Learning by doing A Live Client Group Project with British brand Jack Wills

Gaining hands-on business experience is an integral part of your Hult degree. Learning by doing, students get the chance to hone their skills with real-world experiences and collaborate with leading companies. Professor Mike Berry teaches the  Digital Marketing and Social Media course at the London undergraduate campus and creates opportunities for his students to put theory into practice. For the final assignment of the course, Mike has organized a Live Client Group Project with British clothing brand, Jack Wills.  The project kicked off with a briefing presentation by Andy Letting (Global Head of Digital Marketing at Jack Wills) held at the brands flagship store in Londons Covent Garden last week. Heres a round-up of the briefing session and an interview with Andy Letting who talks about his career in digital marketing and offers some advice for future marketeers. Hult professor Mike Berry and Andy Letting of Jack Wills On this project weve had the opportunity to collaborate with Andy Letting from Jack Wills who has really inspired our students and brought the project to life for them. The benefits of real-world experience When asked about the reasons behind the assignment and about the benefits of practical learning, Professor Mike Berry said, At Hult, were always keen to bring in guest speakers for the real-world of business and often they sponsor a live challenge. This gives students a great opportunity to put their learning into context, which of course makes them even more qualified to play a valuable role in a business. Im always impressed by the students enthusiasm, professional attitude, and the quality of their output. Jack Wills is a great fashion brand and a successful business; on this project, weve had the opportunity to collaborate with Andy Letting from Jack Wills who has really inspired our students and brought the project to life for them. I call that a fantastic learning experience! Students during the briefing session at the Jack Wills flagship store The brand, the history, and the challenge On the day of the briefing, students arrived at the Jack Wills store and had the chance to look around and familiarize themselves with the brand. Andy Letting then began the session with an introduction to the brand including its history, its successes, and its goals. Andy also gave students insights into some of the challenges the company faces in digital marketing, and the ways in which theyve had to adapt in order to stay relevant. Students were then briefed on the assignment. For this project, students are required to focus on two areas of the companys social media channels. Students will analyze the companys existing strategies and content, and innovate ways in which the company could/should deliver the best engagement rates on their social media channels. Students will work in small groups and present their ideas and findings to both Professor Mike Berry and Andy Letting in April–good luck to all students! Students gathered at the Jack Wills store to be given the brief for the Live Client Group Project An interview with Andy Letting We had the chance to talk to Andy after the briefing session to ask him a few questions about his background, the world of digital marketing, and his experience of working with Hult students. Can you tell us a bit about your path, career journey, and how you got to where you are today? Ive been in digital marketing now for nearly 20 years, having got into digital fairly early on in my career.  Id describe my career as being on the crest of the digital wave. As channels have become more evolved and established, Ive gone into more organizations and shared best practice in terms of integrating digital into the wider organization. Over the years,  Ive worked with a number of brands such as BSkyB, Ladbrokes, Avis, Johnson Johnson, and World Duty Free. Andy Letting presenting to Hult students at the Jack Wills flagship store   What would you say is the purpose of digital marketing? From a customer perspective, it is serving customers in an online environment. We can also integrate digital into an offline retail estate that provides maybe better service, speed, and enables customers to be served better with more insight. The insight is critical. What do you think is the most exciting development or trend in the world of digital marketing today? I think voice recognition is going to be an interesting development.  