Northwood University - Sloan Building

Over the past 2 months SPACE has opened its doors to a business management class from Northwood University so they could analyze our business and use us as a case study for their final exam.  They were to develop a marketing plan and offer suggestions for improvement in what we already do.  The class was divided into 9 teams, so the interaction was varied, intense, and encompassing.

The project caused all of the SPACE managers to open their minds to this generation’s ideas and methods of communication.  In a few years, they will be driving the bus we’re on and this exercise taught us how they’re going to do it and what we have to do to stay on board.

Each presentation delivered at least one nugget of “Ah-ha!” that we could take back and use.  Updating our website and improving our online presence through social media were big topics of discussion.  One of the more valuable pieces we pulled from the project was the SWOT analysis done by each team. 

Overall, we learned what SPACE, Inc. has to do to maintain relevance and a market presence using today’s media options.  In turn, we provided a real-world opportunity for the students to present a marketing plan to a “client” like they will when they enter the business arena.  It was a great experience for both sides and a win-win for all of us.