WSU Students to Promote Local Dealership

PULLMAN, Wash. — For the second consecutive year, a select group of marketing students
from Washington State University has joined forces with Chipman & Taylor
Chevrolet-Oldsmobile, a local GM dealership, in a semester-long project to increase dealership
awareness and provide students with real-world marketing experience. An April 14 event for
faculty, students and the community on the WSU Glenn Terrell Mall will highlight the marketing
campaign.
Through this partnership, 15 undergraduates and two graduate students enrolled in
Marketing 496, Special Topics: Internship, have formed an agency known as “Visionary
Concepts.” Under the guidance of David Sprott, assistant professor of marketing, students are
tackling a variety of marketing activities including public relations, advertising and market
research.
The project, a General Motors Marketing Internship (GMMI), is a unique opportunity for
students to gain business experience while developing and implementing an innovative
marketing campaign. As part of this educational program, the client — Chipman & Taylor
Chevrolet-Oldsmobile — donated $2,500 for “Visionary Concepts” to manage and use to cover
the costs of producing the campaign.
“I’m enthusiastic about this project. I think it’s a great way for students to gain real-world
experience as well as give Chipman & Taylor the opportunity to give back to the university,”
said Ed Packer, general manager of the local GM dealership.
EdVenture Partners, a California-headquartered educational marketing company, established
GMMI for General Motors in 1991. An EdVenture representative works with Visionary Concepts
and Sprott throughout the semester. GMMI is a nationwide venture involving many dealerships
and thousands of college students each year.
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