With these new in-home devices, like Amazon’s  Echo and Apple’s HomePod, we are now moving away from capturing individual behavior to wider behavior in the home from all the members of the family. As these devices become more and more sophisticated and start predicting behavior, it’s a huge opportunity to capture trends on another level and gain huge insights. What can students gain from working on this  particular  Live Client Project? I think it gives the students an opportunity to think not just about social media marketing, which is primarily what were doing here, but about the customer journey in a broader context. They should think about why someone would want to go to a Jack Wills digital page, and what experience they are getting once they land there. Its really important to think about a journey, rather than focusing on what the customer should do once theyve arrived on one of your channels. For this project, students can really start to critique and question the user journey and determine whether or not the customer feels as if where theyre being taken is authentic and trustworthy. Trust is absolutely critical. I really like working with Hult because I love the students energy. I love the questions they have and the way they throw themselves into any task. This isnt the first time  youve worked with  students at Hult. What qualities and  characteristics  do Hult students have that keep you coming back to work with them? I really like working with Hult because I love the students energy. I love the questions they have and the way they throw themselves into any task by applying the knowledge theyve gained in the classroom to the project. This particular project is a broad brief, and they need work out how to narrow that down to deliver the best possible outcome for themselves and for Jack Wills. Im very keen to hear their ideas. What advice would you give to students interested in pursuing a career in digital marketing? Besides from working hard and being dedicated, its also important that you have a broader sense of marketing. You need to understand what part digital plays in the whole funnel. If you become a channel expert, thats great! However, you may be looking at it from the point of view of driving revenue and sales instead of using your energy to make sure that you are contributing to a brand that people can invest in. Understanding the funnel and how customers move through it, and how much media helps navigate people through it, is massively important. Finally, Id say that keeping up with trends is super important you need to be aware of your surroundings, and be aware of who it is that you are addressing. Kickstart your career with Hults undergraduate business school. To find out more, take a look at our blog Hult Undergraduate Students Go Inside the Markets at London Stock Exchange. Download a brochure or get in touch today to find out how Hult can help you to learn about the business world, the future, and yourself. If youve already been accepted to Hult, remember that the deadline to confirm your place is May 1, 2019. Confirm your seat today. Not yet applied, but interested in finding out how you can become a student at Hult? Download our brochure. Kickstart your career with Hults undergraduate business school. To find out more, take a look at our blog Meet Hult’s incoming undergraduate Class of 2019. Download a brochure or get in touch today to find out how Hult can help you to learn about the business world, the future, and yourself. Hult Rotation offers you a chance to study in a truly global way. Our rotation program allows you to study and be immersed in some of the finest cities in the world. 📠¸: @jasminmanzano . Hult Rotation offers you a chance to study in a truly global way. Our rotation program allows you to study and be immersed in some of the finest cities in the world. 📠¸: @jasminmanzano . Each year, Hult seeks to enroll a talented and ambitious incoming class from all over the world. We look for diverse students with a wide range of experiences, perspectives, and interests—students who will thrive in our unique educational atmosphere. Are you ready for a truly global experience? 📠¸: @iambrunadiniz . Each year, Hult seeks to enroll a talented and ambitious incoming class from all over the world. We look for diverse students with a wide range of experiences, perspectives, and interests—students who will thrive in our unique educational atmosphere. Are you ready for a truly global experience? 📠¸: @iambrunadiniz . We’re excited to start 2020 on a ranking high! Hult is proud to have been placed #28 in Poets Quants 2020 rankings for Best Undergraduate Business Schools in the US. Taking a huge leap of 32 places from our 2019 position, we’re also very happy to have secured top positions in key categories like: life-changing experience, practicality of the degree, and global immersion. . With five global campuses, a student body of over 130 nationalities, and a learn-by-doing approach—Hult offers a student experience like no other. . We’re excited to start 2020 on a ranking high! Hult is proud to have been placed #28 in Poets Quants 2020 rankings for Best Undergraduate Business Schools in the US. Taking a huge leap of 32 places from our 2019 position, we’re also very happy to have secured top positions in key categories like: life-changing experience, practicality of the degree, and global immersion. . With five global campuses, a student body of over 130 nationalities, and a learn-by-doing approach—Hult offers a student experience like no other. . â€Å"I’m from an engineering background and needed a whole new skill set for the industry I wanted to switch to. I learned a lot about myself and how I deal with being out of my comfort zone. I learned both soft and hard