Each spring, students in the UNH Marketing and Advertising Club (MAC) put their skills to the test through the Real-World Business Challenge, a hands-on opportunity to collaborate with local businesses on real marketing challenges. Over the semester, student teams develop creative strategies and solutions tailored to their client’s needs before presenting their final recommendations at the Summit for Marketing and Advertising Careers (MAC SMAC).
From enhancing social media presence to refining brand identities and boosting customer engagement, these projects showcase the power of student-led marketing insights. While many businesses participated in this year’s challenge, the following examples highlight students' meaningful impact across various industries.
The Traveling Cocktail & Event Co.
Students: Carson Dempsey ‘25, Laura Holmansky ‘25, Zachary Morin ‘27, Talon Kropp ‘28
Business Challenge: The Traveling Cocktail & Event Co. is a mobile bar that serves events in New Hampshire, Maine, and Massachusetts. The company wanted advice on creating content consistently on its digital platforms to gain more visibility.
Student Actions
- Drafted a content calendar for three months' worth of social media posts, including drink mix videos, customer testimonials, and day-in-the-life content that shows the behind-the-scenes of being a business owner. The students also recommended a content scheduler to keep social posts more consistent.
- Updated company branding to be more consistent with the logo.
- Reformatted website homepage with updated photos and alt text to improve SEO.
- Designed custom social media templates and graphics.
Business owner Veronica Dumont says she was pleased with the effort and felt the students brought a fresh perspective to her business.
“They came in and completely changed my website to be extremely aesthetically pleasing, and I'm over the moon about it,” Dumont says. “I feel like I had the baseline of everything, and it was good enough, but I didn't love it until they came in and really enhanced everything.”
Morin says he enjoyed working with a client and the consistent professional feedback throughout the project.
“The opportunity to work with a small business and make a meaningful impact was incredibly rewarding. It wasn’t just about getting real-world experience—it was about seeing tangible, quantitative results beyond earning a grade,” Morin says.
Students: Jennifer Foye ‘25, Maddie Nerden ‘26, Kylie Gates ‘27
Business Challenge: The Plush Pooch Pet Spa is a pet grooming business in Alton, N.H. The business wanted assistance with its visual brand identity and building its social media platforms.
Student Actions
- Recommended creating original content, such as behind-the-scenes grooming videos and before-and-after pet transformations, to showcase expertise and build a stronger brand presence.
- Encouraged refining photo and video skills to capture more flattering angles of groomed pets and highlight their work effectively.
- Developed a cohesive brand kit by color-matching and font-matching with the existing logo.
- Created an Instagram account for the business, helping them expand their reach and connect with a younger audience.
- Designed custom social media templates, including a "Dog of the Week" feature, client testimonials, and how-to grooming videos, and developed a content calendar to streamline posting and improve consistency.
Nerden says the business owner relied on the students’ social media experience and was receptive to their ideas.
“The owner runs all the social media by herself, and I think giving her all of this, especially the templates and calendar, will keep her organized and make it much easier to get content out,” Nerden says.
Students: Meghan Thorell ‘25, Samantha Filipi ‘25, Sophia Bruzgis ‘26,
Business Challenge: Willowdale is a Manchester, NH-based business that offers nature-based enrichment programs for children. The business sought a clearer brand voice and position and improved brand identity for social media.
Student Actions
- Created a new logo that maintained natural elements to reflect Willowdale’s outdoor learning and exploration mission and developed a brand kit with a consistent color palette and fonts.
- Helped refine Willowdale’s messaging to better communicate its value as an outdoor classroom for all seasons.
- Recommended positioning strategies to strengthen business presence and appeal to parents and children.
- Provided guidance on maintaining consistency in branding across social media channels and suggested content strategies to showcase seasonal activities, hands-on learning experiences, and the benefits of nature-based education.
Bruzgis says the business gave the team creative control during the project, and the students were excited to create something the company wanted to implement.
“It's very motivating to know that this is not something that will go to waste, and it's something that will help our client,” Bruzgis says. “It’s very rewarding.”
Students: Erin Healy ‘25, Emma Guagnini ‘25, Mia Pittore ‘27, Jeremy Mako ‘26
Business Challenge: Rothrock is a renovation company serving the New Hampshire and Maine Seacoast region. The business sought to generate more leads, increase client referrals, and expand its customer base in the competitive Seacoast market.
Student Actions
- Recommended implementing an automated email campaign to nurture leads and keep potential clients engaged over time.
- Conducted a competitive analysis to identify gaps in Rothrock’s market presence and areas for differentiation.
- Recommended strengthening the company’s online presence with a detailed design portfolio showcasing past projects to attract new clients.
- Advised greater engagement with the local community through sponsorships, partnerships, and networking events to build brand awareness.
- Suggested leveraging social media campaigns to highlight unique projects, client testimonials, and behind-the-scenes renovation processes.
Pittore says Rothrock was a great company to work with and maintained consistent communication with the students throughout the project, holding an initial meeting to gather insights, a midpoint check-in, and regular email updates.
“It's a great resume builder to get client experience,” Pittore says. “I think it’s going to prepare us for future marketing projects.
