High school students in Mrs. Wheeler’s Multimedia in Business course are ready to put their newly learned marketing skills to the test by creating a multi-pronged marketing campaign for the school’s in-house banking branch.
To give students real-world insights, Mrs. Wheeler partners annually with marketing representatives from First NY Federal Credit Union. These industry professionals shared key strategies with the class—covering everything from balancing print and digital media to defining target audiences and executing effective social media outreach. They also discussed direct marketing tactics like email and text messaging, the psychology of reward systems, and how AI-generated artwork compares to authentic, original visuals in consumer engagement.
Now, students are putting these lessons into practice. Their goal is to design a peer-focused campaign that promotes financial literacy, encouraging fellow students to open a bank account or continue building their existing banking accounts.
The campaign aims to help students grasp the importance of saving money, budgeting for major expenses, and potentially spark an interest in future careers in finance, marketing, accounting, etc.
“BH-BL begins teaching students about financial literacy as early as elementary school,” says Wheeler. “Once they reach high school, opening an account (if they haven’t already) is seamless because we have a full-service branch right on campus—staffed by our own trained student bank tellers.”
The winning campaign (decided by students and teacher) will move from concept to full execution. Print materials, including posters and flyers, will be displayed throughout the high school, while digital pieces will be used in direct school emails, daily video announcements, and possibly social media channels.
As an extra incentive, there are milestone prizes awarded throughout the project—a fitting test to see firsthand just how motivating a reward system can be!