skills, from how to work in very diverse teams to key accounting metrics and strategy. I was surprised by how weak I was at certain tasks in English or how strong I actually was in other areas. Hult gave me opportunities to try new things and meet people from places I never thought I would have friends. . My internship experiences gave me the chance to broaden my view of different cultures and different companies. I had the opportunity to work and live with people whose values differed from people in my home country. I thought that this would be difficult, but it gave me the chance to reflect on my own values and assess if they were a result of my home country environment or if they were intrinsically mine. . Diederick ter Kulve (@diederick.terkulve) Netherlands Masters in International Business . â€Å"I’m from an engineering background and needed a whole new skill set for the industry I wanted to switch to. I learned a lot about myself and how I deal with being out of my comfort zone. I learned both soft and hard skills, from how to work in very diverse teams to key accounting metrics and strategy. I was surprised by how weak I was at certain tasks in English or how strong I actually was in other areas. Hult gave me opportunities to try new things and meet people from places I never thought I would have friends. . My internship experiences gave me the chance to broaden my view of different cultures and different companies. I had the opportunity to work and live with people whose values differed from people in my home country. I thought that this would be difficult, but it gave me the chance to reflect on my own values and assess if they were a result of my home country environment or if they were intrinsically mine. . Diederick ter Kulve (@diederick.terkulve) Netherlands Masters in International Business . Say a big hello to our Bachelor of Business Administration program cover star, Elisa Orus Plana âÅ" ¨ . â€Å"I’m excited for the future—especially that I cant predict whats going to happen. Maybe Ill end up in Mexico working for a trading company or maybe in Africa, developing my own business. Everything is possible, and the options are constantly changing. I love the idea that Im never going to be stuck doing the same job until the end of my life if I dont want it to be like this. . Hult really supports me and my ambitions and truly believes that we deserve to be considered as professionals as well as students. Here, I get to express not just my opinions but all elements of myself. From my creative side with the Fashion Society to my finance and business sides in Trading Club and the Management Consulting Club. We get a different type of learning here. Not just essential knowledge and theory, but practical skills and mindset. The school is always evolving. We’re encouraged to innovate and to always look for new ways of doing traditional things. We learn how to be more confident and become aware of how we can impact our environment. The school aims to help you become a better version of yourself and to stand out from the crowd.â€Å" . Elisa Orus Plana French Bachelor of Business Administration Class of 2021 Say a big hello to our Bachelor of Business Administration program cover star, Elisa Orus Plana âÅ" ¨ . â€Å"I’m excited for the future—especially that I cant predict whats going to happen. Maybe Ill end up in Mexico working for a trading company or maybe in Africa, developing my own business. Everything is possible, and the options are constantly changing. I love the idea that Im never going to be stuck doing the same job until the end of my life if I dont want it to be like this. . Hult really supports me and my ambitions and truly believes that we deserve to be considered as professionals as well as students. Here, I get to express not just my opinions but all elements of myself. From my creative side with the Fashion Society to my finance and business sides in Trading Club and the Management Consulting Club. We get a different type of learning here. Not just essential knowledge and theory, but practical skills and mindset. The school is always evolving. We’re encouraged to innovate and to always look for new ways of doing traditional things. We learn how to be more confident and become aware of how we can impact our environment. The school aims to help you become a better version of yourself and to stand out from the crowd.