As a final project for the Responsibility and Social Entrepreneurship (ADV 6372) class, two teams of Temerlin Advertising Institute graduate students—ADmire and 22/23, under the supervision of Assistant Professor Sidharth Muralidharan—created advertising campaign proposals with a social responsibility focus for SMU Dining Services. The primary emphases was to create awareness of the various services offered by SMU Dining Services among freshmen and sophomores, and also to create opportunities to meaningfully impact the lives of students in other ways than just nutrition.
The presentations were judged by several SMU Dining Services representatives, including Julie Wiksten (Associate VP of Campus Services), Jennifer Chang (Marketing Manager of SMU Dining), and Lauren Hickman (Registered Dietitian). Wiksten was very impressed and pleased with both proposals saying “What an honor to see and hear our best and brightest! The presentations were so creative.”
ADmire focused on how SMU Dining can enable connections with students by working with student body organizations and raise funds (via dining locations) that support college events. Keeping millennials in mind, the highlight of 22/23’s campaign strategy was their ‘SMU Scoop’ mobile app and how this tool can be used to not only spark a sense of togetherness but also help students connect with on-campus activities.
Dr. Sid commented on the presentations, noting “I am really proud of both teams as they came out with unique social responsibility ideas on a shoe-string budget. Combining the ideas from both proposals can open up even more opportunities for the SMU Dining Services brand.”
Social responsibility is a cornerstone of the Temerlin Advertising Institute’s Masters in Advertising program. ADV 6372: Responsibility and Social Entrepreneurship is just one of several courses with a focus on social responsibility that students in the Institute’s MA in Advertising program are required to take. These courses, and the experiences gained through working with real clients, equip graduates to become leaders in the advertising industry by helping them recognize their responsibility to their brands, their consumers, their industry and their society.
