“We learned that students have a craving to learn, experience, and grow. Throughout this project, we kept students at the forefront of every asset developed in hopes that all DPSCD students feel SEEn.”

The most successful marketing is designed with wild intention in order to meet the needs and desires of a target audience. This looks like listening to people before imagining big ideas, taking opinions seriously, and using the voice of your target audience to inform what you create. While taking on the Challenge to create marketing strategies, assets, and branding as our part of co-creating the design for a Detroit Public Schools Community District (DPSCD) student leadership conference, we (the marketing team) strived to create from that place of wild intention so the target audiences (i.e. DPSCD students, families, faculty, and potential sponsors) could be reached effectively.

During the first week of our process, we brainstormed every question we could think of and listened to how students would respond. From “What’s your favorite clothing line?” to “What gets you excited?” and “Who do you follow on Instagram?,” we had the privilege to hear input and preferences of DPSCD students. We also had the opportunity to converse with local marketing experts and DPSCD marketing leads.

The following week, we took what we what had learned from our initial interviews and invited a new group of DPSCD students to ideate with us. We asked for specific words that would intrigue them to take interest in the conference, draw logos they deemed “cool,” and vote on each others’ ideas in order to progress in our tight timeline.

When it came time to take all we had learned and get to work, we were eager to apply the thoughts and ideas of the students to what we produced. Fortunately, we were able to do so with ease and excitement. 

In retrospect, it is evident that student voices are the driving force and main inspiration in every marketing strategy and deliverable we created for the conference. For example, the name we propose for this student leadership conference is “Student Empowerment Experience” or “SEE 2020.” This title comes from the desire students expressed to have an “experience,” rather than just attend a “conference,” as well as their preference that the event title could be an acronym. Their opinions also shine through the logo design we created and the designated outreach mediums we recommend.

Working from wild intention, our greatest hope is DPSCD students, our most valued audience, feel “SEEn”.

DPSCD Challenge Marketing Team: Kelsey Manoogian, Haley Jakabcsin, Jordan Truesdale, Chloe Kinsey and Chad Slider