{"id":30553,"date":"2018-06-22T08:44:54","date_gmt":"2018-06-22T12:44:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/biznews.fiu.edu\/?p=30553"},"modified":"2018-07-17T11:55:17","modified_gmt":"2018-07-17T15:55:17","slug":"classroom-challenge-helped-college-of-business-marketing-students-change-lives-in-miami","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/biznews.fiu.edu\/2018\/06\/classroom-challenge-helped-college-of-business-marketing-students-change-lives-in-miami\/","title":{"rendered":"Classroom challenge helped College of Business marketing students change lives in Miami."},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Lotus<\/p>\n

What started as a project for a team of FIU Master of Marketing<\/a> students became an impactful experience that filled the hearts of many. Working together, and with support from local businesses, the team raised $50,000 to help Lotus House, a shelter for homeless women and children in Miami.<\/p>\n

The assignment presented by professor Jayati Sinha: develop a campaign around \u201cpurposeful marketing\u201d for Lotus House.<\/p>\n

The goal, she noted, was to for students to apply their knowledge learned throughout the first eight months of the MSM program and also feel as though they were part of something bigger.<\/p>\n

\"FIU<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen they used the theories, skills and knowledge they learned in class, and applied them to the real world, so many wonderful things happened,\u201d said Sinha, who teaches consumer behavior in the College of Business\u2019 marketing department. \u201cThe dynamic was bigger than the degree or the program.\u201d<\/p>\n

The first step in the eight-week project was to build awareness of the non-profit organization. The student teams put together the \u201c#CoffeeAndThrift\u201d event, an afternoon of shopping and sharing, at Lotus House Thrift Chic Boutique. They were also tasked with building a social media campaign promoting not just their project, but Lotus House\u2019s work and needs as well. Additionally, students raised more than $2,500 donations using the social fundraising platform GoFundMe.<\/p>\n

Next, the MSM students mobilized to find companies that would partner with the organization by donating furniture and other items.\u00a0A local Rooms-To-Go franchise answered the call and donated 50 mattress sets to Lotus House.<\/p>\n