During the recent spring semester, Dr. Harrison and Reggie Saunders (Director of Entertainment Marketing at Jordan Brand) co-taught The Role of Business Entrepreneurship in Sport & Entertainment (SPB 3823). Students in this class had the opportunity to work on an “applied knowledge” project for Jordan Brand. The project focused on Jordan Brand’s new collaborative partnership with recording artist Drake. Saunders and Dr. Harrison asked the 62 students in the class—working in teams of two students—to create an innovative yet practical business development and marketing proposal related to expanding Jordan Brand’s new training sneaker line while also further integrating Drake into the marketing mix.
Saunders and Dr. Harrison recognized one student team that developed the most practical and innovative proposal. Andrzej Karwaczynski and Ricki Kapraun created a concise yet comprehensive proposal that included several strategic brand extension objectives for Jordan Brand and Drake as well as extensive background research on synergies between the company and musical artist. The student team’s “Strive for Six” concept focused on the development of an integrated campaign driven by digital content and the concept of the number “six,” linking Michael Jordan’s achievement of six NBA championships to Drake’s hometown of Toronto (which is often referred to by locals as “the six”).
Students in the sport business minor are provided with numerous opportunities to work on similar “real world experience” projects in which students apply substantive concepts learned in class to business challenges and opportunities faced by sport and entertainment organizations.