Students from Hull University Business School have had a fantastic opportunity to take up work experience at Cranswick after winning a ‘pitch’ as part of a live business project.
Students Molly Brook, Jasmine King, Annalise Beharrell, Sapphire Jackson-Yoxall, Natalia Mrozek developed a brand-new product concept for Cranswick as part of their assessment for a first-year marketing module.
Molly Brook, whose idea Spicy Korean Gochujang Chicken won Best New Product Development Concept, said: “Working on a live project as part of the module has been a brilliant experience, allowing me to gain an insight into what it would be like working in the industry. Cranswick, which worked closely with the Business School throughout the semester, as well as during the final presentations allowed me to gain a boost in confidence in my work and presentation skills. I am over the moon to have won.”
One of the judges of the competition from Cranswick, said of Molly’s concept: “Molly's passion and excitement shone through in her product proposal, and we were blown away. She appears to be a true foodie, which usually goes down well with the Cranswick panel.
“But what really stood out, was the research and creative thinking that was clearly put into the market research, GAP analysis and the multi-channel promotional campaign. Excellent product idea showing strong creative thinking. Good sustainability awareness demonstrated within product and packaging concepts, referencing Cranswick’s sustainability initiative, Second Nature. Well done Molly.”
Jasmine King, who picked up Best Presentation Winner, said: “Working on this module allowed myself to gain a key understanding of the ways I can efficiently manage my time, expand my presentation skills, and engage my critical thinking. Winning this award has not only given me the confidence to achieve more but has also allowed myself to be proud of the work I have created.”
The students spent a week at Cranswick where they utilised their time with different teams in the organisation - which will help them in shaping their career choices in future.
Annalise Beharrell, said: “Completing my work experience placement at Cranswick truly opened my eyes to what working within a corporate setting is like. It helped me to see that there are many roles within marketing that may interest me as a graduate that I had never considered before, such as NPD (New product development). This was because every day we got to spend time with a different team within the company.
“I would absolutely recommend looking at internships for any Hull University Business School students as I think the experience they provide is invaluable when considering what field you may want to seek future employment in.”
Sapphire Jackson-Yoxall, said it was a brilliant opportunity which gave her insight into the world of work.
She said: “I particularly enjoyed NPD and Marketing. The teams worked very closely together and both roles involved getting hands on and stuck in. We toured the fresh pork factory and came up with our own ideas for a new product.”
“The NPD team brought them to life and we were able to see and taste our ideas. It was also fun being able to help the marketing team think of strategies to increase sales of pork in the younger generation. It was inspiring to learn about the different roles and what really goes on behind the scenes. I would thoroughly recommend taking an internship there if ever presented the opportunity.”
Dr Fannie Yeung, Lecturer in Marketing and module leader, said “it is absolutely clear that our students benefit hugely from our Authentic Business Leaning approach where they have first-hand experience on how their knowledge is applied in the real world and ideas could potentially benefit a real business. The amount of support Cranswick has given to our students is truly invaluable, it helps prepare them to be ‘work ready’, in fact, Sapphire (above), has been offered a placement by Cranswick to start this summer.