â€Å" . Elisa Orus Plana French Bachelor of Business Administration Class of 2021"> During the final days of 2019, you probably reflected on what you’ve accomplished this year—and even this decade—and what you’d like to achieve in 2020. Let us know in the comments below. During the final days of 2019, you probably reflected on what you’ve accomplished this year—and even this decade—and what you’d like to achieve in 2020. Let us know in the comments below. â€Å"The first time we did group work on the program, I went head-to-head with a colleague. It taught me a lot about how I see people, how people see me, and how conflict can be resolved in a kind and productive way. The best feedback you get, when delivered constructively, is the most critical because it really feeds into how you lead. I’ve completely reversed my leadership style—the result is so much richer and more powerful when you lead from behind and lead with strength. . Studying in tandem with working, whilst challenging, gave me the perfect platform to directly apply learning concepts into my business environment, the competitive landscape, and the real-estate industry as a whole. When I started the program, I was very happy in my corporate role. But my courage and aspirations grew to the point that I took on a whole new direction. Having my career coach, Joanna, as a sounding board allowed me to really be strategic and get to know myself. She coached me thro ugh all the interviews, the research, and the questions. It went in parallel with what I was doing academically and after six months everything just clicked. . I went into the EMBA knowing I had nothing to lose and I’ve come out with everything. Great strength, global friends, amazing learning, mentors from professors, a job I love, and the knowledge that I can set my mind to achieve anything and with the right support and resources I’ll get there.† . Kashani Wijetunga British, New Zealand Sri Lankan Associate Director Senior Strategy Consultant CBRE EMBA Class of 2019 . â€Å"The first time we did group work on the program, I went head-to-head with a colleague. It taught me a lot about how I see people, how people see me, and how conflict can be resolved in a kind and productive way. The best feedback you get, when delivered constructively, is the most critical because it really feeds into how you lead. I’ve completely reversed my leadership style—the result is so much richer and more powerful when you lead from behind and lead with strength. . Studying in tandem with working, whilst challenging, gave me the perfect platform to directly apply learning concepts into my business environment, the competitive landscape, and the real-estate industry as a whole. When I started the program, I was very happy in my corporate role. But my courage and aspirations grew to the point that I took on a whole new direction. Having my career coach, Joanna, as a sounding board allowed me to really be strategic and get to know myself. She coached me thro ugh all the interviews, the research, and the questions. It went in parallel with what I was doing academically and after six months everything just clicked. . I went into the EMBA knowing I had nothing to lose and I’ve come out with everything. Great strength, global friends, amazing learning, mentors from professors, a job I love, and the knowledge that I can set my mind to achieve anything and with the right support and resources I’ll get there.† . Kashani Wijetunga British, New Zealand Sri Lankan Associate Director Senior Strategy Consultant CBRE EMBA Class of 2019 . â€Å"It was now or never. I knew that I’d have likely stayed in my neighborhood for years to come if I didn’t take this opportunity. I’d not lived or studied outside of the U.S. before. So I left my job as a global strategist at an advertising agency and moved halfway around the world. I’ve come back a more culturally aware, well-versed person. I’ve realized that everything is a learning experience and an opportunity for growth. Ill definitely carry this mindset with me into the future. Technology and social media allow us to be different people in several places at once. Im excited to see how I can establish myself in whatever city Ill be lucky enough to call home and still maintain deep connections with people all over the world. I’m inspired by my classmates every day. Hearing some of their life stories and how getting this degree fits into their greater mission has been very humbling. My biggest challenge has been finding the ‘right’ path for me. There have been rooms Ive felt like I shouldnt be in, but now Im proud to feel as though I truly belong, wherever I am.† . Dwayne Logan, Jnr. American MBA Class of 2019 . â€Å"It was now or never. I knew that I’d have likely stayed in my neighborhood for years to come if I didn’t take this opportunity. I’d not lived or studied outside of the U.S. before. So I left my job as a global strategist at an advertising agency and moved halfway around the world. I’ve come back a more culturally aware, well-versed person. I’ve realized that everything is a learning experience and an opportunity for growth. Ill definitely carry this mindset with me into the future. Technology and social media allow us to be different people in several places at once. Im excited to see how I can establish myself in whatever city Ill be lucky enough to call home and still maintain deep connections with people all over the world. I’m inspired by my classmates every day. Hearing some of their life stories and how getting this degree fits into their greater mission has been very humbling. My biggest challenge has been finding the ‘right’ path for me. There have been rooms Ive felt like I shouldnt be in, but now Im proud to feel as though I truly belong, wherever I am.† . Dwayne Logan, Jnr. American MBA Class of 2019 . Happy New Year, Hultians! . Happy New Year, Hultians! .