A Capstone Project : Creating a Digital Strategy for a local boutique hotel

The Graduate hotel in Madison, WI

My Digital Studies Capstone Project was a six-month digital marketing strategy for the Graduate Hotel in Madison, Wisconsin that includes a fifteen-page write-up, a powerpoint presentation, and the featuring of those materials on the course website for Marketing 355: “Marketing in the Digital Age.”  The project was a semester-long assignment in which my team of four assessed the Graduate brand and digital marketing efforts that the hotel currently has implemented.  Additionally, we provided recommendations as to how they can improve those efforts in order to improve the return on investment from marketing their business.

As a student who has studied communications and looks to begin a career in the digital marketing field, this project was a great opportunity to apply my knowledge of marketing and research skills to help a real company attain its goals.  Outside of my academic obligations this semester, I was employed by the Graduate to work at their first floor café, Portage Pi. I took advantage of my time there to talk to management about the company’s goals, how they utilize digital marketing tactics to reach those goals, and what they feel they need to improve.  At the same time, I had first-hand customer service experience to inform my decisions about what my group would advise the Graduate to do.  In December, we presented our ideas to the class and provided our insights to the general manager who expressed his appreciation for our efforts.  The class professor, Katie Krueger, also volunteered to post the project materials online on the course website as an example for interested students and the general public.

Overall, the experience provided a useful foray in to the world of marketing consulting for a growing business. I was responsible for communicating and meeting with the manager several times throughout the semester and then relaying that information to the group so that we could pool our ideas and make informed recommendations. Moving forward, I plan to do work that requires similar responsibilities in managing accounts and consulting with business professionals. Now as I enter the working world and begin applying for employment, I hope that this capstone project will give my resume the extra boost it needs to help me stand out as an above-average candidate.