What started as work experience for some of the best and brightest final-year business students turned into a real-world marketing opportunity for combined Bachelor of Business and Laws student Darcy Heffernan.
Drawing on his studies and experiences growing up in a renowned oyster region in New South Wales, the final-year marketing student developed a plan for Tasmanian Oyster Co. (TOC) to open an oyster shed in Southern Tasmania.
After catching the eye of TOC Sales & Marketing Manager Pranav, it was an idea that soon became a reality.
“I was so excited when I found out that TOC wanted to implement my marketing idea.
“Often the creative ideas produced for assessment purposes are ultimately hypothetical, so to see a local business bring an idea to life was a very rewarding experience.
“It gives you great confidence to know that the theoretical concepts you learn in the classroom are directly applicable to real businesses,” Darcy said.
Darcy’s idea to open a TOC oyster shed to bring growers, customers and the community together was inspired by his experiences at home and a few pearls of wisdom from his childhood.
“My project was definitely influenced by my upbringing on the Far South Coast of New South Wales, which is a renowned oyster-growing region.
“It is common for people to purchase oysters directly from growers at each oyster farmer’s shed, and customers have personal relationships with the growers and often develop preferences for oysters grown in particular locations.”
The project, supervised by Lecturer in Marketing Dr Balkrushna Potdar and TOC’s Pranav, aimed to provide real-world, practical experiences for students.
“Learning strategic marketing skills in the classroom can often seem lightyears away from the real world, that’s why we believe in the power of practical experiences to show students how they can apply their skills."
“It’s also an opportunity for us to collaborate with local businesses like Tasmanian Oyster Co. and give back to the business community while providing students with invaluable opportunities to learn in a fast-paced, non-theoretical environment,” Dr Potdar said.
Tasmanian Oyster Co was founded in 1979 as Shellfish Culture Ltd and has merged with multiple world-class oyster farming operations to form one of Australia’s largest vertically integrated oyster businesses.
“Our values are a culmination of hard-earned experience coupled with new age thought and opportunity. We are our values, and we champion them in our everyday lives.
“Darcy's plan was a path which we wanted to go down to be closer to our end consumer, the oyster lover,” Pranav said.
For Dr Potdar, Darcy’s experience is a perfect example of why business schools and businesses should continue to work together to immerse students in the real world and create the best graduates possible.
"The collaboration between industry partners and academics offers businesses, universities and students excellent benefits.
"Businesses get a fresh perspective with comprehensively analysed theory-based solutions to real-world problems; students gain practical, work-integrated learning experiences; and universities can make positive, measurable, and sustainable social impacts through collaboration," said Dr Potdar.
As Darcy eagerly awaits his first visit to TOC’s oyster shed when it opens this year, he said the practical experiences of collaborating with a local business were invaluable.
“Ultimately, this experience complemented and developed my understanding of key marketing concepts whilst giving me the confidence to apply these in real business settings."
“Seeing how the concepts learnt in the classroom are implemented in a business setting provides students with a deeper understanding of course content.
“I believe businesses and business schools should continue to collaborate on similar projects in the future.”
Find out more about the Bachelor of Business and Bachelor of Laws.