Industry links
The Department of Marketing has very strong links with commerce and industry and with public and third sector organisations in both the UK and abroad.
Our portfolio of services includes:
- student research and consulting projects
- Knowledge Transfer Partnerships
- market and customer research
- marketing and international marketing consultancy
- management development and training
There are a variety of ways we work with industry, including our Marketing Works programmes. Our postgraduate students in marketing embark on a consulting project each year with a company or third sector organisation. The students work in groups of five or six and are supervised by academics who teach on the programme and draw on their experience in research and knowledge exchange to guide the project.
Recent clients have included Sgurr Energy, Smith McLaurin, Microsoft, Thales, Strathclyde Police, Herald and Times Group, Mitchell Library, Barr Construction, Cycling Scotland, Helensburgh Heroes, Field Lockhart Associates, Access Plus, mLED, Distance Lab and DM Concerts.
The projects begin in January. We seek short project briefs from potential clients in the autumn. The students are supported by a course in marketing skills, which includes professional development and knowledge exchange. The project group will first develop a work programme drawing on their project management skills, and agree this with their client. The group will then present interim findings after about six weeks, with a full report to be submitted in mid-May. We finish off the programme with a grand finale and those students who undertook the best projects are invited to make short presentations to a panel of marketers.
Marketing Works has benefits for all concerned. Clients get a piece of marketing research undertaken, students acquire an invaluable and challenging learning experience. Students also acquire skills in developing professional relationships as well as applying concepts and techniques taught on the programme. Some even end up gaining employment with their project company or third sector organisation. The academics too have an invaluable opportunity to develop a working relationship in knowledge exchange.
We ask that clients cover the project’s expenses and make a small contribution to the programme's prize fund.
Another way we link with industry is via our Executive Education and Professional Development programmes where experts from the marketing department provide bespoke training workshops to address identified professional development needs tailored to individual companies. Past clients have included Thales, Scottish Enterprise and the Scottish Food and Drink sector.
A Knowledge Transfer Partnership could be the answer to a specific marketing challenge. We can identify a suitable marketing graduate and locate them within your organisation to help address a marketing issue, with one or more marketing experts supervising the individual at all times.
Experts are also available from the department to provide guidance on a range of marketing and policy issues pertinent to an organisation. Recent clients have included the OECD, World Bank Group, Strathclyde Police, Food Standards Agency, Peacock Salt, JISC Legal, and Road to the Isles Marketing Group.
Student projects
Undergraduate and postgraduate students can undertake small, applied research studies relevant to your business which will also help with their studies.
An appropriately chosen Master’s student would carry out the research for the project identified by the organisation under the supervision of an academic staff member. Our Master’s students may specialise in Marketing, International Marketing, Customer Management or Hospitality & Tourism Management.
Students from our Marketing Honours programmes are also available to undertake a small scale applied piece of research of interest to a company. Under the supervision of an academic staff member, a carefully chosen Honours student would carry out research into the marketing issue identified by the client company.
One of our Doctoral students can be selected to undertake a larger scale applied piece of research which would be relevant to your business as well as comprising part of their Doctoral research studies. As with other student projects, an expert from the Department of Marketing will supervise the research throughout the project.
