CU Insights

There is great potential in the marketing industry for market research and consumer insights. The research itself is different from how many of us picture scientific research, but it plays a key role in business success. This Creative Inquiry project supports students in achieving their goals of pursuing marketing research upon graduation. The students are prepared through hands-on experiences and industry trips to companies such as Chick-fil-A’s Innovation Hatch, Coca-Cola and SKIM Research. These trips give students exposure to career opportunities and how market research works in the real world.

In the fall, the students worked on a project for the South Carolina Children’s Theatre (SCCT) in Greenville. The team approached SCCT and asked if they had any business questions that needed to be answered. Savannah Shuler, a senior marketing major, saw this project as an opportunity to explore her passion and career direction.

To answer these questions, Shuler helped create a survey and distributed it to SCCT’s email list. The team asked specific questions to better understand the consumer experience. The survey explored key ideas about involvement in SCCT programs and events, thoughts on ticket pricing and barriers for participation. The data from nearly 170 respondents revealed distinct consumer journeys with varying levels of participation.

To present this information, the team decided to bring this journey to life through the personas of Harper HighInvolvement and Lisa Low-Involvement. Harper HighInvolvement is a consumer who participates in SCCT programs, Lisa Low-Involvement is a busy consumer who wants to fit more arts and culture into her free time. Through these personas and their findings, the students highlighted a need for more community connection and opportunities for parent participation—all of which are insights that SCCT can use to improve their programs and outreach.

The CU Insights Creative Inquiry project brings students a sense of discovery and ownership over their work. They are not only learning research methods, but they are applying them to real businesses with real inquiries. This was the first time that Shuler led a group of this scale. She recalls reviewing her research data prior to discussing with her team: “Something clicked in my brain. I knew exactly what method to use because I learned it in marketing research. I went back, found my notes from class, pulled it up and retaught myself latent profile analysis,” Shuler said. For Shuler, this was more than just a project. It was a culmination of everything she learned at Clemson.

This Creative Inquiry project has come a long way over the last 12 years. Students who worked on CU Insights are now professionals in their field. In fact, some alumni return to Clemson to share the latest and greatest in marketing research with current students.

Thyroff hopes to continue to expand the program by increasing outreach on campus. Even non-marketing majors are welcome to explore their interest in consumer insights and human behavior. “The more specialized and the more we can get students to think more intentionally about their career, the more prepared that they’ll be to get the jobs that they want,” Thyroff said. Her vision is to provide students with the opportunity to not only gain technical skills, but to discover what excites them professionally and ultimately set them up for their careers.

Student growth from the CU Insights Creative Inquiry project shows what is possible when curiosity becomes opportunity. Projects and partnerships allow students to build confidence and narrow their interests for their career paths. For Shuler, leading the SCCT project grew her passion for marketing research and gave her the tools and confidence to pursue a Master’s degree in market research. With support from Thyroff and a growing community of students, the Creative Inquiry project continues to provide a strong foundation for those who are ready to turn their interests into a future.