Retail and marketing class tests advertising skills

Fri, 02 May 2008 19:34:00 GMT

By Billy Franco

Students in the R.O.P retail and marketing class look at flyers designed by their classmates to advertise products for sale in the C.V. student store.

The student store curriculum got a touch-up this year. Students enrolled in the R.O.P. retail and marketing class added advertising to their skill set. Mrs. Rebecca Gilbert, their instructor, helped the students make advertising flyers for the student store. She also went though the whole process, everything from brainstorming an idea to completing and selling a product using advertisements. To begin with, students made flyers advertising the products they sell in the student store. “If you put your mind to making an advertising flyer, it can be fun and beneficial,” said Juan Tijerina, a senior. He also learned that the potential customers will respond to advertising and their attention will go to something that is colorful and a good product. “I learned that we have to state all the cool features of our product in order to get a positive response from our customers,” explained Eduardo Curiel, 12. Daniel Monroy, a senior, rates designing the flyer as good experience “because there were many things I did not know that I learned.”. Students also were challenged to create an imaginary company and product and then present the product through a commercial and newspaper and magazine advertisements. Senior Josue Lomeli created the “X-Jack,” an inflatable jack made out of a heavy duty material that connects to the exhaust system. “It would be the perfect car tool for everyone, especially girls,” said Lomelli. Senior Gio Beltrans group marketed “Tele-shades.” “They are a way for people to watch TV anywhere and surf the web,” he says. “We used all the strategies of newspaper, magazine, billboards, and commercials to market them” during the class presentation. Alejandra Nicolas got together with her group and decided to make a pen with a cell phone. “It comes with a charger and ink. Whenever you have an incoming call, the red light flashes. It also comes with head phones,” said Alejandra. When asked how she came up with the idea, she said, “I thought about how you can do two things at the same time, saw a phone and came up with the idea. Why not talk on the phone and do work too?” The FFA Time Cap was a product that was created by seniors Fernando Carrillo, Faviola Arriaga and Alex Rivera. “Our FFA Time Cap allows people to go back in time to look back on those good times,” said Fernando. “Our target people is old people, people who loved the times when they were young.” His group’s advertising strategy was through a commercial, which was put together and directed by Chris King, a junior. Martin Ornelas, a senior, came up with the idea to make food pills. “The consumer need they would meet is to help people eat when they are in a hurry and they would help the environment by creating less trash,” said Martin. “The students are learning a lot about business and advertisement,” says Mrs. Gilbert. “I learned that it takes a lot of work to try and promote something,” says Alejandra Nicolas. “There are certain steps to follow and by following those steps it makes it a lot easier.” “I would rate this assignment a 10,” says senior Nathalia Cota. “We had fun doing it and we learned what we needed to do to make a product and have it work.” What new ideas will Mrs. Gilbert come up with next?

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Retail and marketing class tests advertising skills