Staff and the marketing students from ECU join Telethon staff at the end of the project.
Universities like to promise you that after you graduate, you’ll go out into the world and make an impact.
And it does happen. It’s the power of education.
But nothing beats seeing a preview of that potential impact while you’re still studying.
It confirms that you’re on the right path and it doesn’t hurt your developing CV either.
Edith Cowan University has a strong focus on preparing students for what happens after they graduate.
It's about offering them as much hands-on experience as possible while they're studying.
Immersing them into their future world.
Meet a group of marketing students who recently enjoyed that experience.
Taking projects out of the classroom
Students from the Promotional Marketing unit in ECU's Bachelor of Commerce degree stepped into the shoes of marketing consultants as part of their major project.
They formed their own mock consultancy companies, complete with branding, logos, and persuasive marketing plans.
The mission: a six-month promotional campaign for a small to medium-sized Australian business, with a budget of $60,000.
And they had a new opportunity: a unique chance to work with WA’s iconic charity, Telethon 7.
Lee Vivian from Telethon presents the challenge to students, alongside the Promotional Marketing unit coordinator Binbin Yu.
The challenge
Lee Vivian from Telethon 7 delivered a special guest lecture at the start of the university semester.
She brought the students a business challenge: how could the Telethon brand better engage younger generations?
Lee’s presentation offered a rare glimpse into the work, future goals, and community impact of Telethon 7, a charity that has touched the lives of countless West Australians.
It sparked lively and insightful discussions among the students.
Students were able to choose Telethon 7 as their client for the assignment, allowing them to work on a live brief and contribute directly to the charity.
This was a career-building opportunity to collaborate with an industry leader and put their education into action.
The pitch
Four students - Kayah Swiatopelk-Mirski-Smith, Alissha Lal, Samantha Lakic, and Alex Spadek –pitched their campaigns at the headquarters of the Telethon 7 team.
They all found the experience to be highly valuable.
"It’s my first ever presentation in a professional way, it was really cool," said Alex.
"It’s very good to get exposure at the start of your career and have a platform where you can engage with experts," added Alissha.
From influencer marketing, to shopping centre pop-up activities, social media competitions, and community engagement events, the students brought some fantastic ideas to the table.
And they left a great impression on the Telethon Team.
"We found all four students presented professionally."
"They brought realistic and actionable ideas and there were certainly some bright minds in the room this morning," said Lee Vivian.
"There were absolutely several ideas that the Telethon team would love to take on into our marketing… we are feeling so confident for the future of our industry."
Promotional Marketing student Kayah Swiatopelk-Mirski-Smith delivers her pitch for Telethon.
The benefit of immersive learning
At ECU, we believe the best way to learn something is to live it.
No matter what your chosen subject, you can expect to learn a lot through hands-on experiences and by being immersed in real workplaces.
And having partners across all kinds of industries also helps.
The Telethon 7 partnership is a great example.
As Promotional Marketing unit coordinator Binbin Yu from the School of Business & Law says: "We’re building this bridge to connect our industry partners and students together."
"I can tell how much ECU values these students with our connection with local business… it’s a win-win for both our industry partners and our students."
Staff and the marketing students from ECU join Telethon staff at the end of the project.
