Web Development Manager for BYU - Hawai'i
Case Studies
The Asian Pacific Career Conference Proposal
Problem:
Every Winter semester at the Brigham Young University-Hawaiʻi, the Career Services department hosts the Asian Pacific Career Conference, or APCC, in which university students are able to market themselves to both domestic and international companies and graduate programs. However, a majority of BYU-H students have not attended the conference due to a misunderstanding that the conference is only for junior or senior students from the Asia and Pacific areas. The marketing resources such as the conference page, brochure, and events, needed to be rebranded to fit the message: “APCC is for Everyone”. This was thus accomplished by my team of 5.
Solution:
My team of 5 took 4 united approaches to rebranding the APCC, starting with my approach of pop-up events. As a door-to-door salesman, I knew that students and faculty would not understand the purpose of the conference if it was not physically explained to each of them, therefore I created a timline of 6 events to occur weekly 4 weeks before the conference and multiple days per week in the week prior to the conference.
These events included a “Question and Answer with the Teachers”, in which the university faculty could approach booths placed throughout campus and ask students in charge of running the conference questions. Pop-up tables with spin wheels were also factored in as pop-up events to help the students understand the purpose of APCC and to get certified, meaning they could have special access to the employers before the other students. Each booth would have a QR code to follow the @byuhcareerservices Instagram page and to lead to the certification course on the students’ Canvas. Prizes and food would be offered, wherein the prizes would be items the students could use at the conference, such as lanyards, pens, and journals.
The other approaches included creating reel boards, for the Career Services Instagram page, a content calendar for posting such content, and recommendations to clean up the web pages for the conference.
Results:
Following my team’s proposal to the Career Services of BYU-H, the department implemented 2 of our 4 approaches, beginning with our “Question and Answer with the Teachers”. Although rather than a stationary booth, carts pushed by students with a script written by my team were taken to each faculty member to give a chocolate bar and to explain the purpose of the APCC and of how the faculty could integrate it into their curriculum. According to our feedback, more than 75% of faculty had a better understanding of the APCC. The second approach utilized was our content calendar for reels, wherein the department created and released reels on set days provided by our schedule. Overall, I learned that effective marketing takes place at the right moments, in the right places.
Creating a Social Media Community: @mauna2kai
Problem:
As a marketing professional, it is important to recognize the ever changing trends of marketing. Especially, when it comes to marketing through social media platforms. To understand this process in depth, I created a social media community on the Instagram platform in order to better understand the use of posts, stories, reels, and of how to utilize the data analytics for business accounts. The case study is as follows.
Solution:
I created an Instagram account with the handle named @mauna2kai, which are the Hawaiian words for “mountain” and “sea”, as to incorporate my love for my culture into my social community. The message I intend to share through this account is a sense of belonging among all those who enjoy being outdoors in Hawaiʻi and who are looking for safe and enjoyable experiences. Through the application of my content calendar, I have created a schedule for 12 weeks in which I posted and will continue to post 3 posts, 2 stories, and 1 reel for each week. At the end of each week, I make sure to review my analytics and compare the growth or loss in regards to followers and engagement.
Results:
Instagram has made a shift towards e-commerce and reels, which i have noted as I saw my engagement increase upwards of 175% from week 2 to week 3 after the posting of my first reel. Though the study is not yet done, I have seen the use of each tool, wherein stories allow me to understand my community and preferences, posts can showcase my message, and reels which draw traffic towards an account. In terms of monetizing this account, I plan to utilize affiliate marketing by sponsoring brands specializing in hiking and swimming gear and clothes. Products can then be bought through posts and highlighted in reels, wherefore I would get a commission of the payments, based upon my agreement with the sponsor companies.
Marketing Strategy for Mondoro Company Limited
Problem:
In my first semester of college at Brigham Young University-Hawaiʻi in 2019, I enrolled in a dual credit/internship class. Alongside a team of 3 seniors in the Marketing program, we were hired by a business-to-business furniture company located in Vietnam, named Mondoro Company Limited. Our task as marketing analysts was to observe, analyze, and create a marketing strategy for this company, which would incorporate the creation of a new website through GoDaddy to showcase over 50 pieces and flip books, as well as a clean social media feed and strategy for the company’s Instagram and Facebook accounts. These tasks were expected to be completed within 3 months of receiving the proposal and signing of the work agreement.
