January 03, 2012

Graduate and undergraduate Tobin College of Business students
participated in a marketing plan completion in hopes of earning a
three-month spring internship opportunity with StyleOwner, an
online clothing boutique. Five exceptional plans were selected to
present on December 14, 2011 in from of a panel of judges which
included Joel Weingarten, creator and chief executive officer,
StyleOwner; Alexa Brandt, director of consumer experience,
StyleOwner; and Steve Lazarus, director of online and emerging
media for Toys “R” Us.
Under the direction of Dr. W. Ryall Carroll, assistant professor of
marketing, and Professor Joan Ball, instructor of marketing, a
total of 38 plans from across the three New York City campuses were
submitted and narrowed down to the five finalists.

The students were given a budget of $10,000 and challenged with the
task of developing a marketing campaign geared toward college
students that creates brand awareness and trial for StyleOwner. The
plan was required to consist mainly of social media and innovative
ways of communicating with students and be executable countrywide,
beginning with an initial market of schools in the “Big
East.”
After deliberation two teams were ultimately selected, offering the
executives at StyleOwner different perspectives on how to reach
their target market.

Tobin marketing major Nirveeta Mahabir’s presentation focused on
the principle of corporate social responsibility. Her idea
incorporated a “tweet for a cause” campaign that would raise funds
for Smile Train, an international charity that provides cleft
palate surgery to those in need. By targeting 16 “Big East”
universities to participate in this Twitter campaign, Mahabir was
confident that her plan could raise enough funds to cover the cost
of 16 cleft surgeries.

Adam Jaffer and Alessio Chiarini utilized audio-visual
techniques to convey their idea of developing a video competition
that would feature the fashion component of the business while
marketing the StyleOwner brand via university Facebook and Twitter
accounts.

StyleOwner offers aspiring fashionistas the opportunity to become
entrepreneurs while personalizing their inventory by curating from
a catalog of popular fashion brands.
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About the Peter J. Tobin College of Business
The Peter J. Tobin College of Business has provided a high-quality
business education for over eighty years, offering individuals from
throughout the world the opportunity to study in New York’s dynamic
business environment. The innovative curriculum emphasizes an
analytic and hands-on understanding of business practice that
prepares graduates to excel in today’s global marketplace.
For additional information about the Peter J. Tobin College of
Business, please contact Asia Hauter at (718) 990-6218, via e-mail
at hautera@stjohns.edu or
visit us at www.stjohns.edu/tobin.