Project Spotlight: Lane McCaslin, Convert
Every single member of my group owned a Hydro Flask. That’s why it seemed like the perfect product to focus on for our first HackCville project. In Convert, our digital marketing course, my group was tasked with creating a presentation outlining the “P’s” of marketing, or the key factors in successfully marketing a product.
With a little background research, we determined that Hydro Flask excelled at personalization, promotion, price, and creating an inclusive brand (deemed the “people like us” category to keep up with the “P” theme). These factors were evident through Hydro Flask’s social media platforms and its website, which were detailed with user-submitted photos of the bottles. Whether pictured on a surfboard in Hawaii or a snowboard in Alaska, it was obvious that Hydro Flask owners were a community. I don’t think I’ve ever thought about the true power of marketing until seeing the way that Hydro Flask used its brand to unite.
My favorite part of the project was definitely the creation of the presentation itself. We were taught to use applications like Font Ninja and Color Picker to find the same colors and fonts used by the Hydro Flask marketing team. After adding some pictures from the Hydro Flask Insta, our presentation became an extension of the Hydro Flask brand. I loved the assignment so much I even spent a little extra time adding images to the Hydro Flask bottles on the first slide for some added pizzazz.
My time at Convert really introduced me to my passion for marketing. It even inspired me to apply to be a Marketing Coordinator for HackCville, and that’s what I’m doing now. I could not be happier with my experience and all of the doors it has opened up for me. I can’t wait to see what this semester has in store!
Convert is a 10-week introduction to digital marketing that equips students with core marketing principles, skills, and tools. You’ll learn about paid and organic social media, search engine marketing, email marketing tools, basic website optimization, best practices for presentations, and the basics of design. As the digital world grows and becomes increasingly relevant for day-to-day business operations, companies need more employees than ever to be versed in digital marketing. Convert is a great jumping off point for students looking to explore digital marketing as an interest or as a career path. Learn more and register here.