Solution:
Within the course of three months, our team met twice a week for a total of 2 hours in person and remotely. The first month was dedicated to gathering research, in which I acted as liaison between our team and Ms. Anita Hummel, the CEO of Mondoro Company Limited. We reviewed her current marketing strategy, which utilized a blog on her website and a few posts to social media, and helped her to determine a single purpose for her business: “To showcase the handcrafted furniture of her clients and to tell their stories.”
The first half of the second month entailed us writing a detailed proposal of how we would accomplish each task. Following Ms. Hummel's approval, I focused on creating the website content and design with a partner on the team in the end of the second month. We made a rough draft with 5 different pages including an about page, a contact form, a page for look books, a furniture page, and a blog page. Though I had no prior experience, I learned the basic elements within the three weeks of using the web designer site.
The last month entailed finalizing a polished website and creating a 5 page marketing strategy report and 10 slide presentation with Canva.
Results:
At the end of the course, our team of 4 interns with the aid of a marketing professor presented our marketing strategy and website to Ms. Hummel over Zoom. The 10 minute presentation and report aided the CEO in understanding our plan, to which she agreed was in harmony with her companyʻs direction. This case was far advanced for myself as a freshman, however it taught me how organized and professional my work needed to be presented. I gained a better understanding of working with professionals by being prudent, accountable, and engaged in our team project. The company has since implemented our plan and used our website as a stepping stone to their final and current website.
BYU-Hawaiʻi President John Kauwe’s 2021 Inauguration Parade
Problem:
Due to the Covid-19 restrictions in 2020, President John Kauwe of BYU-Hawaiʻi was uanble to have his inauguration ceremony. However with Hawaiʻi state regulations eased, an inauguration was approved and set to happen 14 days after the decision. With 11 days prior to the inauguration, the Student Leadership Manager of BYU-H approached me, as President of the Hawaiian club, to help plan and organize the parade following the presidential inauguration, seeing as this was the first Hawaiian president of BYU-Hawaiʻi. This historic event would incorporate 40 other clubs, ranging from 50-100 members each, on top of the 250 members in the Hawaiian club. My team of 5 including me, were then tasked to place each club in a specific spot to greet the president in his parade, to contact the local community of Lāʻie’s representatives to involve them through a cultural hula (dance), and to provide a gift on behalf of the Hawaiian club and Student Leadership Office. A budget of $1000 was allocated to my team to cover all expenses for decorations, gifts, and equipment for the parade.
Solution:
On the day of receiving the task to plan this event, I immediately e-mailed and called a church leader who held a position on the Lāʻie town board to connect me with the local hula teachers. I then received a call from a renowned hula teacher from the community and scheduled a meeting with her and the Hawaiian Studies program faculty for the following day. With 10 days prior to the parade, I delegated the positioning of the 40 clubs around the campus to the student managers of the Student Leadership Office and asked for a map of the route and positions within a 4-day period. In the 1-hour meeting with the hula teacher and Hawaiian studies faculty that day, we planned and coordinated the timeline of events to occur within the 1 ½ allotted for the parade, including a traditional hula dance of 30 community members to conclude the parade. In this same meeting, we received a map of Lāʻie town as a gift for the president. That day, we used our budget to make a copy of the original map and to place an order with a business who makes custom frames for artists and photographers. At the end of the 4-day period, we gathered the positions from the student managers and instructed each club where they would be for the parade and received the custom frame for the map. With 6 days left, we sent an e-mail and posted an Instagram and Facebook story for Hawaiian club members to participate. In this period, I split the 240 kids participating into 5 separate groups, with each Hawaiian club presidency member over each to lead a different portion of the parade, such as singing, dancing hula, pounding drums, or maintain the pace of the parade. On the morning of the parade, I designated each team of about 50 to their specific areas to prepare for the event.
Results:
The parade promptly started at 11:30 am and each club successfully showcased their culture along the parade route. The closing events were scheduled into a program by my vice presidents and occurred without error. The map in frame was also presented and was bought for only half the price, after I explained the significance and history of the event to the frame maker. In total, I had spent about $200, however I ensured quality gifts, supplies, and decorations by outsourcing most of them from Lāʻie community members, students, and faculty. The event brought together 90% of all student body and faculty members. Following closing remarks from myself, the event ended promptly at 1:00 pm. In a span of 11 days, I had organized a parade with over 1,000 participants from 3 separate groups (faculty, students, and community) and was thrifty in using only 20% of the allocated budget for a successful event.
