Marketing students conduct research

Local YMCA offers students opportunity to use class concepts in real-world situations

December 4, 2006 —

Several SVSU marketing students have been called upon by the Saginaw YMCA to conduct market research and help in the development of their new facility.

Every year, Gary Clark's Marketing Research class is contacted by several local businesses to do market research for them. This year, Clark was contacted by Chuck Brooks of the YMCA.

"Different clients will go to Dr. Clark," says Johnna Bloodworth, a student in Clark's class. "It's basically first-come-first-serve, we really don't have much say in who we get for a client. It's whoever comes and requests our class."

The class has created Data Collection Instruments, which are basically surveys that ask questions pertaining to the wants and needs of the market being researched.

"We've sent these surveys to employees of the YMCA, former members of the YMCA, the Board of Directors and to the general population around the 'Y,'" said Kristin Meyers, another of Clark's students. "[It's] to see what programs they would like offered in the new facility."

The class has split up into four different groups to attack the research from four different angles and get the best possible results.

"There are four separate teams," says student Matthew Douglas, "and everybody works toward the same thing."

The amount of work required for the class is immense. Each team meets out of class at least once a week, trying to put together all the research they've done.

"All the groups put hours and hours of work in outside of class," says Meyers. "It's really only a three-credit course, but I've put five times as much work into this class than any other class combined."

Clark's students say that the amount of tangible professional experience acquired during the course of the project is more than worth it at the end of the day.

"It gives us a lot of real world experience," says Douglas. "Instead of just doing straight textbook work we do a lot of hands-on work with the client, balance a budget and answer to customer specifications as well."

Class members say their research should benefit SVSU students and those living in the community alike.

"It will benefit SVSU because the research we're doing is going to have a positive effect on the community around us, whether it be Midland, Bay City, or Saginaw," Douglas said.

The renovations for the new facility are slated to be completed in early 2007. For more information on the progress of these renovations or to make a donation to the Saginaw visit, saginawymca.org.