Students in professor Debbie Wideroe’s capstone advertising class are diving into the shark tank next week so to speak.
Wideroe’s students will pitch the independent advertising campaigns they’ve been working on all semester to a panel of judges whose experience as directors executives and leading minds in media and business is extensive and impressive. Two of them evaluated entrepreneurial upstart hopefuls on the first season of ABC’s reality show “Shark Tank.”
For students preparing to pitch their ideas this opportunity is more than a just class project. The panel of intimidating adjudicators might actually decide to invest in one or more of these student-imagined products— or perhaps hire the student presenters to work in their companies.
Such has been the history of this project in the 20 years Wideroe has been assigning it in her Advertising 575 class. One hundred percent of the coursework is dedicated to building these proposals from the ground up including the product ideas market research schedules ad designs broadcast spots mission statements and the overarching branching scheme associated with the product or service.
Wideroe said about a dozen of her past students have had their products picked up and developed and that students’ bound portfolios which compile their research and product descriptions usually lead to job offers for her students.
“To me this is their calling card to the advertising community Wideroe said, and her students agree.
This project will essentially get me a job when I graduate advertising major Cherie Marino said. I have a job interview this Friday where I will show them my comprehensive advertising campaign.”
Although Wideroe has been doing this project with her students for a long time she said she tries to outdo herself every year with the caliber of judges she brings in. This year she said she is particularly proud to have brought in two panelists from “Shark Tank ABC’s new reality show on which entrepreneurs pitch their ideas to a panel of rather intimidating multi-millionaires— the sharks.”
Marino will pitch her idea for a GPS child-tracking product for parents to “sharks” Clay Newbill and Daymond John.
Newbill is “Shark Tank’s” executive producer and the mind behind two seasons of the “The Real World Making the Band The Bachelorette” and “Celebrity Mole.” John revolutionized the sportswear industry in the 1990s with his clothing company FUBU that grew to 350 million dollars in revenue by 1998 and has established himself as a billionaire fashion icon and branding expert.
Marino said she’s seen the show and emphasized how intimidating these gentlemen can be when evaluating a product idea.
“The ante is higher for mine. I don’t get to slack whatsoever she said.
But the other judges have impressive resumes, as well. Ashlyee Hickman will be presenting her concept for an entertainment-study application for the iPhone and iPad to Jim Banister, the CEO of SpectrumDNA. Before that, Banister gained acclaim for heading up digital media programming for Warner Bros. Online and was the driving force behind its digital media strategy.
I’m so ready for that kind of challenge Hickman said. It’s something that I thrive on. It’s daunting but it’s thrilling at the same time.”
Other judges include Scott Penniston senior vice president and media director at an Orange County advertising firm Julie Boylan senior vice president of Sony Pictures Consumer Products Nathan Austin Jacroux a digital project advocate who councils clients such as Starbucks Shell and Microsoft as well as Rich Pedine a public relations specialist who works with the Today Show The New York Times the Los Angeles Times and more.Students will get 10 minutes to wow these judges with their preparation market insight and passion. So they’ve been practicing.
“I’ve been thinking of all the lines and the kickers and the zingers since day one Hickman said. Now I’m putting all of the pieces together in terms of how it’s going to look and how it’s going to sound.”
Students also agree that the comprehensive and independent nature of the project has made it the most challenging yet rewarding assignment they’ve done in their college careers.
Senior Kara Monroe when asked if any other course at Pepperdine compared to Advertising 575 in preparing her for life after college Monroe’s response was simple and immediate: “No. Not even close. This is it.”
Hickman said she appreciated the opportunity to finally work independently on the project.”It’s a refreshing break [from group projects] she said. There’s no one you can blame or depend on but yourself. It’s cool. We’re removing the safety nets before graduation one by one.”
Wideroe says the final project for this class hasn’t lost it’s charm even after 20 years. “They always amaze me with how smart they are and the projects they come up with she said.
Wideroe said the success these projects bring keeps it inspiring— like when one student called her after being offered a job on the spot because she showed her completed campaign at the interview.
I’m just really looking forward to seeing who makes it Wideroe concluded. It always generates success stories and I’m waiting for them to come.”