HIGH POINT, N.C., March 26, 2012 – The NASCAR Kinetics program has arrived at the HPU campus to offer five marketing and communication majors the chance to excel outside of the classroom by spearheading a live campaign as well as performing research for two marketing case studies related to the racing industry.
The students, Cameron McGraw, Chelsea Hyde, Becky Gitlin, Ryan Frisella, and Juliana Furey, are coordinating a NASCAR viewing day event for students on the HPU campus, set for April 1. The viewing party will include a live band, radio-controlled NASCAR track, Goodyear tire roll contest, race day food specials, Martinsville racetrack ticket giveaways and free NASCAR gear for the first 100 students.
In addition to the promotional event, the case studies being completed by the students encourage them to dive deep into research. The first case studies will ask students to create a comprehensive sales and marketing strategy that will help increase Fathead sale of NASCAR related merchandise. The second will challenge each team to deliver creative ideas that will help Camping World strengthen its relationship with NASCAR and promote its products at-track, in stores and online.
The NASCAR Kinetics program was developed in order to introduce the racing series to a new, younger audience. It is an innovative, engaging program that gives college students an opportunity to work through real-world business challenges and opportunities they may encounter once they begin their career. Just the like the sport itself, the NASCAR Kinetics program is fast-paced, competitive, and fun.
“The NASCAR Kinetics program offers High Point University students the chance to get directly involved in providing solutions to the most current marketing/communication problems in a way which turbo-charges the learning experience way beyond classroom theory and prepares them for real world assignments,” says Phil Watson, academic adviser of the project and instructor of communication in the Nido R. Qubein School of Communication.
HPU is one of 18 colleges and universities partnering in the NASCAR Kinetics program. While the teams are competing for the grand prize of an all-expense paid trip to the NASCAR All-Star Race weekend in Charlotte, N.C., the greater reward is the invaluable experience that serves to build their resume as they finish school and begin their careers.
“Working with NASCAR has provided our team with fantastic real world experience,” says Cameron McGraw, a junior and student leader of the program. “We’ve been able to take what we have learned in the classroom and directly apply it to real cases in the NASCAR racing world. As a business student, I’m excited to be working with an organization that has such a strong connection to so many companies all across the nation. You simply cannot find a sport with more focus on marketing and business relationships.”
At High Point University, every student receives an extraordinary education in an inspiring environment with caring people.℠ HPU, located in the Piedmont Triad region of North Carolina, is a liberal arts institution with over 4,200 undergraduate and graduate students at campuses in High Point and Winston-Salem. It is ranked by US News and World Report at No. 3 among Regional Colleges in the South. Parade Magazine lists HPU in the top 25 private schools in the nation. HPU was selected in the 2010-2011 list of “Colleges of Distinction,” as well as one of the top green schools in the country by the Sierra Club. The university offers 44 undergraduate majors, 40 undergraduate minors and 10 graduate degree programs. It is a member of the NCAA, Division I and the Big South Conference. Visit High Point University on the Web at highpoint.edu.
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Pam Haynes
Communication Specialist
336-841-9055
[email protected]