Newswise — PHILADELPHIA (December 7, 2011) – Marketing students at Saint Joseph’s University are neck and neck in a sales competition to raise $100,000 from hand cream sales to benefit Saint Joseph’s University’s Kinney Center for Education Autism and Support. Divided into 16 teams, the students are taking advantage of the holiday season to make a big marketing push for their “Helping Hands Project.”
Established in 2009, the Kinney Center provides multi-disciplinary education and research opportunities for students, teachers, professionals and parents who seek to improve and extend opportunities, outcomes, quality of life and best practices in treatment for people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Funds from the sale of the hand cream will go directly to support the Kinney SCHOLARS Program, which engages undergraduates majoring in an autism-related field in working one-on-one with individuals with autism.
Earlier this year, Wei Brian, founder and CEO of Wei East, the largest Chinese Medicine-inspired cosmetics company in the United States, entered into a unique partnership with the Kinney Center to sell her China Herbal - Hand & Body Perfection, 85g hand cream. Brian has donated enough inventory for students to sell $100,000 worth of product, with 100 percent of the proceeds benefiting the Kinney Center.
Brent Smith, Ph.D., associate professor of marketing, learned of the partnership and considered it an ideal opportunity for his marketing students to gain practical experience selling a product.
“When I started preparing for this course, I heard about Brian’s partnership with the Kinney Center,” says Smith. “Even though it was short notice, the opportunity for the students to learn about marketing strategy with a real-life experience was too great to pass by.”
Annaliese Henwood, a junior at Saint Joseph’s and a member of one of the teams, is excited to work on a project that has potential for tangible results. “By the end of this project, I hope to have a better understanding of the sales process so that I can use this knowledge in my future,” she says. “Also, it’s wonderful to contribute significantly to a great cause like the Kinney Center.”
To date, the students have sold $5,000 in product. For those interested in supporting the students in their effort, the hand cream can be purchased for $10 a bottle; $25 for three; $75 for ten; or $1,500 for 180 (1 box). To purchase the product directly, visit http://kinneyautism.sju.edu/lotionpurchase/ . The Helping Hands project will continue into the spring 2012 semester and a winning team will be announced in May.
Background: Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1851, Saint Joseph's University advances the professional and personal ambitions of men and women by providing a demanding, yet supportive, educational experience. One of only 141 schools with a Phi Beta Kappa chapter and AACSB business school accreditation, Saint Joseph's is home to 4,600 traditional day students, 700 College of Professional and Liberal Studies adult undergraduates and 3,500 graduate and doctoral students. Steeped in the 450-year Jesuit tradition of scholarship and service, Saint Joseph's was named to the 2010 President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for General Community Service. The University strives to be recognized as the preeminent Catholic comprehensive university in the Northeast.
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