of business administration in management and a minor in entrepreneurship from VSU in 2021.

“This helped me determine the work ethic …,” Roberts said. “You have to take all information in consideration. All of the information can help you.”

The Center for South Georgia Regional Impact was created in 2018 to support VSU’s commitment to being a catalyst for regional comprehensive progress and serving as a resource for industry, health care, arts, education, athletics and other changing economic needs that support the growth of the region. 

“The center works with community leaders in VSU’s 41-county service area to identify issues they want to confront and then connects those community leaders to VSU faculty, staff and students with the knowledge and skills needed to develop solutions and accelerate progress toward a better tomorrow,” according to a statement from VSU.

To hear the video, visit: https://www.valdosta.edu/about/news/releases/2022/02/vsu-students-develop-marketing-strategy-for-coastal-georgia-business-owner.php