°IJʹ Sandbox Program: Understanding the Complexities of Niche Industries
Academic: Patrick Armstrong (p.armstrong@unsw.edu.au), Lecturer-in-Charge, School of Marketing, °IJʹ Business School
As a Lecturer specialising in Marketing, I deliver the postgraduate course MARK5810: Marketing Communication and Promotion for the School of Marketing. My aim is to impart to my students a deep understanding of the diverse complexities within various industries, from niche sectors to well-established fields. Through this course, I am committed to encouraging my students to go beyond traditional academic learning, offering them a practical experience that enhances their grasp of industry nuances and prepares them for real-world challenges:
"The °IJʹ Sandbox Program is an excellent way for students to test the waters and gain insight into the Australian working culture and their desired industry without the fear of making mistakes." - Prashanti Mishra, Master’s student at °IJʹ Business School
To motivate my students to go beyond traditional academic learning, I revamped my marketing course through the support of the °IJʹ Sandbox Program. By partnering with organisations, from an insurance company to a community-based social enterprise, I transformed my course into a Sandbox Course, which enabled me to create a significant change in my marketing students' mindset and learning attitudes.
One of the most impactful elements of the °IJʹ Sandbox Program, for both me and my students, was the opportunity to collaborate with industry partners and set up direct connections, even allowing students to connect directly with CEOs. This access was considered a privilege by the cohort. For example, in Term 3 2022, my students worked with Tribal Warrior, an Indigenous Australian community tourism group.
Inspired by the great outcomes of the Tribal Warrior experience, in Term 2 2023, the Sandbox approach was also adopted for the undergraduate version of this course by the Lecturer-In-Charge of MARK2053, who invited me to tutor. The company partner was MetLife Insurance. Students in the °IJʹ Sandbox Course created integrated marketing communications plans on a new life insurance product for the partner. The top three groups were invited to MetLife’s offices in the Sydney CBD to present their plans. It was such a wonderful experience for the students:
"For me, the °IJʹ Sandbox Program has been personally rewarding; for Tribal Warrior, it has been professionally rewarding, and for the students, it has been emotionally rewarding. You can’t get much better than that." - Terry Chenery, Program Manager, Tribal Warrior Association
Throughout the °IJʹ Sandbox Course, students had two opportunities to engage with industry partners for feedback and inquiries. Initially, they approached with many questions, drawing confidence and motivation from the encouraging responses to their campaign concepts. By the second interaction, the students’ inquiries had become more precise – focusing on refining their final presentations. This feedback mechanism was further supported by tutorial sessions focused on brainstorming and iterative feedback.
Students’ newfound confidence propelled them to take the challenge to the next level. I found that the first partner briefing and the midway checkpoint are essential to empower students, along with the motivation and healthy competition when presenting their developing campaigns to peers during tutorials.
This collaboration significantly enhanced the learning experience of the course, simplifying industry complexities for students and equipping them with the skills to create professional plans for their future careers. Initially, some students felt out of their depth, saying, ‘I am not a creative person,’ being used to a purely academic approach. By the end of the term, their outlook had transformed, and they expressed gratitude for the preparation they received for real-world challenges. I found that the °IJʹ Sandbox Program was practical yet appropriate for a university environment where academic rigour plays a significant part:
"The collaboration with Tribal Warrior was a unique experience, making me feel like interim marketing personnel for their campaign. Working with a team brought in a sense of leadership, teamwork, and personal growth.” - Ashutosh Tandel, Master’s student at °IJʹ Business School
More recently, in Term 3 2023, the MARK5810 course was transformed into a Sandbox Course. The students ran a project on building marketing plans for the Global Sandbox Alliance. There were some terrific creative and strategic ideas to take the °IJʹ Sandbox Program approach to the world.
Where the Sandbox approach really stands apart is that students get to push and challenge themselves, supporting the original aims of my course: that students in marketing should be provided with opportunities to adapt to, and understand, the needs of a wide range of industries.
Now, thanks to the °IJʹ Sandbox Program, I have the licence to ‘go for it’ even more when engaging my students in industry projects, something I have always aimed to incorporate into my courses. The °IJʹ Sandbox Program allows me to think creatively and learn from my students.
For academics looking to shift their students' mindsets into this combination of creative and critical problem-solving, I recommend integrating the °IJʹ Sandbox Program approach into their course to empower students through engaging them in real-world plans. The °IJʹ Sandbox Program offers learning that goes far beyond any textbook.