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Students develop export plans for business
Eight University of the Sunshine Coast students have been nominated for a Statewide award for their projects to help a Caloundra pet food business expand into Europe.
The three teams of International Marketing students, who worked on the research projects this year as part of their degrees, have been selected as USC’s finalists in the Australian Marketing Institute’s Queensland competition.
USC International Marketing Lecturer Dr Leone Cameron, who chose the students because of their innovative ideas, said it was only the second time the University had been invited to enter the coveted Marketing Plan Award.
“The students have developed fantastic ways for Natural Pet Treats Australia, a Caloundra company, to sell into countries like France and Germany,” she said.
“USC has a strong focus on regional engagement and we’ve had great interaction with this growing local company, which already exports to Japan, Taiwan, Singapore and Indonesia.”
Dr Cameron said the research gave students real-life experience in applied marketing and contributed to their assessments.
Elizabeth Hopgood, who’s studying a Bachelor of Business (Tourism), said the research was interesting and challenging.
“Our team recommended a joint venture with a packaging company in the Netherlands to gain domestic mileage,” said the 21-year-old Sippy Downs resident who decided to study at USC after moving from Zimbabwe.
“I’m thrilled to be in the awards and this whole experience will be helpful when entering the workforce.”
Greg Grunert, 22, said he appreciated acting as a consultant and learning how to accommodate the needs of a client.
Greg, of Valdora, has already been to China for another USC research project on seafood and will study in China as part of the University’s Global Opportunities program.
“This will all help me gain a competitive advantage when I look for work in the export field,” he said.
The six other students involved are Alex Maddock, Hayley Storey, Kyeonghun Lee, Ilona Bensmann, Matthew Barkla and Leon Russell.
Natural Pet Treats Australia manufactures a range of naturally dehydrated pet treats made from meat, fish, fruit and vegetable products.
Owners David and Julie Coleman commended the students for thinking outside the square.
“They’ve used fresh approaches and shown a lot of enthusiasm,” David said.
— Julie Gatehouse